The Sun. — London, England, 1806-03-01 00:00:00

THE ' • LOAD 011 - G,.1 7EI TE EXTRAOADLiVARY. FRIDAY, FEB. 28. Downing-street; February 28. Dispatches, .of Which the following are a Copy and Extraet,.addresed to Lord Viscount Castlereagh, were received yesterday evening, at she Office of the Right Honourable William Windham, one of His Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, from Major-General Sir David Baird MY LOR D ; Cape Town, Jan. 12, 1806. I have the honour to announce to your Lordship, the Capitulation of the Town and GarrisOn of the Cape of Good Hope to His Maje Sty's arms., In- my Dispatches of the 24th of November last, from St. Salvadoi., I had the honour to apprize your Lordship of the Measures, adopted to refresh the force under, my command and having, with mdch difficulty, procured abontsixty or seventy horses for the cavalry, and the . sick being recruited, the Ex pedition sailed on the 26th of that month ; and we had the good fortune to 'reach Table Bay on the 4th instant., It had been intended to disembark the army im mediately, and, with a view of coveting our design; before entering the Bay; the 24th regiment, coin-'' manded by tha Hon. Lieutenant Colonel WDonald, was detaChed,‘Under the charge of the Leda frigate, to make a demOnstratiOn of landing iriCampo Bay; but the wind having failed, ' the et:did not airtve at itsranclio - racre until, the day was too far advanced to attempt a landing. On the Morning of the sth, the first brigade, un (ler the orders - of Brigadier-General Beresford, was embarked in bOats;, and ptoceeded towards the only accessNe pail of the shOre, in a small bay, sixteen miles to the'northward of Cape4lown, where it ap peared pra&icable to died. a disembarkation ; but the surf had increased so considerably, that, com bined with the local difficulties of 'the spot, it was Ibtind necessary to abandon the attempt. The rest of the day was devoted . to a careful exa thinatitin 'of the whole shore, from Lospard's Bay to within gun-shot of the Batteries at Cape-Town, but which .prodOced only the distressing conclusion, that the Chance of effe6ting a landing depended upon 'contingencies very - unlikely to be realiZed but in a perfecalm. In consequence of this inference, in order to ob viate tile disadvantages of delay, in the adoption of a resolution which I. apprehended would at last be ;necessarily imposed ''on me, I direEted Brigadier- General Beresford to ptoceed with the 38th Regi- Ment and the Roth 'Lig - lit - Dragoons, escorted .by 1-lis Majesty's Ship Diomede, to • Salclanha Bay, wiiere the disembarkation could be accomplished with facility, and a prospeta was afforded us ofpro curing horses and.cattle ; and I purposed following wits the main body of the Army, in the event of the beath, being ita.pradicable the ensuing morning. Tire surf, along the share of Lospard's Bay having i . .^.oi**ably abated the ensuing morning, I deter tniced with the concurrence of Commodore Sir Popham, to make an effort to get the Troops on 'slthre, and. accordingly the Highland Brigade, composed of 'the 7 Ist, 72d, and gad Regiments, effected that, , Objeo4 under the command of Briga ftiza'Son. . • n • •, • The shore hau 'bee preliatisly very Glosely in tpe6ted-by the Brigadier, and by his spirited exer tions.and example, our efforts were crowned with :success ; although a confined and intricate channel to the shore, which had been . accurately pointed out by beacons laid down by the diligence and ,aaivity of the Boats of His Majesty's Ship Diadem, and a tre. inenclous surf, opposed the passage of the Troops. The Enemy had scattered a party of Sharp-shoOt ets over the contiguons heights, and commanded the landing; but the casualties of this service arose prin. cipally- from natural difficulties ; and it is with the deepest concern - I have the honour to inform your Lordship, that we lost thirty-five rank and file of the 93d Regiment, by 'theoversetting of one of the boats, notwithstanding every possible effort to xes, cue those unfortunate men. .• The remainder of the Troops could only be brought on shore on the succeeding day, when the extraordi .nary obstacles to all intercourse with the Fleet, which nothing but the courage and perseverance of British Seamen could surmount; barely enabled us to obtain the indispensible supplies of water and provisions for immediate subsistence. On the - morning of the Bth, flit; Army, consisting of the 24th, 59th, 71st, 72d, 83d, and 93d Regi rnents, about 400 d was formed into two bri gades,-with two howitzers and six light field pieces, and moved off towards the road which leads to Cape- Town and having ascended the summit of the Blaw-Berg, or Blue Mountains, and dislodged the Enemy's ° Light Troops; I discovered their main body, drawn up in two lines, prepared to receive us, • and even in Motion to anticipate our approach. TheEnemytwforce, apparently,-consisted of about five thousand men, the greater proportion of which was Cavalry, and twenty-three pieces of cannon, yoked to horses,-the‘ disposition of which; and the nature of the ground occupied by the Enemy's Troops, made it evident that they intended to refuse . their right wing, and with their left attempt to turn our right flatik; but, to frnstrate . their design, I formed the Army into two columns, the second Bri gade under Brigadier-General Ferguson, keeping the road, whilst the first struck to the right, and took the defileof the mountains. Having accomplished i t - fly purpose, our line was formed with equal cele rity and order; and the left wing, composed of the liighland Brigade, was thrown forward, and ad vanced with / the steadiest step, under a, very heavy. fire of round shot, grape, and musketry. Nothing ,could 'surpass or resist the determined bravery of the Troops, headed by their gallant Leader, Briga dier-General Ferguson, and the number of the Ene— my,, who svt armed the plain, served only to augment their' ardour, and confirm their discipline. The Enemy received our fire„find maintained his posi tion obstinately, but in :he moment of charging, the valour of British Troops bore down all opposition, and forced him to a precipitate retreat.- The First Brigade, - composed of the 24th, -59th, and 83d Regiments, and commanded, in the absence of Brigadier-General .Beresiord, by Lieut.-Colonel 'Baird, was unavoidably precluded, by their tituation, from any considerable participation in the triumph of the,British arms; though The flank companies of 24t4 had however ai opportunity Qf distiAgui4l-, ing themselves in dislodging .a number 'of-hor`se•and riflemen from the heights on our rig lt• f atik. This brilliaufachievement, however, was. clouded:by tlit lOSs ‘ of 6ipt:-FOrster,- of t 1.% GrenAdi . ers,„ iflioe'k-al lantry is best recOrded in the boOnis of liii'broth'err Soldiers, and the universal regret:of the Army. It is utterly impossible to convey to your bird- Ship an adequate idea of the obstacles which opposed the advance, and retarded the success of our Army; but it is my duty to inform your Lordship, that the nature of the country--a deep, heavy, and arid , 'land, • Covered with Shrub's, scarcely 'pervious to light bodies of Infanfry; and, above all, the total privation of water, under . the eifeets' of a burning sun, had 'nearly exhausted our gallant fellows in the Moment. of victory, and '.with the utmost difficulty were we able to reach the Reit Valley, where we took our position for the night. A considerable nor - lion of the provisions and necessaries with which we started had been lest during theaCtion, 'and xte oc cuPied our ground under an apprehension that even the great exertions of Sir Home Popham and the Navy could not relieve us from starvation. My . Lord, on every occasion where it has been found ,necessary to call for the co-operation of British seamen in land enterprizes, their valour has been so conspicuous, and their spirit of labour and perse 7 r verance so unconquerable, that no tribute of my ap plause can add a lustre to their charaCter; but I dis charge a most Agreeable portion of my duty, in "as= suring your Lardship, that on the recent employment of their services, they have maintained their reputa t ion and in .this place it behhoves, me to itiform•yoliy Lordship, that the uniform good condu& . of those gallant fellows, 'and the zeal of Captain Geo. Eying who commanded them, together with ,that of every subordinate Officer, have merited my fullest appro bation. The loss of the Enemy, in this engawment, is re ported to exceed seven himdred then in killed and wounded; and it is with the most sensible gratified tion. that I contrast it with the inclosed return of our casualties. :Your Lordship perceive the name of Lieutenant-Colohel Grant among the wounded, but the heroic spirit of this Officer' was not subdued by his misfortune,' and he continued!to lead his men to glory, as long as an Enemy was op.; posed to His Majesty's 72d Regitnent. I have the Cordial satisfataion to add, that, his Wound, though very severe, is not pronounced dangerous and I Indulge the hope and expe6tation of his early re covery and resumption of command. .On the naoPning of the 6tii, recruited by such supplies as the unwearied diligence and' effbrts of the Navy.could throw on shore, the 59th Regi ment, however, being almost completely destitute of food, we prosecuted our march to Cape Town, and took up a position south .9f Salt River, which we trusted might preServe a free communication with the Squadron ; for 'our battering train, as well as every other necessary, except water, ,was -to pass to, us from his Majesty's Ships. • In' this situation, a flag of truce was sent to me by the Commandant of the Garrison of Cape-ToWn (the ,Governor General Jansen having retired .after the Adion of the Bth, into the country, moving by HottentotS Holland Kloof), requesting a suspension of hostili tie% for forty-eight hours, n order to negotiate a. Capitulation.' In answer -to this overture, I dis patched Brigadier' , General Ferguson, -accompanied .h.v-Lientenant-Colief44-itriggr-4•S-,stiirahnti-as tije condition' of my acquiescence, the surrender of the 'outworks of the town within six hours, allowing thirty-six hours. for arranging the Articles of Capitu- Myproposition being assented to, the 59th Regi ment marched into Fort' Knokke ; , and the next day, in conjunelion with Sir Home Popham, the 'Terms - were agreed upon, and His Majesty's Forces were put in possession of the several defences of the town. Of the modified Capitulation, as ratified by us, I have the honour to inclose a copy. The cordial, able, and zealous co-operation of Com modore Sir Home Popham, emulated by all the Offi cers under his command, merits my warmest ac knowledgments and commendation ; and I have the satisfa6tion to add, that no united service was ever performed with more true harmony than • has . uniformly been manifested by both branches of His Majesty's Forces. Such of, His Majesty's Ships as could be spared from the service of Lospard's Bay constantly coasted the Enemy's shore, throwing shot among his troops and people, and contributing to keep -them ignorant of the i actual place of our disembarkation ; and a very spirited effort-was made by the Marines of the Fleet,' and a party of Seamen from the Diadem, under the CommodOre's imme diate command, to occupy a position in Reit Valley, and co-operate with the Army. , The Marines and the Honourable COmpany's Re- cruits, as well as their Cadets, headed by Lieutenant- Colonel Willett, of the Bengal Establishment, have been usefully employed in. different branches of the .service but I have to regret the depriVation of the ser vices or the 20th Dragoons and 3ttth Regi ment,undet? a convi&ion that they could not have failed to dis charge their duty in the Sarno exemplary 'manner as the rest of His Majesty's Troops engaged in the Mtion: Public as well as personal considerations induce Me to lament the absence of Brigadier-General Beres ford, -from whose talents and experience I shoeild have derived the most essential assistance in our dis puted and difficult 'progress from Lospard's Bay. The.duties of the Quarter-Master-General's de partment was very ably and judiciously discharged' by Lieutenant-Colonel Brownrigg ' and although :the Army had the greatest cause t o lament the absence, from severe illness, of Major lAicket Deputy Ad jutant-General, yet the zeal and a&ivity manifested by Major Trotter, of the 83d Regiment, and the 'Assistant Adjutant-General Capt. Munro, ,happily precluded all : deficiency in that department. The 'absence of Capt. Smyth, of the Royal Engitaeers;• with the Saldanha Detachment, was also a matter of great regret to me, for,his knowledge of the CoUn try would h relieved me from much embarrass ment. to the several Officers commanding Corps I am under considerable obligations for their gallant, spirited, zealous, and judicious conthia and example, iti leading' their men up to the Enemy. British Troops, headed by such men, must ever, under Pro vidence, commend success ; and every man in this Army 'has, .I trust it will be considered,.preserved the chara6ter of the British Soldier, and faithfully dis charged hii duty to his King and Country. This dispatch will be delivered to your Lordship by ( Lic:ut.,-Wonel Baird, and ) to whom Ibe lev,e to ..• • , refer for anv *1064%U information your Diniship may wish to otiL.Cul T - C:speaiDg our proceibi..ings; and I be g leave to recornmend this; zealouS and ... , . • meri torious Officer to ythir Lonisbip . s protection. s 'I take' he liberty of mentioning to your Lordship, . that tiOt havipa been joined by thsl NarciSsus Frigate i, prior to our di..a.mbai katioa and subsequent opera- tiOns in the field, I was unfortunately deprived' of ~ ~ . ~t he SerVite's of Captain Soren, A . ssi±tant' Adjutant- General, - whO,was , clrcred withfromiay diSpatches fro • .. 1 Madeira - to Goveltor Patton, and with the exeeu tied of my wishes to procure intelligence relative to • the strength and condition of this Colony ; i'.nd from . whose extensive local knowlelge and professional - talents Lexpe6ted to derive great 'assistance. Herewith , I have the honour to inclose for your Lordship's information, a Return of the Ordnance found .in the Citadel and other Defences of this Set tlement, . tlement, but it is perhaps inaccurate, /or the reason assigned by the Commanding Officer of Artillery. I have the honour to be, &c. D. BAIRD, Major-General, Commanding in Chief. To Viscount Castlereagh,.&c. &c. &c. , Return of the Killed, Wounded, and Mis Sing of the Forces under the Command of Major-General Sir David Baird, in landing at Lospard's Bay; on the 6th of Jan. 1806. • :Fir:a Brigade.—None. ' - second, or Highland Brigade. 71st Reg. --1 Rank and tile tidied; 1 Field Officer, 3 rank ant ti le, 'wounded . . N. B. I Drummer and 3 5 rank and fil e , o f t h e 93(1 Regi ment, drewned in landing. Officers Wounded. — llfet.qt a larajdi - Weir, Biig,a(te Major, slightly. • - - • Lieuteliant- Colonel Pack; of the 71st Regiment, slightly. W. -H. TROTTER, Major 83d Reg. • ' Ading Deputy Adj. Gen e Return of the Killed, Wounded, and Missing of the Forces under the Command of Major-General Sir David Baird, in the Adion of the Etli of January, 18.e6, at Blaw-Berg. First Brigade. , • 24th Reg. t Captain, 3 rank and file, killed ; 1 drummer, . 15 rank'and file, \voundeo ; 2 rank and file missing., • a9th Reg.-1 Rank and tile, Killed; a Captain, S. rank and file wounded ; i. rank and file, missing. , 83d Reg.--2 Serjeants, 2 rank and tile, wounded; 3 rank and filehfissing. / . - Second; or Highland Brigade. 71st Reg.-5 Rank and tile killed; 1 Field Officer, 2 Ser jcan:s, 64 rank and file wounded - a rank and file missing. ' , -12 ii Reg.--2. Rank and file killed ; 1 Field Officer, a Su- . baitern, f Serjeanta, i drummer, 33 rank and file,' wounded ; : rank and tile missing. • . . . gad Reg.--z Rank and file killed; 1 Field Officdr, 4 Su balterns, i Serjcant, 1 Drummer, 51 rank and filer wounded. Marine Battalion—t Rank and tile killed: . .e.•• - fotal--1 Captain, 14 rank and file, killed; -3 Field Off - I- . ‘ cers, .1 Captain, 5 Subalterns 7 Serjeants, 3 Druminere., 17e rank and ti le,'wounded ; 8 rank and file missing. ' : ‘• . - . Officers Killed: - • • . ' 24th Reg.--Captain Andrew Faister. • • . ~ ' • . Officers Wounded. , . 59th Reg.—Alexander M'PherSon, badly. ' 71st Reg. -Brevet. Lieutenant Colonel Campbell. 72d Reg e —Lieut.-Col. Grant, Lieut. Chisholm. ' '93d Reg.--Brevet Lieut.-Col. Hoirsyman. - • • , 715th Reg.—Lieutenants Scobie aint'Strachan, attached to . _._. the 93d Regiment. .- ~ • 86th Reg.—F.nsigns Heddrick anal Craigh... • w. H. TROTT . E It, Major 83d Reg, . I ' Aaing Deputy Adj. Geri. , ARTICLES OF CAPITULATION Proposed by Lieut.-Col. ' Hyeronimus Casirnirus Von Fro , phaloW, Commandant of the Tpwn. Castle, and circuity. jaient Fort,fieitions of the Cape of Good Hope, te the Alajora General •in •the Service of His Britannic Ma- " - jest', Sir David Baird, K. G. Commander in Chief of ° His Majesty's Forces,. and Commodore Sir H. Popham, Commander in Chief of His Britannic Majesty's Naval Forces in Table Bay. Aft. I :- TiT:: Capitulation being signed; Hie Cape' TOW!), Castle, and excurniacent Fortifications shall be immediately stirreteleredto the Troops of His Britannic Majesty, viz.• the Fortifications of the King's Block-house,,Craig's 'lower, and, e all the Batteries wi thin that circuit, and one-on the other .. _ . . side of the damp's Bay: Art. 11. '['he Garrison shall, at the surrender, march out with all the Honours of War, and shall then lay. down their ' arms, 'and become Prisoners of War; but such Officers as arc natives of the Colony, or married with natives, or in pos session of sufficient landed property to become regularly and bona tide doinicililited, sholl he at liberty to continue here so long es they behave, theniselveS as becometh good Subjects and Citizens, or procled to'Great 13ritain with regular pass ports, and ha'ving previously passed their parole not to - serve until regularly exchanged. . . . A rt. tit.. Mt Officers who, according to the previous Ar ticle, must go ;o Europe, shall he provided with passages at - the expellee- of His Britannic Majesty..and ,have leave to realize their property previous to thei' departure, and receive the same pa v as,tbey did in their own service till the day of their embarkatiOn. Art. IV. - The French subjects who, belonging to the Stranded Frigate L'Atalante, another stranded Privateer Le Napoleon, were casually here, and are comprehended in the present Capitulation, shall be treated on the same' footing as the Garrison ; but the)," must all.be embarked for Europe, as well as every other French subjed in the Colbny. . = Art. V: Th.; inhabitants of the town. Who have' borne ants, to be considered as belonging to the town, and may immediately return to their former occupations ; but the dis tiAdion between the burghers and other inhabitants is to re main the• Same, and subject to the same restrictions as under ' the Dutch Laws. Art. VI. All bona fide private property, whether belong ( i int to the Civil and Military servants of th 6 Government, to I the burghers and inhabitants, to Churches, orphans, and other i public institutions of that kind, shall remain free and un touched. • , I' Art. VII. Public property of every description, phether consisting of treasure, or Naval or Military stores, buildings, estates, or metchandtze belonging to the Batavian Republic, • or the GoCernment of France,. shall be faithfully delivered. up, and proper inventories given of them as soon as pos sible. • Art. VIII.. The 13targhers and Inhabitants shall preserve all their rights and privileges which they have hitherto en joy"ed. Public Worship, as at preeent in use, shall also b'e maintained without alteration. ' Art: IX: The Paper Money aElually in circulation shill continue current as heretofore, until the pleasure (Allis Bri tannic Majesty is knoWn. Art, X. The Lands and'Houses, the property of the Pata vian Republic, which must be delivered up, shall rOilain as a security for that Part of the Paper Money which is not al ready secured by mortgages upore the estates of individuals, by its having been lent to them. This is, howeyere to be ~ without prejudice to the free use to be made of the said lands and bowies for public purposes. Art. Xl. Prisoners of War comprehended in the present Capitulation shall not be pressed into His Britannic , Majee . - I ty's Service, or engaged against their own free will and con-. y sent. With reaped to other -Persons, they are provided tor I- inlArticle V. of this Capitulation. Art. X I I. The Inhabitants of Cape Town shall b e . exempt from having Troops ewartered art them. . Art. Xlll. I'vvo Ships having been sunk in Table Bay, to I the•g - eat detriment of the Roadstead, either after the Bataviao ' I Republic had sent Out a Flag of Ttuce,or whilst it was in curt templation so to do, they are to be raised again, and delivered over in an entire state of repair ; this having ,been done with out the sanction - Of the Commandant, ahe raisingbf the Ships shallte incumbent on those who sunk them. , Art. XI V., This Capitulation shall be signed at four o'clock this afternoon, when the Castle of the Cape rowan' 1 and all the adjacent Forts previously mentioned, skull be surrendered to His Britannic Majesty's 1 roepi. Given umicrourliands and seals, this lo th day of January, ( in the year of our Lord illeb, 'at PapendOrp, near Fort Knokke'. , , • , (Signed)" H,' C. PROPIIA LOW. D. BA I RD, Major-Gen. Corn- • . , • 'standing in Chief. . . H. POPHAM. • = •Executed in tile presence of J. S. 'fruiter, I. Palmer. Genital Return of Ordnance on' the several Batteries of Cape i 'town, Cape olf Good Hope, and its D e pendencie s ) l an , 12, 18'46, viz. 'I. :Bless Guns. —2 twenty-four pou n de rs , ' z 2 eighteen-pound ers, ii twelve-pounders, 4 eigh t -p oun d ers , 19 six-potonlita, l 48 foa'r-pounders, 24 one-pounders. - • c hop p uns.-7 7 3; thtrty-six pounder, - 51 fixenty- ourpouxu lers, 67 eighten-pounders,”Twelve-pou.ndeis, ty eighf 7 pounder, js six-pounders, i 6 four-pounders;l • one-pounders. , • bras; MortarS. - -.7 thirteen inch, 8 twelve .CohoruMoitars.-2 three and half inch. Brass Howitzers . . -5 twenty-four-pounders; eight 'nth, I six inch. Iron 'CarrodideS. 54 thirty-two-pc!tinders, 2 iwelve l pounders. , • ,Brass S one- pounderS. • . Iron Swivels.-8 one-sound arida half.—rci one-pounderi. Total.---15,3bias an 343 iron •piece•s pf • W. SPICER; Major commanding Royal Artilleiy. %V. 1-1. TROTTER; ' • ' • Majdr, Adlidg Deputy Adj. Gen. 11. B: There not being sufflcient,time to send .in a return of the whole of the-Ordnance, AmmtAniti9n, and Stores, a correl return, will be sent as soon as possible... Extract of a. Dispatch, from MajOr-6ch , ;rai 'Sir DA v BAIRD to Lord Viscount C AST riR LAG 4, dated Cape.• • Town, lan. I-3, - 1806. General Jansens has retired to Hottentots Hol land Kloof, and advices, this instant received - state him to have sent his forces over the Kll9of, estimat ing them at 1 200 men, and 2'B • pieces .of artillery and 206 waggons. He has discharged . the farmers from the service, and dismissed 50 waggons, which are said to be coming towards the town ? arid conse quentlg.will be soon in my possession. This acdount of his force is probably eSaggerated, And particularly with regard to his artillery. The General himself is still on this side.the Kloof, but his intentions seem matter of conjecture, and probably he ,meditates a movement towards Zwart Kopts River, . . ' His resoUrces - with-respea to subsistence are of a kind not very susceptible df interruption, from the' disposition-9f the farmers, or the means I cars im mediately oppose to him, unless helhould experience a deficiency, of ammunition by our possession of some- of-his depots. The farmers are by no means likely to assist him heartily for any leligth of time, • for thedevastatioty of their property must be the inevitable consequence of,a prosecution of•the con-• test in the interior. To augment, or even preserve his aelual, : and, trust, but temporary superiority in that particular, it will be nece§sary for General Jansens to inove; in a northerly diredion, into the distria of StellenboSch : but as the measure is of a 'most desperate tendency, and requires that his heart should be steeled tothose sensations which are said to govern iits aetions, I indulge a Sanguine expectation that consequences so dreadful may be averted: With , this view, and from the posture of our re. lathe affhirs, I have deemed it both honourable and make an for His MajestY's Governm ent t o an overture to. ,General Jansens, - a copy of whi - Cli is inclosed, deprecating the destructive result. of his 'farther opposition to His Majesty's Arms, and treat ing him with the generosity and distithion due to' his charmer. . . But in order to give weight to the anxious desire I entertain of inviting General Jansens to a paCifica- Lion, I have, at an early hour this day, detachedßri gadier-General Beresiord, with the syth and 724 Regiments, two howitzers, and four 6-pounders, to possess himself of 'the village of Stellenbosch, and thence to - forward my Letter to the General, accom panied by such additional arguments as the Briga-, dier may consider expedient to subMit to him, and with full powers to conclude whatever treaty exist- - ing circumstances may - Cape Town, Jan. ir, 18°6. SIR—You have discharged your duty to your Country as became a brave man at the head of a gallant, though feeble, army. I know how to re sped the high qualities of such a man ; and do not doubt that that humanity which ever chars terizes an intrepid soldier, will now operate in your breast; to check the fatal consequences of a fruitless Con test. The Naval and Military Forces of His'Britannie Majesty, which have possessed 'themselves of the seat of your recent Government, are of a magnitude to leave no question respe&iug the issue of further hostilities ; and therefore a temporary and disastrOus resistance is all you can possibly oppose to superior numbers. Under these circumstances, , nothing can result but the• deVastation of the country you casually oc cupy;. and such a consequence can never be contem plated without anguish by a generous mind, or be gratifying to the man wto feels for th e prosperity and tranquillity, of . the Colciiiy lately subje& to his Administration. but if, unhappily. your resolution is. formed to oppose an enemy of such superioz , force, by protra&ing a contest which must entail misery and ruin on the industrious and peaceably disposed settlers of this Colony, I shall be exonerated from the reproach of my own cow , :nenee by this frank overture ; and , you must , justify to yourself, an d to your Countrymen, the further effusion of blood, and, , the desolation of the Country. You are necessarily so well acquainted with the• extent of the calamities in which the interior of the, Country may• be involved,' that - I shall not. enlarge upon your power of causing mischief to be'done all its inhabitand ; but I persuade myself that con siderations of a more laudable nature will influence your ,decision on cthis occasion, and that. you will manifest an immediate disposition .to promote gene . ral tranquillity; • I have, the honour to subscribe, with sentime n ts of thehighest respd& and consideration, 'Sir,. yOufs, B.lc. &c. &c. • (Signed) D.-BAIRD, Maj. Gen. Commanding in Chief. To Lietitenant-General Jansens, &c. &c. &c. Admiralty-Office, Fel'. 27, 1806. Copy of a Letter received this day; by CaP. Down man,. ,from Sir Home Popham, Knt. Captain of , His Majesty's Ship Diadem, to William ilfarsd'en, Esq. dated p.n bOard the said Ship,. in Table-Bay, the 13th Tanaary, .10;6. Sin—When'l address you, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, on an occasion of such Public interest and importance as, the capture of the Cape of Good Hope, which is now in possession of His Majesty's Troops under that renowned General Sir David Baird, I consider it unnecessary to trouble their Lordships with a de-f tailed 'atcount of the proceedings of the Fleet froth • St. - Salvador, which, however, will be conveyed in , another Dispatch. .0n the 3d inst. We made Tt.hle Land ; and orb the 4th, in the evening, we reached our preconcert ed anchorage .to the westward of Itobben Island, though too late to do any thing but lake a superfi cial vie of - Blue Berg Bay, ;here it was proposed to land the mill body of the Army, making; how , ' t -