The Sun.
London, England, 1808-08-17 00:00:00

iidniralty-Office, August 15, 1808..

. . _
C_ opy of a Letterfrom George Byng, Esq. Captain of
his Majesty's Skip Belliqueux to the Hon. IV W.
Pole, dated on board that Ship, (S. Galle, March
13, Int.
SIR,
I think it my duty to inform you, for the in-
formation of the Lords Commissioners of the Ad-
miralty, that his Majesty's Ship St. Fioreuzo this
morning anchored off Colombo, having brought in
the Piedmontaise French Frigate, totally dismasted,
which she captured after an aElion renewed three
successive days, and on the last day that excellent
and gallant Officer, Captain Hardinge, was unfor-
tunately- killed.
By all information a more severe and determined
a.ction has not been fought during the War, nor.
tl.ritish Valour shewn more cuhipicuously ; and I
hear the St. Florenzo had thirteen men killed and
twenty-four wounded, and the Piedmontaise fitty
killed .and one hundred wounded.
I have the honour to be, &c.
(Signed) GEO. BYNG.
Admiralty-Office, Aug. 16, 1808.
ccpy of a Letter, from Admiral Young, Commander
is L'ltiif of His Majesty's Ships and Vessels at
Plymouth, to the Hun. IV. IV. Pole,•dated Salva-
dor del Mundt), iri Hamodze, Aug. 14; 1804.
SIR,
I inclose the copy of a Letter from Captain Daly,
of the Comet Sloop, to Admiral Lord Gambier,
giving an account of the capture of the Sylphe
Yrench National Brig of guns.

I am, &c.
(Signed) W. YOUNG.
His Majesty's Sloop Coviet, at Sea,
MY LORD, Aug.l 1 1808.
On the 9th instant I left Gijon, and .at half past
eight this morning, being in lat. 45.. 38. N. and
lung. 5. 4. W. I obserVed three strange Sail N.N.E.
At nine, I distinguished them to be a Corvette
find two Men of War Brigs, having hoisted the
private signal, their not answering it induced tue to
Conclude they were Enemies.
In the taco of so superior a force, I thought it
most prudent to continue my course under all sail,
as by altering it they might be inclined to chase me.
I ism happy to way, that by so doing the enemy were
far intimidated as to tack and make all sail, from
me to the N. N. E. At noon the corvette having
inuch outsailed her consorts, tacked and stood to the
Southward. I now carried all possible sail in chase
of the two brigs, and at half past three the head-
most brig tacked and passed me to windward about
two guns'-shtit distance; at five the remaining brig
hp stet French colours, and began to engage me
With her stern guns. At twenty minutes atter five,
having got within pistol-shot of her, I commenced
,c.lose which she sustained for twentymi- ,
n uteq, and being then much disabled, hauled down,
her colours to the Cont.e
.Bhe, proved to be, theistepch National Brig; Sylphe
(commanded by M.Louis Marie Cletuont, Capitaine
Rigate, and a Member of the Legion of HotWur),
mounting sixteen twenty-six
,pounder carronades,
end two long nines, with a complement of ninety-
sight men.
Her Second Lieutenant, and a Midshipman, and
five men, were killed in the action, and two Mid-
Oiipmen, and three mem wounded, most of them

She is a very fine Vessel of her class, copper-bot-
tomed and copper-fastened, reported to be an excel-
lent sailer, abundantly found in stores, four years
old, about three hundred tons burthen ; and, in
my opinion, very fit for .his Majesty's service ; her
consorts(who so shamefully deserted her) were the
Diligente of twenty-two guns and one hundred
and forty men, and the Espiegle of eighteen guns
and one hundred men ; they had left L'Orient
two days before, having each a quantity of flour
on board, and I have reason to believe they
were bound to Martinique.
I am happy to say no person belonging to His
Majesty's Sloop under my command was hurt; but
• her main and' main -top-masts were badly wounded,
and her sails and tigging cut.
I beg leave to recommend to your Lordship's,
notice Lieutenant Tomkinson, First of the Comet,
for his zeal and activity in this contest, and to repre-
sent, that the conduct of every Otlicer and the Ship's
Company (the latter chiefly consisting of new raised
men) was such as to merit my highest approbation.
I have the honour to be, &c.
(Signed) C. F. DALY.
To Admiral Lord Gambier, Commander
in Chief; &c.

MAILS.
ARRIVED—I Corunna, atertord. Dur—; Gottcnburgh,
‘Vaturforti.

PRICE OF STOCKS
Tim. DAY AT TWELV E O'CLOCK.
Consols' - - - - 66 - dis.

THE SUN.

SOLLM QULS DICERS FAL3UII AUOLAT

L 0 N D ON,

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1808.

The Gazette of last night, we will venture to say,
will not only afford the highest gratification to every
loyal man and true friend to Freedom, Morals, and
Religion in this Country, but to all Europe, as it re-
cords the triumph of a gallant People over a race of
robbers, fighting for a man who is much better
fitted to be the Captain of a Banditti than the Ruler
of a Great Nation. 'We have a peculiar pride and
pleasure in presenting this interesting Gazette to our
Readers, because it fully confirms all the intelligence
which we have from time to time giVen them of the
glorious progress of events in Spain. We were -re-
peatedly accused of having been the dupe of credulity
respelling DuroNT's Defeat and Surrender, and of
deceiving the Public by unauthorized accounts of
the brilliant triumph of Spanish Valour on that
occasion. We confidently relied upon the sources
whence we derived the information, and we lament-
ed that people who have not such opportunities of ob-
taining intelligence as ourselves, should be so very
incredulous upon matters not only interesting to
Spain, but to this Country and to all Europe.—
But we lease these persons, who seemed chiefly
solicitous to damp public expedtation, to console
themselves as well as they can, hoping that they
will catch ardour from the glorious flame of Spanish
loyalty, and he hereafter more ready to do justice to
the efforts of a People determined to support their
lawful Monarch, and the independence of their
Country, against the most infamous Tyrant that
ever obtained the power of disturbing mankind.
The official Dispatches contained in the Gazette of
last night, which were so anxiously desired, are
chiefly interesting because they fully confirm all the
accounts which we had given, and because they
tend to justify a confident hope that the plunder-
ing hordes of France will find it necessary to retreat as
fast as possible from the country, which they in-
vaded, and vainly hoped to reduce to bondage, un-
less they wait to fall beneath the vengeance of a
loyal and heroic people. 'There can be no doubt
that, as the French have left Madrid, they will with
equal precipitation endeavour to escape beyond
the Spanish frontiers, in order to secure the
booty, which the despicable mock-monarch of Spain
has so infamously stolen from that country. We
cannot refer to the glorious success of Spain without
giving our hearty tribute of respea, esteem, and ad-1
miration to CASTANOS, the wise as well as intrepid
Leader of her Armies. It appears that he had a dif-
ficult task to go through, in keeping under due re-
straint the impetuous valour of his Country:nen, who
wanted to rush upon the fbe, and who, as that foe
was rendered so crafty and so skilful by experience,
might have been the viahos of their undisciplined
valour. C AST Nos, however, by perseverance

and resolution, kept their spirit under due.;
bounds, till it could be exerted with proper
etrea, and hence the glorious viaory which en-
'sued was the fruit of his own wisdom, as well as
of the valour of his Countrymen. We find from
Capt. WHirrn,T9nAm's Letter, that the Spanish Ge-
neral REDING had been treacherously attacked by
the French General WEDEL, during the truce.—
Such treachery is exaaly consistent with the cha-
raCter of the modern race of Frenchmen. ANT6'
know that it was practiced by BUONAPARTE at
the Siege of Am, and that part of his con-
dua is among the stains in the condu& of a titan
whose character is indeed loaded with every crime
that can degrade human nature. We hine now
only to express our hopes that this confirmation of
those auspicious tidings from Spain, which we have
frequently bad an opportunity of submitting to our

Readers, will speedily be followed by similar intel-
ligence from Portugal. The cause of that country
is the same; the people seem to be animated by the
same loyal and patriotic feelings ; and they have
the powerful co-operation of a large force from
this Country, commanded by Officers of known va-
lour and experience. Let us indulge hopes of still
more prosperous events, and that the Continent in
general will follow the glorious example thus held
forth to them, and throw off the chains in which
they have so long been held by a more unprinci-
pled Tyrant than is to be found on the records of
history in any age or country.

Last night Dutch Papers to the 7th inst. were re-
ceived in town, from which we have made some
extra&s. It appears that all the exertions of Buo,-
NAPARTE have been insufficient to keep the People
of France and of his Vassal States in ignorance of
the events which have occurred in Spain. The
French, Dutch, and German Papers of course dare
not speak out upon this subje& ; but it is evident
that rumours of the disasters which the French
have sustained are in circulation on the Conti-
tient. These Reports are alluded to in a very vague
manner, in n Paper called the Journa of the
Empire. It states, that reports have been pro-
pagated that the English had obtained advantages in
Spain and Portugal, but -" the uncertainty and con-
" trariety of these reports are sufficient to expose
" their improbability. It is true the English, ac--
" cording to their usual custom, have endeavoured
" to excite disturbances ; but it is also certain that
" all their efforts to make themselves -masters of
" the Ports and Fleets of Spain have again been.
frustrated. We learn, from authentic information,
" that they are not in possession.of one Harbour or
" Fleet, Brc."

It it very true that the English are not in posses-
sion of the Fleets and harbours of Spain ; but the
Journal of the Empire either forgot, or did not think
it necessary to inform its Readers, that the Ports of
Spain are open to the English—that the Fleets of
Spain are wing in concert with ours, and that the
French Fleet had been attacked and captured in the
harbour of Cadiz. These fa&s are, however, we
have no doubt, very generally known upon the
Continent, and must, if the People are not lost to.
every sentiment of independence, produce most im-
portant effeas.—The triumphal entrance of JOSUE!
BUONAPARTB into his Capital is pompously an-
nounced in these Papers. The People of Madrid,
it is said, manifested the greatest joy upon this occa-
sion, and shouts of " longlive the King," resounded
on all sides.

If the French and Dutch Papers should ever
condescend to inform their Readers of JOSEPH'S
hasty departure from Madrid, they will probably
state that he is gone to honour with his royal pre-
sence the 'different provinces of his newly acquired
dominions. MURAT, it appears, has resigned to
BUONAPARTE the Grand punchy of Berg. This
resignation was probably made as a preparatory step
to his being made King of Naples. We should,
think, however, that the recent occurrences in Spain
would rather tend to embarrass this arrangement.

THE Alcmene has arrived at Plymouth from Co-
quina, which she left on the loth. On Saturday
last she spoke with Sir H. BURRARD'S Expedition,
all well, a hundred leagues south-west and by south
of Ushant. Their progress had been slow, owing to
unfavourable winds.

The Captain of an American Vessel which arrived
at Deal yesterday from Holland, states, that the
Austrian and Russian Ambassadors had been recalled
from the Dutch Court previous to his sailing. We
give this report, as it has reached us, without pledg-
ing ourselves for its authenticity.

We received yesterday Spanish Papers. to the gth
inst. but at too late an hour for us to insert the Ex-
traets which we made in the whole of our impres-
sion ; we have therefore re-printed them this day.

The Blake,. of 74 guns, will be launched in the
course of a week or ten days, at Woolwich.
Admiral DomETT has been indisposed at his house
in Fludyer-street.
Lord GAMBIER dined with Lord MULGRAVE, at
the Admiralty, yesterday.
THE DUKE OF Yoxx.—His Royal Highness yes-
, terday completed his 45th year, and the event was
celebrated by the Tradesmen in his service by illumi-
nations in various Farts of the town; The Thatched
House was the scene of the chief festivity on this
occasion, where about one hundred persons assem.
bled in honour of the day, and had a splendid din 7
ner. TAYLOR, DIGNUM, and other vocal performers,
Were monied for the occasion, and gratified the com-
' pany with their respeaive exertions. The Sub-
scription Houses at the West-end of the town, as
Well as the Opera House, and the three Theatres,
manifested their respeel for his Aoyal Hiz-hless by
splendid illuminations. •
As the Windsor coach was leaving town last eycn-
lug, the hind axletree broke near the top of Picca-
dilly. Several of the passengers were very much
hurt. The coachman was diSlied with such vio-
lence against the pavement, that 11,A was taken to
the hospital in a very dangerous state.