The National Register.
London, England, 1808-11-13 00:00:00

Y.l

•
by a numerous body of Miquelets. Of this enterprising and .
very serviceable description of force . there are upwards of
17,000 in CataloniJ. The inhabitants of .liousillon, cud
in all the dcpartineuts adjoining Spain, are said to mani-
fest the greatest indignation at BONAPARTE-9 per64IAUS
treatment of the Spaniards. and to have refused f 14911110
U g the number of conscripts required of theni. They say
that if the Spiwiarils, respecting their persons and property,
should elites their country, they will gladly make common
cause with them. All these acccun.s tend to corroborate
the singuine hopes vie have uniformly entertained of .the
ultimate success of that gallant people; and that their base
and trcacherens invader Will find more difficulty to overrun
r;ne of their provinces, than he did in the .whole career of
his crimes and success.

; 7
a 41

--•+

A report was circulated on Thursday. and continued to
obtain some credit on the day Wowing, that an Austrian
Messenger had arrived in town from Heligoland, with the
imp: r;.ant intelligence of hostilities having commenced
between Austria and France. This account was brought
by a vessel, which sailed from Heligoland on the 7th inst.
at that time a number of respectable persons arc said to
have arrived from the the Elbc, all corroborating this
i:itelligence. Letters having been received from Holland
f the Sth inst. they contributed to destroy a rumour,
which could not be traced to any authentic source ; and as
it tias been since discureged,,that xi, Messenger has arrived
further credit it attached: to it. We acknowledge we
disbelieve it ourselyes,,;but.not from the circumstance of
the Patch letters beingfi.4444 silention the subject. It
must 't)e remarked
.thatilaraburgh is at least 150 miles
nearer than AmsterdaWitfo Vietarta; and should the Austrian
Cabinet kbink it expnt, asitiVery probable, to acquaint
• • •
our goVerument with..,,ts •intentions, it would not find it
very difficult to send •a messenger to this country, under the
appearance of an ordinal" traveller, who might travel, un-
molested, and verynear4alfthe way through the Austrian
territories. It is therefore possible that this account
might have been received at Heligoland, even some days '
before it arrived at Amsterdam, or before Xing Louis al-
lowed it to transpire. This •rninour has proably origi-
nated in some police regulations which have been lately
adopted in Itamburgh, relative to the circulation of the
leans Gazette, and letters arriving. from the capital, as they
contained a candid exposure .0f the occurrences in Spain ;
a circumstance rather alarmin; to 'the agents of. BoNA-
r.kitTE. These restrilions havv irobably occasioned this
report; and as Austria continues her military preparations
affd her menacing attitude, it was natural to suppose that
nOthing but actual liostilitks could justify so violent a Inca-
I ire. as ' tile akin;; open of private correspondeuce,
which is done with ail the petters arriving from 'Austria.
Biich is probably the soul k
sOui. of this wartilc,e report ; and
when we leleetli9w mail the Hamburghera mast desire any
occurrence, Which Might Ove-i hem a chance of having the
former channels of their itidlistry once more opened, by the
departure of their irs"'O'rne ancl.rapacious guests tit will
•
lo! easily conceived thlt t hey raw,. with. avidity any one
thing holding; out to,tliet .rosiMet safeiy. What was
probably report in 11:trittairrg, may have gained during. the
journey, mid was c42ivdftcd into certainty before it arrival
in Cux:ir ea.

4

p.