The Sun.
London, England, 1815-01-09 00:00:00

THE BITERS' BIT.

The Fantaine was beating up Penobscot Bay,
with • two schooners, which she had convoyed from
Eastport, %A lien a signal was
.made from the Com-
manding Officer at Castine, to go on board the
Furicuse ; but Caetain Sykes finding it impossible
to make way against the tide, which was running
very strong, -took one of the schooners under his
care into Owl's Head-Bay, and at the same time
disßatelied a boat, with -the boatswain, one mid-
shipman, four marines, and a boat's crew, con-
sisting of six boys, to the assistance of the 'other
schooner, wirich was falling fast to leeward ; after
being on board a few minutes, a boat came close
up under their' quarter, and on being hailed—
" What boat is that ?'' replied, " His Majesty's
boat i" on which the boatswain • answered—
" then, (1.--,n your blood, here is his Majesty's
messenger," and shot the man through the head ;
the boat then came 'under the quarter, and a
contest ensued for some time, when the boat was
drove off', With the loss of two men killed, and
several wounded, two,of whom died next
The boatswain, on hailing the boats, ob-
served the men to have yellow belts on, which
prepared bins to return so suitable an answer—
and it is necessary to Say;that not only. the owner
of, the schooner made Captain Sykes a present of
a piece of plate, but very justly rewarded the
boatswain and his brave companions.—(Dec. 2.)

NEW-YOIIK, OCT. 27.

" Block-house Decatur, Oct. 26.—The prize brig
Sir J. Sherbrooke was chased on shore in the vi-
cinity of
,this block-house, yesterday, but taking
the ground on the extremity of the-western bar,
was at such a distance as to render the guns of this
establishment of little use in keeping Off the ene-
my's barges. The crew, with all their baggage,
were taken off by our boats,. they having remained
on board until the frigate had. anchored at a short
distance, and her boats, three in number, were
approaching. As she grounded at low-water, and
the Wind was off shore, blowing fresh, and the
flood making, she was set on fire and consumed
to the water's edge. The enemy made two diffe-
rent attempts to approach her, but was driven
back by the fire of our held-piece.—The prize had
12 nine-pounders, which are saved.
" The United• States sloop Peacock arrived at
Lanzareto on the 2d Sept. and departed again for
an adjacent Island. The British ship Ariel, of 18
guns, was crttizing off Lanzareto September Et.—
The Peacock must have bee)) very near."

Extract of a Letter to_the Keeper of the E. G. House Books,

dated-New-Bedford,

" The -schoimer Sally, Capt. A.• Levis, from
Barlistable, arrived here this morning, and brings
the following account of the capture of the Reta-
liation British pi ivateer schooner
Capt. Jenkins, with 32 men, all volunteers ,
one brass 4-pounder, muskets, swords, &c. em-
barked on board the sloop Two Friends, of Fal-
mouth, at that place, with an intention to take
the Retaliation, if possible.• When up with
Wo!ul's Hole, it. fell- calm, and they rowed :from
there up to Tarpaulin Cove, where the privateer
lay.at .anchor—when within about three-quarters
of a mile of her, she fired her long gun twice at
them, and it being calm, they came to an anchor.
The privateer then sent her boat, -with the Captain
(Potter) and five men, to board the sloop. The
Americans kept close until, the boat got alongside
and was made fast, when, on a sigfial from the
Captain, about 20 of them rose up, and presented
their muskets into dig boat, with a threat, that if
theyhode the least .noise•or re3isliwce, they should

all be put to death instantly—they found it was
best for them to surrender, which they did at
once.

•" They then put 12 men on board of 'the. eap..
titre(' boat, got under way,vvith the sloop, and
boarded the privateer, the sloop on her bow, and
the boat on her quarter,
_and carried
.her without
any 'resistance: To the act of boarding, the Cap-
, taro of the Retaliation got away from the guard
which was set over hint, and was on board of the
privateier nearly as soon as any one, and wkis
stopped by the people who boarded, making his
way towards the magazine: with an intention, it
was supposed, to blow her up. The Retaliation
was formerly the Revenge privateer, of Salem,
sent into Halifax some tune since."

A Canada Paper says—" Every soldier now
serving in this country/ who relinquishes the
Chelsea pension, is entitled ,to 200 acres of land,
upon application to the Land Board at Quebec ;
he must, however, settle on the soil. In fact, it is
a standing rule with this Government, to grant 200
acres to any person, who is a British subject, pro-
vided he settle thereon. As to officers, we know
of no fixed allowance provided for theta. • But
this much we can, say, that any Gentleman retir-
ing from the army,
.by representing past services
to his country, may have liberal grants. It was
of and soldiers, discharged at the 'peace of
1783, who settled the now flourishing province of
Upper Canada.;- officers had front 500 to 12,000.
acres, and some, by great favour, got much more.
No soldier, to our knowledge, got less than 200.
TH Government has yet many millions of acres
to concede, and when the army shall be
.reduced,
liberal grants will be mado to our veterans of all
grades." . •