The National Register.
London, England, 1809-08-13 00:00:00

44.yirally-Office, Agg. 7.

Lieu(. James Duncan, _commanding his Majesty's hired cutter
ehe Ida', a•rt ived yesterday evening at this (Mice with dispatches
from Sir Richardjohn Strachan, Bart. nod .K. Rear-Admiral
of the White, &c. addressed to the Ilon. William Wellesley
Pole, of w hick the (Allowing arc Copies :
Venerable, off' the lean Gat, August A.
• have been already acquainted that I !missed my
ag in the Amethyst, and that it • was my intention to have pre-
Ceded the Expedition, in company with the Venerable, on board
which ship Lord Ohathan; had embarked; but finding the public
f•erviee might suffe from the Cononauders in Chief being sepa-
rated. I therefore shifted tit the Venerable, Failed from the
Down, at day-light on the '2Bth ult.
I leave now to acquairm-)nu, for licir infortnafitire;
of lily arrival on the evening of that day in the Stone Deeps,.
with the Amethyst and several smaller vessels, where I was
joined by the Fisguard; Captain I,3niton, who had with grcnt
judgment placed vess:ls on the various shoals oil' this coast.—
After dark, Lieuteuatit Groves, of this ship, -with some skilful
'Mots in Deal boats, were dispatched to sound the Roompot
Channel., and to station vessels at its entrance.
Early next morning, the 29th, the division of Lieutenant-Ge-
neral Sir Jolla Bow, conducted by Captain Bathurst in the
Saleettejoined me, as did Rear-Admiral Sir Rkhavd Keates,
in the Superb. This zealous officer had the command of the
-blockading squadron qjf the entrance of tke hat observ-
ing the armament pass, he, with his usual promptitude, left that
squadron under the orders of Lord Gardner, and resumed the
ritarge of Sir John Hope's division; I therefore directed the
Rear-Admiral to shift his tlttg to the Salceite, and to proceed
to the Roompot,
The entrance to that channel is very narrow, and as I was
aware of Sir Home Popham's local knowledge of the ips-ular
navigation before me, I entrusted to that officer service of
jeading Sir Richard KeatS' division in, and w kick he fild with
great skill in the Sabrina, Captain Kittoe; the whole were ;kr-
chared iq safety Opposite Zeerickzee, situated between the is.
lands of Schoweu and north Beeveland.
That afternoon year Admiral Otnay, with the left wing of
the army, untlec 4if Eyre Conte, joined me in the Stone Deeps,
but it blew too fresh to have any omnannication.

Oo tale morning of the SOth, Sir .Hotue Popham returned
with a letter frora Sir Richard Keats, acquaimine, me that the
division under his charge were all safely anchored; and I was
likewise informed that there was sufficient space in the Room.
Pot to roatain all the ships, to which anchorage Sir Home
eopham undertook. to conduct them; and as it blew fresh, with
all the Pppearanre of an approaching gale, the squadron was
instantly got under sail, and led in by the Venerable, when tlic
all came to in safety oj( the Veere (kit.
As soon a' the ships were secured. measures were instantly
taken to prepare to laud the army on the Island of Walriterea.
I did not wait for the gun-boats coming up, but ordered tfinse
ho happened to he near the Venerable, together With the
mortar brigs, to push la shore to cover the lauding, and to force
tae perhaak battery,

S 1,5

•
At half-past font the boats put Ofr under the direction of Lord
AMeiltlf, Beanelere, of the Royal Oak, and Captain Cockburn
of the Relleisie, and the troops were landed in exedleat order
without opposition; the firing from the mortar-and 4,stn-TeSsele
ha% ing driven the enemy completely from th. Derhaak battery.
Haying thus arcomrlished this first object, I lost no time in
directiiqr i i„e bombs ;,:),! guil_vesset, to pr weed up the Veere '
Gat, oa Cain acre, and having giweis Sir Home Popham, who,
et the request of Lord Chatham, had retrinineel on shore with
his Lordship, permilvion to employ them as eie FerViee might
rejoice 4 he the neat morning began to cannonade Comr.ere,
v. Mel' had beau summoned, but held out. The fire of the gun:
Fonts awas exceedingly well directed, and did much damage to
the 'Mail.

The Officers and crews engaged in that service had a great
claim. to my admiration for their conduct. Three of our gun-
•boats were sunk. In the afternoon it blew fresh, ant! as the
strength of the tide prevented the bombs from acting, I directed
the flotilla to • fall hack, preserving a menacing position. At
night, Capt. Richardson of the Caesar, who was in the Dvite on
shore, threw some rockets at the nearest battery of Camvere,
and soon after the Commanding Officer of the town sent out an
offer•to surrender. A copy of the terms acceded to by Lieut.-
General Frazer, and Capt. Richardson, the senior .Naval Officer
on time spot, accompanies this letter.* .
The army under Sir John Hope landed at South Beveland on
the Ist of this month. and by a letter from Sir Richard Keats,
of yesterday's date, I Mid the whwie of the island is in our pos-
session, the enemy's ships are ail above Lino. and those most ad•
vanced, as high up as Antwerp. We are gefing our flotilla
through the slough into the Western Scheldt, to prevent succours
being thrown into Flushing by the Canal of Ghent. W hen the
Itamontukins battery is taken, we hope to pass the lighter veisels
to-the Western Scheldt, for the purpose of following up the
other objects of the Expedition.
I cannot conclude this letter without ackneWledgirg the as-
sistunee I "lave received front Rear-Admirti Otway ; hod how
nitwit I approve of the arrangements he made for laneing the
division under Sir Eyre Coote, which was carried into effect by'
- Lord Aurelius Reauclere. sand Captain Cockbura,..witim_tartcla
--skill and activity. Sir Richard '4eats,-iti7ihe
.execution of the
arduous duties he has had if) imitsfurra, has she wn his Uccumnined
zeal and judgment. The Captains, Officeri, and crests of 44
Majesty's ship; are indefatigahle in the execution of their re•
speetive ditties, and I have much pleasure in adding, that there
is a most perfect co-olieration of the army awl navy.
1 have, ate. R. J. STRACIFUAN..
P. S.—l letyl this by Lieuten:mt Dtmocan, whose Cutter, the
Idas, was close in shore, and covered tht landin,,T. .
Venerable off the Vere Gat, Aug. 5, IRV.
Sir—lt is with ;rent satisfaction that I am enabled to mien%
for their Lord,ltip's information, a copy of the cnpitelation of
the fort of ltatumekinsi., which surrendered to his Majesty!'
forces under Lieutenant-General Fraser yesterday after iiiii to.—
The possession of this post is of great importance to our further
°per:lion in the VV:..st Scheldt, as it will enable :iv-, Without mo-
lestation, to advance the whole of the flotilla, together with the
Camilla and Pallas, by the Slouch. and which I trust will erec-
mall v prevent ativ succours being thrown into Flushing, either.
from Cadsand, or by the Ghent Channel. •
I hare also the ilnnottr of forwarding copies of Sir Richard
Kees accounts of his diiu in South Bowl:tad. by which
their Lordships will perceive that the errao,ms of the coin.
bitted force under the aear Admiral and Sir John I lope have
beep very eecceisful, and that the important tur4 of lid tliz has
beets eva, uated by the enemy. I carne here to forward o.b dis-
patch to England, and shall leave the, coramoand or this illy biota
with Rear Admiral o!way, had retyrn to the flotilla, which 11
con:lode is now' in% t.t iv, Flashily.. ii Is my intentimot to hoist
my lag in one of the small vessels in the Slough, that I may he
near tle head-quarters of Lord C';.lthairt, nit 4 to conduct the
••arious services in the West Scheidt. I a In, &c.
(Si‘ned) It. J. STRACHAN.

Hon. W. W. Poly.
*Orilla, off South Beveland, August I.
Sin,—l•have the siti4artion ti inform you that Sir John
;jape and sewn thou,aut: of his divisigni of the army were
im South Ileveland this afternoon, ..inee Nliiah I have lies
informed by message from hint, that lie was ni.'t onais appros c
,rwardik Goes by the Magistrates, into w Welt place jte u
• See the dispatches front Lieutenaut-delietal the Cow
Chathitat.