The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1806-02-21 00:00:00

4DIIIRAL

EXTRACT or • LETTER eltOM AN orrice& ON
BOARD OKR 01 TRII OUTWARD-ROUND EAST
INDIA UNDER eoNVOY Or ADMIRAL
TROWERIDGE.—DATED AVG. 26, 1805'
1 grave the pleasure of informing you of the ar-
rival of the fleet at Madras, on the 23d inst. On the
rich inst. ar 10 minutes past 4, p. no. in lat. 20. 19.
S. and long. 7i . 41. E. blowing fresh at S. E. with
frequent heavy squalle of wind and rain, we SAw
three large ships about three and a half or four miles
to windward of us, hearing down, to a squall, under
a heavy press of sail. When the weather cleared
up a little, we distinaly saw that one of them was
a large line-tn.-battle ship, with a frigate of 44 guns,
and a pooped ship, which an eteared to us to be an
Indiaman. They ni sr have seen us, and
ascertained what we were, long before we saw them,
As they were edging down towards us, with great
confidence. Ihe fintibeim male the signal that the
strange e ips looked suspicious, and ordered our
fleet to collinq round the Commodine. When the
suing.- Odes were passin.! ns, about a mile to wind-
ward, they made severit: signals to each other,
which instantly convinced us they were enemies.
The Blenheens, on sexing tnis, made signals to our
fleet to form a close line r t battle, and prepare fir
affirm, as the strangers were enemies. They still
continued bearing down. and, whenever they got
into the wake of our fl t, a-stern, they instantly
their wind atter us. We were then
going under easy sail, closing up and form-
ing the ling of battle, and as the same time pre-
paring. with all possible speed, for alien. The
enemy being under a great press of sail, was coming
op fast with our two rear shins, the Cumberland and
Preiten. Both, however, were pretty close up a-
stern, and a little to leeward of the annibeau. Ad-
miral Trininritige seeing that the situation of those
ships would greatly embarrass him when the ene.
my came up, being elbse to leeward of the Blen-
heim, and the enemy coming to leeward of them,
made the signals to both those ships, eirner to make
Mil, and ger on a-head, or else to back their top-
sails and drop uniiinnly a-stern, that they might
not get in liietwet I the Blenheim and the enemy,
who, /I this time, were ont within half cannon-
shot of them ; unf itnnately, however, no no-
tice whatever was taken of the Admiral's signals,
owing no doubt to all hands being entirely em-
ployed, warm with seal and anxiety, to be pee-
ls/11y prepared io return the enemy's fire with spi.
tits and vigour ; which they did the instant the
enemy got widen range of their guns ; the situation,
however, in which the reewon particularly was,
is mach to be regretted. being close to leeward of
the Beinhe'm, which I understand prevented our
Admiral from putting up his helm, and running
across the Msrearre's bow, and raking her, and then
to haul his wind to leeward of the enemy : this
manctivre would hare enabled the liirrheem to
open her lower-deck ports,, which, by being to
windward, were under water, conarquently render-
ed useless. Had Admiral 1 roubridge been able
to have exeented this plan, the Mareng and frigate
would haste been completely hemmed in between
two fires. the Indiamen forming a strong line of
battle to windward. and the hleehe im to leeward
of them, which in all probability would have
proved destruntive to the ens my : as soon as the
enemy were able to get their guns to bear on our
rear 'hips, they commenced a very brisk fire with
round and grape shot, which was handsomely re-
turned. The enemy, however, having much more
way through the water, soon passed them, and
drew up opposite to the Bknhans, which pro-
bably they had mistaken for an Indianian. until
she commenced firing, which was smartly kept
up on lynch sides; nor had we then a doubt
but that we should soon have the pleasure of
ming the contest happily ended in favour of the
Blevhriest; however, instead of this, we had the mor-
tification of seeing the liarenge edging off a few
points to leeward, and the Writhe's. following her ;
the former. however, having much more sail set.
went considerably faster through the water, conse.
quently soon got nut of the range of the Bieniuine's
guns a-head, and, as she adVanced along our line,
gave each Indtaman a broadside in passing, and a
tecond when she had time, which was instantly re-
trotted at ith great alacrity and precision. By this
time, it was pretty dark; and, indeed, in a few mi-
nutes afterwards, we could only sec where the ene-
my were, by the flashing of their guns, through a
thick misty fog and rain. Whenever the Marengo
and the frigate had got about a couple of miles a-
head of a , they hauled their wind, and joined the
ship, which we supposed to be an Indianian and a
Prize, as she kept out of the alien, and atlantic a
mile to windward of our fleet. At seven riclock
the night cleared up, and being moon-light, except
when a squall cams on, we could see Vie enemy
very cleat ly with our glasses all night. At day-
light, on the 7th, seeing the Marear and the frigate
annul 4or 5 miles to windward, they sent off the
prize in the course of the night. The Blenheim
made the signal to our fleet to go a-head, and form
t,te tine of battle ; the enemy, her fore-top-sail yard
dawn on deck, probably it had been wounded, er
carried away in the anion, and that they were either
repairing, or getting another up; however, when-
ever they had got it up again, both ships r srantly
made sail, and bore down on us ; when they got
within three !elites of us, they hauled their wind, and
wind on, app:treutly steering the same course with
ott At one r. m. the enemy, seeing that we were
drawing a little a-head of them, although we were
°° jogging on under an easy sail, to enable them,
It they pleased, to come up with us, set more
sail, and edged down towards us ; but on seis-
ing that we were pet-fenny prepared to receive them,
they hauled their wind again, and kept edging off
be degrees to windward, until a p. in. when we
tan them wear round, and stand back to the south-
l'Atllt A passenger on board the Blenheim, and a
soldier on board the Ging,: Indianan, were the only
P'' pee killed. The ships have not sustained any ma-
Irrial injury. The Cumberland received a shot or two
In her masts, and the Demetslure,one in her hull. Con-
'l'l'ring the very siSert time the Indianian had to pre-
Pee for anion, i: was really gratifying to nee, that
tatty ship in the line was readyto give her broadside,
aim instant the enemy gut within range of her
Rees.As nearly as I can guess, it was an hour
from our first seeing the enemy, until the &Ilion
'commenced, which lasted abgut 45 minutes. •