Star.
London, England, 1809-08-25 00:00:00

PRIVAIT I.F.T FM-ROTTERDAM, AUGUST 1.5.

" I take advantage of the first opportunity to give
you some information, as since the 14th lilt, all cm-
enunication has been stopped by means of an embar-
gn. On account of fr.:, landhig which has taken
rlace, the country is in confusion, and every man who
can march is in motion, in order to guard the coast ;
as great care is taken lest th:, English, being now
landed, should fill the country with their products.—
The chasscors and all the disposable force is in acti,
vity. The arming of the citizens is carried into cf-
fcct, and Volunteer Corps d'elite are formed, ullich
are to march to the frontiers. It is said that in Bra-
hrnt there are 62,000 Frenchmen ; and on our part,
.111 are well diTrAed. Corn has risen 50 per cent."

THE EVENING

LONDON.

FRIDAY, AUGUST'S;.

PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DA'' AT ONE O'CLOCK;

3 to Cent. Cons. for money etti—for :0:c. ail.
°mutual 1 prern.—Exchequer prem.

Dispatches were yesterday received from Earl
CIIATHAM, dated the 21st instant. We understand
Mat Sir RICA Alt STRACII/O: proceeded up the Scheldt
'n the 20th, with six sail of the line, twelve frigates,
and the flotilla of boats Lord CHATHAM had gone
to South Beveland, with the whole of his army, ex-
cept 5000 men left at Walcheien, under the com-
mand of General VnAzEit. The most active prepa-
rations were making fur the attack of Fort Liilo, and
there was every proipeet of its being attended with
prompt success. The enemy's fleet, it is repeated,
had gone up the Scheldt beyond Antwerp.
Some Dutch Papers were received yesterday to the
rth instant. In these it is said the French have in
Cadsand eight or nine thousand men, and that so rapid
i.. the accumulation of force at Antwerp, that the
enemy daily gain.; an accession of 800 men to his
army.

NVe have received German Papers to tle. 13th inst.
They furnish some grounds for believing that Austria
and France arc about to recommence hostilities on
eic Danube : at least, it is evident that no prelimina.
tics of Face have been as yet agreed en.

The accounts from Spain and Portugal, which we
yesterday laid before our readers, were of a nature to
require no comment, nor did we offer any. Their
contents may be comprised in a few words : —Our
army, left without supplies by our Ally, after gain.
ing an important victory at Talavera, was unable'
to follow-up its success by any farther hostile opera-
tions, and at length obliged to retreat ! And for our
consolation we are told, that no farther interruption
will occur to its operations, the Junta having made
ample arrangements, and provided innumerable car-
riages to furn 4 them with supplies and provisions;
of every kind in future !
Ministers received dispatches yesterday from Sir'
A►:"rucit WELLEstEv, containing a detail of all the
events that have occurred since the date of his last'
public dispatches. Different private letters were also
received from Officers serving with GeneralliVpdxs-
-1;o', from which have given me extracts.
From all the accounts we may d:a•.v th'2 following
inferences :

By a pretended retreat, more slow or r4pid, accor-
ding to the means or avidity of the Allies, Vicroa
and SEBASTIAN] were to induce Generals WELLESLEY,
CursrA, and VENEC;AS, to advance to the centre of
the kingdom ; while Somr, Nr4, and /vloartEa were
to unite to cut off their return.

From the deficiency of the supplies promised by
the Junta, the British Commander baked before the
time calculated by the enemy. This pause was the
signal to the French to throw off the mask, and with
their superior force to endeavour to overwhelm their
opponents. In the confidence of victory they corn-
menced the attack, expecting that the fugitives who :
should escape the sword would fall into the hands of I
the cG.operating army at Placentia. In this deep-
; id project they were happily disappointed, by the
approved discipline and undaunted valour of the Eng-
li ii, and the consummate skill of their Commander. i!
To these causes the triumph of Tnlavera it to be at-1
tr:buted ; and let it not be said that no advantages
have accrued from the virtue and talents of our min-
ti mien in arms. Had it not been for this ;access, it i
is in the highest degree probable, that the Lritish army
would have been annihilated. Undei the present cir. I
cumst4nqs, it has been enabled to effect a retreat of
50 *des nnmolested ; and it occupies at Almaraz ani
gdyantage9us position, where it will meet the supplies
ifoc4 4ave been forw4rding within these ftw weeks

froiTrarz depend ea tht
accuracy of the statement—that at lengt4 the Supreme
Junta has begun to exert itself.
CurlsTa, we understand, has accompanied General
WELLESLEY in his retrograde movement, and if he
had not his army would have been exterminated.—
After our experience of the past year, we do not very
well know how to estimate the value of the assistance
of the Portuguese and Spaniards; but we consider
the British army, in its present situation, at least in
no immediate danger ; and at the same time that we
deem all the objects of the campaign relinquished,
we hope and believe that the army will be enabled to
effect its escape without any great additional loss,—
Enough indeed has been already sacrificed ; the
blood of the country has been poured forth, the sick
, and wounded have been unavoidablyabandotted to the
enemy at Talavera, and an immense charge to the
I country has been incurred without any one desirable
purpose having been accomplished.
11 The private accounts agree with the Lisbon Ga-1
zettes in the general detail of events south-west of
Madrid ; but they differ in their statements of the
enemy's force. One computes the French on the shores
• of the Xere at 24,000, another reducesthem to 18,000.
; Almaraz, where the British army was posted, is only
about 23 English miles distant from Placentia, and
is on the north shore of the Tagus. It would seem
extremely doubtful, by the accounts, (or rather the
speculations of the writers of them), whether Sir
Armtek WillEstAy will continue his retreat
by the Tagus, or the Guadaiquiver. This ques-
tion, we think, will be resolved without much dif-
ficulty. If he proceed to Portugal, he is destitute
of provisions; if he descend southward toward Seville,
he will meet his supplies, and his march will be faci-
litated by its direction through a country much more
fertile and populous than the wilds of Alantejo, for-
merly the granary of Portugal, but converted into a
desart by the vices of its Government.
Should General \TENEGAS have advanced, as is re-
presented, beyond Toledo, his army must be sacri-
ficed ; we think it most likely that lie is retreating by
Cuidad Real, to his former position in La Mancha,
preparatory to his withdrasiing again into the recesses
of the Sierra Morena. The victories of this Officer at
Aranjuec rust be a fable.

PRIVATE LETTERS.
" LISBON, AUGUST 14.

" The Duke of Marlborough packet sails to-morrow morn-
ing. The sails are to be closed this evening at eight o'clock.—
Letters from the army, of the Rth inst. were received yesterday ;
they state that Sir Arthur Wellesley was retreating back to the
frotelers of Portug tl, and that he was obliged to leave a great
mariy of *his sick and wounded behind him. The cause of his
falling back is said to he, that Soult, with a very considerable
force, was in his rear ; that the Spaniards would not fight or act
with hint ; and that there was no provisions of any eon, or for-
age to he lied in any part of Spain where the army were in ; that
the villages were deserted at the approach of the army, the inha-
bitants (lying to the mountains and other places where they could
hide themselves, taking all their live stock, provisions, dcc. &c.
with them, and otherwise acted with great hostility to the Eng-
lish army. On the Bth inst. head-quarters were at Dileytosa, on
the south side of the Tagus, which Sir Arthur crossed a few days
before, to avoid Soult, who was it, his rear; on the same day,
Soult was within a league of the Tagus on the north side. In
consequence of Soult being in the rear of the Btitish army, be
took several detachments of the English that were going to and
coming from the army.
" By these last accounts it does not appear that General Catlin
Craufurd had joined Sir Arthur, but it was expected every day.
Of General Beresford and his Portuguese army, it is confidently
asserted, that they refused to march-with him, and that they were
in a perfect state of mutiny in consequence of their receiving no
pay, and being in great want of provisis ts. How the Regency
can account to the Logli.h General, or to their country, for letting
this little army, which does not amount to more than 8000 men;
to be in this state, am at a loss to know. I have been at the
public offices this day, they all are in great hopes that Sir Arthur
will be able '0 make a formidable stand on the frontiers. A con-
voy sailed tar England yesterday. All the flat-bottomed boats
that were teied for the landing of the troops, were this day hauled
ar, shore at the Arsenal. raper has fallen Z per cent. these two
days."