The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-31 00:00:00

FRANCE AND MOROCCO.

The following are the official dispatches of the
Prince de Joinville to the Minister of Marine :
" Steamer Pluto, Aug. 10.
M. LE MINISTEE,—Not having time to give you an
account by the last courier of the state of our affairs,
in detail, as well as of our operations before Tan-
giers, I take advantage of the first moment of lei-
sure to fulfil this duty.
I informed you that on the 2d August, the day
fixed for the reply to the ultimatum of our Consul-
General, nothing reached us.
I waited then for news of Mr. Hay, before com-
mencing hostilities.
On the 4th a letter of Sidi Bousselam Paella, of
Larache, was sent as more measured, more concilia-
tory, than preceding ones; it renewed, nevertheless,
the insolent demand of the punishment of the Mar-
shal. The letter of Sidi Bousselam said not a word
of the removal of the corps of troops collected near
Ouchda. As to Abd-el-Kader, Sidi Bousselam
asserted that he was no longer on the Morocco terri-
tory, and that orders had been given to prevent his

returning to it.
Nevertheless, the Marshal learned at the same time
that Abd-el-Kader had gone into the interior of
Morocco, and that he was two days' march in the
rear of the Moorish camp.
These accounts had but one object, to trifle with
us. Annoyed at learning nothing of Mr. Hay, I
sent the Veloce steamer to inquire and bring news
of him.

The Veloce came back on the sth to Tangiers,
bringing me word that Mr. Hay was in safety at
Mogadore.

In fine, on the evening of the sth, the Etna, coming
from Oran, brought me your dispatch of the 27th,
ordering me to commence hostilities, if the answer to
the ultimatum was not satisfactory. It brought us
news, also, of the Marshal proving the falsity of the
assertions of the Moors respecting Abd el-Fader.
Hesitation was no longer possible. We were
amused with deceitful messages while they were pre-
paring war ; and we were thus obliged to have re-
course to arms.

On the morning of the 6th I attacked the batteries
of Tangiers. My instructions were to destroy the
exterior fortifications, but to respect the town.
I could easily have attained this aim by disembark-
ing; but I preferred employing cannon, and render-
ing the batteries useless, whilst respecting the quar-
ters of the Consuls, which but five or six stray bullets
reached. We attained this result with the loss of
three dead and sixteen wounded, the ships receiving
very slight injury.
The enemy confesses a loss of 150 dead and 400
wounded ; but it is impossible to ascertain the num-
ber of dead, since they were only drawing them from
under the ruins on the Bth.

During the engagement, Mr. Hay arrived from
Rabat, where he had stopped to see the Emperor. I
received him the next day. He told me he found the
Emperor much depressed. The news of the retire-
ment of the Consuls had reached him. Mr. Hay
thanked me for the solicitude I had shown with re-
spect to him.

I now proceed to Mogadore, at the other extremity
of the empire. Mogadore is the private property of
the Emperor. The town itself, as well as the public
revenue, is his property. He lets the houses and the
ground. It is, in a word, one of the principal sources
of his revenue. To attack that city, to destroy
it, or to occupy the island that forms the port,
until we obtain satisfaction, is to give the most
sensible blow to Muley Abderrahman and all the
south of his empire.
I shall limit myself for the moment to these two
operations in order to prove to the Emperor that he
is deserted by all the world. The affair of Tangiers
has sufficiently proved that, and that we have the
means of doing him serious injury (which we shall
try to prove at Mogadore). Moreover, our presence
on the coast will recal the Moors from the frontier to
the defence of their homes, and will thus facilitate the
Marshal's operations.

We can then warn the Emperor, that in spite of
what has passed, we still desire peace, and that what
we have done at Tangiers and Mogadore will prove
that he must not trifle with us. If he wishes for
peace, let him hasten to grant us what we demand,
and let acts follow words. If not, if he is not con-
tented, and if he continues to receive and encourage
our enemies on the frontier, he must expect extremi-
ties from us.

" On board the steam .boat Pluto,
Mogadore, 17th August.
" I arrived before Mogadore on the 11 th instant.
The weather was very bad, and for severals days we
remained at anchor before the town, without even
being able to communicate with one another. Al-
though we rode with two hundred fathoms of chain,
the anchors broke like glass.
" At length, on the 15th, the weather having taken
up, I took advantage of it to attack the town.
" The ships Jemappes and Triton took up a posi-

tion before the western batteries, with instructions to
attack them, and to take the coast batteries in the
rear. The Suffren and La Belle Poule took up their
position in the northern passage. It was half-past
one o'clock when our movement commenced.

"As soon as the Arabs saw the vessels moving
against the town, they opened fire from all the bat-
teries. Before replying to them, we waited until
every ship had taken up its position. At half-past
four o'clock the firing began to slacken. The brigs
Cassard, Volage, and Argus then entered the port,
and took up their position near the batteries of the
island, with which they entered into a spirited con-
test. At length, at half-past five, the steam-boats,
carrying 500 troops, entered the pass, and took up
their position in the intervening spaces between the
brigs, and the disembarkation of the men was imme-
diately effected.

" The island was defended with the courage of
despair by 320 men, Moors and Kabyles, who con-
stituted its garrison. A great number of them were
killed ; 140 of them, who were shut up in a mosque,
eventually surrendered.
" Our losses in this day's proceedings amount to
fourteen killed and sixty-four wounded. Officer
killed :—M. Pottier, lieutenant of artillery. Officers
wounded :—MM. Bellanger, captain of a vessel
(slightly) ; Duquesne, captain of a corvette (slightly);
Couprent Desbois, lieutenant in the navy (severely) ;
Blaize, mate in the navy (slightly); Martin des Pal-
lieres, sub-lieutenant of infantry (severely); Noel,
volunteer of the second class (very severely).
" The island having been taken, it only remained
to us to destroy the batteries of the town, which lie
opposite the harbour. Our cannon had already
damaged them, but it was necessary to make them
completely unfit for service.
Yesterday, when under the cross fire of three
steamers and two brigs, 600 men were disembarked ;
they met with no resistance; we spiked the guns and
threw some of them into the sea. We carried away
some of them, swamped the powder magazines;
in fine, we carried off or sunk all the vessels which
were lying in the harbour. I believe that we could
at that time have penetrated into the interior
of the town without danger, but it would have been
only a promenade without an object or without other
result than useless pillage. I therefore abstained, and
brought back the troops to the island, and the crews
on board the ships. I am busy establishing on the
island a garrison of 500 men. The occupation of the
island without the blockade of the port would be but
half a measure. I therefore follow your orders, in
closing the port of Mogadore.
The town at this moment is on fire, pillaged by the
Arabs, Rho have taken possession, after having driven
out the Imperial garrison. The English Consul, his
family, and some Europeans, have just come to us.
FRANCOIS DE ORLEANS.

Mogadore, Aug. 17.
" I will not close my dispatch without mentioning
the services rendered by every person under my orders
during the present campaign. Everybody served
with a zeal inspired by the ardent love of their coun-
try, its honour and interests, and with an absolute
devotion to the service of the King. _

Receive, M. le Ministre, the assurance of my re-
spect. "F. D'ORLEANS."

" P.S. Amidst the occupations with which I am
overwhelmed, I have no time to send you a detailed
report. Captain Bouet, who will hand you this dis-
patch, will give you all the information you may de-
sire. I send by him the colours which waved on the
city and on the batteries of the island.
"F. D'ORLEANS."

~~

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, AUGUST 31, 1844.