The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-12-18 00:00:00

G.ILLANT

8v the merchant ship, which arrived at
Portsmouth on Friday l.st, from Barbadnes, whence
she sailed on the 14th ult. we leatn, that a gallant
a 'lion had lately been fought in the West Indies,
between three West Indiamen, and a large French
privat-er. In this affair, the British seamen ma-
nif-sted their usual in•repidity, And proved, that,
seh•ther firhting on board a merchant' chip, or man
of war, they never fail to give added glory to their
name and country. The Trench privateer fought
most eboinarely, as will aonear in the sequel.
The Cerr. Captain P•stisfield, of 372 tons, 18
run.. and 36 men; and the Pencl,or. Capt. Ro-
binson, of 212.3 tons, 16 guns, and 22 men. both
belongine to Al lerman llowct,ft, rendezvoused at
Cork, some time in Septernber last, with the in-
tention of sailine along with the West India fleet,
under convoy of the Princess Charlotte frigate, hut,
to their mortification, they (nu ,d that the fleet
had quitted that port on its voyage a day or two
before These vessels met at Cork the Thetis,
Captain Marnley, of Lancaster, which, like them-
selves, had been disappointed of convoy. The Thetis
is a ship of 1290 tons burthen, and carried 18 nine-
pounders, and thirty men ; they agreed to pursue
their voyage in company together. Nothing ma-
terial occnrred on their passage, tin they arrived
within a day's sail of Barbadoes, when they perceived
at a distance, a strange vessel bearing towards
them ; this was on the 7th of November. The
headmost ship, concluding it was an enemy, slack-
ened sail, to suffer her companions to come up,
that they might place themselves in an advantage-
ous situation for affirm. On the vessel nearing
them. they perceived her to he a large privateer.
and that she was determined on attacking th•m.
The row bore down to meet her ; and received the
first broadside ; the privateer being well manned,
and with etpert seamen, she was soon in a situa-
tion to pour into her a second broadside ; when
the Captain of the Theta, (his being a light ship),
perceiving the situation of his companion, ran his
ship with great gallantry between the privateer and
the OW•• and received the whole of her broadside.
The Peneope now joined in the atlion, and the
battle became desperate. The merchantmen got
their guns to bear upon the enemy, and were soon
convinced of the great impression their fire made
upon him, by the appearance of his rigging, Scc . The
privateer, finding herself so roughly handled, at
length tacked about, and made all the sail he could
to get away horn our ships ; they, however, willing
to follow up the advantage they had gained, gave
chace, and the enemy being somewhat crippled.
they soon came up with him, when the anion was
renewed, and a running fight was kept up for some
tine, during which the three men:ham:nen so pep-
pered the privateer, that her fore-mast, micro-
mast, and bowsprit, were all carried away, and
there was every reason to suppose great slatight, r
had been made among the crew. Our ships also
sustained some damage, and lost a few men. When
the privateer found she could no longer make any
wae, she lay-to. and, in that situation, still pre-
pared to defend herself ; brit the merchantmen being
convinced of the impraaizability of taking posses-
sion of the enemy (admitting that he should strike),
from his great superiority of numbers, proceeded to
accomplish the remainder of their voyage. The va-
lue of the vessels and their cargoes is estimated at
near 300,0001.

The following day, the three merchantmen reach•
ed Barbadoes, and immedixtely communicated to
Governor Maxwell an account of the Aaion. The

Governor said, he had good reason to know that
their opponent had done more mischief in that part
of the world than. any other of the s ime description
had ever done before. The privateer is called the
Booapart., else carried twenty 12 and IS-pounders,
and 230 men.
About fire days previous to the above theft, the
Governor said. that the Baa..parte had takes a
vessel belonging to him, and on the following day
falling in with an .%merican, bound to Barbadoes,
requested the Captain to acquaint the Governor
with the fate of his vessel. and to convey a chal-
lenge to him to send out any sloop of war, and that
it would soon he made a companion to his chip.
The Governor Instantly dispatched the girtadeer,
private ship sof war (formerly i.e BP/VIVe French
privateer). in quest of the &Laporte; this would
he the second cruise of the llarAisdest since her cap-
ture by the English. In her former one she had
fallen in with the privateer that captured the /../1,,
sloop of war. This vessel the Bardedser captured,
after a smart aaion, and carried her into the island
whose name she bete.

The Crieiter lugger privateer, of Calais, of 15 guns
and 76 men, is captured by the Fa.oirtre sloop of
war, and sent into Dover.
'Fite Co,ie rJ, a light collier, of Sunderland, was
captured off peachy 1 lead, on the 12th instant, by
the DatpAta and Racbe.rea French privateers, of
16 guns, and sixty men each ; retaken by the Fa-
vourite sloop of war, and /sic cutter, who have cap.
Lured the Debit priviteer, and are atrived at
Dover.
Yesterday se:might, a man of the name of Lswt tit
was committed to the city gaol of Cork, charged
with having tendered as oath of a treasoaabk na-
ture to one O'Cr)/021011.

PRICE uF IRISH srocKs, Dec 13
Cnvernmant Debentures, .5 per cent 89:
Grand Canal Loan, 6 !ler cent.... 96
Royal Canal Loan, 6 per cent 811

COURSE OF OLEN

Amsterdam 2 2 I'.l
Ditti..it Sight 37 7
Ituttorilans ...I2 II 19 2 U.
Hamburgh 33U
Alton 9) 6 2IU.
Paris I day's date 2a 6
Dam. V. 14 2 U.
bourdeaux . Yi IS

Cad.:
33 effect.
Madrid
Date 34 rtiea.
lilboa

Lughuin 5O

Naples
Dublin on London (Dec. 1
on London (Dec.ll
114 fist on Dublin (ditto)..

RETURN OF WHEA
Including only from the 3d
agreeably to
s d.
201 Quartet' at 126
75 -- at 124
100 -- at 123
44 ----- at 122
192 __---- at 121
874 ----- at 120
34 ------ at 117
14i2 ------ at 115
150 at 114
50 ------ at 113
456 -- at 112
455 ------ at 11l
1439 at 110
1527 at log
2:6 - at 107
And 6 Qt
Total 14,310 Quarry
Os. Old. lover I

IN MARK I.INE.
of Dec. to the Bth of Dec
the ❑ew Act.

I ,1
1202 Qwn•n at 106
1946 - at 195
.27 It 104
lti9-- at 1112

132 -- at 10
111 --- at !vt
r. 12 at 96
137 at 10i
GOO --- at 911
1.34 --- at ••:
54 at S 4
tyl at !,t)
1475 at 7

666 ~t
30 ----- at 7::
tarters 71
sal. "rage 10'a. I ;<1
ban bit Return,

A RETURN OF FLOUR,
Fran Dec 1, to Doc. 7, from the enckat Office.
goal. •d. I finks s. Sacks s. 11
41.....:01 0 306... .... 99 0 70 94 0
13......104 0 T 93 OS 0 97. 93 0
3 ... .103 0 40. 97 61 23 n' 0

S ....10!. 9 298 .97 0 3O 9l 0
15813 ....100 0 416.......96 0 2140. .40 0
10 99 6 1975 „IS 0 10. 85 0
Total-43,431 Soeks.—.....kveroge 99a. Id.
to. Cd. higher that, last Return.

IN THE BOROUUM
lITAIL.

Per Ike/bet.
Inc to 114.
W.Muitard Seed 7, to 1016,1
Brown ditto .1 to 17•
Cana.), 7s. Od.to Ss Od
Nye Liratt.pr.qt. Oi

iF HOPs.

►OC EI/S.

Kent O. Io M 108
SYanc 41 Ili In Si 0.
Farth.m 71 to hi Il•

AND S
111)1\T•

WUIIFCNAPI&

!la?, .31 I' a 41 lis
New... 91 Os A el os
Closer ..... ..41 104 a3l Sa
Straw

iMITHFIELU. bloo•sr, D r
Tn sink the o'Taliser stone of
H-pf 4t Od to 6s 04 j Vaal :Ps 4d to 7s 44
Motto.' —44 11.1 to St lid I P. 11,: is 1114 to 5: 0.1
Had of Cattle tb0.1)..y,
Beast., about 1.64.0..4ihrep, 15,0:0

M .%GATh AND I.EADFNH'II.I. 'l \RIaTS
the carcase.
11,-f 1 I to Ss Od I
Veal 44 6d to
%N o. [PI 1.4 Votit..- 48 SI at 1M Od

NOCE 01'
3tte, )1 to !..646. each
Ditto, 60 to 651 b. eoct Vol to BG4
Merchants Barks
Drewing 824 to 284
Fins Coat 11.4 es 834 to 8.44
.Crop Ilan for cutting 934 to 24.1
Flat I ),‘„,,,
Calf Skins, JO to 4411 b. per Dozen... 344 to 384
Ditto, 70:b 334 to sut
Dew, 70 to 113 lb .324 to 384
Saudi %rola ((iomalaod) ♦?4 to 431
Large 4ltt a l.l- to 11611 s per d0t,,,.
Tanned hone Hides tas to ifts per halo.