Star.
London, England, 1807-05-29 00:00:00

COLONEL CRAWFURD's EXPEDITION.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER, DATED
" Cape Town, March 16, tSo7.
" We arrived at the Cape on the aoth March, af-
ter a long paffage from St. Jago. We fuffeted in-
credible hardfbips, on account of the unexpeCted
length of the voyage, which we were told at failing
was to Barbadoes. MoR of the fhips were in no bet-
ter condition than ourfelves, and many were in the
molt deplorable Rate, for want of frdh provifions. In
particular the carabineers, who had never, fince the
reign of Qtyen Bets, bceu out of frefh water, com-
plained bi.terly. They were living on fah junk and
grog, for a month before their arrival here. Several
of the other corps were as badly off. Many do not
hefitate to blame the General for not informing them
at Falmouth of the probable length of the voyage, in
order that they might provide frock accordingly.—
They alledge that it is the duty of every General
having the command of an expedition, to Rudy the
comfort of all the troops under his command, when
it isfo cattily in his power, without prejudice to the fer-
vice in which he is employed. The General, howe-
ver, is very defirous of inpularity among his army.
I hear he has already propofed giving a fplendid
ball and entertainment to the whole of the Officers
of his expedition, as well as to a large prop' r Lion of
the garrifon here. It is fufficient to fay that he is as
much adored by his army, as he was in his former
Regiment, the 75th, of %Lich he had the command
for a long period, with great honour to himfelf, and
fatisfaetiun to every one ',laced under his command.
In the choice of his Staff, the General has !hewn
much judgment and military talent : he has chofen
none but men of great experience and obfetvation ;
men who, in the time of aelion, will Enanifea the dif-
intercßednefs of the General. Since the mad of the
expedition, many difagreeable difputes have arifen
between tht Matters of Tranfports and the Officers
of the Army, and feveral public inquiries have been
made, which have invariably proved that the Maf.
tens were the offenders. During our voyage, we
were prohibited from vifiting at fea ; we fe't it a
hardship, becaufe we were thereby prevented from
ailing each other with provifions, &c. The tranf-
ports are bored through and through, to admit air
to the troops. The Mailers growled a good deal,
and made fifty objections, but they were all over-
ruled. The Regiments are to begin landing to mor-
row morning, for a few hours. Admiral Muiteav
arrived in Table Bay, with the Polyphemus, Africa
and Camel (lore fhip, about a week before ur. He
was not a little allonithed at not finding us here be-
fore him. The General and Admiral have had fe-
veral clofet conferences (ince their arrival, and we
imagine fome great decifion will be the refult. It is
thought that the fubjeti is the arrival of fome dif-
patches Ly the Fly (loop of war, from England, a

few Jays ago. We tremble for the event, left the

(Ned of the expedition mould be diverted."

FXTRACT FROM AN OFFICER QUARTERED AT THE

CAPE, SAME DATE.

" I embrace the opportunity of the Thefeus, which
is ordered home, to give you the news of this place.
Till lately, se have been rather dull. The 211 i Light
Dragoons, 24th, 72d, and 93d Regiments are quar-
tered in Cape Town, together with the fourth batta-
lion of the 6oth. The 83d are at Simon's Town.—
The arrival of General CRAWFURD'a force here has
made a good deal of bugle. Many of the Officers
of this expedition, who had been at this place before,
were aftonifhed at the great improvements which the
Dutch had been making, and which are now carry-
ing on with great fpirit. The appearance of the town
is now really grand ; every thing is beauty and re—
;privity. We have abundance of all provifions and
liquors, and there is a moll excellent and well go-
verned police. The Dutch teem happy under obi.
Government, and copy all our manners aad drefs.—
Nothing can thew the greater partiality which tlle
Dutch feel for the Englifh, in comparifon with the
French, than the following fall: Before the ar-
rival of General Basin's force, an offer of alEflance
was made to Istassus, the Dutch Governor, by M.
De CAIN, the Governor of the Mauritius, who pro-
puled fending three thoufand French foldiers to the
Cape, to 201 in repelling the Englifh. The offer was
rtjeaed, no doubt from the a;•prehenfton that this
Colony would loon have been in the deplorable (late of
Holland at this moment. We have a paper publithed
weekly, in Englifh and Dutch. We have not yet
efiablithed any regular public amufements, but we
intend loon eftablithing a theatre. We are to have
races in a few weeks, and balls of courfe. We were i
much affeaed at the change of Government which'
lately took place here. General BAIRD pottered the
efteem of every r fficer and man of the army, and his
removal has excited a great deal of obfervation.—
Much to the credit, however, of his fuccettor, the
Hun. Major General Gaklf, a brother of Lord How-
ICK, all the appointments made during the Govern-
ment of Sir Devro,havebeen permanently confirmed.
General Gary is well liked; he is by no means fo
ri,,id a difciplinatian as Sir Davin, who carried his
fyftem to a great length in this let lement. But Sir
Devil) was adored, hecaufe he could condefcend to be
polite. No man c•ruld be more generous and hofpi-
table at his table. We have got our firti disifion of
pri•re money for the capture of this place : Sir DAVID,
it is thought, will have altogether about 40,0001.—
Field Officers have already received 5401 Captains,
751. and the Subalterns 451. each. This difiribution,
I believe, was entirely made by the General himfelf,
and the next divitions, I believe, are to be made ac-
cording to the fame proportions. It is thought that
Field Officers will have in all near ly 30001. Captains
4501. and Subalterns 25:.1. each, when the unfold
Flores; &c. have been difpr•ftd of.
" The Fly (loop of war arrived here a few days
ago, from Et:gland, with difpatches for Admiral
MURRAY. No communication has been yet allowed
between her and the rime, and we are afraid The has
brought Come unpleafant intelligence from home,
particularly as her difpatches are now in agitation.
An order has been ifrued here, prohibiting Officers
from intermarrying with the Dutch. We are afraid
that the confequence of this prohibition will be a
more rellrained fsKiety with the Dutth fair ones,who
are very partial to Engin Officers. We have not,
however, yet felt the bad areas of it, as their honfes
are Rill open to us. A fatal duel took place here a
few weeks ago, between two Officers of the 93d, in
which a young man of the name of M'Ketrers was
unfortunately killed."
ANOTHER I.ETrER, SAME DATE.

66 We failed from Port Freya Br;, January tl,
under convoy of the Spencer, Thefeus, Pauline, and
Haughty, croffed the line on the agth, and arrived at
Simon's Bay on the zoth inflant. At St. Jago it was
generally believed that we were going to Mexico, and
when the•lignal was made to fleer due Sonth, nothing
could equal our allnnifhment. We then fuppofed
Cape Horn was the next land we ihnuld fee : in a few
days afterwards, however, we learned that our ren-
dezvous was to he at the Cape. We had, on the
whole, a very pleafant paffige : we loft one tranfport,
the Campion, a very bad railer, and, to our furprife,
found that fire bad arrived here almoll a week before
us. We came round to this Bay on the 24th, for the
convenience of getting water and provilions for the
troops. We found Admiral MURRAY here, with the
Polyphemus, Africa, and Camel (tore (hip. The
Governor wilhed to lay an embargo on all veffels
here, in order to keep this expedition as ferret as pot.
fible ; but the Admiral told him there was no occa.
lion, as he was certain no one knew any thing of our
deflination but hienfelf and one other individual.
66 The Nereide frigate, which left our fleet at St.
Jago, to convoy the gth Dragoons to Buenos Ayres,
arrived here the day before us, and brought the ac-
counts of the taking of Monte Video.
46 The Fly hoop of war came in here a few days
ago, with difpatches for the Arratten. and General
Casa/rutty, and they fay, that the General appeared
much concerned on reading them. We fear, that
the Fly has brought bad news, as the is not al.
lowed to have any communication with the Illore.-=
The general opiaion is, that our expedition will, for
the prattle, be abandoned, and that Tome of our force
will be dent to refit foyce the my is Buenos Ape.."