The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-08-24 00:00:00

!!_ir

4

1

•

LON ):
SATURDAY, AVGWIT 24.

THE BRITISH PRESS.

THE COMBINED FLEETs AT SE.I.

The offizial notice, received from the
Admiralty. was yesterday posted at Lloyd's :
" Asteerseyanfic:, Aare 58, 1805
" Dispitdeell Porn Admiral t...,rnstralltri, slated the 19t,i inst
reeetivA this inenntag. int, ,m a revel from Ctinaio
His Pitliosie• Ono kk, et his having, oa Ike 13th, to the
eve:veg. teen t'i • Co. torte I F eet of the sillefily u•it.i4r of
Fevr-I ha•Mni,vemsislettig of oreetv.reits Raul of Om one'',
Astv 1-...?r5, alai three brigs—steering abnut W.N W: atf
bta,l:.e t wotesined. Captain acme se,yese4, from the coos
fin.en trey neat in, th.t they must hive mist mita she bow
Lour that evening.
" To the &WWI of Lloyd's o'o°o.'4
The dispatches communicating this intelligence,
were brnnght to England by the Rcroiut:,nn3irs iris
gate, of 33 guns, Capt. HOTII•bt, which arrived
on Tuesday, at Plymouth, from the Channel Fleet,
after a very quirk passage. Fortunately, the fria,
was to windwar.i of the Combined Fleet when she
fell in with them. liaa she not possessed that
advantage, she mug have been captured. The fad
of the combined fleet being at sea on the 13th being
established, an important question arises out of it.
It is of great moment to know whether the enemy
were then endeavouring to get into Ferrol or to get
est of it. Upon reference to Admiral VI LI.LISSUVea
letter, and the Notes in the Moutteur upon the battle
of the 2.2 d of July, no passage can be fund which
miens, in dire and positive terms, that the Com-
bined Fleet had entered Ferrol. They say, indeed,
that the objtall of Admiral Vit.criseuve was to el-
le& a junelion with the squadron in that harbour,
and that he had accomplished his purpose. Th •
obvious inference from this statement is, tl.at th
had got into Ferrol ; but it dos not neces•
sarily follow, for the Ferrol squadron might have
come out to them ; and yet the accounts in the
French papers be trite. There is another cir-
cumstance in favour of those who think that the
enemy kod mot then got into Fermi. Sir ROBERT
C•LOIR did not lase sight of them until the night
of the s!Sth of July, and with the utmost possible
expedition, they could not have got into Ferrol until
the C'th The prevailing opi7.lon was, that they
did not enter it until the 7th or Bth inst. and now we
find that they were seen at sea an the 13th. This
ssauld leave only fiftean days at the utmost; but,
probably, a mud) less space of time, for their stay
in that port ; an interval much too short for
the necessary repairs and refreshments atter a voyage
from the West Indies, and the severe anion which
they sustained on the 2t:d. The repairs made during
the three or tour days they remained in sight of our
fleet, were executed in a harry, and only temporary.
They would, of course, go fur nothing, and we
cannot conceive, that the enemy, once safe moored
in Ferrol, would leave it until they had rec,:ived a
thorough repair, and were in complete order. In
addition to these arguments, we are assured, that it
has not been ascertained that the Combined Fleet
ever were in Ferrol, and that a paragraph to that
elle& was added to the bulletin sent to LcoYn's yes.'
terday, for the information of the confidential and
particular friends of the MINISTER. This supple-
snent is perfealy consistent with ail the former
aid notices of Government. The bulletin of the
Itith inst. merely said, " The Combined Squadrons
are stated to have arrived at Ferrul." The phrase
4' are stated,"—clearly implied, that Government
had doubts upon the sithjea ; yet the party prints
adverse to the Musts/. ea, instead of giving hits
credit for his truth and caution, assumed the escape
of the enemy into Ferrol as a matter of faa, and cen-
sured the Admiralty for noticing it in terms of doubt
and uncertainty. These are the principal arguments
in support of the opinion, that the Combined Fleet,
when seen by the frit on the 13th, were then, for the
first time, endeavouring to enter Ferrol. On the
other side of the question are the letters alleged to
have been received from the Here, stating, that the 1
enemy passed Sir Rosser Caamta is the night,
and entered Ferrol—the report of a neutral that
looked into Ferrol on the Bth, and counted in it a
great number of large ships not seen there before,
and the presumption arising from the return of Lord
Watson to England. We have also the opinien of
Captain Ba•ce, who concluded, from the apprrar-
ince of the enemy, that they had just got wit of
Petrel. The impression made upon the mind of
that officer, and his opinion upon the subjs& are
of great weight in determining a case of this kin!.
Besides the enemy were steering W. N W. at the
time of his observation ; a course more likely
to be palsied by a fleet leasing Ferrol, than
. endeavouring en work into it. Captain Eturt
further states, that they were outside Ferrol ; the
obvious meaiiii.g of which is, that they were close
*IF it—.and. it is said, that they were seen nest day,
in its sane aituaticos, by the AeArisl—lout

not been able to find any good authoilty for this
litter report. It results, then, from this view of
the CAS*, (ha we have no data from whence. to
deduce a positive conclusion ; and that,whether the
torobinedit•et were going in, or cons our of Pen,
cm the 13th, is a question of the 'fierce or less
probability. It is a question, however; as we have
already observed, of great moment. Sir Rotate
CA I. uta sailed from off Brest, on the 17th instant,
with ten sail of the line—lnd was shortly after
followed by a reinforcement of 1d sail of the line,
making an aggregate of 28, to resume the blockade
of Fe/ rob 11 the Combined Fleet were going into
Ferrol, and only just outside of it, on the evening
of the 13th, it must be presumed, th it he could not
arrive in time to in:ercept them, and that they
must have effeEled their retreat into th It harbour
before he could have reached it. On the other
hand, if the enemy weievutiiiig to sea again on the
13th, upon same new enterprise, we may entertain a
reasonable expe&ation that Sir Runctte CALDER
will be once more favoured with a sight of them.
In that event we may look with confidefice to a
brilliant vinory. The enemy vionlJ have no nu-
merical sup riority as in the attioa of the 22J July,
and Sir ROBERT CA LDLR would reckon in his fleit
of twenty-eiglic sal of the line, seven of Lord
NELSON'S ten ships that chased the foe to the West
Indies, and back to Europe. He would also have
an opportunity of silencing the clamour and ca-
lumny of the factious, the base, mod the venal, who
would rob him of his lair fame, while absent, unde-
fended, and unheard.

The gallant Lord Nei son attended yesterday at
the Admiral.y. where he had a lung conference
with Lord BARHAM. A great Contourse of
people crowded a►out the place, anxious to see him.
From thence his Lordship proceeded to Craven-
street. the crowd following him all the way. At
Craven-street. he took a coach and visited Messrs.
\la asn and Cam), Navy Agents, Norfolk-street,
in the Strand. His Lordship then drove to Down-
ing•street, where he paid a visit to Mr. Pix r.

We are happy to learn. that the French brig La
Freaue, of 16 guns and 28 men; one of the squadron
that engaged the filaarhe, was capture.l by His MA.
J&ST Y'S ship Goliath, in company with the Comi.7e,
on the 13th inst. in lat. 45. 18. long. 7. 31i. La Emilie
has been brought into Portsmouth by the Camilla.
T%%enty-three of the brave crew of the Blanche
were on board La Ferias.

We yesterday announced the arrival of an over.
land dispatch from India, with sdvices from Madras,
to the 2d April, and from Bombay to the 18th.—
In addition to the particular; of their contents, which
we communicated yesterd ty, we find from a ,•Nate

_ priv.t
letter, dated Madras, 13th February, that Sir E.
Pcccew had received orders fmin C-c Admiralty,
to purchase several India-built ships, capable of
mnunt'ng from 40 to 50 guns, for If;s ... NI
AJEATY9S
service in India. He had accordingly added to
our naval strength the Charon and Kaiiassisooo,
two India ships, which were converting, with
all possible expedition, into 44 on frigates,
ltiopomders, to be called the Lord ILrove, and
Doman. It was also in agitation to con-
v-rt the Coserreaoh into a frigate, to carry the
same number of guns. The Trrorrndosto and Grampus
were under orders to proceed immediately to the
isle of France, for the purpme of blockading it. It
was intended that the blockade should Ix hencefor-
ward constantly maintained, by affording reliefs at
proper periods.

The Cimeord and Ifugizet we:e left cruising off
Point de Caller and the Ruud! And DeJaigatuse off
Acheen.

The Crunters of Sutherland, which was captured on
her voyage to China, and carried into the Mauritius,
is cut down and converted into a heaving down
hulk.

A private letter from Madras, dated 17th Janu-
ary, says—a Intelligence from the Isle of France
states, that the French squadron, in the engagement
with His MAJESTY'S ship Geelinen, had fourteen
men killed, and nineteen wounded, which made them
dread another engagement with any of our men of
war. On the arrival of Lisots at the Mauritius,
finding, by signal, that our cruisers were in port
North West, he ran into the South East Port,
where the Afarrngo got a-ground, lost her rud-
der, and suffered much oth-c-r damage. All
the pumps were at work, and it was only by the
greatest exertions she again floated. The Marengo
was afterwards stripped and harile I tr.) the side of
the Countes, cf Sutherland, to be hove down, and it
was supposed she would not be ready again for sea
in less than four months.

The frigates, it was reported, would IA about
the latter end of lomat), for the purpose. it WAS
supposed, of endeavotring to intercept our home-
ward•bound trade. IluNarArtra's elevation had
been publicly announced at the Island."

The report respeCting the restoration of pence in

only the anticipation of an event confidently expeel-
eJ, as the Fort of Bhurtpore could not withstand
thg Assault meditated against it, and Hoigas's
force was entirely broken.
We understand that a private letter has been re-
tlei4d by the overland dispatch from India, which
states, that the loss sustained by our army amou,sts
to upwards of 1000 men, Officers included. We
must presume that this estimate comprises the los,
in the fifth assault upon Bhurtpore, which is not
stated in the accounts already published, though
referred to in them. According to the same letter,
an opinion universally pre/a,led, that very little
objection would be made by General Lord Lac to.
the toms proposed isy the RAJAH of BHURTPORL,
provided the latter should cou ient to withd:aw his
support frOm HOLKAR. All the other letters
which we have seen, state, on the contrary, that it
was the determination of General Lord LAKE, to
make a sixth assault upon Bhurtpore, and that re-
inforcements, in troops and artillery, were expeCted
from Cawnpore for that purpose.

In consequence of the death of Viscount A ens-
MORE, Chief Baron of the Court of Ere,cquer in
Iceland, mentioned in another part of this Paper,
the following new• arrangements, we understand,
wi I take place in the Law dep mment :

Toe Right lion. Standish O'Gia,ly, the pir, e,it Attorney.
General, to be Chief Baron.
Mr Minket, the pref,•nt Solicitor-General, to be Attorney.
General.

And Mr. Serjeeot Bathe to be Solicitor General, in elm room
of Mt Minket.

The place of Attorney-Cenrr2l, our Dab Cor-
tesponde..t assures us, was V: Bred to Mr. GLonca
PONIONDY, and refused by that Gent:eman.

The Princess Amelia packet is arrive) at na-
mowh, with a mail from Halifax, which place she
Lit on the 29th July.
The Print, Adolphus packet, from New York,
arrived at Halifax on the 12th July.
It was reported yesterday, that a difference ha;
taken place between Lord Muzersv E and Mi.
Pt rt. and that new overtures have been made by
the MINISTER to Mr. Fox. We give this merely
as a report.
Among the rumours of yesterday, it was slid
that Sir CHARLES COTTON has been appointed to
the fleet blockading Ferrol, in the room of Sir Ito-
BERT CALDER.
Yesterday morning, at two o'clock, Mr. as-
woit T if, one of His M ajEsT V's Messengers, arrived
at Lord Metortaves Office, in Downing-street,
with Dispatches from St. Petersburgh.
The Weymouth Mail did not leave town yester-
day until four o'clock in•the afternoon. It waited
for the bulletin issued b;- the Admiralty, announcing
that the Combined Fleet was again at sea.
Earl SPENCER attended yesterday at the Admi-
ralsy, hut not in company with Lord NXLSON, as
stated in a paper of last evening.
A French brig, prize to His Majesty's ship Lan-
cat...r, arrived at Peibt de Galle, the latter end of
December.
The brig Cobr, jar, stated to have been captured
by the ff,rri,t privateer, foundered off Point Caly.
mere. The crew were saved by His Majesty's ship
Sherry/err.
The Portdgnese ship, Laconia, has arrived at
Bengal, last from Malacca, with four liundrES
thousand dollars for that settlement.

La Fatten( French privateer, prize to 1 lis Ma-
jesty's ship Concorde, is arrived at Bombay, and
purchased for His Majesty's service. She was to be
manned and equipped with all expedition.
The ship Gallus*. fiores Bombay, arrived in the
River Ganges, on the ltith January, having been
captured by La Psyche frigate, on the &h, aad
afterwards released.

The Thetes, Captain Ricm Al MON, from the Va-
labar coast, was also captured by the same ship ;
but having a cargo, and some horses on board,
she was deemed or sufficient ♦alue to send to the
Mauritius.

It is said that the Pigeon, captured by La Psych'',
had been manned and armed Its a corvette, and
cruised with La Psyche.
Passengers on board the Gilre
Captain Watery late of the F.liiet • Capta.ti W Richardson,
late of theTheti.; Cnveniale, Chief Officer of ditto;
Mr. C. MichanCen, aerend dittn; Mr. Hampton, third dine ;
Mr. Johnson, fourth ditto; Mr. F.aton. Puuer; and M,.
Hoak, late second UtEcer of the Pigeon.

The ship Eliza, Captain W•l' ERS, was captured
by La Psyche. Captain WATERS was put en board
a small vessel under Pegue colours, bound to Sa-
dras.
It is the general opinion, itt the North of Ger-
many, that the fleet in the Baltic is to cover the de-
barkation of a Russian army, either in Swedish Po-
merania, or the Duchy of Mecklenburgh. If a
measure of that decided char:idler were resorted to,
we should soon be able to discover what part 4he
Court of Berlin would be likely to take in the ap-
proaching war.
Extradt of a letter from Savannah, dated July
12, :—" Since writing you on the !V), we
have received intelligence from the ship Morgalet,
of Liverpool, arrived heir• from New Providence,
that about the edge of the Gulph, she engaged and
beat off two of the three privateers that have been
on this coast lately ; the ship had two men killed
and ten men wounded. And this forenoon, intel-
ligence has been received from St. Mary's, that the
Cambrian frigate, after twenty-six hours duce, cap-
tured a large schooner privateer, supposed to he the
itlathilde, of IS guns; and afterwards, with her
boats, in the St. Mary's River. on the Spanish side,
within three miles of the town, under a heavy fire
from the vessels and troops on shore, boarded and
took possession of the ship Golden Grare, and a
brig, bound to EnAland, laden with naval stores,
captured and sent in there by a Spanish privateer.
The coast is now pretty clear. The (7,4,04 with
• prizes, still remaiut."

ug ag. uuunu I
~ ...„...,.., uccu puunciy announced At the Island."
, .
ielptieuvreAltainldn
of is—. And, ais said, that they were seen nest day, The report respeeting the ri storation of peace in
in the tame situAtioti, by the Adias/---tout we have India, which prevailed yesterdly, is, we believe, her prizes, sti
-.....—