The Sun.
London, England, 1810-09-05 00:00:00

Fec.m the ADO N GziZET FE, Sept. 4, igio.

Admiralty-Office, Sept. 4, 1810.

Copy of a Letter iroin Vice-Admiral Dertie, Commander in
cilia of his NJ jesty's ships and Vessels at the Cape of
(iood Elope, to Bohn Wilson Croker, Esq. dated on boat.,
the ItanBer Transport; Table Bay, 3oth of tune, 141.0.
.SI R,

I have the 'honour to transmit herewith,- for the
intormatibti of their Lordships, a Copy of a Letter
addressed to-me by Capt. LArnbert, of his Majesty's
ship Iphigenia; with its itielosuies from Captiin
Willoughby; commandii.g his Majesty's ship Ne-
reide, containing an account of an enterpri*esuc-
cessinlty performed by him at Port Jacotel.

1 have the honour to be, &e.

A. BERTIE.

His Majesty's ship Iphigenia, off the Mauri.
SIR, tius, Nlay 5, iSio.

I have the honour to transmit you a Letter that I
this day received, bearing date the ist instant, from
Capt. Wiitoughby, of • his Majesty's ship Nereide,
detailing an account of a most gallant enterprize
performed 14 him at Port Jacotel, un the south east
coast of this Island ; his success, lam happy to add,
was crowned w►th inconsiderable loss, considering
the force he had to contend with.
I•have the honour to be, 8:c.
H. LAMBERT.

rice-Admiral Bertie. &c.

SI ft,

His Majesty's St lip Nereide,
Alay i, i3ta.•

On reconnoitring the .south-east cdistupon this
date, I perceived at the anchorage of-Jacotel a ship Of
about lour hundred tons, and as she lay within pis-
tol-shot of the two batteries which commanded
the etitrance and the harbour, I did not leave the
Nereide until twelve o'clock-A. M, and after much
difficulty found and ,-entered (at five)" the narrow
intricat, passage, and owing to low water, the
surf half tilling the halts, I was in hopes of
'landing and tailing in upon their left battery with.;
out being discovered; but• the Imperial schooner
L'Estatette; of tour brass, guns and fourteen men,
commanded by Ensign de Vaisseau Henry Chauvin,
unfortunately laying at-anchor, so completely gave
the akin, that by the time the boats grounded,
both haiteries and two field-pieces were playing upon
the 0,,;y sput on which we could laud, and our men
no sooner toirned upon the beatili than they were
received by a heavy fire of musketry. As every
Officer" L'iiew before we landed- what was to be
done afterwards, the whole party was instantly
upon the run, and in en minutes in possession of
the above battery ; having spiked the guns we
moved towards she guard house, protected by two
ficid7pieces, fery troops of the 18th regime:it of the
'twenty. six artillery, and a strung party of
militia, the whole commanded by Leutenant Rock-
man of the'18•1: regiment. Tins party, while we
were taking the oattery, had attacked and driven
Our boats, with the division left to protect them, in-
to the centre of the harbour. Their opening fire
Upon us was the signal for charging, and, to my
astonishment, they instantly gave way with a speed
we could nut equal ; their Officer, who deserved
to command better soldiers, was taken prisoner with
his two field-pieces.
• Hitherto twilight bad hid our fotce ; full day
Shewed to the enemy the Ntreide's small band of
'volunteer's, consisting of fifty seamen, and the same
nunibet of marines ; the strongest hAttory in their
possesSion, and to gain which it was necessary to
pass the river Jacotel, at the foot of a high hill,
coveted with wood, and defended by the Command-
ant of the Savannah Distriel, Colonel Etienne Col-
. Bard, two cannon, and a strong body of militia.
Owing to 'the tats heavy rains, we found the river
swelled, and current so strong, that the tallest men
could scarcely wade, the short helped over, and,
more than halt the party upon the swim, and in the
thick of fire from the enemy ; but this difficulty no
sootier surmounted,(though not without the loss of
the greatest part' of our ammunition), than three
cheers warned the enemy .to prepare for the bayo-
net. The jungle-hill, two guns, battery, and ,co-
lours were catried in stile, and the Commandant, Co-
lonel Colgaid, taken prisoner; nor do I think an
officer or man of the party., except myself, had
au anxious thought for the result of this unequal
affair..

Having spiked theguns and one mortar, burnt
and desttoy6i their carriages, the works, Maga-
zines, &c. and embarked the field-pieces, some
naval and military stores, I was npon the point of
zeturning to the snip, when the strong party I had
driven from the first battery and field-pieces, ap-
peared to have recovered from their panic, re-as-
vmbled (strongly re-inforced by the militia and
bourgeois inhabitanti of the Island) upon our left,
and as .the Nereide's attack of Jacutel was the first
ever made on any point of the Isle of France, and
knowing, its principal defence consists of its militia,
I detctinined upon running some risk 'of letting
them know what they had to expect if their Island
was ever attacked by a regular British force. Mov-
ing towards them, they at the same time advancing
within musket-shot, they opened their fire, and I
instantly turned dire& into the country in an ()Wipe
line to them, to get into their rear, and it so, not to'
leave to the defeated party the resource of a retreat;
at first they halted and remained upon their ground,
but the moment we began to muvei in quick time,
and they understdod my intention, than they again
beat us in fair running, for more than a mile into tile
country. On returning to our boats, we burnt the
signal-house, flag-staff, &c. a mile from the beach,
an having sounded well the harbour, and done all
I wished, I again embarked and returned to the Ne-
reide.

I now beg you will allow me to express how
highly,' I approve of the gallant and regular conduct
of every officer and man landed ; indeed I feel my-
seit under the greatest obligation to the seniors, Lieu-
tenauts Burn; Langhorne, and Deacon, and Lieu-
tenant Cu,x commanding the.marines, with Lieute-
nant Desbrisay under him. I have to regret my re-
turn of lallyd acid'wuunded.

Toe loss of the enemy could not be ascertained,
nor co I know the foice opposed to us; but trom
erciy information gained, and from the French of-
ticers tltrmselvc9, 'lacy declare that six hundred men

can reinforce the batteries by signal in an how.—
I remained on shore ibur hours, in a clear morn-
ing, and the signal was flying the whole of the

I have, &c.
(Signed) N. J. WILLOUGHBY.
Henry tanibeit, h:so. Captain of
his Majesty's ship l phigenia,
and senior ()Ulcer of Isle of
Prance.

A Return of Killed and Wounded.

Thomas Knight, marine, killed ; lieutenant H. C. Deacon,
slightly wounded ; lohn Bowers, marine, dangerously
wounded ; - llowe, corporal of arines, slightly
wont...led ; Heirry Palmer, Otto ; Alexander
Poulson, seaman, ditto; klenry Crawtbrd, seaman, ditto ;
William Williams, seaman, slightly wounded.