The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-05-24 00:00:00

PIR.I7'ES.

In the National Journal of .3aturday, we find several official
ro nmun kat ion% from Lieut.-Commandant John 1). Sloat, of the
United States schooner Grampus. together with copies of various
documents on the subject of the destruction and capture of a bawl
of pirates in the Island of Porto Rico. The principal fa:ut are
already in the possession of the public; we shall therefore confine
ourselves to a general view of these papers. The first is a letter
from Lieut. Stoat, to the Secretary of the Navy, dated at St.
Thomas, the 12.11 of March, in which he states that he was pro-
sided with two sloops, free of expense, by the Governor of St.
Thomas, with which lie proceeded to Ponce, where he arrived on
the 3d, after examining all the south coast of the island without
success. The next morning a suspicious sloop was seen beating to
the eastward, when one of the sloops was manned under the coin.
mand of Lieut. Prendergast, Acting Lieutenant Macgruder, Dr.
Biddle, and Midshipman Stone, with twenty-three men, whn
sailed in pursuit the next day. They had the good fortune to fall
in with her id the harbour of " llcica del Infierno," which is very
large, and has many lilding.places, where an action commenced,
which lasted forty-five minutes, when the pirates ran their slog.)
ashore, and jumped overboard ; two of them were found killed, and
ten of those which escaped to the shore were taken by the Spanish
soldiers, five or six of whom were wounded. and ammget them the
famous piratical chief Cofrecinas, who has long been the terror of
the coastsond the rallying point of the pirates in the vicinity. As
near as could be ascertained, none of our men received any tnjuty.
Ile had fifteen or sixteen men on board, armed with one four-
pounder, and muskets, pistols, cutlasses, and knives, for his men.
The second is a letter from the Alcalde and Military Com-
mandant of Ponce to Lieut. Prendergast, returning him thanks
fur the important service rendered them by the capture of the pira-
tical vessel under Cofrecinas.

Letter third is another communication from Lieut. Sloat to the
Secretary of the Navy, offering sundry documents connected with
this subject, and informing him of the great importance the cap-
ture of Cofrecinas was to the Governments of Porto Rico, St.
Croix, and St. Thomas, as he had been the terror of that
city for a number of years, owing to his horrible murders sad
piracies.
Letter fourth is from the same to the Captain• General of Porto I
Rico, informing him of the capture, and offering the testimony of
the Officers of the Grampus in briuging the pirates to justice, if it
should be necessary.
Letter live is a reply from the Captain-General to Lieut. Slam,
returning his most grateful thanks for the services rend( red in the
pursuit and capture of these wicked wretches; aid declining
the offer of testimony front our officers, as the pirates did not
deny the principal facts, and had already confessed sufficient to
convict them.

The next paper is a general order of the Captain-General to the
Military Commandants, &c. on the coasts of Porto Rico, directing
then) to atlind Lieutenant Sloat all the necessary aid in discover-
ing the pirates, as also to co-operate with him both by sea
and land.

The seventh is a letter from Lieut. Sloat to the Governor of St.
Thomas, returning the sloops loaned fur the occasion, together
with the captured sloop to he restored to her owners. who
lived in St. Thomas's, with his warmest thanks for the aid af-
forded.

The next it a reply from Governor Von &holten, congratulating
him on the successful reault of the expedition, and returning his
individual thanks, as well as those of the community, fur the
assistance au readily afforded that island on every occasion.