The Sun.
London, England, 1810-02-13 00:00:00

hundred ; in fait, we sent, I btAlere, in about a
week after bt-t‘.veen six and seven hundred.

on imagine. that there would' have been any
difficulty in procuring a considerable amount of trans-
ports earlier in the spring, It timely notice had,been
given ?—We found difficulty earlier in the spring,
and under the direction of the Government we were
constrained to -raise the price from twenty-one shil-
lings per ton .to twenty-five shiliingi, previous to
ti; is expedition, or the service of Spain and Portugal.
Do you imagine that the transports were procured
in conseu -nee of that increase of price ?—Most
undoubtedly.
Would not increase of price probably have had
the same effect,at an earlier period ?—lt was in con-
setlu.!nce of tfre scarcity of ships they did not offer.
The prices for transports ale fixed. No!ice is given
when they are wanted; and tew or no ships offered
at the reguNed price.- The price fixed-for ships
nntler the direCtion of the Treasury of seventeen
;11,11ino a ton for single. bottomed ships, twenty shil-
liOgs a ton for ships sheathed with wood, and twenty-
one shillings forships sheathed with copper.
Have not those prices been contiqually varied ?
The regular prices, havegone on pi ogresSively since
the time I first became Chairman of the Transport
Board, and 'have inceased from.tbirreen shillings a
ton (the regular pride in the'year 1795) to the price
that I have just now mentioned, which in fact is
the regular price now.
, Du you imagine that it would have been impos-
sible to have procured transports in the spring if a
sufficient price had. been. offefed ?--Most undoubt-
edly Lou may have all the ships in England if you
go to the price: if the price is large enough, ships
may give up their engagements and other views to
come into the King's service, if that is more advan-
tageOus Than the regular-tyade.'
What difference in the price do youthink would`
have procured any, very great additional number of
transports ?—I must beg leave to observe upon tlis
subject I had many conversations, and I believe that
my opinion in some
,measure decided the case.—
When we have transports in the service,, many of
them the first coppered. ships in England, if they are
paid at a guinea and others are paid at thirty or thirty:-
five or forty shillingsilt produces great discontent,
which perhaps does more injury to the service than
the ships you would get at an increased price bene-
fit, this was not only my opinion, but the opinion of
the Board, where there are some very experi-eticed
seamen.

In point of fad, you think a greater number of
transports Could not have been taken up about the
titit of May, Without Subjecting the public to a very
great.addition to the price, or subjecting the trans-
port service to a great inconvenience ?—I do not
think that any advantage could have accrued to the
service by raising the price very thaterially, and I fre-
quently gave that as my opinion when called upon to
increase the number of iranspurt3.
About the 20th of May, had. not Lord Castle-
reagh a communication with you with respell to the
transport arrangern rats, with reference to the en-
suing campaign ?—Certainly, frequently about that
time, and almost every day after duriiig the time of
the equipment, and I was told particularly that we
were to provide infantry minsports for ten thousand
men I believe cavalry to the extent, as nearly as I
can recollect, for six thousand hoses ; the stores de-
pended upon the cis:in-ands hum thedieferent &part-
ments, the Ordnance, the Viclualling, and the other
departments of Government. "
About.that time was not there on hand at home
applicable to service, about twenty7three.thousand
tons of Iransports.i—l have already said, twenty
thousand and upwards, and lbelieve it may be about
twentylthree thous.,nd.
Did not Lord CaStlereagh at that time go. with
you into the consideration of What amount of ton-
nage .might -be drawn from. foreign service, appli—
cable to the proposed service ?—Most undoubtedly,
we entered into every particular : his Lordship had
given directions, as I understood, to order home
ships frorb.different foreign stations.
Did not you understand. that upon the expulsion
of the French from Portugal, it atpeared consistent
wish the demands of the service in that quarter, to
withdraw a considerable amount of tonnage from
Portugal, and particularly cavalry tonnage, for three,
thousand .horses do' not at this instant exactly
recoiled the number, but I believe it May be about
that number.

Upon the whole, was not about forty-eight thou-
sand tons of transports withdrawn from foreign ser-
vice, as applicable to•the campaign at home be-
lieve full'to that extent.

Were not the Instructions of the Secretary of
State to yet], to use every endeavou'r to procure the
additional tonnage, in addition to the twenty-three
thousand tons on hand, and the tonnage expected
from abroad, to carry on the service in question ?
—They were, .and I consulted, with my colleagues
at.-the Board. on the most el-canal means of pro-
curing sufficient tonnage, nerd they were of opinion,
that-.raising-the 'price beyond twenty-five shillings-
would be produCtive of more injury than benefit to
the Service, we engaged ships for six months cer-
tain, and in some. eases, for one year, rather than-
produce discontent among the owners of the, ships
that were then in the service.
Were not the exertions of. the Board and of the
Government so unremitting, with a view to the pro-
curing a sufficient quantity of tonnage in the least
possi.ble time, that the possibility of requiring the
services of neutral ships in the river, was a subjea
that received the tullest consideration, and-was only
laid aside upon a conviction of the serious ohje&ions
to such a lesource-65ing had recourse to ?---Finding
that we could not .procure immediately sufficient
tonnage, I suggested to the. Secretary of State, the
propriety of taking into the service neutral ships, a
r'reat many at that time being in the river: The
_Secretary of State sent for me 'in the Charicellor of
the Exchequer's house, a, dthis business was taken
into full Consideration in my presence ? and it was
finally determined, that it would not be proper to
take them, as we could not hate them boluntarily,
and they must be forced into.the service.
- not you recollect' that a part ,of the cavalry
tonnage which arrived from Poitugai, and which
wt.; employed upon the"serviee in question, did not
arrive at Po: tstriouth till the infantry ‘Aas aatually
embarked ?—The cavalry, to the extent of ceir fire
thouatid, were embatked a few days after the in-

fantry were embarked, and sailed With them, I
think, about the 2.1t1r or 29th of July ; Ilhink the
whole ailed about that lime. -

Did not the whole amount o'f- horses embarked
upon the expedition, consist nearly of six thousand?
—Full that, I should thipk; some_ were embarked
in, men of war ; I do not know the number.

With every exertion that could be made, was not,
it necessary ip,sciid about 360 horses of the batter-
ing train, within the next two'or three days after the
expedition had sailed from the Downs ?--The batter-
ing train did nut sail all together, there were 3 or
400 that sailed after the others:

In answer to &former gLestion, you stated that
seven hundred horses of the battering train had em-
barke a week or ten days atter the rest of the ar-
mament ; I,presume you mean after
.the first em-
barkation of the infantry at Portsmouth,-which was
about .the 14th of the month i—The general ern7
barkation, as I mentioned before, I. belieVe was
'zraOut the 15th or lt3th ; they. all took place toge-
ther, I should think ten or twelve days before the
battering train, to the amdunt.of six or seven -bun-
dred, were ernharked; the battering train sailed in
two division.% •

Have you known on any former Occasion a greater
exertion wade on the part of the country and the of-
ficers, to produce the necessary tonnage fur the ser-
% ice than on the late occasion ?—I certainly never
did.

Do not you recollect, that, exclusive of the de-
mands that were made upon' the traosport Board
with a v:ew to this particular 3erv•ce, that butwttn
the beginning of March and th,.: beginning of May,
a corps of Infantry of about twenty thousand mcn,
and several regiments' of cal alry, %%ere embarked
for the servicein Portugal:--1 annot now. recol-
led .the number, but I know great exertions had
been made, and numbers of men, I do not know
the numbers exa6lly at this ins'ant, had embarked
for Spain and Portugal, in consequence of which the
price, as I have already mentioned, had been raised
to 2i,s. from the regular price of transports, to-pro-
vide-conveyance tor them.
_ _

-1 •
Was not. it the 'deliberate l
opinidn of the• rans-
portAvard, that no ivcre.ise of pike beyond thit
which was °flexed, could be pi udeutiiiity offered,
with the view to the general interest; of the public
service was, ,and if the Transport Board had
recommended a higher price, I think it likely that
Government would have authorized tlietn to give it.
Considering the geiieral arrangements necesr
sary for this expedition on the pit of th Transport
Board, are you of opinion. that the amount of force
employed could have been sent ,on sovico earlier
than it aacally was ?—I am convinced it could iiot.
Do you, consider that it was possible to obtain
forty or.tifty thousand tons of shippiogat the price
of twenty-five shillings per ton w intt montit. of
March, in addition to the twenty-three thousand
which you have stated you bad ?—I do not think
we could- have had fort}, or ,fifty thousand tons at that
price in the month of 'March.

Are you of opinion that in the month of March,
any, and wilat aziditiou to that price would have
procured them ant of opinion that as you' raise
the price, you may get ships, to what extent I cati
not say, but the ground on which we objected to
raising.the price was; that it would prodUce great
discontent among-the owners of ships ahead), in the
service ; and if we got five or six or ten thou,4and
tons, it miglit not be good policy to take them under
those circumstances. .

Had you in fact any communication with his Ma-
jesty's, Minister; as to ihe increasing the number of
tontiagelor transports earlier than the .::uth of May?
—Yes, in consequence of which we raised the
price to 255. as I have already mentioned, from a
guinea : previous to the 2uth of May we had many
.ships in the service at 2.5, taken pp in consequence
of orders twin the Secretary of State, for the Pur-
tugal and Spanish service.
. . _ _

Had not7Lord Castlereagh coMmunicatio . with
you respe.ding the Medical airangemews for the
army on this service, so tar as the Transport Board
is connected !with Ahem ?—We had_frequent com-
munications, even several, times in a day, twice,
thrice, or oftener in a day, either with Lord•Cas-
tlereagh or the Under Secretary, concerning the
providing shipping (or the different departments of
Government.

. • Was not the proportion of hospital ships that
should attend the Expedition ,considered ; and was
it not•in contemplation .that from the propinquity of
the service, the sick might be removed in transports
that carried troops to the hospital in England, and
did you not understand.. that that was •-a principal
service that was determined
,upon understand
that the sick; were occasionally to be sent to Eng-
land ; the hospital ships and convalescent ships were.
to the same extent that had been used in-.other Ex:
peditions,. to Copenhagen, to Ole Textl, and even
to distant parts of the world; the transports, as they
returned from the • Scheldt, were ordered to be
cleansed, fumigated, and provided with a double
allowance of medical comfOrts, in order to bring"
back .the sick, after we heard that they had so much
increased.

Was it not
,your opinion that the, ordinary trans-
ports that conveyed the troops, with an addition to
the medical comforts that were in storewith the ex-
pedition, -were qualified to convey the sick back to
England •to the .hospitals confess, if I could.
have given them better accommodation I should
have thought it my duty to do so, but the sick had
increased so much that there was no possibility of
providing hospital ships, for their conveyance to. Eng,
land ; we- provided -some of the transports with
hair-beds, which, with the t4dical comforts, we
thought for so short ,a voyage might answer the
purpose; but the country could not.,have- furnished
tonnage 'or hospital ships to the extent .that was re-
quired-within the time that was necessary.

Major-Generaj CALVERT, Adjutant- General of the
Army, was called in and examined by the Com-
Were you at any tittle consulted with respeet to
the expediency of an expedition to the.Selieldt, or
the mode of conduCting it ?—I was; not in regard
,to the expediency of zu expedition to the Scheldt,
btu in regard to the 'nude of conducting it.
In regard to the-expediepey of an attack on Ant-
Werp ?—On the mode of condutting it.

. .
By whom were you consulted ?—By the Com-
mander-in Cilia: •

Did- You give an answer in writing did.
Have you that answer with you ?—I have not ;
I believe it is given in.
[The opinion delivered by Gen. Calvert to the
Commander in Chief, was r'ead.]
Mem4andum delivered by the Adjutant-General
to the Commander in Chief;, on the 3d June, isog,
" The difficulties which would attend a d -barka-
tion of a corps of tie magnitude necessary for the-
performance of the 'service in question, on an open
beach, and from thence comurencing so important
an 'operation through a large trod of country, -whose
natural strength has been augmented by all the sci-
ence and military skill of the last century, have been
so _ably and so decisively stated, That I aPpreh,nd it
remains only to consider ,o 1 the possib;lity of the
same se/I,: ice being effected by a conjunct operation
of the Navy and Army; and in this case the Hondt
or West Scheldt naturally presents-itself as the- chap-.
nel through which must be condueted.
" It is wholly impossible 16 enter upon any de-
tailed reasoning on this part of the .subject, without
previously ascertaining to what extent local circum-
stances would permit of naval operation, which de-.
pending on tides, sounding, and other points im-
mediately Connetted with 'that service, can only be
learned by a communication with Officers of the
nab. y. But by a general 'view-of the local, it would
appear indispensably necessary to possess ourselves
of the Southend, if not of the whole of the Island
of .Walcheren and South Beveland ; and from thence
with the aid of the navy, -ana an extens,ve eo
mand of small craft, it Might, I conceive, _be
possible to' land a body of troops at Sand-
competent to 'etn6t its march w Antwerp,
and to the reduaion of Lillo and the other forts on
the right bank of the Sciieldt. It must, -however,
__be remarked, that the.citadel.of Antwerp is fermi-
dablerand the works of. the town itself such as
would demand regular approaches, and:a train of
artillery, which could not be transported without
mudh time and labonr, unless we could secure the
navigation of the Scheldt, which could only be as-
sured by ,the possession of the torts, on the left as
well as on the right bank of the 'river. From the
moment our fleet and army appeared of Walcheren,
the enemy mint necetsarify be apprised of the ;ob-
i9a of the enterprize ; and having once ascertained
how large a portion- of our-disposable JUrce was en-
gaged in it, he would be at liberty to concentrate
all his means of defence, which would be facilitated
by the canals el the country, and the general course
of the rivers.

" Having 'no data to gu, on, in respect to the ene-
my's force, no argument can be entered on that
point; but it may be presumed, that on such an
occasion he would • tint heSitate immediately to draw
all his troops Itom' the fortresses of Flolland, the
Netherlands, and French, Flanders,. and trorn.More
remote quarters, it he had sutlit:ient
.time for the
purj)ose. The•service WOuld lie ardildns," 'and the
troops employed on it must unavoidably be exposed
to consideralile risk ; but I' huinbly Conceive the
operation,: in this voint 'of view, does not present
the same insverable dittiCulties-, which I must be
or opithon, v.outd attend 311 attempt -to perform
the' same 'service "bya debarkation at or in the vi-
cinily of Ostend, -and. by a movement troin thence
to the point-of attpok.

(Sigurd)

" H. CALYERT."

What was the state of the forttfications at Ant-
werp in the year i 704, which lel] within your
knowledge ?—The defect that appeared to meat
that time was the great extent of the works, and
many of them not being in a good state of repair ;
the Citadel i, detached florn the town, 'and presents
a much more formidable defence than the town
does, but I by no means feel myself competent to
give a decided opinion upon that subject, as it was
merely in occasional visits to the town when the
artily was in that neighbourhood thatl had an op-
portunity of making my observation upon it.
At that time was the town regularly fortified, and
could it only have been taken by a regular siege ?
That was a matterof opinion that probably officers
versed in tho kind of service would be called Upon
fo'give an opinion upon; I .io not knoW that, visit-
ing the town only two or threetimes, I am compe-
teut to give art opinion.

'Did you consider it a fortress ?—Undoubtedly.
That the citadel was a regular work ?—The cita-
del to the best 'of my opinion was a regUlar work.

Do, you consider it a-matter of notoriety that the
works had been augmented since that period?—.l have
understood so from conversation with persons that
came from that country, that since the French have
been in possession of it, they have repaired the
wOrks.

You having stated that you were in Antwerp in
1794, did you happen to know whether the "pro-
vince of Zealand, and especially the isrind of Wal-
cheren, was unhealthy
..in the latter end of the
summer and the autumn. .It was generally report.;
ed so to be. -

Did you cons;der it as a matter of notoriety that
the island. of Walcheren .was an unhealthy situation
for soldiers at that period of the year at the time
you gave the opinion' which has been read ?—The
healthiness or unhealthiness of the island of Walehe-
ten certainly had ao influence upon that opiniorYone
way or other, it was merely a military question.
Was it within your knowledge at that period,
that- that • island was unhealthy for soldiers ?—Cer-
tairely.,
When you gave that opinioil, (lid you take into
your consideration the means of transporting *artil-
lery from Santvliet to Antwerp ?—I did; and con-
ceived it to afford one of the greatest difficulties of
the service.

'Do you think it would have been possible, by any
means, to have conveyed an army adequate to the
siege Of Antwerp, with the ordnance requisite for
that siege, from this country by Santvliet to Ant-
werp, without giving the, enemy considerable time
for preparation ?—Certainly it would not be 'pos-
sible.

Could the supplies and reinforcements be cut off
from Antwerp, except by an army commanding
both banks of the Scheldt ?—I apprehend not.
You have sated thatsit would require a very large
force to invest Antwerp; to what amount. do you
suppose that force must be really thtnk-it
hardly.possible.for a person to give an opmion,lupon-