The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1807-03-12 00:00:00

on the subject of the defence of the Cape !—A. Si*
D. Baird never consulted me about placing bat-
teries; but be told ma he ereed addition 11 bat-
teries for the protedioas both of Table BAY and
Siinott's Bay, and L went and saw them. 1 have
often heard him repeat, that he wished Bonaparte,
with 10,000 of the flower of his army, would come
and attack the Cape. and he would g,ve him such a
ditthbing, he would wish himself back in his own
country again. I have gone to the batteries a
dozen times, and I have heard Sir D. Baird Fay,
that all the round towers and batteries were in
complete good repair, and, it was impossible to make
the Cape much stronger than it really was then.
Q. Were you at the Cape when the Caao,.naire
Freocit frigate anchored there ?-.- A. Yes.
Q. Where did she anchor in False Bay?—A. Out.
side the Roman Bozic, and Noah's Ark, a long
way ; she never came into Simon's Bay. (Ps e-
duces the Chart, and pints out the spot.)
Q. If I had been lying in Table Bay, with the
whole of my squadron, should I have been able to
have taken that frigate ? A. Ido not know.
Q. It I had been lying in Simon's Bay, tinier
the circumstances of wind and weather, alio she
came in from the eastward, or under the general
circumstances of wind and weather, at that time 4
the year, and with the commorxst look-out on the
part of the enemy, do you think it possible that I
could have taken her ?—A. Ido not. - _

Q. State your reasons ? A. When the Commo-
dore was lying at anchor in Table Bay, with most
of his squadron, there was a signal made from the
tower, on the Lion's Rump, that there was an ene•
my's cruiser bringing-to a ship in the offing. A
signal was made for the Leda and Nan-inns, to pre-
pare to slip and chase the said ship, but it continued
calm all that night, anJ the next day, in Table Bay,
and the enemy had a breeze in the offing. One of
these ships slipped her cable that night, I think it
was the Narcissus. and went to seat and the vessel
she had boarded I went on board the next day, and
found the enemy's cruiser had fired a shot right
through her mainmast ; and she told the officers
who had boarded her, and who said, that she was a
French cruiser, the Piedmeutese, that the Cape was
in possession of the English, which prevented her
coming in, and our capturing her must inevitably
have followed, as she would shortly be in the calm,
and the current would have brought her in.
Q. What time of the year was this?—A. The
latter end of March or the beginning of April.
The log-book of the Lela, now in the pz)sses-
sion of the Admiralty, will show all the parti-
culars. _ _ _ _

Q. When you say the French frigate had gr.t
into the calm, And been captured, I suppose y u
mean she would then be completely under the the
of the batteries?—A. I do ; both under the fire of
the batteries, and under the fire of the ships. Every
ship coming into the bay must keep close to the
eastward. _ _

Q. If the Pier/immerse had not received the in-
formation of the English being there, and had
tempted to come in, could she not, if the br:cae
had con sued with her until she discovered our
ships in cable Bay, have made her escape ; unless
we had had some cruisers on the outside of her ?
A. I am certain she could.

Q. State to the Ciurt the reasons that occurred
to you, why, in all probability. I should not have
captured the Cisme/more, if 1 bad been lying its
Simon's Bay with all my squadron?—A. The ships
coming into False Bay, round the Cape of Good
Hope, had a considerable distance, on account of
two rocks, called the Bellows and Anvil, and stand
over towards Cape Hanglet, North of the Bay,
for the purpose of getting into a true breeze, and
avoiding the current which generally sets out in the
South part of the Bay, and keep to the Northward
of the Whittle Rock, and by that means Simon's
Bay is exposed to any ships lying there at anchor.
On that account I believe that cruisers would
make private signals, and I am certain that the
Canonnairt was in possession of the private signals
used by the Dutch at the Cape; she had dispatches ;
as the Officer, who was made prisoner with the
boats crew, said, he had dispatches for the Dutch
Governor Jansen; and also the winds, on that
day, on the South side of Simon's Bay, were light
and variable; and she kept working up to the
Northward of the Bay, till she came to anchor
The ships lying in Simon's Bay at that time, were,
the RoEa, a transport, and two or three neutral
vessels ; the Rollo was an armed brig, bad no rig-
ging up, and her guns on shore.
Q. As you say you know the Cont:moire had the
private signals of the Dutch, I suppose you imagine
she would have used them if any man of war had
been lying in Simon's Bay I—A. I think she would.
Q.- At what distance can ships, lying in Simon's
Bay, be fairly made out by cruisers coming from
the Eastward I—A. At least at four leagues they can
be made out pei fetily plain.
Q. Is it not in general a calm in the day in
Simon's Bay, while there is a breeze both in the
Eastern and Southern parts of the Bay I—A. Yes.
sometimes five days in the week.
Q. When did you leave the Cape ?—A. About
the .2.2.1 of August.
By the Peosectrroa.
. . .

Q. On what slay did the Canwomire come to an.
chit, as you describe ?—A. 1 Am sure I don't re-
member ; but I believe on the 3oth of May.
Q. %Vas it after Sir Home had left the Cape ?
A. Yes it was.

By the PltslllllllT.
Q. If the French frigate, supposed to be the
Ptedmealtv, had not been prevented from going
into the Cape by speaking the vessel, and had got
into the calm, could she have anchored out of the
reach of the batteries ?—A. She could.
Q. If a squadron of ships had been at anchor in
Table Bay, could she have anchored out of the
reach of their guns ?—A. Most certainly she could,
out of the reach of all tha guns in the world.
Q. If she had got under weigh at any time. Is it
not probable that some ships of the squadron might
have, at the same time, got under weigh also to
chase her ?—A. They might or might not ; because
sometimes, in Table Hay. over half the Bay it blows
a fresh breeze abou: eleven o'clock from the South-
ward. I have seen ships in the South part of the
Bay in such a gale as no boat could ply. and on the
opposite side a light breeze ; and at four o'clock in
the afternoon the breeze its the S. F.. in the offing
sets an, while there is a light breeze to the West-