Star.
London, England, 1805-08-09 00:00:00

ETY'S, yew r 4.

Free& MA

!TINItUE

CAM/RE OP THE DIAMOND ROCK.

lIIITIACT FROM TN& OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE Cl?-

TUNE OE THE DIAMOND.
This Rock, which was never deemed of the leak
importance till it (truck the fancy of Commodore
Hood to fink millions of money in it ;—this Rock,
qualified neverthelels by the Britifh Gazettes, with
the pompous appellation of The Gibraltar of the
Windward Moods," and with which the Adminiftra-
tion of that Country have been plesfed to amufe the
public by the moll exaggerated accounts and poeti-
cal defcriptions, was taken poifeilion of by the French
foldiers in three days. Though this conquell will be
confidered but trifling to our armies, accultomed to
far greater triumphs, it is not the lefs glorious to the
handful of brave men concerned in it. It will always
be faid to their honour that zoo Frenchmen conquer-
ed, in a few hours, a place that nature, art, and t 8
months inceffant labour, had conjoined to render in
fame degree impregnable. It is true, that it colt the
En lift much leis trouble to occupy it, for nobody,
before Sir Samuel Hood, ventured to difpute the
poiliffion of it with the reptiles and birds of the fea,
who reigned there for ages without a rival.
It was a poll thus fortified that the French foldiers
carried in 6o hours—had there been a French garri-
fon upon it, of too men, with provifrons and ammu-
nition, it would probably have held out againft ten
thoofand men. But fuch is the fortune of the two
Belligerent Nations, that the one has the fuperiority
in money, as the other has it in bravery—and the
refult to the latter mull be, that it will alto have the
money.
Onthe 7th Prairial, two days before the expedition,
the Captain General, General Laurifton, Admirals
Villeneuve and Gravina, with a number of General
and other Officers, went to the Diamond quarter, in
order to infized the Rock, as much as its diftance
from the (hors would permit them. The Captain
General (laid there till Saturday night, when be was
called to Fort Royal by difpatches he received from
there, of the arrival of the French frigate Didon.—
General d'Houdetot remained there till the furrender
of the Rocklin order to of ill the befiegertin the cafe
of need.

Estrada( the Oficial Report of Chief d'Efeadroo Iloytr,
gaup to the Captain General, to Viltaret Joyeufe, Captain Go.
oessi of Mardnique and its Dependencies.
Giraa4L—fembarked on the evening of the 9th
Prairial, with the two hundred Men of the Bgd
regi-
ment, which you put under my command, for the
expedition againft the Diamond. The naval forces
under the command of Captain Cafrnao, confifted of
the following Chips—
Lc Pluton. 74, Captain Caftlim
Le Berwick, 74, Captain Camai.
La Syrenc frigate, Captain Chabert.
L'Argua brig, Captain Tailiard ; site
La Fax lekooncr, Captain Mcriard.
The troops were embarked on board the Pluton
and Berwick. The current ran fo thong againft ns
during the night, that in the Morning we found onr-
(elves under the lee of 4t. Lucia.' The whole of the
loth was (pent in beating up again, Co as to com-
mence the attack on the 'following morning—wean-
chored for the night off Point Borgnelfe.
On the morning of the the (hips being all
calletled again, the troops were embarked in the
boats, and were dire Bed to make faft to the Argus,nt
order to be towed near the Rock. ' 1 divided them in
two divifions—the firft, which I commanded in.per-
fon, was to attempt the landing near the Little
Savanna, with Captain; Pinede and Balorier ; 'the
fileond; compofed of Spanifh boats, and commanded
hyCaptain Don •Rofindo Porlier, with the troops
under Captain • Cortes, aid-de camp to General
d'Houdetot, and Lieutenants Blairon and Notns, was
to land at the Patch. On the fame day, between 9
4nd to o'clock, we effeded oµr lapding, much fooner
and with lefs difficulty, than we had•expeded, not-
withftanding a moll brifk and determined fire which
the enemy (having abandoned the lower part of the
Rock) kept up upon us trotis the heights, and particu-
larly from the middle battery, where they had per-
felt command of us, and the violent manner in which
the tea is constantly agitated near the Rock.. We
took is ratan prifoner, whom we found concealing
binifelf. The fortifications of the Rock; and the po-
fitions of the enemy, were cagily as I had conceived
them to be from the oppofite Store. The (eating of
it appeared to me there to be perfealy easy; and
made my difpofitions accordinglybut the 'nta
meat we had landed, this &Ilion ceafed. I faw-no.
thing bin immenfe precipices; perpendieulai rocks, a
threatening enemy, whom it was impoffible to reach,
and infurmountable difficulties on all fides:
We nS-
turally enough concluded, that from the facility with
which the enemy had fuffered us to occupy the I:int
tort olthe'Rock, they had referved all their force;
to deltroy us more fecurely from the height of their
Inacceftible retreat. Oar troops funted feyerely from
a moll 'galling volley of murquetry, frugrnents
of the Rock, cannon balls, and:. cafks filled with
hones, which they poured upon us: They wet; en.
trenched in a number of cavities, which natorx had I
formed at different heights, and to which it was im:
poffible to attain, but by laddirs of thirty cr forty
feet in length. From the tremeuJou4 fire or enemy
the boats had been obliged to retreat, a ithout bay.
ing landed any of the: articles with which I had
furnifhed myfelf for the attach; th 2 ships alfis had
drifted into the oliing, and we remained without
support or provifions; I taw we had no rerource
but to retreat into two cavities in the Rock (in one
of which the enemy had meted two large forges),
where We should at leaft be under tover ; I •had all
our wounded carried into them; and placed a de-
tachment over each. I committed the whole of the
east tide to the charge Of
.Capt. • Cortes, Fiying him
a fufficient number .of men to fuppott him, and at
the fame time defied hint to reconnoitre the moll
advantaketiiis point tD tommencethe efcalade.—
Captainl'inicle Was placedln th 4 fituation on the
right,: withllike^orders Oand the r like means.—
Captainilialoffier had charge of the western tide, and
of the landing . place. I fucceffively sift ted • all our
detachments, and found the fame ardour for the at-
fuck amongft them all, but found alfo the moll in-
luanouotable obflacles and innumerable 'dangers.—
In order to prevent as much as poffible the &efts of
the enemy's deftruilice fire, I made alt the out polls
fall back into:the:two caverns th await the approach
of night, when we might be able to form anew. Not-
withdanding this, 'our fituation Was truly dreadful ;
we were eahaufled With fatigueiuld ch.: want of

netriflament was the more feverely felt by the troops,
who bad been prevented by the tea fcknefs from tak-
ing any for the two p-receding days that they were
or, board the (hips. The boats had not had time to
land any provilions, noricould we espial they would
run the ;ilk of bringing us any. The enemy too had
new, by the quantity of Shot and Rones which they
etritinued to &tea at us, cut off the communication
between the two caverns, notwithflanding their vici-
nity to each other ; in thou, to add to the horrors of
this calamitous fcene, we had nothing to offer to our
wounded, of whom Come were in a moft deplorable
Rate, but barren confolations.
About five in the evening, a party of the foldiers
came to inform me, that Lieutenant Latour, being
led away by his zeal and courage, had afcended, by
means of ropes, to a confiderable height on the
Rock, when he was difcovered by the enemy, ant
with 25 men, made prifoners. A few minutes after-
wards, I learned, that he had been fortunate enough
to difengage himfelf from them, with the lofs of two
men killed, and two wounded, one of whom was hdr;
Gallois, a meritorious young man, and a volunteer.
who received a ball through the arm. We found a
few calks of water, that the enemy bad abandoned.
with which, though perfettly putrid, we were oblig-
ed to relieve our wounded, and endeavour to athlete
the thira that devoured us. A canoe reached the
Shore, and delivered me your letter; the fire of the
enemy only allowed me time to write a few balky
lines, in anfwer, and the canoe puflted off; but I had
the mortification prefently, to fee two of her crew
killed, one of whom was the man to whom I had
given my note. At night, although the enemy did
not at all relax in their vigorous defence, I endea-
voured :to reconnoitre the Rock on all fides; I fent
Captain Cones to take podeffion of one of the bead-
ing:, called the Great Houfe, and eftabliffied two
intermediate ports between him and me ; I then cauf-
ed the guns on the lower battery, which the enemy
had evacuated, to be (piked and paled the re-
mainder of the night in vifiting our detachments.—
Towards midnight, a boat approached without noire,
and fucceeded in landing Lieutenants Datil and Gi-
randon, with 6o grenadiers of the 82d, and likewife
tome provifions, which had been fent by Capt. May-
nard, of the Fine. I embraced this Opportunity of
fedding away our wounded. A feeond boat alto at-
tempted to land, but was fwept away by the' current.
On the 12th; at day-break, I *relieved all our out-
pofts with the grenadiers newly arrived. We diced-
vered a magazine, containing a quantity of rum, Ma-
deira wine, and bifcuit, but we were in great want
of water ; and, abeive all, of cartridges and flints.—
in the evening, I determined, in concert with the
other officers, 'to Summon the garrifim to forte
the following morning. In the cotirfe of the ni
we received ptoviliontr, aninitinition and the re et
the grenadiers of the flad, under rise command of
Captain Brunet ; 'the Commandant Richaud alto ar-
rived, and was as much furprifrd as" had 'been, to
find the Diangnid 10 icy/ dffferetit from what it had
appeared frOM the main land.
On the morning Of the 13th, a boat, laden with
proitifions arid ammunition was fleeting fbr the land-
tug Place, and, though eapofed to 'the dreadful.'fire
of the enemy, Seemed deterniined to reach' it t it
was•commanded by Mr. Ilerenpar, a volunteer, who
having teen our dittrefling'fitnation on the evening
of the t nth. had vowed to brave every danger-to
bring us affiftance: llc had been ordered not to at-
tempt the landing but-ac night ; but the current hay-
ing delayed him till day break, he was refolved ,to
comply with his engagement or perifh in the attempt.
This brave young man, with one of his failcits, was
unfortunately killed ; tato others' were dreadfully
bounded, in attempting to Cave themfelves by fwirri-
ming, and were picked up under the Rock, with fix
of the boat's crew. Tiko Other fupplies were alto
ken endeavouring to approach ; but the enemy's
cannon obliged them to return.
On examining the Rock immediately over our ca-
vern, it occurred to me that it could be fcaled; and
being joined in this opinion by the Commandant
Richaud, I, with his advice, fent to the General
commanding the troops for a quantity of foaling lad-
ders, boat hooks, &c. and deftred Captain Brunet
and Lieutenant Datil to prepare themfelves, with
tixty Grenadiers, for the attempt, which I intended
to make at one o'clock in the morning, by which
time I expeeted the ladders would arrive. My in-
tention to fummon the garrifon was of courfe drop-
ped. My plan being formed, I gave a carte blanche
to all our men, recommending them to fearch every
where for an outlet,and to harafs the enemy as mdch
aspollible, forbidding them at the fame time to fire
on that part of the Rock above our cavern, in order
that the Englifh might' have no idea' of an attack
from that fide ; and defined them to let me knnw
whatever new they Should difcover or do. About nine
in the morning, a number of th;m returned to inform
me, that by varioul means they had fucceeded in
climbing pretty high up' different parts of the Rock,
and would have been able to maintain their difpofi-
tions, had they hid more men and ammunition: I
immediately fent them back with a fupply of both ;
and, about an hour after, Captain Cortes Mile
felt to inform me, that fome'of his 'detachisretst had
got very high up the Rock, and 'demanded my Or-
ders. I fupplied hint **with men and ammunition,
and defired him to bitten and dirge that part orthe
attack. Some of his' men• bad aftually gained an
height, which commanded the entrance to , the
Great Houfe, and had Trained to the Rock Come
ropes which they found ; but, as the Rock was up-
wards of forty feet high,-they did not efefcend within
reach. Captain CorteiCaufed part of the flair cafe
of the Great Houfe to hebroaght away, which they
made faft to Abr. Rock, and were thus enabled to
reach the ropes ; but no one Seemed inclined to of-
cetid, till the gallant Lieutenant Girandon, who haf-
tened there, and climbed up to the Commit of the
height, with the rapidity of an arrow, and was itm-
Mediate' y followed by a crowd of grenadiers, marines
and foldters. One of the acmes hurled at him by
the enemy, wounded him in the arm, another ftruck
him on the head, fp as to knock off his hat, but no-
thing could flop him.
To aftift this attack,
•I .caufed fifty men to con-
ceal themfelves among the rocks; and buildings, facing
the Little Savanna, in order to cut off the commu-
nication of the enemy, and to prevent their giving
any fupport to their right flank, which our troops
had attacked. In the mean time Captain Brunet and
Lieutenant Dutil had fucceeded in climbing tip at
the head of their Lrenadiers ; and Captain cones n 0
. .

Lieutenant dlrardon overcame every thing th„
found in their way. In one place, they difcorere,4 A
quantity of wearing apparel ; in another, a month's
provifions; and in a third, three large calk, of wate ,
which were con(' antly filled by filtration rum the Roc k.
It was now all over with the Dlaniond, and see
lbouid probably have had poffeffi..n of it in 4 teW
hours, when la Fine arrived with a flag of truce.,..
Captain Meynard informed that the garrilon had
thrown ont- the fignal for capitulation, which our
&nation on the Rock prevented us from perceiving.
-The firing was immediately flopped, and two Er,g-
lilhmen came down with a white flag, and announ.
ced their intention of capitulating. One of them
delivered me a letter from the Commander, wherein
he offers to furrender, to prevent any further effulion
of blood. Articles of Capitulation were
ately drawn up and agreed upon, fobjed to your ra-
tification. I then difpatched Captain Brunet to re.
ceive poffeffion of all the batteries and magazines on
the tgp of the Rock, and to hoia the French IlJg,
and cleared him to offer to Captain Maurice and his
garrifon whatever refreflunents we had in our power.
At, his requea, be was permitted to flay on the
Rock till the following morning.
At fun rife on the 14th he defcended with his gar.
rifon, agreeably to the articles agreed upon, and filed
off in front of oar troops, which I had drawn up at
the Queen's Battery, and laid down their arms and
their colours, and came with the tea of the oflit.ers
to deliver me their fwords.

To treat a vanquifued enemy with refpea, is, I
believe, General, only following your intentions, as
well as the rules of French generofity ; I therefore
returned Captain Maurice and his officers their
fwords, and renewed my offers to ferve them. The
number of effeCtive men amounted to ten, one half
of which were fent on board the Pluton, and the
other on board the Berwick. I infpefted the whole
of the Rock, and had the two 18-pounders at the
top of it thrown into the lea, as well as the platform
and all the powder and lhot • I alto cut down one of
the flag (toffs, leaving only that on which the French
colours were flying.
To judge from the great quantity of powder, (butt
water, and provifions of all kinds, which we foundin
the different cavities near the fununit of the Rock, it
would be fuppofed that the enemy could have held
out much longer. The prodigious buildings which
they bad csnaffruaed, evidently proves that they coo-
uttered themfelves as well eftablillred here. I cannot
even yet conceive bow they amid be fo loon diflodg-
ed ; it required, no doubt, Frenchmen to do it, and
Frenchmen a; brave as thofe you put under my corn.
rpm!. From a flatly calculation, I yin afraid we
have to regret the Ws of so men, both killed and
wounded, which is certainly great, when we reflat
that it is fo many brave men who have fallen ; but
from' the difficulty of the enterprik, we might have
calculated u' a much greater one. •
I cannot fay too mtich in praife of the troops em.
ployed. on this expedition--Officers, Soldiers, and
Sailors, manifeffed their tribal bravery, coolneft, and
&alb ity. The god regiment, though but jolt railed
under your aufpieea, has confecrated its new number
in the moll brilliant manner. It does not belong to
the to fpeak of the Naval Fordes—the behaviour of
the whole of the Chips employed under Captain Caf-
limo, has been generally -admired ;-LI owe a real
deal both to him and Capt. Camos, of the Lerwick ;
ttreir co-operation with the land forces, in fupplying
us with provifions, was of effential fervice, and then
guns greatly affitled in feconding • our efforts.—
Lieutenant Dodignen; of the Bucentaur, who con:
manded the boats, behaved with great merit
bravery ; be had he misfortune to be fhot throng..
the knee with a mufket ball, but is in a fair nay ct
recovery.
I Ihould be happy were it in my power to name
here all the brave men who contributed to our foe-
eels ; at their head I muft place Captain Concz, wlu
particularly diffinguiffied himfelf ; as did alto Cap-
tains Brunet, 'Pinede, and Baloffier ; Lieutenant.
Dutil, Blairon, Nocus, Forffial, Lourier, Daubed.
milk ; , and Latour and Sub Lieutenant Gironde.,
who was the firff that dared to attend the lofty rock,
from whence the enemy feemed to defy us.

LONDON.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 9.
PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE C'CLOCE.
Confab for money, 38+—for karat, sq. j
/Leduc/A 381-1-omniont 3141.
PRICE OF STOCKS YESTERDAY.
Bank Stock :Bo} 'So India Stock ilict
3 per Cent. Red. Ad. 38,1“ Imp. 3 per Cent. 88.
3 per Cent. CO4 371 38 Exciseq• 8i11.,11. dd. IL pr.
4 per Cent. of Omnium 31 per.
3 per Cent. Navy Lottery Tickets 191. is.
per CeoL 177,3= CouL for ace. 38f 371 581
Long Ann. 16f 13-16

We announced yeßerday that difpatches had been
received from Lord NaLsow, and then laid before
our Readers every particular that bas traufpired of
their contents:- Some of our Contempofaric; have
haled that his Lotchfbip arrived at Gibraltar on the
22d of July, and not on ;he isith as we yellerday
Rated. The followlng copy of a Bulletin with which
wc.have been favenired and which was ycact day cir-
culated among the members of the Cabinet, will, we
apPrehend,rettle the point :
" aDMIIRALTT orricr, AVC.B
" Difpateionmeelved here this morning from Lord NI.!
* Bate, that co thy !nth July Lord NrLSON watt ii ,:o Giuratt,r
* Bay for refredrents, and en the a6th July he was procmdie,
N infearch of aliCollabined Fleets: at that time he had not ham
• of the French Beim"

The fad is, his Lordfhip went into Gibraltar Bay
on the 19th, and on the zad he anchored in Tetuan
Bay, to rake in provifions and water. Thefe dates
have been confounded. • '
It is with great pleafure we Elate, that by a public
document, figned NetsoN and Blom, dated the
a7th of July, it appears, that at that time net a fingle
perfon 'belonging to his fleet was confined to bed, or
even indifpofed with any cotaplaint whatever.
If his Lordthip lhotild fortunately receive any in-
formation'of the Combined Fleet having already been
engaged, and we.truli that tome Tafel was detached
with the information to the fqoadron off Cadiz, hf

rb
flll be better enabled to determine the cnurre they
you'd molt likely be induced to take, and may &ape
is own accordingly. •
It is, however, not a little fingular that (according
to cur Plymcuth letter,) his Lordiltip, when he found
that the Combined Fleet had not been near the Me.
cli,erranean, fhaped hie rouge for the North of Ireland,
having received informatics that their itflirtation wasfer
tkat country. .

His Lordfhip's information hag hitherto been pron.
ed fo correct (excepting that which carried him to
Egypt) that it would not furprife us to find it per-
fo on the prefent occafion. Such a courfe
wight have been previoufly determined in the event
ofmecting with certain impediments, fuch as have
occurred ; and Lord NELSoW may have received in•
teifigence of this poffible past of the enemy's plan.—
tt, is worthy of remark, that Ireland is alfo men.
ti,L'ed in the information derived from the Spani(h
pri:es (fee the STAR of yeßerday) ; and that in HO-
land, as we Bated two days ago, they had. [hong
hopes thit the combined fleets might reach them by
the North. of Ireland and Scotland.
Bet in fpite of all the fagacious combinations, on
which the French Government piques itfelf, the com-
bined Sect tr.a7 find fome of the links Co much de
ranged, as not to. bt able to finifh fo Inccefsfully as
they had contemplated, the voyage which they began
with fuch hopes of
.fuccefs ; and we may hear in a ,
few days of another brilliant vitiory.
Lcrd. NELSON'S difPatches were - brought to Ply-
mouth in the PICKLE fchooner. On the 3d inf. this
veffel !kw a (mall French fivadron, confining of three
line of battle (hips and three frigates, cruifing off
Cape Finiflerre, where it had been fence the 3111 ult.
having been that day Peen by a Portuguefe vefel. is ,
this the Rochefort tquadron, or. is it a part of the
Combined Fleet? Be what it telly,, there is a great
probability of its being picked up bj fome one or
other of our fquadrons.
The Diana packet, which has arrived at Falmouth
in eight days from Litton with the mail, on the sd
intl. in the latitude of Cape Finiflerre, lon. to. no. W.
fell in with a quantity of wreck, fuch as tables, chairs,
bulkheads of cabins; &c. fuppofed to be thrown over- i
board, by men of war clearing for adion ; and ran
the following day law a vaft column of fmoke, to
windward about three or four leagues, which conti-
nued to Ikea for the fpaee of two hours ; but whe-
ther it proceeded from an action bet Ween two hoftile
lips or flettr, or from a Vella on fire, could not deter-
thine. From thefe circumllances it might appear pro-
bable to fome that an adion has taken place between
Lord Nstsoit and the Combined Fleet, as the time
might very well anfwer for fuch an event. Had no
column of fmoke been teen, the fragments of furni-
ture awl bulk-heads might be inferred to be part of
thofe thrown over in clearing tot *Oion, between Sir
R. CALDER and the. Combined Fleet, for they might
eafily be drifted to the fpot in the time.—But on this
all is mere conjelture at prefent.

The Mot; cIiERON (loop of war, the arrival of which
at Plymouth we announced ye(lerday, brought dila.'
patches from Admiral Coi.curowoon, dated the
s9th ult. off Cadiz. The combined fleet had not
ben fcen at that time in that quarter, but the Ad•
mital had received accounts irons Sir R. CALDER of
his having had en engagement with the enemy, and
had tranfnittcd them to Lord liazsos.

We have therefore now the fatisfaaiort of knowing
it our fleets and fcivadrons are apprized of the
enemy being on the coafl of Europe hunting for an
cm:ance, which increafes the probability of our ob-
ta;Meg poffetlion of tome more of their !hips.
Oil the sth inflant the MOOCH !Rom fell in with a
Forteguele !hip from Lifbon, the Captain of which
ftatd, that on the precedieg day he was brought to
by rive French line of battle (hips cruising off Cape
Cur. The numbers differ, but this is probably the
fame fcoadron that was Peen by the PICKLE.

A letter from an Officer on board his Majefty's !hip
:,fells, dated July 3, off Cadiz, Pays—"" You will
°Verve that of nine fail which left Plymouth, on the
:2d of May, under command of Admiral COLLING
wool:, only four fail of us remain off this port, viz.
DRIRDNOUONT, COLOSSUS, Acutzt.a, and Maas;
the RANILIIS and ILLUSTRIOUS having beet: dif-
patched fur the Welt Indies; as we have lime learnt,
and the MINOT/Mb TONNANT• and Bezaaeosnow,
haying gone into the Mediterranean with the qy saw,
nn board of which fhip Sir R. BICARATON had Shifted
leis flag from the ROTAL Sovsestow."
This account receives much confirmation from the
Intelligence brought by the Fraoaan frigate, arrived
at Plymouth from Madeira, from whence the failed
on the 24th of July. She (late:, that on the tzth of
June the Rai /twin and ILLusrarous men of war,
two Chips belonging to Admiral Cozzlmowoon's fleet,
arrifed there I they left the Admiral off Cadiz the
Bth of June, with feven fail of the line. The men of
war did not come to an anchor, but after landing
fomedifpatehes from the Resumes, they immediately
proceeded to the Weft Indies.

The difpatches received yefterday from Admiral
Cocuasms, ftate, that all apprehenfions with refped
to any attempts of the enemy in the Weft Indies.
have v4nithed ; though it was for tome time believed
that the Combined Squadrons were attempting to
elude Lord NaLsos's vigilance, and to return to
:etertinique.

les

Lieutenant CIAU Ft/ ID of the 54th Regiment, died
this day of a wound which he received yeaerday
morning in a duel with Lieutenant S- of the.
Navy. They had unfortunately quarrelled the pre.
ceding evening.

jULT I.

The teemaaart arrived from Lilon to-day, with
the mails. t, In coming in file was attacked by the
enemy's gun boats, which {he beat off, and purfued
for force time, driving one of them on (bore.