Star.
London, England, 1808-05-13 00:00:00

GIBRALTAR, APRIL 16.

His Majesty's frigate SPARTAN sent in a boat on the
I 1 th instant, with the intelligence, that on the Ist
she had fallen in with a French squadron of ten sail
of the line, under the south end of Sardinia, steering
to the westward, under a heavy press of canvass : on
making them out to be enemies, Captain BRENTON
dispatched his launch, with orders to land an officer
on the nearest point of Sicily, to proceed to Lord
COLLINGWOOD with the intelligence ; and then to
make the best of her way to Malta. From the winds
which had prevailed, after his boat had quitted him,
Captain B. is of opinion she must have reached Gil..
genti 4.8 hours after.
By the convoy from Malta, we learn that an
express had been received by Sir A. BALL, from the
British Vice Consul at Panteleria, purporting that a
squadron of ten sail of line-of-battle ships, French and
Spanish, with fifty transports, had passed that island on
the 28th of February, steering eastward. A Spanish
boat is said to have been landed on Panteleria, from
the squadron.
By the prize-master of a Spanish brig, captured by
his Majesty's ship Imperieuse, we also learn that that
ship, on Thursday last, fell in with a strange line-of-
battle ship and a frigate, by which she was chased
under the coast of Barbary, near Algiers.
Lord COCHRANE had landed on the N. W. part of
Minorca, and blswn up a fort constructed by General
Fox, for the defence of the Roadstead where it was
situated.

APRIL 23.
We have been favoured with the following transla-
tion of a letter from the Count of EsPELETA, Captain-
General of Catalonia, to his Excellency General of
Division DcnEME, Commanding in Chief the Army
of Obr-vation of the Eastern Pyrenees I

" Barcelona, March 18.
44 Sir—The troops in the Citadel, and forts of
Monjui, may consider the whole of this city as maga-
zines, and all its provisions as theirs. They have no
enemy to fear, nor any thing to expect, except in so
far as having a common interest with the town and
Spanish inhabitants. Your Excellency occupied these
fortresses in the name of the Emperor and King, as
an Ally ; and as such, the Spanish Government con-
sented to the occupation of them by your troops, with
the greatest good faith and confidence. With the
same sentiments, it has opened to you and the
army under your command, its treasures, its re-
sources, and the bosoms of its families, in order to
afford you a hospitable reception, and to share with
you the food destined for its own use.
Military laws prescribe the mode of supplying
garrisons, when it happens that they are either en-
gaged in hostile operations, or are besieged, or when
a scarcity in the country is threatened, which obliges
the General Commanding to take precautions for the
subsistence of his troops, by establishing depots. But,
exclusive of these circumstances, this measure only
serves to create suspicion and distrust. Neither my
conduct, nor the constant moderation of my troops,
nor the favourable reception the French army have
met with, ought to excite alarm.
46 The town is provided with supplies of every de-
scription, as you will perceive from the annexed offi-
cial statement of the Intendant; and even although
there should be some deficiency, your Excellency gives
us the strongest assurance, that provisions are collec.-
ting at the Ports of France, which are to be sent to
this Country, free of duty.
His Majesty the Emperor and King, whose wor-
thy name has inspired us with confidence, while his
troops occupy our forts, being truly informed of our
docility and honourable principles, will not be well
pleased when he hears, that you alarm this City with
terrible forebodings, as a recompence for its constant
submissive conduct.
Your Excellency will be pleased to request the
opinion of his Imperial Majesty respecting your de-
termination, before you carry it into effect, and to
accompany your request with this explanation of
mine, as I also shall lay the business before the King
my Master, without whose orders, I cannot give to
your Excellency what the Forts in possession of the
Spanish troops have not.
4 If, before you receive the resolution of the EM-
PEROR, your Excellency should find grounds for living
with precaution, and under the influence of fear, in
the forts which at present are to be considered as
forming part of the town, then the measure
you propose might be resorted to with propriety.
—But, in the mean time, when no such necessity
exists, I wish to impress on your mind, that
it will serve no good purpose to supply the forts with
stores of provisions ; that such an intention is pointed
and offensive ; and that it will not be in the power of
your Excellency, or myself, to remedy the conse-
quences of the sensation, which such a measure may
excite among the inhabitants.
u Your Excellency will be pleased to accept of my
most high consideration. May GOD preserve you
many ram (Signed)
44 The Count of ESPELETA."
APRIL 27.

Last night the ?mess frigate, Captain OSWALD,
arrived from Lord CoLusawoon's fleet, which the
Piss left off Minorca twelve days ago. By the
Nam we learn that the Rochefort and Toulon squa-
drons, after having effected the object of their expedi-
tion, in landing twelve thousand men at Corfu and