The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-04-06 00:00:00

CIIILDERS SLOOP OP WAR.

Thunday lad came into Leith harbour, to
he repaired, Ilia ilviajedy's sloop Childers. after
an engagement with a Duds b:•►g of war of very
superior force. We are happy to lay before the
publ►c a ropy of Capt. Dillon's statement tc? tie
Admiralty, who have signified their high sop:Nibs-
tiou of his conduct, as well as that of all his of=
teen and crew, bo• official letter, and conferred oil
Lisa the rank of Post Captain.

tint, Leith, I 6111.3Intth, IBM.
have the lemnor tii acquaint you, that on dm Joh test.
et Roo p. in. when standieg is for the coast of Norway, a
pal was discovered in.sbucc, and, on seeing es, appeared to
he seek:rig a poly fin safety. We instantly glum chase' with
▪ fresh breeze fium the eastwards As we neared her, she
was biatcci emu-IKM the rocks, oat of one right, to take
Naha, in the small part of Mob,. Immediately e mushier
of been cane out to ht.. assistance, T steppe,e with the ins
',titian of removing bee e-irgo. I dispatched Mr. Wilson,
acting master, accompauivd by Mr. hided, mate, with the
cutter well mined, to being her out; the jolly best was also
neat with Mr. M'Nicholl, tumor, apd Mr. Le Men purser,
who vo!saterred hiss servion. This duty was perk:weed by
Mr. Weiser, with the utmort gallantry ; whew mixing
with Ides homes, they were deepened ie all dieietiess, "Paving
him at lahrtirtn heard the mewl, le dela( which he was
apposed by inieshitasim snits musketry,
while others
Surfed dews site upon our men front the top of the pie-
alpine, older which she lay secured; however, she was car-
ried wetboat any lam, to the astuaishmeut of an increasing
writ It it ad, whu crowded tn;^ther on the surroundinghriglrta.
She is a ;Aleut (name untolown, her mew hewing deserted;
moth only part ti her cargo, consistiug principally of oil
lied Ash

.Searetly had the galliot Isom in sight from under the
rocks, she;, • layer hrig was oheerved coming out of Hit.
geese. He bore 110110 no us with confidence, inificatiog •
weasel of force, and apparently with the deeigoi ot. rneulK
the prize. About six, hr got on oar weather-beam, and,
judg'ric Col to he within the teach of our gnus, I sent a
challenge, by firing • shot over hitn. He hauled his wiud
close, and kept in shore. Finding he would nut juju us, I
made: sail for the purpose of bringing him to setims, which
sees rossureared at half gun-shut range, distant from
the shore half • mile, passing each other no different tacks.
When he received tour first lonadeide, be caught tire fin,
ward, mailed we hero clued r at the niomeist, to profit uf his
umfosidn, I have no doubt of the result Heitept so near the
land, that lw was held from our mew, so that we could only
be guided in our tire by the flash of his gees, and were also,
from this circumstance, prereuted westhming him. We ewe_
towed eagaging him in this manner for three hours, hot found
he had a decided advantage over na. The Dane wee amm
of war, well-appoint ol 14 every respect, carrying king In-
apIIBLICTII, and wrininels had taken fresh 'moorage after • 0-*
Jon,. heoadmilee, as if aware 01 our roferiurity to him in
weight of metal, the tirildris bemire' only twelve posiuder
earruinades : latterly, his gnus were so well directed, that every
shut dal is. mischief, partlemlorly beloten wind and water.
Itheerviag, that 'within, 'mold be done whilst he kept so near
Iris min pool, from what r.ec he 'nicht at pleasure draw fresh
supplies uf 111.41, I COUCCIIeiI the plea of sawing hiai out to
ma, *hare the coolest would be more equal, by xis lag us ea
*ppm Lustily of foreleg him to erase action, whirls he had hi-
therto'', repeatedly avoided. In usth►to effect this, I stood
out ander easy sail. It was some time hetet, hr relished the
idea of following us but on the end he did so. At eleven, he
was about three nodes utt Mt land. I set the courses awl
tacks, imenrtioz to weathrr him. As we approached, the
wrist auto, Innately headed us, and foiled our attempt. I
therefore pouwol ander his lee, sui close as it cook' he dour,
without tolichiag, and poured roved and grape upon los
desks, whisk 1 intaglio- did the Dane much dainag,e, fee we
diat.actty be..rd the groans of the wuntriled ; his gam also
del es materiel Injory, mutt of his shot taking us between
w ...lead water ; and when on the point of tetiewrug the bat-
tle, it proved impossible. In the amaze time the eatery
exited, and mode sail to legvin the shore, and we shortly
after lust tight 14 him. I ere tourtihr d that our munition
'rued net siltsit Maur pormiug the ermine. We And "Ave
feet water in the Isola, the magazine afloat, the lower masts
wooraled, bowsprit and main-mot hulls. and the pumps is
creasing ow os in such a way, a, to make do rbtful whe-
ther we should be able to prevent our vessel s.okrng under On.
In this position we bole up to secure our twit«, v ith the oily
satisfactions left us of having driven • man of a ar, of much se-
m-rim force, elf the field of action, which we kept during the
spare of six Maim, in the very entrance of his own harbour.-
'film letter then prireeds to pronounce am culogiono upon
the otliters mitt crew, and conclio les thus :

" Not being ab:e to keep at era, from the suture of oar
I.aks and wousded insane' I could 11.4 pot iuto rxceutioa the
m rrinain% part or yoar orderb—haver in consequence judged
it •praper to retwn to dais anchorage with ley prise.
" I ans, lee. W. H. DILLON.
" Rear- Admiral raviron, Ate."
Au.lexed to sbe letter is the following list of killed and
wounded on board the elrilderp, in the action :--

Roberts, captain's clerk. Williams Jones,
lAsetsnJin's runt*.

Woowled.—Coprain 'Mon, badly in both logs; his nrns
sod sli..ohlrr very coaissrd. Mr. Batters, taidship.
moo, Mr. arker, Ini.hibipwa3, slightly. Cur-
lima! Allender, of marines, slightly. Mia HuWieg. um-
wan, barfly on the hind: lost ose finger. Dennis 8a04,,
ameamao, badly. John Coastobte, Fiesta sosriae„ ali~Lt y.
Juba George 'loestittl,, b •v, rightly.