The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1809-11-30 00:00:00

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DESPER.4TE ENTERPRISE.
•
coats, Nor. 211.
The Druid frigate, Capt. Sir William Bolton,
has captured and brought into this poet, a very
large French brig of war—both arrived yesterday.
The circumstances which attended this capture
are too unfortunate to render the event, advan-
tageous as it is to our trade, a subject of gra-
tifieation—they are summarily these :—ln the
course of her cruise, the Druid fill in with three
strange vessels at night, and at a considerable
distance to the southward of the Irish coast.
—When they were first (uet.% ed, it was a per-
fect calm ; and therefore all the advantages
which a lkitish frigate possesses over every other
vessel, were useless. Unable to close throw vessels
with his ship, Sir William Bolton had three boats
manned for the purpose of reconnoitring ; and they
were dispatched tepee that service, with some ad-
monition, that if they were ascertained to be
enemy's ships of war, no risk should be incurred in
approaching them.
The First Lieutenant of the Druid, Mr. Wat-
kins, commanded this little detachment, and led
it with his boat. Mr. Andrews, the Second Lieu-
tenant, nes in the next boat; cud we do sot pre-
cisely know what officer had charge of the third.
ith the zeal and spirit which distinguish all
our naval operations, those gallant officers pro-
' seeded upon the duties assigned to them ; but in-
mindful of the prudence which had been teAtn-
mended, the headmost boat had scarcely made out
the nearest vessel to be an enemy, when it was deter-
mined to carry her by boarding. The attempt was
,accordingly made with the customary bravery and
promptitude of British and Irish seamen; but the
enemy was too strong to be insulted successfully
by so small a force, and in a short time every man
of the boat's crew, including their intrepid come
mender, was either killed or wounded.
The wounded, among whom was Lieut. Watkins,
were taken on board the enemy's vessel. The wound
of this gallant officer, we regret to state, was mor-
tal, and he died after enduring the amputation of
his thigh. The first boat was so far a-head of the
ether boats, by accident or exertion, that the de-
struction we have stated, took place before she
could be supported. The second boat. however, in
which was Lieut. Andrews, not intimidated by the
fate of the lira, renewed the attack,. but with no
better fortune ; her crew was either killed, wound-
ed,
.9r made prisoners. Lieut. Andrews, who so
heroically followed the example of his brother
officer, received a desperate wound, by a grape-
shot, in the thigh. during the conflict ; mad we are
sorry to state some apprehensions are entertained for
his life. The third boat, which assailed the enemy
with a resolution equal to the first and second, was.
not more successful; her crew suffered
As soon as the French vessel had accomplished
this work of destractiOn, she, with the assistance of
sweeps, got out of sight of the Druid, and Sir W.
Bolton, not knowing what had happened to Isis
boats, kept on the same course with whatever pro-
gress his ship could make, in such 'weather.
The next day he again got sight of the enemy,
but unable to come up with her lie lost eight of her
in the night. Standing on without any deviation,
he again observed her next day, and again she es-
caped him the following day.
L).. airing either of ,eaiottur upon her. Or of re-
covering his boats, he altered hissourse during the
night ; the enemy, by a critical coincidence. had
done the same, and the succeeding morning he
again got * view of her, and a breeze of wind, for-
' tunately, springing tip, after a chase of some length,
he succeeded in capturing the object of so much
work and anxiety. The prise proved to be i large
French National privateer, admirably well found
in every respect, and strongly manned.
It was a subject of deep concern to Sir W. Bolton
to understand the fide of his officers and men upon
captaring the brig ; it ass, however, some ',misfile-
bon to have recovered the wounded and prisoners of
his ship's company on board her.—Lieut. Watkins
has been very recently married to a respectable and
amiable young lady of this city, and, by his early '
death, he has bequeathed her to the care and grati-
turfy of his country, in whose service and for whose
fame he fill. The loss in this unhappy affair was 1
sixteen killed and 'inducted, and seventeen pri-
soners, which have been retaken. The two brigs,
consorts to the prize, escaped.

Bombay newspapers have reached us. but we do
not find in them any account of the embassy to
Persia. They contain some details of a battle be-
tween the Persistis and Russians, in which the lat-
ter are stated to have been defeated.—Some repre-
sentations had been made by the French Minister
to the Persian Government, but the answer was
postponed until the Briti,h Envoy should be con-
sulted. A considerable number of French frigates
continued at Fort Napoleon, which could not sail
for the want of seamen. The English frigate Loa-
re!, prize to the Cannatiere, had been fitted and
sent on a cruise to the Straits of Malacca.
Monday evening, about eight o'cli:clc, as Mr.
GATISHOUSE, of Shoreditch, was returning home
from Newington-green. he was lactated by • la-
bouring-luoking man, between Ball's-pond and the
White-lead Mills, at Horton, who knoCked him
down, robbed hits of his watch and 34,, and made
his escape.

A valnable geizttre was made on Titesday,lit Do-
ver-htreet, of contraband goods, consisting of silks
and bandana handkerchiefs, by Mr. Su+tr►a. of
the Custom-house, and liantr.Ton, a Police Offi-
cer, of Marlborough street Office. The I! rizure
was conveyed away, in five hackney-coaches, to the
Custom•house.

A report appeared, some weeks since, it 'is
Paper. of the trial of an action of Trove., at
Lancaster Amin', respecting Lady Wlllloms,
Min Rachael, and M 1,4 Tidy, all belonging
to the some individual, and whom lieehad sold,
they being three cows so named. The Paris
papers recently received have copied this report,
and the Editors, either not understanding, or not
observing the joke, by which, at the end of the re-
port, these supposed ladies turn out to be cows,
have made them women, and thus given the re-
port of the trial, with comments, in which they
mark upon it as a most extraordinary circninstance
to occur in a civilized country, that a mon Amulet
be allowed to have three wives, and that be should
have in those wives such an absolute propert) a, to
be a!lowcd to sell them.

NAVAL 141"rILICESCIL
PoiITSMOUTH, NOY. 9.8.
Arrived a fleet from the Dak.iis; Myrtle sloop of
war, from Lisbon ; mad Pyl'a ditto, from Oporto.
Sainted the Peryiva,. tur Lisbon ; Arethusa, for
the westward.
PLYMOUTH, NOV. 17.
Arrived the Guirifinch stoup of war, from off
Roeliefort.

Sailed the Cadmus sloop of war, to the westward.

PLImoUTH-DOLK, NOY.
Sailed the Pittcnix frigate, Capt. Madge.; Moire,
Capt. Brown ; and Acteun, Capt. Lord Neville, on
a cruise ; also the Ann tender, for Ire[arid.
The Phi!onset brig, lo guns, Copt. Crawley. is
just arrived from the Mediterranean, and is sup.
posed with dispatches of a similar nature to those
brunght by the Princess Augusta packet, relative
to the victory near the Bay of Hoses.
DALMOLTH, suer. 26.
Arrived, this day, the Princess Augusta packet,
with mails front Cadiz, twelve days' passage ; bS
which we have ut lengthi the pleasing ii.telfigusee
of the capture and destruction of the French byte-
dron, in the Mediterranean. It appears that ria
the 45th of October Lord Collingwood fell in with
six sail of the line, eight frigates, and about 40 sail
of transports, having on board ii,otto troop:, from
Toulon, bound to Barcelona ; the result was, the
capture of three sail of the line, six frigates, end 20
sail of transports ; the remainder, say two sail of
the line, driven on shore and burnt, one sail of die
line got into Cette, and two frigates, with about
to transports, in attempting to escape, gut on the
rocks, near the Bay of Wawa, and totally lost, with
nearly the whole of the troops and ciews.—The
vessel dispatched by Lord Coilingwood with the
intelligence to England, was unfortunately lost,
near Ceuta, and only one men saved.
His Majesty's ship Dcnnegal, having on board
Lord Wellesley, passed this port this Intiruipg.
Lord Wellington left Cadiz fur Lisboa the day
the packet sailed.
The Pra/singrisani arrived yesterday, in 12 days,
from Lisbon.—No news.
•NOTAIUR LETTER, SAME DATE.
Arrived, this evening, the Princess Augusta
packet, with a mail from Cadiz, in 1:2 days; she
brings a confirmation of a total loss to the enemy
of the squadron front Toulon, bound to Burcelona,
for its relief. 011 the sratli ult. the day our good
King entered the Loth year of his reign, Lord -Col-
lingwood fell in with then, ; they consisted of Us
sail oP the line, several frigates and transports,
having on boarti 2.5 "0 troops; the result was, as
might have been expected, and as follows :—Three
sail of the line, six frigates, and so transports, cap-
tured ; two sail of the line driven on shore and de-
stroyed; one sail of the line got iuto Cette; the
whole of the transports, except those captured, on
shore.

Several frigater, and, as above stated, the whole
of the transports, in attempting to get into the
Bay of Roses, got on shore, and were totally lost,
with the greater part of the crews and troops. The
coast was covered with dead bodies. The vessel
which was dispatched with the intelhgence frogs
Lord Coiiiiigivuod, was lost near Cette, and we
are extremely sorry to state, that all on board pee
tutted, except one man, who is armed atCadiz.
• DEAL, 11.01% ea.
Arrived tint David Scott EGA ladmanan.
cost OF CORK, SOO. 21.
Arrived the Helena sloop, Captain Wendt, fruin a ciu,4,,
and 'her prize, Revenge privateer, of St. Malovs, Caprodu
Laurent and %Wed, of aad hone Greenock, Clack, soh
Bowls, for Jamaica.
Sailed the Sarah, of Workington, Anderson, for Livespoot.
with oats.
His Majesty's ship Druid, ('apt Sir William Hakim, is a
ant hot ouicide, with a taste French pr:vate. r her prize
--
The liruhl, .t appeals, had 17 was killed is the •cusa.
Wuxi

NOV. 2.2.
Arrived tire Nelson, of Ilarsingtoo„ Donoghue, from New-
foondland, wait fish, Norman, of and from Dominica, Hum.
phries.,.,Al sugar and collie, for London.
Salted the Cbarlutte, of and for Looduo, Griffith, wills
protishins ; Friends, of Portsmouth, Knaggis, fur Dobbs,
with wine, &c. ; &Mee, of and for [hula', Stollen, walk
merchants' goods ; Milehelmarue, ditto, Brows, with ditto;
Henrietta; of Harrington, Piper, for Liverpool, with oat.;
Earl Spenrer cunt'', Lieut. Bothwell, with convoy to the
Downs; London, of and for London, Anderson, timber; sr. ;
Charlotte, u, Bacon, provisions; rglil ingale, of Bideford;
lte.t mud, fur London, Se.; Cr II it, of Barisouth, Oweo, fur
ditto; Thompson, of thitetiston, Thornpeon, anger, &e.s
a transport, a lib mores and troops, for Portsmouth; and
Joshua, of Workington, Lrono, fur Liiri-puol, sets.
LisisaltUr NOV. 24.
The Neptune tender, Lient.Cull, from Plymouth.
arrived here, was, on the 9th inst. oft Cape Clear.
brought-to and captured by a French schooner pri-
vateer. with 105 men on hoard, who also had a brig
from Waterford iu company, bound for Newfound-
land, laden with provision.., which she had tii'4en.
The privateer took part of the gnat, most of the
small arms and ammunition. several articles of rig-
ging, the slop-clothing, and even tome of the men's
apparel ; the trades was then permitted to proceeds
on a solemn promise being made by the Liruterant
to apply fax the release of 12 Freucbmeu confined
in any of the English prisons.

FROM LIOYDI.4 LIST.
Ouvrvirxo, Nov. 27. - Arrived the Amelia !Um.. •
Todd, from Trmidatt • 1 hen andllreem from
; GllO, hum Cadiz ; and 'Rub),
kom Duhhal.

PRICE OF tiTtiCEIS YESTERDAY.
Bank Stuck COSI 91 9
a per Crut Reduced
3 per Cent. Cot sola rs 76i 76 •
4 per Cent. eßet ...... ..... .. set
s per Cent. Navy
Lunt Ainuities
laths Bowls . ...
Exchequer Bills
F.selish Lottery Tickets eel, ISs.
Consuls fee opesisg .
T. BISH, Stoat- Bru►er, •
4. Coastal, and 9. Ciaarimairnosa.

MAtthtlAt.E. --
E S. T.now, r.s9. of toe 7lh Ilaesant, to MrS. 11.“11; wt
Noith 11'elbli,rn. • young widow, wills a Fortut4a of opOurilli
of do,ucul. at her OWU rhiptoal.
DEA
Te‘ter.lay, No. Devopeo,.Esq. of Dow Street.

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