The Sun.
London, England, 1808-08-10 00:00:00

NAVAL N !WS.

From the LONDON GAZETTE, Aug. 9.
.' '

Admiralty-Office, Aug. 9, 1808.
Copy of a Leiter. from Admiral Lord Gambize).;
Gommande►. in Chief of his Majesty's ,Ships
Vessels employed in the Channel, Soundings, &c.
to the Hon. IP. Pole, dated in Cawsund Buy,
the 6th dug. 1808.

r nB txu.tm QVA.Y, AUG. El ;--rat into Torbay, by
contrary winds, his Majesty's Ship Iphigenia, with
the Fleet under 'convoy‘for Newfoundland, Quebec,
- ttc,f.;also the Harlequin Armed Ship.

o
,:..

:fyi,litEAL, AUG. 9.7—Sailed through the Downs.the
Duckenfield, Caou'ren, for Jamaica; Peter, J11LI4.):,
and the Helena, BRICE, for Cadiz.

Remain in the Downs his Majesty's Ships as per
last.

slit, .
,
Be pleased to lay before the Lords Commissioners !
of the Admiralty the inclosed Letter from Captain I The seleetion of British Officers to the Spanish
Rodd, of the Indefatigable, dated the 4th inst. giv- f Patriots; reflects honour upbn the judgment and dis-
ing an account of. his having captured the French ' cernment of Ministers. They were not 'Chosen
Ship Letter of Marque La Diane, on the 31st ult. - through intrigue, Parliamentary influence, or family
from Bourdeaux, bound to the Isle of France. - 1 connedion, but. from their knowledge of modern
..
The Indefatigable arrived in Plymouth Sound this ! languages, their tried spirit of conciliation, and ge-
morning with -her Prize, and will return to her sta- . neral ability- -and fitness. , Hence already the
„hap-
tion.off the Gironde immediately. . : piest results.. We deem •it a duty to - publish the
I have the honour to be, 8:c. : 7,-4. ;,t1 wing Official Letters, and hail as ominous of
GAMBIER.. ,'lliii success, the cordial co-operation which they
• ' - i'litAii-ortgly evince on the part of the British, and
His Majesty's Skip Indefatigab4,sll
MY LORD, ilsh
ii, thi,:entire generous confidence of the noble minded
I have the honour ofacrapnlatindtinugg.y4oilarigL)or:B, 'di
sttp! . .41;
,§paniards
" Head- Quarterstf the Asturian Army,
that his Majesty's Ship Indefatigable, under tnY Comm; i ;,... Stones, July 10, 1808.
mand, captured on the 31st ult. in latitude 45. 34. fr STR.--7Having learned from Major ROCHE the
N. long. :39. W. the French Ship Letter of Mar- 1 readiness you have expressed to afford the assistance-
.1-
que La Diane, pierced for 22 guns, 14 nines and i of the British Fri
sixes mounted bates under yOur 'command upon
, with a complement of sixty -eight. this Coast, in thy, enterprize lam About undertak-
men on board. She is from Bourdeaux, was bound I kg, I beg to 'return you.
my best thanks for OW
to the Isle of France, has a cargo in, a part of which most .desirable and powerful co-operation ; but I.
consists of naval stores, on account. of The Frjnch ! avail myself of this opportunity of repeating what I
Government. She sailed from the Gironde the even. have already had the honour of communicating to
ing before, is a fine Ship,' 482 tons burthen, sails ! you through that Officer—that it is by no means my
well, but six years old, coppered, and is apparently wish that . the smallest risk should be ineurxed by
well calculated for his Majesty's service. She was , his Majesty's Ships, or that a single seaman should
on her second voyage to India. The letter and dis.:. I be landed.
patches were thrown overboard 'and sunk. in the_ ' " Major ROCHE, who has my entire confidence,
chase. *
*ill explain to you fully the 'manner in which I
conceive his Majesty's, Ships under your command
din render us the most effedual service.
''" He will also give you a copy of the s;gnals
.2.greediupon for communication between the Squa-
;4sl and the shore, as well as the fullest expla-
nation of my intentions in the proposed attack on
the Enemy at Santander.
. ,
I have the honour to be, Sir)
" With great resped, ,
" Your most obedient humble Servant-,
(Signed) " NICHOLAS DE LLANO PONTR,
" Lieut.-General in the Army of Asturias."
" To Captain Atkins, Senior Officer commanding
his Britannic Majesty's Ships of i the North
Coast of Spain."

f e;

•
• I havathe honour to be, &c.
(Signed) J. TREAAYNE, ROB
The Right Hon. Lord Gambier, Admiral
of the Blue, Commander in Chief, 4.51 c.
Admiralty Office, Aug. 9.
copy of a Letter from Vice Admiral Dacres, Com-
mander in Chief of his Majesty's Ships and Vessels
at Jamaica, to the Hon. IV.IP. Pole, dated on board
the Veteran, Port Royal, the loth of June, 1808.
SIR,

1 •

I have the honour to transmit, for the informa-
tion of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty,
the Copy of% Letter I have received trona Captain
Ingle&ld, reporting the.capture of the French Na-
tional Brig Le Griffon, of id guns, and 10-5 men,
by the Bacchante.

" His Majesty's Ship Seine, off St. Aram,
july 7, 1808.
L 917 _I'Ll;,-.ln communicating with you on his Ma-
. jesti's service, I. have so much observed the justness
3i6P,Air ideas, and correctness of opinion, as most
crtaciily induced me to co-operate with the naval force
~trutler my command in all your suggestions.
And I beg to assure vou, that I attribute in a
--great measure the speedy re-establishment of Go-
vernotent, and success of the Spanish Army under
General Porre,, to your abilities and exertions';
and in this opinion I am pertetly joined by Captain
TOWER, of his Majesty's Ship his; Capt. D1G1.117,.
of the Cossack ; Captain RAMSA V, of the Eurydice;
Captain 1-lAlloymio, of the Unicorn ; and Captain
'DALY, of the Conies.

" The public service in which we are engaged,
his called forth this mark of approbation due to
your abilities and exertions, and induces. me to re.
quest you will be pleased to convey it in the spee-.
diest manner to the Right Hon. Lord CASTLEREAGH,
his Majesty's,Principal Secretary of State.—l have
the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient humble
~Servant,

D. ATKINS,
,ifi-Captain of his Majesty's ship Seine, and
•/.17 15(1. Senior Officer on the North Coast of Spain."
% "To Major Roche. &c. Santander."

The city of Lisbon is situated on the North bank
of the Tagus, about eighteen miles from the point,
called The Rock, which forms the Northern extre-
mity of the river's mouth, as Cape Espichel does
the SoUthern. The entrance to the harbour is de-
fended by nature by a large bank of sand, which is
principally divided into two banks, called thu North-
ern and Southern Catchops. Over this sand bank
there are but two channels navigable for ships of any
burt hen, called the North and South Channels. The
diredion of the former is about South East and by
East from the Rock, nearly parallel with the Coast,
which IS low, and offers points at which troops may
conveniently land under cover of ships of war. The
other Channel, which is diredly between both
Catchops, runs about N. E. by N. , The both chan-
nels thus forming the two sides of a triangle, meet
at a point within a mile of Fort St., Julian. Ships
running up either of these channels are therefore
necessarily exposed to be raked by the guns of this
fort, which probably exceed 200 pieces of heavy
ordnance. It stands upon a little promontory, is
built of stone, and its batteries about 40 feet above
the level ()Oho sea. It is not overlooked by any
higher laud .in its rear, though it is less formidable
on that side than towards the river. Nearly opposite
Fort St. Julian, on an insulated rock, which forms
the Eastern point of the South Catchop, is a little
fort called Bugio. It is of no great strength, and
from its circular form
.(being in fad little more than.
a tower surrounded. by a'rainpart), could bring few.
guns to bear on any cite point,. and might soon he
;silenced by our shipping. Beyond St. Julian's,.
which is about ten miles within !the rock, the river
narrows, but this is compensated by a bold shore
and deep water. About seven miles from St.
Jutiaa's, on another little poiist on the same side of.
the river, is Belem Castle; but as the passage is here
commanded from both sides, we may fairly presume
that JUNOT has exerted himself' to fortify it with his
utmost means. At the back of Belem are some high
grounds, which overlook it. About two miles above
Belem Castle we come to the Western end of the
city ; and between Belem and the city, the Russian
ships are anchored. Farther on, within the city,
but towards its Eastern end, stands Fort St. George,
on an elevated spot, which commands the city.—
This fort, however, is not capable of containing
abor. .5,000 men. It is supplied with water by an
asipediiit, which might s'er.) easily be cut.—: rom
this aescription, our readers will see that JuNo;r's
army occupies a chain forts from St. Julian's to
St. George's, a distance of abOut ten miles, along
the rivet .

SPAIN.

EXT&AtT OF A LETTER FROM OVIEDO, JULY 31.

‘" In the, battle of Rio Seco, the French Made the
attack, and 'surprised the advance of the PatriotSi'l
consisting of 40,000 intlintry, The French were
20,600 strong. The Patriots would haVe annihilat.;%
ed the but' for thelbllowing cause
.Province. has an independent Junta or Executive,
.dryny, and General. The Galician Army was, and
is commanded by BLAKE, the son of an Irishman.
He was chosen by the Junta, though only a Colonel,
the army` having. put to death their old Commander,
the Marquis of FIGUENTES,' on suspicion of treason.
Notwithstanding which all the Spanish Grandees,
Officers, and Generals, pay him implicit obedience.
The Asturian Army was commanded by CUESTA,
an old warrior of 75, but of .treat energy. They
did not agree in their plan. a. hey might have 41- -
closed the French between Palentia and Valladolid,
and hare pushed on to BurgoS, ;?nd so have cauglit,„
Don JOSEPH napping. It was CuaszA who suffer-
ed most. The infantry were defeated; but the ca 7
valry, consisting of 600, performed prodigies of va-
lour. BLAKE oc.cupies, %Olt 66,000 men, a y.ery
strong position among the mountains of Asturias ; .
fie is busy in disciplining his army. He is in the
greatest want of Cavalry:and OfficerS, and his men
are badly clothed ; hoWever, thvy have arms, cou-
rage, and enthusiasm, and with these the Patriots
must ultimately succeed, if they a& in perteat con-
cert. BESSIFRES, I understand, has retired out of ;
iT•eOn into Old Castile. The head-quarters' of the
North-western Army is at Astorga."