The Sun.
London, England, 1804-08-30 00:00:00

'IV4P/IL 1V EWS.

DOVER) AUG. 29, Six, O'CLOCK, P. M.—Tha
firing between our Squadron and the Enemy'i Flo.
tilla and Batteries still continues. It ceased two
or three times this morning, but 'it re-commenced
about three o'clock this afternoon with great via.
fence. The weather
.is too hazy for us to see
the opposite shore, but the sound appears to come
dire6tly from Boulogne Bay.

I aro unable to add much to the accounts I have
already sent you of this long continued cannonade,
for the only authentic information we have yet
received is from Mr. MOW LI, the Master of
the Constitution Cutter, which was sunk on
Sunday ; he arrived here on Monday. All
the other accounts are merely the conjeaures
of persons who are constantly looking out from the
Cliffs with their glasses, hut the distance and the
immense quantity of smoke occasioned by the firing,
render it very difficult to form a correci judgment of
what is going on. The account he gives of the loss
of the Cutter is nearly the same as that I already sent
you. He was within about half gun shot of the
shore, engaging a Gun-brig and two lugger-rigged
Yachts, which were very splendidly gilt and de-
corated. After engaging them some time, they
lowered their sails, took to their sweeps, and made
for the shore with all possible expedition. The
Constitutivi was following them, when she was
struck by a 13-inch shell, which went through her
without burstipg. The hole it made in the bottom
was so large, that all attempts to stop it were vain,
and it became necessary to make signals of dis.
tress. The boats of the Squadron were intim.
diately put out, and the Crew were all saved.

It was very generally observed, that the Enemy's
Artillery, both on their Batteries on shore, and on
board their Flotilla, were very badly served, and
dieted with a total want of skill, which is the
more extraordinary, as the French have always had
a very hies chapaer for expertness in the use of
Artillery. The greater part of our Squadron was
for several hours within the range of their
numerous Gun and Mortar Batteries, from which
they kept up an incessant fire, independent of that
from the Flotilla ; and it is inconceivable, out of
the many thousand shut and shells which they
discharged, how few struck our Squadron, and
how little damage it sustained. Their shot and
shells, in general, went over our Vessels ; but it
was observed, that the shells were thrown with
much more precision than the shut were direaed.
A shell struck the Harpy, but in passing through
the deck die fuse was fortunately knocked out ; the
shell penetrated into the hold, where a man instantly
took it up, and threw it into the water.

The Squadron in general has sustained very little
damage, except in their sails. Several of the Enc.
my's Gun.brigs are distnasted, and their loss in
men is probably very great, as they were full of
Soldiers.

The Enemy still continue to send out more
Vessels from the Inner Harbour, hut it is impos.
sible to state with any precision Ole number that is
already out. The Vessels that were to the west of
the. Enemy's Line, which is now a very long one,
have suffered the first, because they were out of the
protedion of the heavy Batteries, and could only
be covered by the Flying Artillery. Several of
them appeared to be on shore.

It is now half...past six, and the flung is. as Wait

as ever.

PLYHUTI rit, Auo. 28.—Arrive4 the. Ship ;Va-
han thathcote, of Liverpool, mounting 23.gune,
laden with cotton, &c. from Demerara, bound to
Liverpool : she was 'captured. in the Irish Channel.
by a large French rrivateet, of I i guns, Dogger.
rigged, called the General Arizereatt, after a severe
engagement of 25 minutes, 'and Was at length eat.
fled by boarding, the •Privateer having a comple.
ment of 93 men. Several of the William 11(04 .
cote': crew were killed and wounded. The latter
was re.captured near St..Andero by the Nastiilui
Sloop of War, Of 18 'guns, Capt. ALDHAM.

Arrived the Indefatigable Frigate and Nam:
filar Sloop of War from a Cruize.
Captain MONIAI PH ILIPP Si who commanded the
William Ilea, hvvr, with his son, and the nephew
of .the owner of the Ship, were killed, together with
two of the Crew, after the Frenchmen.boarded her
the Mate, six men, anti two boys were badly wound`
cd : she sailed from Demerara the gth of June, was
captured the 4.. h inst. and re-taken the 9th
lowing.

Arrived the Afirnd4l.?/, Capt. Wt. L 1:1.112 r, from
Dram, with timber for this Port.

PORTSMOUTH, Auc.• 29.--Acrived fl I\l,ljvs.
'ty's Brig Sylph, from Guernsey.
Sailed the Ajax, Capt. Lord GARLIPS, :lila the
Defianie, Capt., DURHAM, (0 join the. Channel

Arrived ale IVIO R ANi from Cheolow

Good Intent, MARSHALL, from Bideford ;
HAYWARD, from Milford; and broda, Go DER a Y,
from Neath.
Sailed the Liberty, STE EREY, for Sunderland.

HARWICH, AUG. 29.—:The Lark Post. Office
Packet, Capt. DELL, sailed this afternoon with a
fair wind, immediately on the arrival of the coach
from London, with the Hamburgh and Bremen
Mails for Husum ; and at the same time the Prince
of Wales Packet, Capt. A. DIANE, sailed for Got.,
tenburgh with the Mail and Passengers.

DEAL, AUG. 29.—The Orestes arrived last night
from Portsmouth, and sailed this morning on a
Cruize off Boulogne; the Basilisk Gun.brig sailed this
morning on a Cruize to the Westward ; the As/as,
Princess Royal, Monarch, and Triton, Armed Defence
Sbips, sailed on a Cruize off Boulogne. •
Arrived the Roller from the Nore, and remains.

The American Ship reported yesterday was got
off with little damage, and carried into Margate
Road.

In the Downs—Monarch, Utrecht,'lnflexihle, Adamant,
Castor, Dart, Scourge, Speedy, Bruizer, Rattler; Majestic,
Diadem, Perseus, Ranger, Aurora, Sir Andrew Mitchell,
Paragon; Sceptre, Kingston, Walker, Lord Eldon, Willing-
ton, Dasher, Ariactne, Armed Defence Ships ; Melpomene,
London, Britannia, Tartar, Flora, Loyal Britain, %Vhi►by,
Elisha Tupper, Ark, and indefatigable, Armed Transports.

SHEERNESS' AUG. 29.—. Sailed the Lion Armed
Ship, with 43 sail of Vessels under convoy, for the
Baltic.

Arrived the Juno, Exterprize, and Prow liar.
monia, under Prussian colours, detained by the
North Sea Squadron.

LgITII, AUG. 77.—Saturday arrived in Leith
Roads the Repulse Revenue Cutter, from the
Downs, Convoy to the Roselle and Edgar West
Indiamen.

Sunday sailed from Leith Roads the Baltic and
Tonninge-n Fleets, under Convoy of the L.y.lx Sloop
of War, and Ilebe and Thaws Armed' Ships.
This day arrived. in Leith R,,ads the Prilttess
Royal Revenue Cutter, with a Fleet from the 84.
tic; also the Prince of wait, Cutter, Capt. Mutt.
RAY, from a Cruize.

The following is a Copy of the very interesting
Letter from Capt. ALDHAM, of the Nautilus Sloop,
to Messrs. .BtNNETT and WHITE, at Lloyd's
Coffee-house., It is dated August z 7
" it is with much satisfaCtion I acquaint you that His
Majesty's Sloop under my command, ork the gth inst. re-cap-
tured the valuable Ship William ileathrotc, from Demerara to
Liverpool, laden with cotton and sugar.
" Most probably you already know the William Ilea:brae
was captured on the 4th inst. by the General Augereau
French Privateer, of tz guns and 92 men. I have only,
therefore, to say, that although the Enemy boarded with
nearly their whole force, they did not gain possession of the
ship until after an obstinate conflia, in which the Captain
of the William Ilcatlxose, his son, a passenger, and one sea.
man, were killed; the Mate, another passenger. and 7 sea.
men, were wounf:ed. The French Prize-master acknow.
ledges that the Privateer suffered comiderably in her hull,
and had 3 men killed ; and that the Captain and s men were
wounded. But, from other authority, lam informed their
loss was much greater.

" I sincerely regret the Mate being removed on board the
Privateer. It would have given me much pleasure to have
liberated a man c.o highly spoken of as he is by all who were
left behind."

Captain JAMES HAR Mg, of Leith, is appointed to
the command of the Os!,aburgh Revenue Cutter, in
the room of jAhtEs CANII4ELLI E,q. of Downie,
deceased.

Adviccs were yesterday received at the Admiralty
from the Channel Feet, which was left all well on
Saturday last off Brest. No recent movements haft
bten'observed among the Enemy's Ships. A Di.
vision of it, supposed to be that of GANTFIRAUME,
continued, as usual, at single anchor, in the Outer
Road.

LIFE PRE9EIiVER.—An experiment was made
yesterday of the utility of this invention, which
met with the Most complete success. Six persons,,
having first girt themselves with the machine,jumped
overboard cff Parliament Stairs, above Westminster.
bridge, and went down gently by the tide to Black.
friars'-hridge,; a great number of boats surround,
'ea them, as• well to save them in case of danger, as
crania desire to witness the experiment ; but every
thing went on extremely smooth. and well. It was
curious to observe six heads and shduitersen a per.
peodicular poiture, • walking, as it were, through
the waters, quite still, unless they wished to change
their direflion, which a small paddle or two with
their hands, which, as well as their legs, are perfett.
ly at liberty, will do. The machine is. extremely
simple; it is made of strong sheet copper, japanned,
and strongly soldered together in eight different
pieces, connected with straps ; it is laid on the chest
and rolled up over the breasts, the whole fastened
with straps that go over the shoulders, and are se.
cured to the belt that goes round the chest. The
divisions of the machine, though of a different shape,
partake of the qualities of a cistern ball, to float on
the water, and when the whole is fixed on, it is not
unlike a horse's collar in shape, but much larger in.
proportion. It is very simple, almost instantly put
on, and it appears to us will be of incqlculable be.
nefit in enabiing persons attending life liiaor, canals,
Stc. who can swim, to remain a cvnsiderable time
in the water without tiring ; and, by its buoyancy,
to assist others, who cawypt swim, that may be in
danger of drowning.
A great number of spedators, both afloat and
ashore, appeared' highly pleased with the expert.
mt.nt, to which the fineness of the day out a little
contributed. , .