The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-06-20 00:00:00

hare entertained of an iMIOCCINIMI Russian alliance.
and aaive co-operation with England, in the war
against France.

Our Mondays Paper contained the following
paragraph:-14 It was reported on Saturday, upon
the authority of a letter from Tortola, that a French
force of 20 sail had arrived at S. Domingo, and
were immediately to attack Jamaica." Although
WC did not at the time give any credit to the report,
we thought it our duty to mention it. We ate con-
cerned, however, to state that some corroborating
circumstances have since occurred.

A letter received yesterday at LLOYD'S from
Deal says,

The London Packet, Capt. WPDongall, front Philadelphia,
in tie-my-two days, is arrived in the D mu, and landed up-
ward, or 1,000 Letters at Deal : The Captain informs, that
wlrcu lie Lit that place, an Alrmicaa vessel had just arrived
there, and said that Jamaica was taken by the French ; but
little confidence is given to the American's reprint.
The New York Paper of the 20th also contains
the following paragraph upon the same subjeZt:

NIW YORK, MAY 20.

A few days before Captain Light left the Ilavatinah, an
American re,scl arrived there, and bro.ight intelligence of
having passel through a French fleet of Nineteen sail of the
Line, and some Fugate*, off Cape St. Nichola.. The Captain
made s Deposition to this before the Governor.
We have more than once remarked that the re-
ports of American vessels ought to be received
with great caution. A solitary report to the above
died could not, therefore, have made much irapres•
siren upon us ; but three c::neurrent reports, from
quarters so distant from each other, give a
great degree of consistency to the rumour.—
The description answers no force which the enemy
could possibly have in the West Indies, except the
conthined fleet. Some persons Ca:nee contend, that
the report is unfounded, as that fl •et did nut sail
from Cadiz until the 10th of April, and they think
there was not time sufficient for an account of its
arrival at Jamaica, if such an ev •nt reAlly took
place, to reach N'ew York and Philadelphia, and be
thence transmitted to England. Such expedition is
very extraordinary; hut we believe not impossible.
The London Packet has cone from Ph.ladelphia in
22 days. She consequently sailed or: the 27iia of
May. Allowing then 12 days for the account to
reach Philadelphia from Jamaica, we :nay date the
arrival or the French at Jamaica about the 13th of
May, which would leave 3'l days f.• its passage
from Cadiz to Jatilaissa. The no,st timid, however,
do not seem to -••.'send, even in the event of the
Cadiz and Toui,,a fleets having reached the West
Indies, that the Island has fallen entirely into the
,:in:% of the French,• although they may have ef-
fated a landing on it.

While a loyal and affeetionate people were cele-
brating the anni• ersary of Ilis MAJESTY'S Birth-
day at home, by peaceful fetes and speCtacles, our
gallant tars displayed their z ral abroad, in a way
not less loyal to their Ks vn, or useful to their
country. The Lair, frigate, which arrived on Sun-
day evening at Plymouth, cruising on the 4th to
the southward of Cape Enisterre, received intelli-
gence that a large priv iteer, a gun-boat, her prize,
and a sm iller privateer, wit', mar.: sail of Clipping,
were in the harbour of Muros, a few leagues south
of Cape Finisterre. Captain MA ITL AND carried
the Loire into the !labour, and manned his boats
with fifty seamen and marines, under command
of Mr. vet), his First Lieutenant, and another
Lieutenant, to attack a fort and a battery, de-
fended by Spanish troops. The boats landed, cover.
ed by the firing of La Loire. The crews immediately
advanced to storm the fart—the Spanish troops
gave way ; but a severe fire was kept up from the
fort and battery, and the ships in the harbour.—
Nothing could daunt the spirit of our gallant tars ;
they took possession of the fort by storm, spiked 16
of the guns, and threw them into the sea ; sent
four boats full of long Spanish 12-pounders on
board the Loin, and made the Spaniards themselves
bring down great quantities of naval and other
stores, chests of tools, sails, powder, and cordage,
which were also sent on board the Loire. They
captiir,d, besides, and brought cur a Spanish Urge
g.t-t vessel, with one long 32-pounder, and six 24-
pound carronades, a large Spanish brig fitting for
sea, and La Confiasee, French privateer, of 26 guns,
and 170 men—they burned another French privateer
of 16 guns, being without a rudder, and several
other vessels. The town of Muros was not plun-
dered; our tars bringing off only the government
stores. The loss ache enemy in killed and wound-
ed was fit eat. We had one man badly, and a
Lwytenant and eight seamen, slightly wounded.
Another account of this brilliant achievement, from
Cork, into which the Loire put with her prize, states,
it that at Muros, which was protected by a fort
of 12 guns and a ba:tcry of two, some shipping
were observed, and the First Lieutenant of the Lo,re,
Mr. Yeo, was detached in boats with .50 Lien, in
order to attack the fort.' Tr is service was so chear-
fully undertaken, and so gallantly executed, that in
about three quarters of an hour after leaving the