Star.
London, England, 1808-11-18 00:00:00

CAPTURE OF THE THETIS.

The following letter has been received from Ser.
jeant PACKWOOD, of the Royal Marines, dated in
Channel soundings, AMETDYST, on Sunday last : ,
" I am desirous of giving you the earliest intelligence I am
able, of a wen-contested battle, fought by his Majesty's ship
Amethyst, M. Seymour, Esq. Commander, and the French Na- ;
tional frigate, la Thetis, of 44 guns, 23 eighteen-pounders on ;
her main deck. The action was fought off L'Orlent, where we
have been cruising these last fourteen weeks. On the night of
the 10th instant stood close in to the land , about dark, within
twe,miles of the main, on the N. W. end of the Isle of Gron,
larboard tack on board, shortened sail, wore round, brought I
to, the wind oh the starboard tack, wind then at N.E. ship's
head N. N. W. keeping the land close on board. At seven
o'clock the same evening, observed a sail astern near the Isle of
Gron, standing to the S. W. wore ship, made sail in chase, beat I;
to quarters, cleared away for action, soon suspecting her an I
enemy ; we pefeeived her to make all sail. At twenty minutes
I past nine brought bee to action; at forty minutes past twelve,
A. M. she struck to the Amethyst, after a very bloody and well-
, contested action.
" The enemy's loss in killed, is 103; badly wounded, accord.
ing to the nearest account, 120—total, killed and wcunded, 223.
" Our's, killed and wounded, to the nearest account, 73 total.
" A list of the Royal Marines, Killed and Wounded, in the
Amethyst :
" Officers of the Royal Marines—Second Lieutenant Kendall,
killed ; First Lieutenant Payne, badly wounded.
" Rank and File—S, killed ; 9, dangerously wounded ; 2,
slightly; myself slightly bruised In my right arm and hand, when
our mizen-mast fell; but, thank Goo, I am very well in health
and spirits.
" I will give you a detail to the best of my knowledge—We
fought the first three broadsides with our larboard guns, and
were close on board of each other. We separated, not being
fastened to each other. She worked her ship remarkably well,
Ind came on the starboard side. The action then was very obsti-
nate for two hours. She shot away our mizen-mast; it fell, with
the mizen-top-sail and gaft (the driver not being closely brailed
up, not having time) across the quarter-deck; no time to clear
the wreck ; she cheered at such a sight.
" We cheered again, and the next broadside We brought her
mizen-mast down. She dropt a-board us, as I may term it, as
site bad rather the weather gage. At this time, I believe, her in.
tentions were to carry us, but she soon found her mistake. She
had about 30 soldiers in her fore and main tops, and they kept up
a constant fire, with their heaving their stink-pots on board; we
sustained a very heavy loss about this time, our ship being twice
on fire, but was soon put out, and not time to clear the wreck
on the quarter deck. We lay muzzle to muzzle about an hour
and ten minutes; our men often stealing their sponges, and the
others serving us the same way ; and, after an action of full three
hours and twenty minutes, she struck, after a most obstinate
battle, leaving her deck entirely covered with dead and wounded.
Her Commander, after being fastened to each other about half an
hour, was killed. His people say he was determined not to strike
to aisingle-decked ship; but she found Englishmen on board the
Amethyst. After your answer, I will give you a more clear ac-
count of those two young, but very gallant Officers of the Royal
Marines, and the party under their command, who, I think,
have added another laurel to such a noble corps. Excuse me
if I am going too far with this ; but I cannot help mention-
ing such bravery of such young officers, and men who stood so
true to the cause. I have nothing more to add, than I hope we
shall soon be in readiness to encounter such another foe.
" Your's, SAMUEL PACKWOOD,
Scrjeant Royal Marines."

What the hand of time had spared, of the so much
admired carved work at the northern access to the ve-
nerable ruins of Melrose Abbey, some malicious
person has broken and defaced.
At Mauchline principal fair, on Tuesday se'nnight,
there was an uncommon show of cattle, both fat and
lean. The fat, and good milk cows sold remarkably
high ; the lean sold indifferently. Cattle for winter
keep, brought large prices. There were few horses,i
$ id good draught ones brought high prices.
Another instance of the supprising effects of the
AMERICA?: SoOTHING &Rue, for children cutting their
teeth:—The child of Mr. Westcomb, 4'2, Whitcomb-
street, Leicester-square, was dreadful in cutting her
teeth, with her two first she had a total stoppage of
her urine, that Dr. THOMAS performed an operat►on
on the child; she was just as bad, withian inflamma-
tion on her loins, and a bad cough, with scarce any
breath, when Mr. W. applied the Sirup to her gums
—it immediately relieved the child, and has brought
all her teeth without pain ; the two first are quite
black.—To be had of the Proprietor, J. JOHNSON, 94,
Newman-street, Oxford-road, and retail of Golding,
42, Cornhill ; Fraser, tea-dealer, Paisley. at 2s. 9d.
a bottle, and at all principal Venders of Medicines in
town and country.
As great number of persons are rendered very un-
happy by Spasms, Wind in the Stomach, qgistruc-
dons in the Bowels, want of regular PersFration,
I Vomitings, and Bilious Complaints, Head Aches,
Heart Burn, Costiveness, Nervous Disorders, Cholic,
Gout, tgc. we are authorised to say, that SPEEDI-
MAN'S Pills are in most cases an excellent remedy for
these complaints ; and especially recommended dur-
inF the time of sea bathing, and drinking the sea and
mineral waters ; also for those visiting warm cli-
mates. Prepared by THOMAS Streuxron, jun. Drug-
gist, Tottenham High Cross, Middlesex, by virtue
of an assignment from H. and J. BESWICE, sole Pro-
prietors of the Receipt, by the Will of M. SPEE-
DIMAH; and are sold by Shaw and Edwards, No. 66,
St. Paul's Church-yard ; and Bacon and Co. N 0.150,
Oxford-street, in boxes at 2s. 4s. 6d. 10s. 6d. and
One Guinea ; and may be had of the principal Ven-
ders of Medicines in town and country.

POLMff.

f

MANsTON Holism—Yesterday Thom: McCarty, a
young man about 17, was charged with breaking
and entering the dwelling house of John Price, near
Rosemary-lane, and stealing therefrom wearing ap-
parel,
sheets, linen, and other articles. Sarah Price ;
said that she left the house locked up on Sunday af-
ternoon, and when she returned about four o'clock,
she found her room had been entered, and her drawers
broke open and stripped of every thing. That upon
giving an alarm, and searching the house, they found
the prisoner in possession of the property, in the cel- I
lar ' • that he had on him two of her husband's coats,
and many articles about his person. Kinsley the
constable, produced a large bundle of property which
he found tied up beside tUe prisoner, with four or
five handkerchiefs and stockings tied together; which
he confessed was to assist his escape from a two pair
of stairs window. He was fully committed.
Ann Cotterel was charged by a Mr. Emanuel, a
Dutch merchant, with stealing a piece of cambric,
! two dozen bottles of Dutch drops, and several other
' articles. The prosecutor not understanding English .
sufficiently to explain the robbery, stated, by means of
an interpreter, that the prisoner had been permitted
I to chair in his lodgings, when she was detected carry-
ling away the things produced. In defence, she said
the packet of Dutch drops was given her by a woman .
in the house ; and that she bought the cambric, but
could not tell from whom.—She was sent to Bride-
' well for a month.
MARLBoROUGH-sTREET.--PatrickAlWahon,charged
with swindling, was yesterday finally examined. The
. different charges exhibited at the two former examina-
' tions were read over, and other facts added to them.
Some witnesses corroborated what had been stated on
a former day, that the prisoner and or a Char:e s were
' the only acting managers of the sham firm of ~ Ryan
and Co." in Sherborne-lane. Some of the horses,
chaises, &c. which they had obtained, have been
traced to the possession of persons who had purchased
them with ready money of Charters and the prisoner,
without suspecting how they had obtained them. A
stationer in Holborn proved, that the prisoner and
Charters had ordered a gum/6[y of stationary to fur-
nish their counting-house ; and by their desire, he
Idrew on the firm at 20 days sight, they representing
I themselves as young beginners, Charters is not yet in
' custody. He, it appeared, was extremely useful from
his appearance and manner, in bargaining for horses,
&c. ; but it excited surprize, how persons could be
' duped by a man of the prisoner's appearance. It was
Charters that obtained Major James's horse and
chaise. The bills found on the prisoner when taken,
I were produced, amounting to 6851. 15s. 4d. exclusive
lof those circulated. The prisoner was committed
for trial on three charges of felony.
THAMES POLlCE.—Yesterday T. Rice was charged
with having in his possession cochineal and indigo, to
the value of upwards of 1001. suspected to have been
stolen. Several persons who had been robbed of Si.miler articles attended, particularly Mr. Pierson, of
, I Size-lane, but as no one could identify the goods,
, I the prisoner was convicted in the penalty of 51. and
. i the goods declared to be forfeited.
11 Jorrth Roaf, schoolmaster, of Bethnal-green, was
. committed, for taking indecent liberties with a female
pupil, nine years of age. He is a married man, and
far advanced in years.
II WHITECHAPEL.—Yesterday John Crowhunt was
fully committed, charged by Messrs. Drayton and
1 Co. of Fenchurch-street, with embezzling 101. with
,
1 which they had entrusted him to pay some labouring
' men, on a farm at East Ham. The prisoner pre-
tended to have been robbed of the money in East
Ham-lane ; but on investigating the fact, it was dis-
covered that he had hid a part of it in a bin in the
stable.

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UNION HALL.—R. Wood and W. Ball, having
been on a former day examined on a charge, the
one of stealing a fat wether sheep, the property of J.
Wood ; and Hall, a butcher, of receiving it with a
guilty knowledge, and fully committed ror trial—
Mr. Agar appeared this day, and moved the Ma-
gistrates to admit Hall the butcher to bail. The pre-
siding Magistrate refused the admission to bail, on
the ground that the evidence of a John Painter had
made out a sufficient ground of suspicion ; and there
fore Mr. Agar lost his motion.