The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1809-08-31 00:00:00

E4s 77 INDIES.
•
- - • ';'•f?RT WILLIAM. JAN. 10, ISO. •
The !right lion. Ifni Clavernor-tienetal id Coun•
61 has received th•• sati.factory intelligence that a
detachntent of the a lk.idiary force at Ilyd:ith.til,
under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Dove-
ton, consisting of a corps of lior,e artillery, two
regiments of native cavalry, and twelve comp tines
of „native infantry, employed in the province of.
Caarleish, in the pursuit .0 the predatory forte of
the Chiefs, Moliepist Row Iloikar, Wahid
Khan, and Dandieta Khasi, after a forced marcii
of near one hundred miles, haring succeeded in
surpri►ing the enemy at the fort of Autaluair, oil
the morning of the :Nth ult., effected the complete
dispersion of their troops, consi,ting of between
four and five thousand 'wen, cavalry and infantry,
and captured the whole of their guns. baggage,
and camp equipage, and near one thUusiantl horse;
the loss, on the part of the enemy, is stated to bark
been very great; on the part of the detach-
ment, biuween twenty and tinily men • killed. and
wounded. •

- • •
The Governor-Generkil is Council deems it

proper, on this occasion, to empress,. lit the most
public manner. the high reuse which he entertains
of the zeal, judgment, and activity Urinifested by
Licut.-Colonel Doveton, in 'planning and executiug-
this arduous enterprise ; and of the elistimotishigl
perseverance, exertion, and gallantry, of the Offi-
cers and troops under his commend, in accomplish-
ing a march of near 100 miles, iu tae space of 48
110111 A, and immediately attacking and defeating a
superior force of the enemy, whose depredations in
the provirce of Canikish, and in.the territories of
the Allies of the-British Government, had so long
disturbed the•treuquillity of the Devito.), and had
rendered necessary a combinod movement of divi-
sions or the subsidiary forcess of Poona and Hy-
drabad, tinder the general• direction of Colonel
Wallace, commanding the subsidiary force at

Ibis Lordship, in Council, has great satisfaction
also in acknowled4ing, on this occasion, the judg-
ment and professional al.ility displayed by Colonel.
NVal lace, in framing tin/ plan of combined operation
between the two divisions of the subsidiary tierces,
which led to the brilliant achievement devised by
Dovetou, and
.executed, under his
personal command, with such exemplary' success.
N. B. EMIONSTONS,
Mitt &wen, to Gum-meat.

1--Hr, BRITISH PRESS.

LONDON,
THURSDA, AucusT 31. -3

We recc;ved, last night, Ilatnlourgh and Danish
Papers to the 19th, containing accounts from
Paris to the I tth, and Vienna to the tith instant;
The question of ' peace or war remained at'
that date uncertain, but every preparation .had

heel' made by the French for the renewal of
hostilities, in the event of ties rupture of the
negociation. The Emperor FRANCIS was Still at
Comoro, end NAPOLEON was preparing to transfer
his head-quarters to Raab, with a view to accelerate
the work of peace. Considerable progress had
been made in the subntissiun of the Tyrol, under
the auspices of the Duke of DANTzIe. The ac-
counts from the south or Europe state, that re-
inforcements were proceeding 1'1.044 the 111estiter-
raneati for Lisbon, to join the British army. The
Dutch news boasts the•great force assembling in
the vicinity al the. Scheldt, and threatens a desce:it
upon South Bevelasul. Letters from Bayonne an-
nounce a descent, by the English, upon Alicant.—
BERTHIEn; !'rinse of Neufchatel, is to be King of
Switzcrlunil ! !—We have already a King of Hol-
land, and this new King of Switzerland will har-
nionite very well with &ladle( h, converted into Har-
lequin, at the Royal Circus, St. George's Fields.

A report generally prevailed, yesterday, that the
ulterior objects of the Expedition to the Scheldt
are abandoned by Ministers. Levers, dated the
27th inetant, have been received from that river,
which state, that at a Council of War, suminoiled to
take that subject into consideration, it was the opi-
nion of the majority, that on attempt upon Fort
Liliu or Antwerp would not be advisable.
It was reported, last night, that the Earl of
might be shortly expected in England.
Captain STANHOPE, Aide-de-Camp to Viscount
%V ELLTNGTOM, arrived yesterday, at two o'cliie a, at
the %Var-Office, with dispatches from his Lordship.
They arc slated Dcleitota, the Bth itudant, severs
day; subsequent to the date of the former dis-
patches of his Lordship from Tahnera.—Of course
they are not of so late a date as the acconots lu the
Portuguese and Spanish Papers, received last week,
which brought down the military operations to the
Toth.—They state that his Lordship having bejii
apprised of the irruption of SOULT into Estreina-
ditra, and his 2,1i/elite to plasenein, resolved to
march against hint as soon as tire British troops hail
recovered from the great fatigue Olathe battle of the
27th and loth; sod that his Lordship actually broke
up fur that purpose, on the j.l. CUEITA,
with a request to remain at Tatai.i•ra, and k-ep
VreTue in check; but that the Spanish General
having heard that Sochi was in great fuzee, and

_

Hot wishing that-the British army should onstaiu
i:ailoNts the weight of moodier Lalt a, quitted his po.
'anion And followed with intent ro share its danger.
..tecorrii qty. shout the time when the British army
„
had reached Bonus, en its march arunst Son LT, it
void overtaken lay Cum vA ; Slid been
apprised of the retreat of the latter, had advanced
to Talavera, anti was liftwinlyr on the rear of the.
Spaniards. tinder these circumstances, we under-
' stand, as the foreign papers Iled also already isiforui-
ed us, Viscount WELLINGTON took the omelettes
to cross the Tagus, in order to avoid being Sur
rounded by the two hostile armies. The bride
of Almarex being destroyed, the passage was ef-
fected at Puente del Ariobiepo, 041 die sth. At the
date of the dispatches, on the Bth Au&ust, tpe
array occupied the defensive line of the Tagus.
Measures had been taken to insure supplies. The
dispatches du not intimate a disposition to retreat
further; but retreat was open if it should become
necessary.. The sick and woue.leti. as we stated in
a former paper, were left behind at Talavera by
the Spaniards, and fell into the Bands of the enerur„
Their needier is not specified ; -bet we know from
the official accounts of the great betties at that
place, it !oust have hen very uninliteratile. Such
was, last night, the account the nano-
terial Circles, of the, substaiice of the &stenches.
brought by the lion. Capt. STA is niter. Vs e tea
scarcely believe that it is correct, beeinise it is
most unsatisfactory, and, in some points, totally le-
comprehensible, The battle of 'relavera is aliened
to have been contested with the greatest obstinacy,
and it appear.; that the French retired from the
field in the most regular order," we use the
words of The Gazette, leaving it doubtful, by Lie
leaving a rear-gantril of moon men behind for the
two following days, whether V Kerte did not mean
to renew the attack. Now, if this sac the case, at
wish to know upon whet principle CUM'S. alone
could be cousidered a match ter the whole army of
Yu:Taal The Spanish General, it is admitted, ems
left alone at Talavera, to keep the position, and
meietain it against attack.. That such. *thick
might be expected, the inotuarast-that Vteroa should
have learned the 'retreat of the British forces, mast
he obvious. If Vicron reluctantly left the held
on the With, Ulm hesitated whether he slvotsld not
renew the attack against the pi:mitten, when occupied
by the united British and. Spanish armies, surely
he would ,not.hesitute to advance the moment he
found the latter were left alone. And if the Spa-
niards contributed so little, as TheLuitthm Gazette
has assured ns, to the victory of 'l.:darer*, if they
were barely competetcnt to Icsin!aln a post on
the right, we wish to know .upon what ground
I'i-roma WIELLINGTON could egket, that, when
left alone, they would be ablest° waiutein that
posit:on against an enemy, who had just 161.0%413 lino-
selfnearly a match for both British and Sparesk
wilted, and left them, after a most obstinate stud
long doubtful cootest of two days, a dearirpurehes-
ed victory? This point, ae confess, appears taus
.totally iocompreliensible, and loudly mills for es-
plan:looh: The contending armies in the hattle.of
l'olavera may have been mimetically unequal ; but,
from the length and obstinacy of the contest. it
mind be admitted that they were nearly equal in
actual force and strength. Now, then, after the
deduction of the more valuable and efficient half
of one of them, we mean the British part,
the remainder must be equal to the other,
we are totally at a loss t? conceive. Following the
Ministerial account, we next find that CUILETA,
gardlcse of the order or advice of Viscouut
mouton to stay behind at Talavera, and keep
Victim in check, actually broke up from Talavera,
and tvrecipitately followed the British rimy, ;envier,
the sick and wounded. to fall into the heads of the
etiesny. Now, we were assured by the Foreign
Papers, and the Miuisttrial Prints have-conArined
the assurance, that Viscouut Wer.r.tanams had
been appoiiited, by this Supreme divine,' General-
issimo or Commander-in-Chief - of the Spanish

armies; and, if the fact be so, COURA, iar leav-
ing his post, has been guilty of a breach (lenders,
disgraceful to an officer, and meriting the.severest
pniiishment. Bat, then, we ate told, that if lie
erred, he erred from e&cess of virtue {tad 'mad-
ness. Ile did not run away heritage he•was afraid
singly to eacountee the main army or France, is
Spain, under VICTOR. lie did-not run after Vis-
count Weld.' ati rob, envying him the glary of
beating SOCI.T alone, and tuitions to i.liarc the
laurels of the day.. No, lie had heard. that SuutT,
whom all previour sc7eunts hail represented as tit-
terly contemptible, was too strong for the. British
army, and leasteued olf.tir give Viscount Vl'assit N
TON his assistaner. Nothing can be wore dignitica
I and noble. This iii real Spanish generosity.. But.,t •
he felt 50 tentlvrau interest fur the hale and the strong
in the ranks or the British army, how comes it that
this generous time should leave the rick and stout+
ed behind !Ma! ‘Pere they not objects to 'memoirs
feeling iend generoug mind, and equally worthy of
his care? Well, we. Anvil prase this poiiit no farther*
Whatever may have been the mouse of CUTSTA
be his intent wicked or charitable, he retreated
precipitately, and was in sight of the Btisli
army by the time it had reached Bones. Sow, liP
sunning all this aconunt, as given 14,4 disati-oliiial
authority. to be correct, we do not see in What.re`
speet the relative alto the:44mM' was. mad
terially eltemd. It was st 11 in the pryer of Vis-