The Sun.
London, England, 1806-01-02 00:00:00

BATTLE OFF TRAFALGAR.

• . .
In the Papers of the 3d ult. there aii‘; ,eard i'lar-
-I,fme-ebpied from the Gilralticit.ronaie, containing
r arefle&ion on Rear-Admiral DumAN9III'S cOndiiel in
r•the 13a/tle. Of Trafalgar. In consequence of this
I' article Rearadrnirai-Dcfm AN6i it ' hag written the fol-;.

lowing - .
`TkANSLATION,OF REAR-ADMIRAL DUMA-

. .
NOR's LETTER. •
(C 'Fravilig-betin. 'Confined to nTrroonlin :Consei
quence of my ,wound, it was some time before I was
informed, of an. article inserted in the Newspapers
on the 3cl'of. this month, which accuses me of hay-

, . •
ing, in Ile a6tion off •Trafalgar-7--ISt,- fired on the
Spanish, Vessels-which had surrendered; . 2d, -having
precipitately talien• to-iiight, after having been only a
sirriple spectator of the combat.
•,-c,‘", As to the first charge, the testimony of my
Captains authorizes me-firmly to give it the lie. So,,
far from any of them being ordered to fire on the
Vessels of our Allies whom the chance of arms 'had
forced to strike, they were, on the contrary; recom-
mended not to confound them with the English,.
who were at-a, short ,distance from them ; and their.
delicate and , natural attention in this circumstance,
viaoriously repels the ridieulOuS accusation—" That
we skewed ourselves
,wkollp worthy of .the days" of
Rolespierre' cannot iudeed,positively that
in the heat.of the atStion;sorne gunS which were ill
aimed might not poSsiblY have boene on' the .Ntes"
sets of our friends. But if the Editor of this ca-.
lumniotts article had .not•-shewn in his.; assertions
the. expr6s design 'of raising the. animosity_ of the,,
Spaniards against the French, would have been
more natural to accuse' us of having fired on 'the
French Ship Fankeitr, when she ran.- foul of the.
• stern of the Temerare,. and when we answered the
well-direEted fire
~of that of three
.decks ;
for in spite of all. the precautions we took, there'
certainly no`dbubt• that the Foitgeux received some
of our shots ; but this, as, in the• case of the Spa 7
niards, was .a-misfortune made necessary by circum-
stances, and not 'a decided inclination to fire on our
own Vessels. - _

" As to the second accusation, a short recital of
circumstances will prove to all impartial persons
on Nvliat foundation it rests. The- left column of

the English, having Admiral NELSON. at its head,
bore at first on the French vanguard, which I com-
manded.; but finding it probably too compaEt, they
exchanged a feW Shot with us,' and then struck ati
the centre of our line, while Vice-Admiral Core
LINO,WOOD attacked our rear-guard.Ving then
no enemy to contend with, I tacked about; the wind •
being very weak ; a movement which could not
make without the aid of my boats. I was followed
by four othervessels ; and • taking the lead of this
diviOon on board-the For/nick/He; I bore towards the
centre of our fleet, where the fire was hottest ; my'
intention•was; at the ,sametimbe to cut off two
ships of war of the division of Admiral NELSON, .but
they gained upeti me in svfiltness-, :and, in passing„
a-head of me at the distance of pistol-shot,. they did
me considerabledamage. I had,then to combat th 6
enemy's vessels, which had broken and passed the
centre of our fleet. On my corning up, .1 found the
Santissima Trinidada and_the Auce(ztaure dismasted
of all, their masts, and taken possession of by the
English,"as well as a part of the. vessels which com-
posed that division.
•
• " I continued-td beats upon our,rear-guard,•which
I found in part surrendered ; I engaged successively.
alongside of twelve VeSsels, of which four that were
three-deckers handled us very severely. .There•ree
.mined then on the field of battle, to which I was,
coming up with my assistance, only thirteen French
and Spanish vessels; which-had surrendered, and fif-
teen English vessels. (one only dismasted). I was
thus ,cut off from the rest of the Combined -Fleete
which was much before the wind. The Neptune, a
Spanish vessel, which was of, the number of those
which had tacked about,' but which was left very fin-
behind, was surrounded by the enemy, dismasted, -
and obliged to surrender. • My ,-division, consisting
of only four disabled ships, _was therefore cut aft() •
windward, thgrest of the. Combined Fleet being at,
the 'distance of two long lea•gues before the wind,
and bearing off under all their sails. To have rejoin--
ed them, I must, have fallen in
.with the English
squadron, which remained entire between those two
Separated bodies.; but this would have been running;
to certain destruction, without the hope.: of doing.
'any great damage to the enemy.. •
This disposition, and the, disabled state of the
Ships under my command, made \'
me adopt the
only `proper conduZit that remained, which was to
keep the wind,.. that I might, have it in my,power,
to 'repair daring the night, and to wait the chances
of the following day. This is what the Editor of
the Article contenting :me calls " precipitately tak-
ing to-flight," • It was then three-quarters past five,,
and the combat had ceased., The Formidatle had_
had Go men killed or wounded ; her masts severely
damaged ; all her 'tackling,' and the greater part of
her shrouds, cut to- pieeese , her sails• entirely crip- ,
pled: she, made besides four feet water in an , hour,
by reason of the shots
.she received beloW water-,
mark. The three other Vessels were ''nearly in the:
same state, and were indebted only to'a smooth sea
for the preseryation of their masts. This is proba-
,bly-what the same,Editor callS:being a mere spe&a-'
tor of the combat.: Next morning; 'seeing. on-.thescene of ,a4ion only the English and theircaPtUred
Vessels, A judged' that . our Fleet had re-entered.
Cadiz, and I took the tack for open sea.. It Wai.
then that I knew more particularly the state of my
Division. The fotir Vessels ere obliged -r tO chane
their main-top-W
masts, yards,, and sails; high and.
low. The 'Thiona•y-Troldi, one. ortheM, had her
•
main-yard broken, %an.eca
was
nr losing Let ow,-
sprit, it had beensoennrch shattered .by shots: The
same was ,the case the mizen-mast of the For-
midable which We COIVO:l 'oily' by keeping against
the :.•rind for an hem saine.Y6.ssel, tfie
Fbizthl; maL the s'ame'sa.i. five Ore,si.k feet water
per hour, and it being a settled gale, *the.N.-:ater was
Vl.;er,.-;,ased, to seven feet the pumps being in-
sui-Beient to keep. hei- ,xater-inark, I was
obliged, that le.,lnieed' .sive.her froin: Sinking, to
to lighten her,
,a^dd redetce .her force to, sixty. guns,
throwing overli-oaLd. Ler battery. FroM
this time, 'ail the' pumps were necessartio keep her
above water. It was in 'this critical situation that,
On the 2d of.. November, midnight;. I fell . in
with the -Squadron of Sir. R.. Si'inacHAN--, Who chased'
. • me till about font- in the, morning Being then at-
tacked by. the 41.1emy's and not wishin-4 to

1e0.4 rigging of my Ships be dismahtlecl one by
came out in spite of the disabled.state (t` my
Vessels, and particularly of the Eirmidable, which
was obliged to have'a great part of her crew ern
ployed the pumps. came out say) to big-,,
battle to.the Enemy. ;After an ensagement ofneary
four hours at a very short 7 distance, our masts wer.;
-
so disabled, in consequence of the Battles of Finls-
terre and Trafalgar, that they fell by the board, and.
the Division was, obliged -to surrender.' The Fir
-miclakle, the Mont Blanc, and the Scipion, had than
nine feet of whterin the hold, *and, all three woucl
have infallibly,perished; if from that time, to cm:
arrival in England; it had not been constantly fair
weather; But Rear-Admiral Sir 11. ST,RACJiA.., with,
the honour which,charaeterizes him, has dene the:
most complete justice to our defence. •
c‘ After having perfurmed my duty. with honour, •
in cornbating every species :pf danger, and having-
had, above all, the misfortnne to be
.vanquished, it
is cruel that I should be obliged. to answer such.
Calumnies-. If they' had been merely .personal, I
might have treated them, as they deserve, with con--
tempt. But As these calunknies attack at-;the same
time my own -honour and that of thy brave cont.,
panions in arms, arikwhat is,still more, the honour,
'I may also,say, the humanity of the French Arttion;
I feel it my duty' to give in reply to them this
planation of my conduk±. ; •
I avail myself of the same opportunity to assure
the Public, that the conversation which has been.
ascribed to me at Plymouth;:and. whiOk is ,inserted
n the, Paper called The Courier, of tbe.1303.0f last
month, is an elitire.fabricatibn. At Ply Mouth, as at
Tiverton, confined to my own house, I. have held
`conversation 'on neither political net military sub-'
.

(Sig;led) " Reai-Admiral DUMANOIR LE:PELLY:"

The Eddleston Farmer Club had their usual,
ploughing on Saturday, in a clover lea-field of Mr:
BitypoN, Hercus, Scotland. The day was so bad,
being a continual fall of wet snow, that, if it had not
been intimated for the competition, scarce a plough,
could have been yoked in the parish- till late in the
afternoon. Yet 21 ploughs appeared on the field be
fore ten o'clock, a. nz. and, notwithstanding the bad-
ness of the day, finished their respe&ive tasks with'
great expedition, and in a masterly style.
The first` premium was gained by Thoinas Patter-
son, servant to Mr. CRAIG, Kattknow; the second,
by Thomas Cochran, son to Mr. Cochran, Wormis-
ton ;- the third, by Robert Noble, servant to Mr.
Brydon, Hercus ; the fourth,-by John Purdies, ser-
vant to Mr. Arras, _Borland ;. the fifth, by John
Purdie, servant to Mr. Needham, Darnhall Mains;
and the sixth, by. J._ Stewart,-servant to Mr. Brydon,
Hercus. _

The good effea of plot ghina matches was never
more conspicuouS than 911 saiefield, and it cost the
Judges two hours and a half of very minute scrutiny
before they could...determine. the , premiums : and
what shewed very much the steadiness of the plough-.
men, - and. ability 'cif tht jUdges; was,.-• that the first
premiums were gained by the sathe candidates who.
gained the medals, and prizes...attached to them,
gii;.en by the Highland Society of Scotland to the
nether distrial of Peebleshire, in. a -coMpetition for
Noithing.on the'preceding,work-day And as an
itigtanc'e of :what perseverance in. striving to excel
will do, the plOughman.Who gained,
,the first pre-
mittm,-both in the parish -and distriCt. competition;
hadd-been a candidate in the former. stvor
Without being able to gain a single premium. The
plduglirnen .thet,:as usual„ at the village, took a so-
owl and, what is much to their honour, part-
ed in good time, with the.greatest sobriety and go6d
hutuotif

. . ,
Last week as 'some men were working in a coal
pit, near Washington; they found the body 'of a
man, supposed to be one Wilkinson, who was em-
ployed in sinking the pit, about
.23 years ago, when
the earth rushing in upon him, caused his death.--=.
The body appeared quite' pt rfe in shape, but on
removing into the air, it fell to dust. Two guineas
which he had in his, pocket, and his watch, were
foUnd.

Two atrocious attempts have recently been 'made
to burn that large ere6.lion,.' the -Northumberland_
spinning-mill, near Newcastle.
On Friday evening a fire broke out in the
mill at Ayr, which entirely ,consumed the same, to-
gether'With all the stock and ,materials therein, es.-
cept the axletree.
Monday morning a fire broke out in the offices Of
Gayfiejd Place, near Edinburgh, which left only the
bare walls' standing, every. thing-within being con-
sumed.

On Sunday morning,. about three o'clock, a fire
broke out in Thackeray and Son's cotton faCtory,
called Garrat-rill, near Manchester, arid such Was
the rapidity of the devouring' elethent, that -in' less
than an hour the whole building was reduced to a
heap of ruins. 'Fortunately, from the direction Of
the wind, the flames did not Communicate' to the ad-
jacent faCtaries and 'other edifices:' A' short time
previous to the fire being Seen, un attempt was made
to. break into -thedWelling-hbuse of Messrs.., Thacke-
ray ; and while, those gentienien retired to .alarm the
watchmen, the faetory was observed to be. on fire in
three-different parts.; .there_ remains, therefore, not.
die smallest doubt of this diabolical deed having been'
coMmitted by some wicked incendiaries.
.On V.riday,the:'l3 th *ult.. thief! men belonging to a
fishing=boat in Stl'onitiesS; Orkuey„. Jost their tires
by
..exeessiVe. fa:tigye in endeavouring to. gain, the
laud. The rest of the boat's.er&x, lik6iPise consist-.
ing of three moo, got ashore near Milsetter.
• -
• Yesterday thdrning, at ten_o'ciocLc,MAßK ME 1..
LAN, Esq. Cororierfor the verge of the Palace, held
au Inquisition at the Ship, .Ciraring-GrosS, on the
body of Mrs*, Mary. Skene, wife of G. Skene, Esq.
chief clerk.*Of 'the Queen-square,
Westriiinstei. It appeared that on•the 14th. of De-
'ceMber the deCeased went .to meet her daughter ou
her return from Scotland, and accompanied her
home to her housein Scotland-yard. They sat to-
eilier till a late hour at night, mritthi the daughter

w.tired to rest,blit in a short time- wasawakened by

the shrieks'. o' her mother, whom she found in a
blaie !,of' fire: Miss. Skene did every- thing in her

pOWer by prt.tit2g blankets over-her to extinguish the
flames, but it was too late, the, vital parts being,
affeded. Mrs. Skene languished-.in great agony till
Monday-lase, when she died; a mortification having
taken place in her rig -- ht arm. The Jury returaed a
verdia. of-:-AccLtentai Death. - - -