The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-04-01 00:00:00

THE BRITISH PRESS.

LONDON,
FRIDAY. APRIL 1.

We yesterday stated, in common with our con-
temporaries, the report of an action in the Mediter-
ranean, founded upon the authority of an article in
THE CLOSE of Wednesday evening. One of the
Treasury Journals of yesterday, while it copied the
account, affected to treat it lightly, by observing, that
isoofficia/intelligence of any such event had arrived.
Who ever said, or insinuated, that any official in-
telligence bad been received ? THE GlosE very
candidly stated, that it rested solely upon the autho-
rity of private letters from Holland, corroborating
cements, to the same effect, lately given by per-
sons arrived from Flushing. THE G tone very
eundklly stated, that no official intelligence had
been received ; and it added, as a reason for the
absence of such intelligence, even presuming the
report to be founded in fact, that &vessel dispatch-
ed from the Mediterranean must have a very tedi.
ens passage, owing to the prevalence of the east-
erly wind, which rendered it almost impossible,
for some time past, to beat up channel. But though
no official intelligence (but we beg pardon, pray
what is official intelligence ?) has been received, we
believe the report is not totally discredited at the Ad-
- enmity. Independent of the accounts from Hol-
land, we think them are very strew reasons for be.
lievi ni; that an engagement has takeplace in the Me-
diterraneaa ; and if an eagagemettebas taken place,
we feel no uneasineu as to the results The Sp-
aith squadron sailed from Carthagena on the 10th
of February, and they d:4 not reach Palmas Bay
till the 23d, and were seen there so late as the Oath.
Sir Blesses STRACILAN passed Albonus, which is
a little to the westward of Carthagena, on the
11th of the same month, working op the Mediter-
ranean against a contrary wind. The Carthagena
ortnadrou was, wt know, seen by the Hydra, and
others of our cruisers, for several days. It appears
therefore scarcely possible that Sir Ricuaan, in
stretching backwards and forwards across the Me-
diterranean, beating against an easterly wind,
could avoid falling in with soma of our cruisers,
and getting intelligence of the Spanish nest.—
The Bay of Palmas, it is perfectly well known, is
an open bay. We think, therefore, there is every
reason to believe, that Sir Ricaaan did obtains
intelligence of the situatien of the Spanish fleet,
and having obtained that intelligence, we are sure
' Ifs would not hesitate to emelt them.

The squadron destined for the Baltic, and so
long detained at Portsmouth by contrary wind,
sailed on Wednesday. It consisted of the Mars,
74, Capt. !AMIN ; Orion, 74, Sir ARCH. DICKSON ;
Polyp Aeneas, lit, Capt. Hay wool) ; Sakette, Capt.
BiTHURIT, and Daphne. frigetvs, Capt. MASON ;
Nutilat, CR:)t. HEN. STEW ART; Insolent, Lieut.
Aloa is ; Hearty, Lieut. Wich ; Protector,
Lieut, MurcluEriun; Redbreat, Licot. .tentsort ;
Steady, Lieut. STOW; and the Thrasher, Lieut.
DOAN FORM The sailing of the squad rOll at such a
moment s!....ivs:the urgency of its ohject. The
wind was still adverse at N.E. and it is very proba-
ble that the ships will be oliiiged to return.—
The Orion, Salcette, and Daphne, have stores and
provisions on boani sufficient for u foreign station,
from which it is inferred tint those ships are for a
sp:cial service.

Lord Foancs and family, and the len. General
Ltmt.tx and suite, are arrived at Portsmouth, to
take Caeir passage to the Mediterranean, in the fleet
which is about to mil from that port. The Cam-
brian, of 44 guns, now at Plynarsiith, is to convey

The Prohibition Bark Bill. evr.ected
atzttatc.l tins day, in the Ilouae of Lords, has
i.sithing to recommend it—if carried into ttlect,
it sill bets unavailing as it is
It is a fact that may tic: 'relied upon, that
oivices of the bark of the reel oak, winch
• , WX4 ill France, is just as efficacious its one ounce
~, Permian Bark, aii.l is g,licrailly u.ed in that
,aatry, and a much better medicine than the adul-
i..,rat4sl bark commonly sold in our own couatry.
The Presidrist, of 38 guns, Capt. A. Mali ENV'',
c•yecteil to take Viscomit LAIRD tiOTO
Portsmouth to the Brazils.

Judge Lawaetsen,froni the Court of Kin;,'s
Bench, has succeeded the late Judge Roos E, me
Cle Bench of the Common Pleas. Ais coney has,
of manse, occurred in the king's Bench.
The. Llanish sloops sent into Hall by the (/is,
ate wrong-built vessels, capable ofeneutintering the
beavy seas often experienced upon the coast of Nor-
!ray and in the Baltic; and very suitable for transport-
!ng troops though the narrow ehan nels of the Danish
1.14ii,14, or front one part of the coast to the
orii,r. Their cargoes are non landed, and consist
of stockfish, oil, trundles, ease. of t„-!as., wood, &c.
The Danes possess a great niiiiiher of these ire...els,
and wwild soon collect a sufficient niiinlwr of duns
to transport a large army from I lolycein into Zea-
land, l'inlatid, &c. The Danes kive fitted out a
number of armed ships of great fores.
theta were originally itsdiarneu.