The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-10-05 00:00:00

EXPEDITION AGAINS
LOTILLA. T THE BOULOGNE
F

tlE•f, OCR. 3.

For some time an expedition against the French
coast has been talked of rivately In re, and prepa-
rations have been made in various p.trts, giving
reason to expee an attack would L.: made ; but all
prudent persons observed as rwicr, gli.mce.,,roc,ibi,
06 the suhjelt. The tides set vine, the attack was
expefted this week, and it wa. genorally milerstood
that an effort was to be made to burn some of the
enemy's gun-vessels at Boulogne, as fire-ships, &c.
were preparing. Thursday, it was thought, would
be the night ; but yesterday, it was reported last
sight would be the night, while mist people con-
padtfted this from a desire of concealing what was
ng on. Early this morning accounts came from
Dover, that a heavy firing l.ad been heard at mid-
night, and that persons at sea had seen a ship blow
up, Collow;t1 by a great blazing and loud reports of
cannon. Coupled with the expeCtation of an attack
on the enemy, it was presumed the attack had been
made, A:,d every one was anxious to know the re-
sult This forenoon the Thrmer gun-brig arrived
in the Downs from a cruise off !:,rest ; it passed
near Boulogne last night, and by it we learn, that
about ten o'clock a vessel 'slew up; one or two more
soon afterwards blew up also. These are supposed
to have been our lire-ships sent among the enemy's
vessels. A greatblaze followed, and lasted some time :
this was succeeded by heavy firing on both sides, and
throwing of bombs. The tiring lasted from ten till
Doe in the morning. It is reported here that two
men in the itatamo/i/i frigate have been killed, se-
veral wounded, and that the bowsprit of the ship,
hr. have been shot away, but I cannot discover any
foundation for this report ; on the contrary, I am
assured, on authority, that no person is killed, nor
any material damage done. This comes finnx Aral-
mer Castle. Lori( Mxtviccr went off yesterday
in :he iliniable frigate, and is supposed to have been
sea: our squadron during the attack.

IITRACT TROST ANOTHER LETTER SAN' DATE.
We are in the greatest anxiety to learn the re-
sult of a most formidable attack, which was
certainly made last night on the Boulogne Flo-
tilla. A blaze of light was distiaetly seen from
the Castle and Heights, and a heavy firing heard
for s-veral hcars. 'elle Master of a Fishing-boat,
which was near the Varne (some miles front the
'bor.!) all nig it, reports, that towards eleven o'clock
be and his people were struck with the appearance
of an tilliC,ialMOß light in Boulogne Bay ; they at
Erst imagined it to proceed from lightning, but they
describe it as continuing with uncommon btightncss
for neatly an hour ; dui ing which they could very
ph ay perceive many shells which wc-e thrown
nom theshios and the shore.

Th.,: Master of an Oyster-boat, which was dredg-
ing during the night, on what is called the new
(luster-ground, about three leagues from Boulogne.
relives, is a about eleven o'clock he heard soak.
tremendous explosions, and saw an amazing blaze
cf light off itoulogne : he distinetlr obse, red three
vessels blow up, which see.ned to fill the air wits
fire, as if, to use his owr. expressions, thozsaads cu
fireworks had been set off at the same instant.
cutter was seen standing from Boulogne Road.
.4 the Downs at noon, and at this mom nt (• • x
o'clock, p. tn.) a great part of the Bo•do.;re sq.,
drod, headed by the Mot,arrh, with L
lag flying, are seen near the South Sand dead.
g under toll sail for the Downs.
It•MSCATC, OCTO/eR 1.
it reported here this afternoon, by a Ge
just come from the Downs, :hat last sight se
I load explosiolis were heard on hoard the fl tg
literes which seemed to come in the diret'tior
Boulogne, arid were supposed to he Occasinaed
the blowit,g up of some of the gen-bouts. i.
4, wilichCame into the Downs early this morn
also reports the same, and with the like Wear,
by the blowing up of vessels at Boulogne.
Lord Keith still remains off Boologoe, and no
!mai.. account has been yet received here; but it
• said that his Lordship is sanguine in the sueets,
tag present attempt to destroy s.inte of the kher,.
• night Lord Melville went in a Lig.tte from th.•
was, %VA a number of other vessels, to join
I Keith off Boulogne.
WATER WORKS.

A
for

A Steam-engine, now standing at Chels-a Water-
works, WAS (I e second was ereft'-J undo'
Belton and Watt's patent, in or re a this metro-
o and serves, when compared with a capital
engine ertavd there about two monihs ago, '0
the progress of improvement in this machine,
become sto e,sential to our rnanufaau ers, dor •
,; the last twenty-six years. Tat :sew engine has
cast iron beam, which, with the cylinders, pumps,
ad every part IV the machinery, WAS CAS( .aivi pre.
Pared at the Soho manufieffory. et Birmingham.
This engine it not double, V.-at ;-, tie steam only
• on the top of the pis.toti, is return-d
again, by a large weight burg at the other end of
" beam upon the pump-rod. The cylinder is
f-nine inches in diameter, with a stroke of eight
Al in length : the pump. at the other e''d, is 4
ironing-pomp, aging upwards through a stuffing-
; the stroke is eight feet long, :mid the internals
.liameter of the purnpas trrel seventeen and a half
incise,. Near to the pump is a strong irem cylios
im air vessel, into which the water is forced,
. the elastic pressure of the air therein may
equalise the motion of the water in the pipes laid
Coder the streets.
The highest place at which this new engine and
Pump de:ivers its water. is into a cistern at the to;
lithe water-house, in l lode Park, near tne round
reservoir oe the ground;. and this hetair is about
180 feet from the surface of the water in Chelsea
Gam. This chews a power equal to more than
l.'s'se pounds and a half upon each square inch .f
pistion upon which the steam aCds, and prov.. s
e great perfection and complete operation ntt!is
Cy engine. To guard against any sudden accele.
'awe of the going of th engine, on oening a
of the numerous cocks e .
or the pipes under the
*rills a copper pipe, connected with the condensed
la the air vessel. communicates with the bin:-
a a small cylinder, in which is a pistion kept
4 bYa large w&.ght, and this is connee.ted by.
Ill& with the steam cock t and thus the suPPiT of
to the cylinder is regulated.

POLICE.

ROBBERY OF A BLIND SAILOR.

- - ---
Yesterday, R. H. was brouzht before the Sitting
Magistrate, at one of the Polke Offices, on a charge
of having robbed Francis Cooke, a blind seaman,
of money, and several articles of wearing apparel.
It appealed, from the evidence of the blind man,
that, beieg an invalid, he was discharged from I lis
Majesty's hospital-ship the Sme.r, lying at Sheer-
ness, on Monday, the tad of last month ; he was
going to Bristol, where his relations and friends re-
sided ; the prisoner, who had been his shipmate
for some years, and was also an invalid, and hound
for the same place, was appointed his guide, to di-
re& and assist bun oa nis journey. They reached
London some time that night; and landed (as he un-
derstood) at Iron Gate. He had two bags, contain-
ing his clothes, which the prisoner carried for him ;
they had not proceeded far, when the prisoner tore
out the pocket of his jacket that he wore, in which
was sewed up his money : consisting of one five
pound note, two one pound notes, and some other
money ; he then took Isis stick from him, and ran
away with clothes and all, leaving him in the street,
in the middle of the night, pennyless, and without
knowing which way to go for assistance ; after sonic
time, he was picked up by a watchman, and was
delivered over from one watchman to another, till
he made h:s way to Bow-street, where he told Isis
pitiable story. Upon his information, a warrant
was granted, and notices posted sip, and en Sun-
day, the 30th of September, John Smyth, one of
the Bow-street Officers, apprehended the prisoner,
at the White Lima Inn, in "I'ooley-street, in the Bo-
rough ; he there admitted he was discharged from
411 hospital-ship, in company with a blind seaman :
and the bags containing the clothes were found in
his possession ; the money he had given to the land-
lord of the White Lion.

Upon being askel, could he identify the prkoner
the blind man answered, he would swear to his voice :
and the prisoner having said something, he swore po-
sitively to him. He was then desired to identity
the clothes, which being brought in, he regularly
took up each article separately, and having felt
tlicm, he distinguished them in a very exiraordinary
manner ; the shirts, some of which were grey linen,
and others made of cheque, he first particularised ;
he knew his pantaloons, they being too long fur him,
he had cut them short : one pair of his trowsers were
dirty, and he had tol !ed them •.,:p stocking fashion,
which he explained to the Magistrate ; when he came
to a blue spotted handterch;ef, he observed, " It
th.s he mine, you will see a white darn in one corner
of it." He then felt the several corners, and hold-
ing one of them up, exhibited a small white darn.
John From', the landlord of the White Lion,
stated, that the Prisoner came to his house on the
25th of September; he brought the hags in question
along With him, and gave him one 51. note, two 11.
n tress th. L. silver, :Ltd one 7s. piece; he remained
wit him until the time of his apprehenNion. He
told him, he had been discharged from an hospital
ship, bin said nothing about the blind seaman.
When the Prisoner was called on for his defence,
he said he had Lit else blind man for a ntomnt in
the strett, and on his return, he could not find him ;
be admitted, he had taken the clothes ; but denied
a y knowled.:e whatever of the money.
The Ma.,;istrate observed, that it was not possible he
,:rittsi he a British sailor, as no true British sailor
could be guilty of such an enormous crime Against
.tis unfortunate blind mess-mate ; he certainly mtr.t.
.save been some miscreant, who had crept tinob-
s‘rsed into that honourable service. His crime seas
I most aggravated one ; and it wetted be his care to
;end him, where he would meet the punishment
j istly due to so heinous an offence.
He was then committed to take his trial at the
Est Sessions.