The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1806-01-09 00:00:00

. . .
haTLE OP TRAPALGAh. . broke tlie enemy's tine astern of a Spanish three- I
decker, and engaged her to leeward, bring 1 _reties ee
_ ososese.—.. e ng f
by the Aloes, I.':f/rifle, and Tonnant, who engaged
(I male of a Letter wr:tton by atsUffieet of thelLtleer..hrilli.)
their respenive opponents-12 2*.i, treened our lire
" Rellerophen, off the start, Dec. 2, IRO. . on the enemy—l '2 23, Vtdoriy, at the head of tee
etarbeerd division opened her fire on the nano:e
0 Mee Sta—l had the pleasure of writing to my
12 3il, enraging both sides in passing through the
Aunt from off Cadiz, on the 2lst of September, just
enema's line, astern of a Spanish two-decker ( E •
attar the entry of the Combined Fleets int i d.a'
Alonotrra)-18 45, fell foul of by the Freech
place; I and Nappy to convey you now the inteili- two-deck e'er) L'etig/e, whilst hauling to the wind,
genre of their eatire defeat, which, thnegh 1 was
our fore-} and locking with her main one ; kept up a
coafident would take place whenever they mustered brsk are both on her, On our fralbaartl bow, and
courage enough to conic out, yet I scarcely expose( ol
a Spanish two decker (El Monarca), on the lat-
they would so anon have given us an opportinery of board bow, at the Same tomr receiving and return-
again shoeing the superiority of the British Navy.
ing tire with a Spanish two-decker (Baaainal, on
You will doubtless already have seen a much better
the lerboard quarter, and receiving the fire of a
account of the anion than I can possibly give you ; Spanish two-decker (St. 41 tid,r At eiNMittertiO ) , athwart
but as 1 hope whet free particulars I have been able
our stein, and a French two-decker 4,, Sioti4nrrj,
to obtain, will not prove unaccepteble to you, I bits on the starhoerd-miarter, the a
down to give you the best account in my power. nion soon after became
general. At one, the main and mizen top-masts fell
" The Combined Fleet, after their anion with over the starboard-side,maintop-sail and top-gellent-
Sir It. Calder, put into Vigo, and leaving there
sail caught fire.--I 5, the Master, and 1 11, the
three of their disabled ships, salted again for leer.
Captain fell ; still foul of .12 Axle, and keeping up a
col, off weieli they were joined by fourteen sail of brisk Rre from the main and lower decks, quarter
the line, and proceeded with the whole of their deck, poop, and forecastle being reedy cleared by
fleet, consisting of 19 sail of the line, to Cadiz,
the enemy's musketry, chiefly from troops on heard
where they arrived on the 20th August. Admiral
L'idiee---I 20, the jib-boom was shot away-1 40,
Collingwood with Corer sail of the line, was cruising
L'Autie drop[ astern, under a raking fire from us,
off the port when they hove in sight, and would I as she fell off ; our ship at this time quite unriet-
most probably have been taken had they attempted
nnpeable from braces, bowlines, Scc. shot away.—
to pursue him, which, luckily, they did not. The
1 4,5, L'iligle was engaged by the Lkiimee---2 5,
Bel(ersphun and three more sail of the line, which
she struck. On the smoke clearing up, observed
were up the Streights, joined Admiral Collingwood
severe! of the enemy's ships had struck. Fired
lon the Zed, and Sir R. Calder's squadron on the several shot at El Aloiloren, our first opponent, when
31st. Our fleet then consisted of twenty-six sail of
she struck.-3, sent an ()Meer and party of men to
the line, and we immediately resumed the blockade take possession of her.-3 ii, The ship being un-
of Cadiz with the greatest severity, till Lord Nelson
• set) •ernable, and in danger of falling on board of
.e,t i
joined, and took the command on the 29th Septem- el
1 °annt, Tenstraire, and prizes, made 314 to iStrsin.
I ber ; his plan tieing to give the enemy an oppnrtu- out boats and sent them ahead to tow, towed and
nity of coming out, he only left a squadron of fri- swept the ship clear of them, received prisoners
gates cruising off the harbour, whilst the fleet cell-
limn our prizes-4 e, answered 101.---4 10, opened
tinned cruising to the N.W. frequently out of sight
our fire on five French. ships' making off trr wind-
of land. ward, the sternmost of which was cut off, and struck
° As we knew the enemy, who were now rein-
to the Min:lour-5 7, the firing ceased, thirteen
forced by five sail of the line, in Cadiz, had positive
sail of the enemy's ships making off to reward, four
orders to put to sea, and retrieve their cherafter
of their line to es indward-5 20, answered 99 general
after their annul oith Sir R. Calder, we were in
--5 SO, took possession of El B-hitino, Spanish 74--
momentary expenation of their coming out, and
Sunset, one of the prizes sunk, another blew up."
every ship that WAS perceived coming from the in-
Thus far, our log, but it will not be amiss to men-
shore squadron, was expelled to convey the welcome
lion, that whilst engaged with the five ships in this
intelligence. Every ore was in the highest spirits, sitiation, l: ifigle twice attempted to beard us, aild
and so confident were our people of success, that, on
hove several grenades into our lower deck, et hash
the very morning of the anion, when we were bear-
burst, at.i wounded several of our people m st
ing down on a superior fleet, they were employed in
dreadfully; she likewise set fire to our tore chains;
fixing the number of their prizes, and pitching upon
our tire was so hot that we soon drove them frem
that which should fall to the lot of each of our ships ;
the lower deck ; alter which, our people took the
ours, by the calculation of the oldest sailors on board,
cis •s out, and elevated their guns so as to tear her
was to have been the Seneestima Teirreeo,e, the Spanish
decks and sides to pieces ; when site gist clear of us,
four-decker ; and, I dare say. we were far from
she did not return a single thot, whilst we raked her ;
being the only ship in the fleet that had fixed upon
her starboard mutter WAS entirely beaten in, :old,
her. We were not lung kept in that state of anxiety
as we afterwards learned, 400 men hors de combat,
and suspense, which, you will naturally suppose every
an that she was an easy conquest for the Dofeere, a
one in our situation must have felt ; for, about nine
fresh ship : we were well matched, see being the
iceeleck in the morning of the 19th Onober, the Mari
best manned ship in the Combined, and we in the
was observed firing guns, and making sienels for the
British Fleet. Unfortunately situated as we were,
enemy's fleet being under weigli. The Admiral
I have no doubt she would have struck, bad we
immediately made signal for a general chace and
been alile to follow and engage her tor a quarter of
to clear for anion, which was obeyed with the great-
an hour loner ; but had we been fairly along-side
est alacrity, and in ten minutes the whole fleet was
of her, half an hour would have decided the con-
under all sail, steering for the 'rreights, which was test, for I
must
say, I
war.
% astonished
at
thecoolness
supposed to be the enemy destination, for the pur.
arid undaunted bravery displayed by our gallant
pose of forming a junnion with the Carthagena and
and veteran crew, when surrounded by five enemy's
l'oulon squadrons. The Belkrophon, Reltritle, i.e. '
ships, and, fora length of time, unassisted by any
wathen, Orion, and Polyphemus, soon sheaved their
of ours. Our loss, as neght he expelled, was con-
superiority of sailing, and got far a-head of the test
sidspreble, and fell chiefly en our prime seamen,
of the fleet ; at day-light, in the morning, we weep
who were foremost in distinguishing themselves ;
in sight of the Rock of Gibraltar, but, on a frigate's
twenty-eight, including the Csaptaio, 'Master, aod a
making signal fur the enemy's fleet bearing N.E. Midshipman, were killed outright ; and 127, in.
wore, and again farmed the order 'of sailing ; the
cludiug the Captain of ?shrines, who had eight balls
day was unfAvourahle, and weather squally, sn that
in his body, and his right arm diet off before he
we did not get sight of the enemy, though our small .quitted the deck, Boetswein, and live elidshipmen
Vessels formed a chain betwixt them and us. in the
were badly wounded, and about forty metre slightly,
following night, we gun so close to them, as to per-
s so as not to be incapable of duty ; nineteen of the
calve plainly their signals, and every one was in the
wounded had already died before we left Gebreltar.
most anxious state of suspense, till day-light, the
I consider myself as 'very fortunate in having
next morning (21st), when the enemy was plainly
escaped unhurt, as our class suffered so severely_
discerned about seven miles to leewardof us,
Our Second Leutenant, myself, and eight men,
and about five leagues from Cape Trafalgar.—
for rued the party that took possession of the Me-
Every advantage WAS on their side ; they had
naren, we remained till the morning without further
thirty-three sail of the line, whilst we had only
assistance, or we should most probably have saved
tweety-seven, they were full of seamed and troops,
her, though she had suffered much more than our-
and had a friendly port under their lee ; whilst
selves ; we kept possession of her, however, for
we had to beat off shove After the aetion, and
four slays, in the most dreadful weather, when, hay-
might certainly have expelled some of our die- ing rolled away all her masts, and bring in danger
shied ships world have drifted on shore, bat no-
of immediately sinking or running on shore ; we
thine was art obstacle to the Hero of Aboukir, and
were fortunately saved by the Lendatlian, with all
lie immediately mole signal to bear down upon the
but about 150 prisoners, who were afraid of getting
enemy in two coltSmne, himself in the fetifory lead-
into the boats.
ing the starboard division, Admiral Collingwood in
the Resist Sovereign, the larboard one, in which the " I can assure you, I felt not the least fear of death
Brrilopion WAS Ole efth ship; no signal was ever during the anion, which I attlikone to the general
obeyed with mere promptituee, one would have confidence of viltory which I saw all around me ;
thought that the people were preparing for a festi- but, in the prize, when I was in danger of, and had
eel, rather than a combat, and no dissatisfanion was time to reflen upon the approach of death, either
expvessed, escept at the state of the weather, which from the rising of the Spaniards upon so small a
was calm, and prevented our nearing the enemy till number as we were comprised of, or, what latterly
ten o'clock, when a light breeze springing up, we Appeared inevitehle, from the violence of the storm,
came op with them fast. They were, in the mean I was most certainly afraid, and, at one time, when
time, employed informing Acloseend oell-imagined, the ship made three feet water in ten minutes, v.iiien
though, till now, unexampled order of battle; bat our people were almost all lying dt link upon deck',
which, had their plan of defence been as well axe- when use Spaniards, completely worn out with fe-
ceted as it was contrived, would have rendered our tigue, would no longer wee: at the may chain
viltory much more dearly bought than it has been; pump left serviceable, when I saw the fear of itn•
they were formed in a double line, thus— mediate dotal an strongly depined in the count°.
I 2 3 nances of all around me, I wropped myself up in a
4 5 t; union jack, and lay down upon deck for a short
Freed) and Spaniards alternate y. and it was their time, quietly awaiting the approach of death ; but
intention on our breaking the line (which manoeuvre the love of life soon after again roused me, and,
they expelled we should as usual put in execution) after great exertions on the part of the British and
asternof No. 4, for No. 2, to make sail, that the Spanish Officers, who had joined together for tee
British ship in hauling up should fall on board of mutual preservation of their lives, we got the ship
her, while No. 5, should bear op and rake her, and before the wind, determined to run her on shore ;
No. 1 would brittle her broadside to bear on her this was at midnight ; but, at day-light, in the.morn-
steamer d bow. Luckily, this mauceuvre only suc- ing, the weather being more moderate-eel-id having
seeded with the ruminant and Balrrophon, which again gained upon the water, we hauled our wind,
were among the ships that suffered most. A few perceiving a the e-decker (LI Rays) dismasted,
moments before the anion commenced, Lord Nel- but with Spanish colours up, close to leeward of us.
sou conveyed the following sentence by telegraph, The Leviathan, the first British ship we had seen for
to the fleet—" England expels every man wia do the last thirty hours, seeing this, bore down, and
his duty ;" the loud and repeated cheering with firing a shut a-head of us, the Rap struck, without
which this was received, was a convincing proof returning a gun."
that such an injunnion was needless.
0 At neon precisely the anion commenced, by the
F011.,4111 and Mot.arra opening fire on the Royal
Soonseign. Now follows an estraet from our log--
' 12 10, Roust Soetreirn opened fire on the enemy's
centre—l2 13, answered ltr general-12 to. Ravel
Soortreign, at the bead of the larboard divisive

To-day, the Prisoners who stand corornitteil For
various felonies, in the different pt lions in the City
of London. and County of Middlesex, will be re-
moved to Nesvgate, preparatory to their trials,
comnmce on Weines,!ay next, the loth
instant, at Justi,:e Alai:, in the Old Dailey.