Star.
London, England, 1809-12-20 00:00:00

AMERICA.

B':STCoN, Nov. 18.—Yesterday arrived in this port
the ship Laconia, Walker, thirty-five days from Li-
verpool. Passengers Captain Nickels of the ship
Het.rie:ta, of Boston, and Captain Bunker of the ship
Kesolutioft of New York. Captain W. was captur-
ed o:lthe 12th October, eight days from Liverpool,
by le Decide, French privateer, Captain Briollet,
ten days out from Bourdeaux. Captain W. was re-
leased from the privateer on giving a ransom of nine
thousand dollars in bills of exchange upon his owners
in the United States. He took from the Latonia the
mate and two seamen, by their own consent, to be
holden as hostages for the payment of the bills. The
Henrietta of Boston, Captain Nickels, was bound
tram Liverpool to New York, and was captured with-
in sight of the Laconia. •
The following is a translation of the receipt given
by the Captain of the privateer to C.tptain Nickels.
" I the undersigned Captain of the Kiva: eer le Decide, fitted
out by M. Balonise, jun. certify that I have captured this day the
chap Henrietta, of Boston, Captain J. Nickels, in virtue of the
laws of my Government, finding the 'aid ship in contravention
of the ImOrlal Decree of the 17th December, Mg.—Done at
0.: s, on board the privateer le Decide, I2th October, 1809.
(Signed) " EItIOLLIT."
A treaty has been concluded between the Governor
of the Indiana territory and the Miami, Powtawatany
and the Ecl t iver tribes ..f Indians, who have ceded
t•* the Unite St itt's two minions sis hundred thou-
; Ind acres of land lying on both sides of tbe Wa-
bash, said to be some of the finest land io the United

•

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FROM LAST NIGHT'S GAZETTE.
ADMIRALTY-OEIIM DEC. tz.
Vice-Admiral Lord Collingswood has transmitted
to this office a letter from the Hon. Captain Duncan,
of his Majesty's ship Mercury, giving an account of
the boats of that ship having, on the 7th of Septem-
ber last, under the direction of Lieutenant Pall,
boarded and carried, without any loss, in the port of
Barletta, the French schooner of war, la Pugliese,
of seven guns, and 37 men, protected, in addition
to her own force, by a castle, two armed feluccas,
and musketry.
And also a letter from Captain Lumley, of the
Hind, stating his having, on the 29th of September,
captured off Melazzo a French privateer, called
le Temeraire, vf two guns, and thirty men, out four
days from Naples, without- making any capture.
And a letter from Captain Prescott, of the Weazle
sloop, reporting the capture, on the 27th of October,
of le Velose French letter of marque, of four guns
and eighty-three men ; four days from Tunis, with-
out taking any prize.

Dispatches, of which the following are Copies and Extracts,
have been received by John Wilson Croker, Esq. Secretary to
the Admiralty, from Rear-Admiral Sir Richard John Strachan,
Bart, and K. B.
His Majesty's Ship Blake, in Flushing Roads,
December 13, 1809.
Sir—l availed myself of Vice-Admiral Campbell's
offer of the Jason to convey me to Flushing ; and as
soon as it moderated on the 9th, in the afternoon, I
hoisted my flag on board that ship, and, accompa-
nied by the Idas cutter, proceeded to this anchorage,
where I arrived on the evening of the 10th,
I found Rear-Admiral Otway with the squadron
here ; he had embarked the troops, and put every
thing in a state of preparation for retiring troni Wal-
cheren whenever the wind became favourable ; the
Arsenal and works about the Basin at Flushing hav-
ing been destroyed on that day.
The inclosed letter from the Rear-Admiral will in-
form you of the particulars of his proceedings : his
arrangement for the retreat appeared to me to be so
excellent, that I have given my full approbation to
the whole.—lt has blown an exceedingly heavy gale
of wind from the westward since my arrival in these
Roads, which has pros ented my going as I intended
to the division under Commodore Owen in the Slough
Passage, and the same cause has prevented much
communication here.

I have not received any reports from the Room-
pot, but I send an extract of a letter from Commo.
dore Owen, addressed to Rear-Admiral Otway,
which will inform you of the proceedings of that
officer with the force under his orders. I have the
honour to be, &c. (Signed) R. J. STRACHAN.

Cum, Flll.hing Roads, Dee. 11, 1809.

Sir—l have the honour to communicate to you
such circumstances as have occurred previous to your
arrival, and subsequent to my last official communi-
cation.—The transports necessary for the embarka-
tion of the army baying arrived the 25th ult. on the
following day the measures that I had previously
concerted with Lieutenant-General Don for the de-
struction of the Basin, Arsenal, and Sea Defences of
Flushing, agreeable to inctructions from the Earl of
Liverpool, dated the 13th and received on the 17th,
were begun.
On this service six hundred seamen and artificers
from the fleet were employed, under the orders of
Captain Moore, of his Majesty's ship Marlborough,
assisted by Captains Tomlinson and Henderson, of
the fire ship service. The navy having completed
the portion of work allotted to them, and Lieutenant-
Colonel Pilkington, commanding the Royal Engi-
neers, having reported to Lieutenant-General Don
that his mines for the destruction of the gates and
piers at the entrance of the Basin were ready, the
whole of the army, with the exception of the rear-
guards, was embarked on the afternoon, of the 9th
instant.

The mines were exploded yesterday at low water,
and appear to have fully answered their obj,xt : the
whole of the East side of the Basin had been previ-
ously completely destroyed, but as the port of flush-
ing West of the Basin lies considerably below the
high water mark, any material injury of the West
Bank would have caused the immediate inundation
of the whole town ; therefore our work on that side
has been confined to the demolition of the careening
wharf and pits.
It was at first intended to defer the burning of the
storehouse and other buildings in the Arsenal until
our final departure, but from the probability, that
with a strong east wind the flames might communi.
cate to the town, the whole was set fire to yesterday,
and is totally destroyed.
Thus Flushing is rendered useless to the enemy as
a naval arsenal ; and the Basin, which afforded very
secure retreat for several ships of the line during the
winter, is for the present effectually destroyed, and
can only be restored by great labour, and at an im-
mense expellee.
I cannot conclude without expressing my great
obligations to Captain Moore, for the able assistance
he has rendered me in the performance of a very
complicated service; and he speaks in terms highly
satisfactory of the conduct of Captains Tomlinson
and Henderson, and the other officers who served un-
der his orders on shore —I have the honour to be,
&c. (Signed) W. A. OrwAY, Rear-Admiral.
Ite;irTAdmiral Sir Richard Strachan, K. B.
Commander in Chief, &c. &c. &c.
Clyde, in the Veer Gat, December S.
Sir—Last night the enemy worked very hard on
'the battery at Woolversdyke, notwithstanding the
continued fire kept on it.
At daylight this morning, it was found he had
opened four embrasures in it. Captain Carteret,
therefore, pushed two subdivisions of the gun boats
forwards against it, which completely succeeded in
demolishing two of the embrasures, and in injuring
the others very materially.
About noon, three mortars were brought down,
and, with a field piece, opened against our vessels
(the brigs more especially) ; hut, after about an
hour's firing, in which their shells were thrown with
some precision, but without effect, they were com-
pletely silenced, and all our vessels kept their ground.
About this time the gun boats entered the Cross-
Channel which unites the two passes of Woolvers-
dyke, to endeavour to tow off a flat boat, which was
lost last night from the Pallas's stern, being swanspt
and nverset ; they got her in tow, but she was fast
aground and could not as moved- The enemy's
troops were in number the dyke, and a coml.-

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:t";z:T

derale rye of musketry was csehd *4l thy. I I
believe without effect on either siari some few shot
struck our boats.
1 The enemy's advanced gun boats appeared to lie
close together, and I ordered two of the Clyde's boats
r to advance into the passage and throw some rockets
that way, in order that the occasion might be taken
to reconnoitre them more closely.
I find the enemy's batteries are not so far in ad-
vance as I had supposed,and that their gun boats are
not nearer than Cortjen. They are, however, erect-
ing a battery on a point of the dyke which commands
the Channel, about half way between that place and
the Outer Battery. I have the honour to he, &c.
(Signed) E. W. C. R. OWEN, Commodore.
Extract of a Letter from Commodore Owen to Rear Admiral

Otway, dated Clyde in the Veer Cat, December 9.
If the enemy molest our retreat, we feel a confi-
dence in our strength, and the spirit of my people
will not let them tread upon our heels. It is an ex-
cellent spirit, and I will endeavour to regulate it so
far as to avoid committing them improperly.
(Signed) E. W. C. it. owmt.
His Majesty's Ship Blake, in Flushing Roads, Dec. 13.
Sir—ln addition to my dispatch of this morning, I have now to
transmit a letter, and an extract of one I have just received from
Commodore Owen ; every time I hear from chat gallant and ani-
mated officer, I have fresh caise to admire his conduct.
I think it my duty to inform you that I found the squadron
under my command in the highest spirits, and ready to undertake
any enterprize.
I propose, as soon as I have made my final arrangements at
flushing, to leave this command with Rear Admiral Otway, and
to proceed to the Vere Gat, to communicate with Commodore
Owen. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) R. J. STRACIIAN.
Favourite Cutter, 1 ith December, off Ter Vier.
Sir—l am happy to find, by a report this day
from Captain Carteret, that the exertions of our gun-
boats have completely succeeded in preventing the
progress of the enemy on the Woolversdyke. I in-
formed Rear Admiral Otway that the duty being
heavy on the division of gun boats in advance, I had
ordered that of Acting .Captain Rich to relieve it.—
This was done, and to-day every embrazure the
enemy had opened is said to be completely levelled
by their fire. (Signed) a. w. C. R. OWEN.,

Extract of a Letter from ComModore Owen, dated Favorite, off
Ter Vier,December 11.
The enemy was very busy with the battery on
Woolversdyke, which, if completed, would have ren.
dered the post I had taken on that side a very uneasy
one ; I therefore thought, under. the present circum-
stances, every thing should be tried to keep it back,
and the gun boats have done it well.
If the enemy in our 'retreat treads foo'close ou us,
we feel confident in our strength, and can form as
good a front as our Channel will allow : feeling the
necessity for my being myself in 'the rear, I have
hoisted my pendant in the Favorite cutter, leaving
the care of the Clyde to my First Lieutenant. This,
I trust, you will approve of, (Signed)

E. W. C. R. oWEN.
FOREIGN OFFICE, DEC. 18.

The KING has been pleased to appoint CIIARLES
RICHARD VAUGHAN, Esq. to be his Majesty's Secre-
tary of Legation in Spain.

WHITEHALL, DEC. 19. '
The KING has been pleased to appoint DAVID
DOUGLAS, Esq. Advocate, to be Sheriff Depute of
the Shire of Berwick, in the room of JWIN SWINTON,
Esq. resigned.
The KING has been pleased to promote the Rev.
JOSEPH GOODALL, Doctor in Divinity, to the Pro-
vostship of the College of Eton, void by the death of
Doctor JONATHAN DAviss, late Provost of the said
College.