The Sun.
London, England, 1829-09-01 00:00:00

Major of Cacadores No. 9, Manoel Joaquirn de
Menezes; and I ordered the Commandant of the
district to the left of Villa da Praya, Lieutenant-

Colonel of Infantry No. 16, Pedro Jose Frederico,
to extend his force on to the heights commanding
that bay on the left side.
"At day-break the following morning, the
squadron, the better to conceal their designs and de-
ceive me, appeared close under land in front of the
bays to the west of Angra and the castle ; but at full
day the wind blew fresher, and showers obscuring
the horizon, they suddenly changed their course, and
gliding rapidly along the coast, they suddenly ap-
peared in the bay of Villa Praya, where the happy
and glorious action took place, a description of which
I submit to your Excellency, that you may lie pleased
to convey it to the knowledge of her Majesty.
" The proximity to the land, in which the squa-
dron, favoured by the rind, was enabled to double
the Cape of Praya,and the mists and showers which
at that time obscured the horizon, concealed from
the defenders of the bay of Villa Praya every move-

meat of the hostile squadron, and only at eleven in
the morning, when the fog cleared off and the wind
calmed, was the man-of-war discovered which formed
the vanguard of the squadron, and this at the time
she was entering the bay, followed by all the ships
of the squadron, with the exception of the corvette
left off the port of Angra.
" The fort of the port began the fire, and was im-
mediately answered by the man-of-war and other
ships of the squadron, which, continuing their mo-
tion, penetrated as far as the water allowed them,
cast anchor, took in their sails, and kept up without
interruption a most vigorous cannonade.
" The fort of the port, commanded by Ensign
Simon Albuquerque, of the Infantry No. 3, follow-
ing up his lire with the greatest judgment (whilst
the enemy thundered upon our batteries arid in-
trenchments with but little effect), soon did consi-

derable damage to the line-of-battle ship, destroyed
part of her mast and quarter-deck, and wounuitig
many persons on board. It was therefore in vain
that the enemy, by the incessant fire of a hundred
cannon, tried to intimidate the Volunteers of the
Queen Donna Maria 11., who hitherto alone in this

arduous crisis, were attacked with so much impe-
tuosity and violence; their attention was fixed upon
the whole line of defence confided to them, and they
waited with that sang froid and subordination which

characterize true soldiers, and do honour to veterans,
the development of the operation of landing.
" By four o'clock in the afternoon, the enemy,
without ceasing their fire on board for a single mos
ment, sent a column of troops in the launches, at-
tacked with rapidity and courage the point where
the fort of Espirito Santo stands, and where an ac-
cumulation of large stones of bazalt, and great heaps of
lava rolled, from a strait, at the base of a scrap of
stone, nearly vertical.
" Major Menezes immediately sent a part of his
volunteers to support this point, uniting with it the
force posted in the adjoining district, close to the
base of the fort; and these brave soldiers, under
the fire of the batteries on board, and from two gun-
boats that protected the landing, commenced such a
sharp and well directed fire of musketry, that they
succeeded in driving back some of the barges, very
roughly treated; however, the greater part of the
enemy's force, casting themselves boldly, and at all
risks, upon the rocks, and climbing the fort of
Espirito Santo, which was now evacuated, suc-
ceeded in throwing some men into the interior of
that fort, whilst a few others further off got up the
scarp or slope. The design of the enemy was to
_,ssain
possession of the fort, and the crest of the rock, to
occupy with this force the heights on our left, in
order to protect his ulterior operations ; but the
velour of the volunteers frustrated this plan, be-
cause, by climbing rapidly the height which com-
mands the fort, they jumped into it, bayonet in
hand, and, dislodging their enemies, precipitated
them upon the rocks on which they landed, and
themselves garrisoned the crest of the scarp.
" The enemy at this time, partly occupied by the
destructive fire which poured upon their launches,
and partly in launching a second column against the
right flank of our line, withdrew their launches on
board, which left their first force, composed of the
flower of their troops, and almost entirely consisting
of grenadiers and Cacadores, betwixt the abyss of
the sea and an inaccessilsle slope, guarded at the top
by active fusileers.
" At this time the central column, which I had
caused to march at the first indication of attack, after
going over a great extent of road, assaulted in flank
by the batteries of the line of-battle ship and frigates,
entered Villa-Praya, and the first column of the in-
vaders, bereft of their commander and other officers
mortally wounded, attacked by a shower of balls, and
isolated at the base of the scarp, were now com-
pletely routed and discouraged, and the soldiers, ex-
asperated, called out for the launches to re-embark
them ; but they called in vain, and continued to suffer
from the continual fire from our side, while the ships
played their artillery on the shore without ceasing.
" May I be permitted to direct the attention of
your Excellency to a spectacle which presented itself
to me on my arrival at the field of battle--a spectacle
the most sublime that can be witnessed in war, and
which probably does not present itself once in a
thousand combats. The cannons of the squadron
were playing upon all parts of Praya and the adjoin-
ing hills ; and our little forts, with a very limited
number of cannon, served by the coast artillery-men,
were answering hundreds of mouths of flame, by
which they were assailed ; whilst on the height of
the acclivity, the small line of volunteers were dis-
playing simultaneously the greatest courage and the
most sublime generosity.
" The invaders, abandoned upon the reeks, unable
either to extend themselves or to escape, and per-
suaded that we, imitating the orders which they had
received, would refuse them quarter, were driven to
exasperation—the boldest fired to the top of the
barrier, and, shortly wounded, sheltered themselves
amongst the rocks which the sea was gradually invad-
ing, as the tide was coming in ; and the less intrepid
concealed themselves in the caves.
" The horrible condition of these unfortunate
men, dragged hither, for the most part, by the vio-
lence and tyranny of the Usurper, now moved the
hearts of the generous volunteers, and seeing in
conquered foes a band of unhappy
victims, they
called out to them from the top of the scarp not to
fire—to surrender; that they had nothing to fear
unarmed. They then fastened ropes and threw
them down the scarp; others taking off their shoes,
and descending in this manner down the rocks, gave
their hands and drew their enemies from the abyss,
who at length threw down their arms. All this
was done by our brave fellows, who would not
suffer themselves to be perturbed either by the fire
of the cannon and musketry, or the cannistenshot
poured upon them from a brig, and, conducting their
prisoners thus made, they flew again to their arms,
binding up more than one wound with their hand-
kerchiefs, which some had received.
" As soon as the central column entered the field
of battle, I ordered two companies of the sth batta-
lion of Cacadores to support the volunteers on the
left ; and I extended the rest of the force along the
right side of the bay, against which the enemy was
disposing his second attack. In effect, scarcely were
my tlispo-itions taken, when, under shelter of the
tnansof•war and frigates, a second column was em-
'earked, and the launches appearing in succession,
threatened our right ; but the first fire of our field
artillery from the battery, under command of Capt.
Vilarinho, having upset the first launch, and the
next disordered their whole line, the launches drew
hack and covered themselves tinder the line-of-
battle ship, whilst the cries of Victory' resounded
along our whole line.
" The rest of my artillery and the mortars now
having been delayed by the difficulties of
arrived, having
and the first grenade they threw threat-
ened the squadron with a new danger. It was,
however, now night, the title was full, and the Mall-.
ttft-ewcaari,mv
which‘hc ih ple‘-,
at low waterai;edgrounded, floated again ;
during
the evening was
succeeded by
a light breeze. Then the commander's
ship, seeing the attack on our right frustrated, coin.