The Sun.
London, England, 1812-06-01 00:00:00

I have the honour to be, &c.
(Signed) KEITH.

J. W. Croker, Esq.

' Boi-fie; ofttsizant,
MY LORD, Itia.y'2s, 1812..
~Agreeably to your Lordship's directions to sentl=
a ship of the line L'Orient, to intercept two
of the enemy's frigates and a brig that 'were sup-
posed-to be on their return to some port in the
bay, I selected Captain llotham, Of his INTajesty's
ship Northumberland, for that service, as anotii-
cer whose local kniwledge of the coast, ability,
and zeal, well qualified him for the service he has
so ably. and gallantly
_performed.
I..hprewitti inclose for your Lordship's inform-,
don, Capt. Hotham's letter to me, detailing the
particulars of his having destroyed the enemy's ,
two frigates and brig on the 22d instant, when
literally. in the mouth of the port of L'Orient, uni
'der a heavy fire from the numerous, batteries upon
that part of the coast, and during a-warm contest
with the frigates and brig, which were of the
largest class.

In transmitting these particulars to your Lord.,
ship, I cannot resist adding my testimony to the
ability and zeal with witch Capt. Hothani has,
.upon all occasions, .distinguished himself •in the
discharge of his professional duties 5 but in tic
Present instance, .from the force. of the enemy's
ships, supported by the batteries upon. the shore,
and the judgment displayed in the' able conduct,•
ing of the ship, they are,eminently conspicuous,
and will, no doubt, _meet the applause and consi=
deratinn he has so liihly merited. I must Tefcr
.your. Lordship to .Catfrpt. Hothain's rater, as the
strongest testimony I can offer of the good con-
duct and gallantry of all the officers, seamen, and
marines • upon this occasion, and of the assistance
he received from Lieutenant Weeks, of the Growler
gun-brig, after the .enemy frigates and brig had
grounded.

.- -
I have the .honour to be, Sze.
(Signed) , 11. NEALE, Rear-Admiral.
The Right Honourable Admiral Lord
. ' Keith, K.B. &c. &c. &c.

. •
• Northumbgland, off the,Penmaiks, wind
S.S.W. Licht ,Breezes, and 'fue Vica-
SIR, t4er, May 24,.1812i
I have the honour to inforni you the object of
the orders I received from you on the 19th instant,
to proceed off L'Orient for the purpose of inter-
cepting two French frigates and a brig lately seen
.at sea, has been accomplished; by their total do
struction, at the entrance of that poi 4, by his Ma.,
jesty's ship- under nay comthand (the Growler gun
brig being in company), under the circumstances
I beg leave to relate to you.
Od Friday,, the 22d inst. at 'a quartet. after ten
A.M, the W. point of ,the Isle Groa, beating
froth thethem Nortlihmberland north .bycompasS, test
miles distant, and,the wind 'very light frortr W. 4.-
S:they were discovered in the N.W. crowding all
possible sail before it for L'Qrient My first en-
7deaVonr was to cut them of to windward of the
island, and a signal was made. to the Growler
(seven Miles off in the 1.3.1,17.) to chase, but finding
I could .not effect it, the Northumberland was
pushed by every exertion round the S.E. end of
Groa;, and, byhatling to the Wind as close as I
could to leeward 'of it, I had the Satisfaction of
fetching to windward of the harbour's mouth, be-
fore the enemy's _.ships reached it. Their com-
mander seeing himself thus cut, off, made a 'signal •
to his consorts, _and hauled to the wind on the laP.
board tack-to windward of Point Taleet, and they
appeared to speak each other. I continued. beat-
ing' to windwardhetween Groa and the Contitent
to close with them; exposed to. the batteries on
both sides, when I stood within their reach, which '
was unavoidable. The wind had by -this time
freshened considerably, and was about W. N. W.
at forty-nine minutes
,after two. P.M. the enemy•,
(in force as aboVe described) bore up in close line
ahead, and under every sail that could be-set, fa-,
vOlsred by the fresh wind, made a bold and deter- -
mined attempt. to run between me and the shore,
under cover of the numerous batteries with which
it is lined in that part. •' I placed the Northtunber-
.land,to meet them as close as could to the Point
de Pierre Laye, with. her head to.the shore,
.and
the main-\topsail shivering, and made dispositions
for laying one of them alongside ; but they haul-
ettso very close round the point, 'following the di-
rection of the cbast to the eastward of it, that, hi
my ignorance of the depth of water so near the
shore, did not think, it practicable, Consistent
with the safety of his Majesty's ship (drawing
near twenty-five feet) to prosecute that plan.
therefore bore up and steered parallel to them at'
the distance of about two cables' lengthy, and
opened the broadside- on them, which was return-
ed ty a very animated and well directed fire of

round, grape, and other dexcriptiOris of shot, sup-
ported by three battcrie.s, for the space of twenty=
crie minutes, and very destructive to our sails
rilld rigging. Mv object during that time seas, to
prevent tilicir hauling outside the dry rock named
Graul, but in steering Sufficiently close to it,
to leave them no room- to pass between the and it,
and at the same -time to avoidrunning on it my-

telt, the utmost difficulty and anxiety was pro-
duced by the cloud of smoke which drifted ahead
of the ship and totilly obicured it. however,' by
the care and attentiO of Mr. Hugh Stewart, the
Master,' the ship was carried Within the distance
-of her ovitn length on the south west side, in guar-
lc% less seven fathoms, and the enemy were in con-
seqoence Obliged, as their only alternative, to at-
tempt paSsing within it, when there, was not
water enough, and they all grounded, under every
suil, on the rocks bet-,veen it and the shore.
The sails and rigging Of the Northumberland'
were so much daitaga, that I was Obliged to leave
the enemy ti) the effects of. the fallipg tide, it being
only bnequ•nter ebb, Idle I. rep the rigging
and shifted the fore-top-Sail, which was rendered
entirely useleSs 5 workin,i to windward-during that
One under what sail I could set, to,, prevent fall-
- ing to leeward ; in which interval, at five O'clrek,
the Growler joined, and fired on'the enemy occa-
sionally. -At twenty-eight minutes after five, I
anchored the NOrthumberland in six and an half;
fathoms water,Point de-Pierre-LayebearingNSW.

half N. the citadel of Port de Louis E. three quar-
ters N. and the rock named Le Graul N. half E.
two cables length distant, with her broadside
bearing on the enemy's two frigates and brig, at
point blank range, all of them havingtfallen over
on their sides nest the shore as the tide left them,

and exposed their copper to us, and the Matn-
mast of one frigate and the brig were gone 5 'and
from thirty-four minutes. after five till fO.y-nine
minutes past six (which was near the time of,low
tpter), a deliberate and careful fire was kept up
on them, at which time, believing I had fully
effected the object_ of my endeavours, the crews
bating quitted their vessels, all' their bottoms
being pierced by very many of our shot, so lbw
doWn as to ensure their filling oh the rising tide,
and.the leading frigate being completelyin flames,
communicated to the hull from a fire which broke
out in her foretop, I'got under sail. Three bat-
teries. fired at the, ship during the whole time she
was at anchor, and although the position was so
far well chosen that, she was out of the range of
tWO 'of them, the other (to which 'the enemy's
vessels were nearest) reached her, and did as' much
execution in the hull as all thei fire She had been
exposed t!) before. ..
I directed the Commander of the Growler to
stand in and fire,-- to prevent the enemy from re-
turning to their vest,els after. I had ceased.
...At five minutes befoie eight,, the frigate on fire
blew up with 'an awful eXplosion; leaving no 're-
mains of. her visible. At the close of day I an-
chored- f6rthe fright, out of reach of the batteries
on both Sides, Point Taleet be-arinig NNW half
W. Groa -S. S.W. half W. the
enemy's vessels .1 E;; At ten, the other frigate.
appeared to be on fire tilse(:(SOme smokehaving
been weir. on board' her ft oin.the time.' the firing
.ceased), arid athalf past eleven, "the flames burst
fOrth from her ports and every part with nnektin.
n'tfiShable fury,' which unloOlVd-for event leaving
r. •
me nothing more to attempt in the morning, the,
brig being .quite on her beam ends, and very much
damaged by our shot in every part of
.her bottom,,
even Very near her keel, I weighed anchor at mid,.
night, with a very light air from the north Ward,
with the Growler. in company, profiting by the
brie,rhtuess the moon to get to sea ; but it was
so near calm that I-made very little progress, and.
therefore saw the frigate burning from head to stern
all night, and explode at thirty-five minutes after,
two in the morning of. yesterday, leaving a por-
tion of her after-part still burning till zt was en-
tirely consumed ; and in the course of the day,
I. had the_ satisfaction to see, from off the N.W.
point of Groa,- a third_ fire and. explosion in the ,
6arae-spot,• which cOuld have been no other than
the brig.
During the tinte'of firing on he enemy's Vessels,
, a 'seaman, NOLO. states himself to be a native of
Portugal., .cavtured in the ship Harmony, of
Lisbon'' by the frigates, on the 22d February,
swam from one of them to the Northumberland,.
by whom I am informed their names Were l'Ari-
aline and 1' Amlromache, of forty-four guns and
four hundred and fifty men each, and the Mame-
lnke brig, 'of eighteen guns and one hUndred and
' fifty men ; that they
.sailed from the Loire in.the
month of January„ had been cruizing in various
parts of the Atlantic, and had destroyed thirty-
six vessels of different, nations (Americans, Spa-
niards, Portuguese, and EneU,sh), taking the
nrost valuable. parts of their cargoes on board
- the frigates (and they appeared very deep for ships
!c• long at sea), and• one ve:-;sel they sent as a
cartel to England, with about two.' hundred pri-
wners.

I am happy to have now the gratifying duty to
discharge-of bearing testimony to the creditable
conduct conduct of .ever,y officer and man I had the honour
to command on the occasion above related, whose
zealouS exertions in supporting the honour of his
Alaiesty's naval power, and in humbling that of the
enemy; were conspicuously displayed, without rc-
gard'to the peculiar intricacy of the situation, or
the risks and difficulties which adpeared to inter-
pose ; and I hope the circumstances of his station
may, permit me toil-lake particular report of the
services of the Senior Lieutenant John Banks,
without prejplice to, or neglect of, the other me-
ritorious and deserving officers,who were all equal-
ly inspired with,. intrepidity, and possessed with
confidence and coolness, which rendered that qua-
lification the more. valuable. .But as the safety of
his Majesty's ship; and the success of the opera-
tions which restated in a navigation so_narrow and
difficult, with almost every. description of danger
avoid, is attributable, next to .Providence, to
the ability with which she was. keened and cOn-
di:etc(' under the direction of Mr.. Stewart (the
Master), and the. Pilot, I should he wanting. in
,rny. duty if I .were to omit to represent to you that
.nothing could exceed the:firmness, good judgment,
and skill. of. those officers, whose experience on
-*he coast was extremely beneficial to-the service,

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