The Sun.
London, England, 1808-09-08 00:00:00

NAVAL NEWS.

.CoRIC., SEPT. 2.—Yesterday morning. the French
National CorvetteL'Espiegle, prize to His Majesty's
Ship the Sybelle, Cir. UPTON, arrived at Cove.
L'Espiegle sailed from L'Orient on the 9th ult. in
company with the Sylphe Brig, of 16 guns, and La
Diligente Ship Corvette, of 18 guns. On the 15th,
at eight o'clock in the morning, L'Espiegle and -La
Diligente were descried by the Syte/ie, and instantly,
'cliaced. At hale-past twelve o'clock, in the: follow..
ing night His Majesty's Ship came up with the
enemy. The Ship Corvette, which is a. prime
sailer, immediately made sail and left her Consort ;
and although she was pursued as soon. as. .L'Es-
piegle was taken possession of, yet the Sybelle was
not fortunate enough to.discover her afterwards.
L'Espiegle mounted 16 guns, and had 85 men
on board, commanded by Mons. MANJOTJAU, Capi-
taine de Negate. She threw overboard in the chace
12 of.her guns, with her boat, anchor, and several,
barrels of flour. She is a fine vessel, only four years
old. This was her first cruize, notwithstanding she
has been "so long built. She had on board above
250 barrels of flour, and tVio battery guns, and was
intended for Martinique, as well as her consorts,
By means of this Vessel we have been able: to
asceitain fa&s of some interest, indeed of much
perior concern to•the capture of the Vessel herself.
When L'Espiegle sailed, on the 9th of August, the
people of L'Orient were in utter ignorance of what
wai goingforward in Spain.. They looked upon the
accession of JoSEpH BUoNApARTE as a matter of
course to the throne of Spain, and they had not
beard of any event in the smallest degree tending to
interrupt that design..

There were lying at L'Orient, on the gth Wt.
five Sail oc the Line and seven Frigates, all readyfor

sea.
It 'nay not be wholly uninteresting to remark in
this place, that there is a considerable scarcity of
ship timber at L'Orient ; so much so, that L'Espied
gle could not be provided with the usual supply of
spare spars, in the event of any casualty requiring
refitment of the sort: at sea. She had no spare
top-gallant masts on board. The destination, of
this little Squadron, that had no sooner appeared
than it was dispersed, was important to tha
French Government. It was indubitably intended
for Martinique, a place which, on account of the
American Embargo, as well as the 'total stoppage
of supplie; from the SpAntsh Islands, is in theut most
distress, and cannot be relieved except by Ships cps,
patched in this clandestine way. If a vigilant atittllina.
paid to this condition of tl►e Ellen-I).s West In."
dian Colonies, there is little doubt but they cannot
hold out, depending ❑pon such stinted and precaril
ous supplies as may be brought ;iein from France.

PLYMO,UTII, SEPT. 6.7—Arrived the H.iinhtirgb,
Jonge ick, Captain Pc.4, from Ciporto,
laden with wine; put in dor orders. She spoke, on
the 26. h August,"? 4 lea, iei S,.E. hy E. Crow Oporto,
the commerce, of Bristol, JARitAT,
bound to. Gibraltar, ad \sell. S;,on atter the Jun6:l
Hendrick left Oporto, she tell in wit 8 sail ofTran

ports, under convoy_ of a S;uop of War, supposed to.
be those having on board the 1 8. ti Light Dragoons,
which sailed hence some days s,nre.
Arrived the Minerva frigate, froia a cruize off
Brest.

SHEERNESS, SEPT. 7.—Saited the Fly Sloop of
War, Capt. THOMPSON, ior the Downs.
The Euryalus Frigate, Hon. G. H. L. DUNDAS,
will require to be taken into Dock.

DEAL, SEPT. 7.---Carne down from the River
the "sin, BOWDeti, fir Gibraltar, and remains in the
Downs with the Ships' per last.

DISTRIBUTION OF Pitl-ZE-MONEY.
To the Loire, for the Capture or L 4 l..OntiAnce, San Pedro
alias L'Espetanza,_ Marta de hos Gaicias, on the 3
Lyne's, Plymouth ; and every Tuesday and 1.6(.1.4, lot
three mom s, at the same place.
To the Vulture., tor the Caprure of La 'Decide French Pri-
vateer, by L'Airnable (the Vulture in sight), every Wednes-
day and Thursday, ter twee atunt.is, at Nu. 3, Clitibut's
Inn.

To the Sloop 'Beagle, fur the C7i'pture of the Spanish Ship
Fuenta tie!-mos.., on board, at •l' I) mouth, on the j.to inst. ;
and tor tine.: months attei, at No. 2.2, Arundel-s,r,:er.
To the Linerald, tor the Re-capture of tie
by the Tribune and Contest, on tue jolts u►s:. on ward, in
I:'lyrno,:►th Sound (sharing oy agr,:sm_nt with the Tribune);
and every Tuesday and Friday after, for three month's, at
Lyne's, k'ty Mout

To the Ariadne for the captor of the Trente er Quar.,le
(in company with the kingclove), and the recapture of ore
s:woi.sil Brig Petroriena, On board, on her arriv4l at Leith,
and afterwards at No. is, Titrogunirron-strecr.
To the Siot,i, S,aellite ter the recapture et the Ship tiro_
thers, on th.e 7th instant, on'board, at P,..ntsniciuto, and every
Tuesdar and Friday alter, ter three montirs, at No. 18, Cle-
ment's, Inn
To the Cruizer, for the capture of sundry smuggling Ves-
sels,' on the r7t►i January, 'sob, on her arrival in Punt, A,
afterwards at No. 21, North,,,,,herlaud- street, Strand
To the Didu, tor the capture of 1: E truico, at Nir Pod-
lain's, No. 3. Nailer's. ..:ourt, C.iiiri,ll.-stre,i, on we
13th inst. and e4cry Nion aura i l►tir„day atter, for twee
years, at the same pace.

A letter from a Brichil o:llLer,,:ited Lazarath, a
town on the coast of Portugal, say—.' `.l'l,,te- French
evacuatedthis*lace the d.,y begore tne•sqoad,ron ap-
peared off it, atter driving out the luau,
woman, and child, and setting itre to aon every
•house. \Vhen some ut our Otriceis went on shore,
there were only three inhibitantS to be met in this
considei ante large town. l'he Portuguese acquainted
then, that when the French sent.furaging parties to
thecomktry, their invariable practice was to plunder
even the hut of the peasant, violate his wile and
daughters, and slay the rnales.7,