The Sun.
London, England, 1809-08-29 00:00:00

PRIVATE LETTER.

FLU sir IN p, WEDNESDAY, • AUG. 21.---The ru-
mours afloat here are so various and contradictory,
as to induce a person to doubt the most probable
statement, though proceeding froth the best autho-
rity. Whether the main objeCt of the Expedition,
viz. the seizure of the enemy's fleet, will be attempt-
ed or not, depends; as we here understand, upon
the expected decision Of the Cabinet, The tran-
sports and ships of war have, however, proceeded
up the West Scheldt, in order to be ready to disem-
bark the troops quickly, •if such-onerstions are de-
cided upon. In this garrison, from which I now
write, alarm has already' given rise to some precau-
tions. Last night the picquets and sentries were
doubled, and orders were given to the sentinels to
direct a vigilant attention to the ships of war off' in
the roadsted, and that if blue rockets were discharg-
ed from any of them, a communication was to be
immediately made lo the Commanding Officer, Ge-
neral l'icton. The motive for issuing those orders
was the apprehension of an attack from the enemy,
who, to the number of 13,000 men, are positively
said to be in Cadsand, under the, command of Ber-
nadotte, for the avowed object of recovering this
Island. Within these few days three hundred gun-
boats have reached that place from Boulogne, through
the canals; and I assure you, it is the decided con-
viction of some of the most intelligent inhabitants,
that the attempt, even with all the probability of
failure, will ceitainly be made, and that General
Monnet (they say). gave them the assurance, and
Bernadotte's military tame is committed by his
Mainer upon the Issue. At all events, the brigade
stationed here, consisting of the 36th, the 63d, and •
77th regiments, with the.lion. Colonel Cochrane's
battalion of embodied detachments, are kept upon
the•alert, which, together with the positions taken
by our ships of war, afford- to us the most confident
.hopes that the enemy may repent his temerity, not-
withstanding the opportunity which the damaged
condition of the batteries of this fortress may, at
this moment, present to them. At various times
in the course of the morning, We have heard a strong
cannonade in the dire6tion of Fort is sup-
posed to proceed from the enemy's batteries up the
river, upon our gun-boats, which are .-stationed off
its banks. 1)6 principal part of Sir John Hope's
army still continues in most,coinfortable quarters in
South Beveland.

" The dtity'of this garrison is very severe, every
regiment being obliged to fernish; independent, of
the necessary guards, parties .of )50 and 200 men,
to dismantle the works, wh;ch were construaed for
its bombardment. There is prevalent here a ru-
mour, that the works of Middleburgh are to be im-
mediately put in a state of defence, and that 100
additional- gins are-to be placed on the ramparts of
Flushing. Such an intention indicates the deteymi.
nation of making Walcheren a depot., from which
British manufaaures .may,utways find their way to
the Continent. " Indeed I, this day, in inspeoing
the stores in the arsenal, wittiesSed a strong illustra-
tion of what 'the. perseyeting spirit of trade
effeet,, and of the difficulties which in its operation.
it will certainly sub-Mount. There are now lying on
the quay of Flushing too pieces of ordnance of Qat-
ron manufacture, -
with the proper marks of that
foundery'upon them, so lately tnantifaaured as :the
year 1808. Here is an evident proof that the inge-
nuity of gain laughs at all the efforts of French in-
.terdias.

Within this hour this garri.vin received thd
agreeable intelligence;. that. French property to a
considerable amount has been'dikOvered at INfddle-
burgh: By the aaivity of theCotinnissioners; specie
to a large anjount has been found, and nearly` 200
tons of saltpetre. The stores here are very rich, the
arsenal being now tilled with the most material.na-
val stores. I cannot conclude this letter without
stating, that the enemy bore ample te*tiniony to-the'
unparalleled ability with which our artillery was,
eouduqt,ed during the bornbardmenti7

IfLustitz:G, AUG. 24.--With respeet )e
movements of our troop, I can give you little or
ni4 information. The transports are all gone tip the
river (about 150 sail) yesterday and to-day. Ad-
miral Sir 11. Sttachan •and Lord Gardner are with-
their ships at Batz, and I can only say our troops are
doing well. -Admiral Otway has hoisted his flag on
board a man of war at Flushing, and it to remain
there as a guard-ship."

FROM THE MIDDLEBURGH COURziNT.

MIDDLEBURGIT, AUG 23.—0 n the 21st inst. the
following Proclamations were published:—

PROCLAMATION.

" His Excellency Lord Chatham,- cotnnianding
the troops of his Britannic Majesty, being informed
that many. deserters, and per Sons belonging to the
Vrench troops, and sonic-of them armed, are on the
island, orders, that-thz. before-mentioned armed or
unarmed deserters, or, other persons, be arrested,
and delivered over to the nearest English detach.;
ment, and :that no one presume to harbottr such
setters, on pain of being sentenced, on conviaion,
to pay a penalty of tou one half of which
shall be given to the it,former, whose name shall be
kept secret, and be otherwise severely punished ac-
cording to military law. Military deserters, and
other persons belonging to- the French artily, not
surrenueriag within three days, shall be punished as
spies."