The Sun.
London, England, 1805-07-12 00:00:00

e_iPT. 13ETTRI1P01117Pqf tire CLTRIEUt.

Tins gallant yoting OtßCer, who was employed
by Lord NELSON to carry home his .Lordship's dis-
patches from Antigun, .shared with Lieut. i
Nor.Ds, of the Centaur, in the memorable aaion at
the cutting out of the Ship he now, commands from
under Fort Edward, Martinique,,in February, 1804.
As Capt. BETTESWORTU has performed the sere ice
on which he was dispatched by Lord NeLsoN, With
uncommon' diligence and zeal, the
,following parti-
culars may not be unacceptable to our Readers. It
max be proper to state that CapL 8.. in. a more re-
cent attack upon some Enemy's Vessels in the Port
of Barcelona, received three balls, one through the
right arm, one. through the,. thigh, and another in
the groin, under the' effects of which he is now la-
bouring
In the Gazette account of,the action detailed in
the following letters,, Capt. BcTTES\VORTH was
spoken of in the most honourable terms. The boats
of the Centaur, employed on this occasion, contain-
ed only sixty seamen and twelve marines, opposed
to upwards of one hundred Frenchmen.

REPORT MADE By THE ENSIGN DE VAISSEAU.,
OF .THE, CORVETTE LE CORI EUX; TO TOE
CAPTAIN.GENERAI. OF MAkTINIQUE.

(COPY.)
41111:DISEIGN DE VAISSEAO CIIEMINANTI TO ADMIRAL
V ILLAR F.T JOYEUSL, It4..GENUAL OF 2.1 A it.
TiNIQUE.

On hoard Le Curiettr. eayture-d hy the Engliabo
the 14th fluvioa, year 13.

MY GE;,;TRAL,

The only officer remaining of those who•com-
minded the crew of the Curieux, I owe to you a
faithful detail of the cruel tragedy
„vliich has de-
livered us to the Enemy. Without retrospe6l to the
pain caused by my wounds, I hasten to give you the
sorrowful Report, praying you to b(.:lieYe that it is
di&tted with the utmost truth.

' The 15th instant, before one o'clock in the morn-
ing, I was on deck, with a Midshipman and woo men,
according to orders' given by Capt. Coantra ; the
weather was of the darkest, especially in the northern
direCtion ; sentries were' placed abaft, at the ladder,
and forward ; our boarding nettings were up ; we
had hardly perceived the. English boats before they
boarded by, the stern and the main shrouds ; we had
only time to discharge two tins with 'grape shot,.
one swivel, and a wall-piece, when the Eneiny were
on board, and 4-tweed us to have recourse to the sabre,
pike, and musketry ; assailed by !ambers, and hay.
ing let' go a second anchor, we defended ourselves
with courage, in making most obstinate resistance,
which you will perce:ve by•the numberof killed and
wonnded.

Obliged to retreat to the fotecastle, and very much
weakened by the crowd of wounded, the issue of
the battle did not remain long uncertain ; but the
Corvette was not carried till after all the Officers and
Midshipmen had been put hors de combat, with part
of he Non-commk,ioned Officers.

, •
• Nevertheless, during the battle, all'the crew were'
on deck, headed by tin it Officers.
We have thirty xvounded; end all 'with more than
.one•sear. Of the Staff, One Midshipman alone re-
mains unhnrt; •

---- .
The valorous Capt. Cott mew is no more; I saw
him thrown into the sea; his Second has had the
happiness of revenging his death. The Englishman
who tore him from us'was precipitates in his turn.
.IDLY, that brave Officer, is covered. with five
wounds, the least of which is a ball.
CLEMENT is ground; independent of a cut of a
sabre in the head, he was thrown in the Itateen
decks, and his loins broke.
IiouRGONNIERE, 'Midshipman of the first class,
died twelve hours after the action,' in agonies diffi-
cult to describe ; he had eleven apparent wounds.'
DRI .0 yr, Midshipman of the second class, has the
thurnb separated from the right hand, with three
large wounds ; he behaved like a hero, and supports
with the same courage the pain he endures.
Sin lAntrr, another Midshipman, hag two sabre
wounds on the head and arm.
The most mutilated, of our Non-commissioned
Officers are the Carpenter and the Gunner. The
Sail-maker was thrown overboard ; and twenty sai-
lors are on the biers, having each several wounds.
Shall I speak to you of myself ? Alas, my Gene-
ral, I have paid my debt—remaining alone of all
the (Meets, I sustained with bravery the honour
of tare corps ; but the efforts that I made ill answer-
ed my wishes ; and the despair of having suffered
the Cotwette to be carried, adds to the' Sgtlerings
caused by these wounds. If my name is thrnished,
my conscience remains.
I: shall not boast of having dispatched the Chief*
of the Expedition ; for this I vas "Closely Watched
on deck ter three hours by four men. The only
thing notorious will be the cQpture of the Corvette,
and possibly the shame of the Officers who belong-
ed to her.

Judge us now, my General, but pity our misfor- •
tkines. It. On the bed of sorrow that I write this
Report.. •
. My being kept on deck permitted me to remark
the Inauctuvres of the Enemy : after having
cut the
calk S and made sail, they dispatched a part of their
boats with the wouncknt men, and .SUIlle• of their
people, which I perceived to reach, at four o'clock
in tbe •Morning,,the third English Man of
War at
Cape Salomon, • .
I-render justice to the English : they not only of-
fi)rded the last Military Honours to the Midshipman
Bo u NNIER p, but they afforded the must patiela•
larMi u to tbOvounded, and not the value of
a 1ate.1,,.;i-jtief was taken from the crew.
This is, General, the. detail of our disaster, and
believe it is with the utmost grieff-I- state it to you.
Believe the truth it contains : it will be at least a
• comfort to us, anthill partieulay to,
My General,
Your very humble Servant,
(True Copy), (Signed)
(Signed) Vi L; Captain-General.

D'EPOSITION RELATIVE TO Tll CUTTTtid OUT or. Tim

i3itlG- LE CUIIILLJX, CUitIMANDED BY THE CAPTAIN

* Lieutenant REY NOLDS, havvever, survived the aajon
spine tune, anti was app,,tntoi to th. Cwhhislod of the Cu.
He died iu the Seikenther followiog, when the corn-
414rut of the Curieux WAS given to C.iptsiu BET r
tar his her,ic cOutlua uo tins occatlon.