The Sun.
London, England, 1809-11-30 00:00:00

LOADOIV GAZETTZ EX7'RAO7.DIAVARY.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 9 .

Admirally-Office, /lov. 29, 1809.

The Honourable Lieutenant William W aldegrave
.of the Ville de Paris, arrived here this morning with
dispatches from Vice-Admiral Lord Collingwood;
Commanders in Chief
_of his Majesty's ships. and
vessels in the Miditerranean, addressed to the Hon.
William Wellesley Pole, of
,which the folio \‘ in are
copies

Ville de Paris' aff St. Selaslian,
Oaaer 30, 1 sog.
Six—;;y my letter of the 16th of September, their
Lo?dships would be infor►ned of _tile intelligence I

htd received'relinive to the intended rnOvements of

the French squadron, and of my reasons for,chang:
ing my station to Sebastian.

•While on this station, on the night of the 223
instant, the Ponaone joined, and Captain 'Barrie
(who, with indefatigable perseverance, had, with

the Alc:2ste, watched the-port of Toulon) informed

me, Mat the day before, seveeal "of the..:enemy'o

squadron had put to sea, that others were coming
out ILheit he left them, and that there was every
appearance of the whole fleet being on the .move
from the harbour. • They had a numerous convoy

with them, and,.as this movement, was made with
the first of. an eastetlk Wind:, there was little doubt

of their being bound to the westward. I inimedi.
ately made the nece6sary. signals for the-squadron to
be prepared for their reception, and placed the three
frigates and sloop, Pomona, Hydra, Volonian-a, and
Minstrel, to windward, to give notice of the ene-

try's approach.
On tie following morthing,, the 2 • soon after
eight o'clock, the Volontaire mar.le, the signal for
a fleet to the eastward ; while they continued to
come down 'before'thewind, no alteration- was-Made
in the s!ritiadron,excep( by advancing' two fast=sa&
ing ships,. the Tigre.. and Butwarl, At ten, the
Pomone made the signal, that the' enemy had haul-
ed to the wind, and the convoy 'separating from .the
ships-of war (which: were now discovered to conilsi
of three ships 'Of the line only, two frigates; two
smaller frigates, or store ships, and a convoy, of
about twenty sail of vessels) I ordered Rear-Admi-
ral
Martin to chase them, and eight of the best-sail, .1
ing ships, which, standing.'on contrary tacks, might
take advantage of the' changes of the wind, which
was then variable. •

At two, P. M. the Pomone having got far to wind
ward, was direeted by signal to deitroy such of the
convoy as could-become up,witi) and in. the even-
ing she burnt two brigs,
.two bombards, and a ketch.
The enemy before dark was otit of sight, and the
ships chasing not much 'advanced were standing
to the northward; while the squadron wiih
sme
'stretched to the -SouthWard. The next morning
neither the French nor our own chasing ships were

in Sight:
This "morning Rear-Admiral
,Martin joined with
his division, as named in the margin*, having again
fallen in with the enemy on the 24th, off the-en-
trance of the Rhone, and on the 25th they. chased
them on ':shore ; the Robust, of 84 guns, bearing
the flag of Rear-Admiral Boudain, and ay.: Leon, of
74, off Frontignan, were the day followiu set"
fite
to by them Selves. The jioree, of 74 guns, and.a
frigate, ran on shore
,at the entrance of the port of
Cette, where there is little probability of either of
them being saved.
I cannot sufficiently express the high saitisfaction I
I• have felt at the intrepid perseverance of Rear-Ad-
miral Martin, and of the Captains of the ships who
Were with him in the pursuit. Nothing leSs ar-
dent, or less skilful, . would have produCed-a result
so fortunate, where the coast near the Rhone is ex--
ceedingly shpal and dangerous, so that
,some of the_
:ships were in five and six fathom water, the, wea-
ther- thick, .and the south-east wind blowing strong.,,
I inclose to you, Sir, Rear-Admiral Martin's let-
ter ; and beg to congratulate their Lordships on three
great ships of the enemy being thus destroyed; with
out the smallest resistance on their part, or a shot.
I?eing"fired by the British ships, except a few by the
Tigre at the Boree,when she was pushed ashore a
. .
Cette; .of the two frigates, the Pomcine and Pauline,
one hauled her wind Some time in the night; and
fetched into Marseilles road.:
The other part of the French squadron are found
to remain in Toulon by the ships which hatie since

examined that port.
I have the honour to be, &c.
• (Signed) COLLINGWOOD.

Canopus, at Sea, Oct. 27, 1809.

MY LORD—In obedience to the signal for the
Canopus to chase E. N. E; I stood that way the
witole of the night of the 23d, and the followtng
clay, in company with the Renown, Tigre, Sultan,
Leviathan, and Cumberland; in the 'evening, four
sail were seen, to which we immediately gave chase,
and pursued theni till after dArk ; when, ,troin shoal
water-, and the wind being direct on the shore, near

•
Canopus, Renown, Tigre, 'Sultan, Levipthan, and Cum-
berland.