The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-08-29 00:00:00

THE BRITISH

LONDON,
THURSDAY, Avousr 29. ' •

The following official notice was yesterday trans•

mined from the Admiralty to LLOYD'S :
ADMTGALTY-OFFICL, AUG. 28.
His Majesty's ship Dragon, which joined the fleet under
Admiral Cornwallis en the 23d instant, reports, that on the
13th. off Cape Ortegall, she ba 1 fallen in with Hi: Majesty's

ship Phoenix, Capt. Baker, basing in tow the French frigate
Didon, of 44 guns, and 330 men, which she had captured on
the lath, after a severe aeti,i of three houri, in lat. 43.. 16. N.

long. 1: 14. West.
On the 14th, a large fleet of the enemy were seen in the
N. E. planter, having their heads to the northward and west-
ward ; a frigate from which came near enough to the Dragon
to make •ut what she was, and, after speaking with a Danish

ship, and malting several signals, returne I to her own fleet,

which hauled its wind, and was nut nt sight the net morning.
Lloyd's, One o'Clork.
There can be no doubt but that the enemy seen by

the Mazes, were the Combined Fleet. If so, we can-
not think that they left Ferrol for the purpose of

•
going to the Mediterranean. When seen by Capt.
BRacr on the 13th, riff Ferrol, they were steering
W. N. W. When seen, next day, by the Drasus,

they were steering in nearly the same direaion.
The precise longitude and latitude in which
they were at the time, are not stated, but
we have reason to presume, that the enemy

were considerably advanced to the northward
The Dragon was off Cape Ortega' on the 13E:1,
and she was. probably. a good deal to the north
of that point, when she fell in with the enemy
upan the 14th. If the Combined Fleet meant
to return to the West Indies, which is one of the

distinitions which speculations has assigned them,
we cannot presume that they would have pro-
ceeded so far to the North, out of the dirvEt
course, and great variezy of the probable ob-
jeas imputed to them, is reduced to three or four.
They were beating about to intercept our home-

ward-bound East ladia fleet; they were proceed-
ing to raise the blockade of Brest ; they were pro-
ceeding for Ireland, or they meant to go north
about to the Teach These now appear to be the
most probable speculation; but of the degree of
probability, we cannot judge. and neitner would
it become us, under such circumstances, to speak
with much confidence, upon any one of them.

"he Dragon hat only a distant view of them.—
She saw a large fleet but %. hither it were the
whole Combines Squadron that saild from lirelt
or only a part, is not known. the capture of
the Diebn French frigate, announced in the above
notice, is a most gal ant atchievement. The Pba.

nZt carries only 3ti guns. The a&ion lasted for
three hours, and wis fought a little to the West-
ward of the very spot on which the battle of the 22d
July, between Sir ROSEILT CA Lora, and the Corn-
bined Fleet. The greatest praise is due to Captain
Battu, and the Offi,:ers and Crew of the Pliwnzx
for the very spirited manner in which they began
and continued the aftion, and, finally, captured
a vessel superior in weight of metal and number
of men. The Diden was totally dismasted and
had about ISO men killed and wounded.—She
is one of the largest and finest frigates of her
class, in the French Service. She sailed from
L'Orient to Martinique in 26 days, with the intelli.
gence of Lord NeLsoir having passed the Streights.
After her return she was dispatched from Ferrol, on
the day the Combined Fleets arrived there, in search
of intelligence respelling the movements of our
Fleets.

The following paragraph is copied from a morn-
ing paper of yesterday:—" It is at length finally
arranged, that the British Army, destined to aft on
the Continent, in conjunetion with the Austrian
and Russian Forces, is to consist of 53,000 effeiive
men, uuder the fillowing Commanders, Via.

- .
Licut.-Gtnetal His Rnyal Highness the Duke
of Cumseat ANT), Commander in Chief.
Lieutenant-Gencral Sir .1. A Mt, Puarattev, to be

second in command : and
" Major-General his Royal flightless the Duke of
CiMatIDGP., to have the command of the Swedish
army, with the German a.tziliaries to be thereunto
attached.

1653,

tn. le,

. —O.
Pwetwal

ilaleten

" Whether these appointments are under sp,ri4l
authority, or emanate from the ordinary grace of the
Minister, is not yet declared." A disposeable Bri-
tish force fur 50,000 men for immediate continental
service, affords a view of the militate/ strength and
resources far beyond ail thing that we could con-
ceive. We have heard of men in buckram, and
of BA Y es's army, and of serpents' teeth producing
a crap cf armed men. Probably the Editor of
the Paper in question has discovered same or all
of these ways of raising a disposeable, army
to the amount announced fur continental service.
No paper laid before Parliament that we have seen,
no Member of Parliament whom we have heard