Star.
London, England, 1812-01-23 00:00:00

THE EVENING STAR.

LONDON.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 2S.
wet OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK
ler Ct. Cone. for money 621 I—Ditto for account 63
fro Cent. Red. 634—Navy 5 per Cent. 94 if
per Cent. 79111—Bonds 171. 186. pre.—Omnium par
sok.3 (3d.) Ss. to 46. pre.—Ditto (3111.) ss. to bl. pre

By the Malta and Gibraltar mail of yesterday, we
lam that the French with 11,000 troops, were close- '
IT besieging Tarifa, were continually bombarding it
town nine pieces of heavy artillery, and were erecting
batteries for more guns to play on that place. The
garrison • of Tarifa consisted of about 800 English,
ender Colonel GOVOIIf and 5000 Spanish troops, who
would defend it as long as possible. It was not ex-
peded, however, that it would hold out long, the for-
tifications not being in the best possible condition.—
number of heavy guns and much ammunition had j
been sent there from Gibraltar, and our gun-boats and
liips of war were using every exertion for its succour.
..General BALLESTERORS'S head quarters were at St.
Roque. During the time the French were in posses.
sicto of that place, they destroyed every thing that
thry could not carry away ; and while the inhabi-
tants were forced to seek shelter under the guns of
Gibraltar, they had been exposed to every hardship.
It rained incessantly nearly all the time,
.44
loosened a part of the rock, which tumbling, kaki
four and wounded 18 of these unfortunate people.

The following are extracts from our private com-
munications from Gibraltar :

', GIBRALTAR, NOVEMBER 27.

“ This morning about 10,000 of the enemy were
seen approaching St. Roque from the eastward, which
they entered about mid day, and Gen. BALLESTEROS%
'ugly, and the miserable inhabitants, again took shel-
ter under the guns of the garrison. The French army
is commanded by General LAVALLE, and has been
driven from Murcia and Grenada.
Nov. 28.—There have been several smart skir-
mishes to-day between the French and Spaniards.—
About eighty Spaniards, who had taken post on the
bill called the Queen of Spain's Chair, were attacked
by 200 of the enemy, to dislodge them from it, which
they accomplished, after a quarter of an hour's sharp
fighting. The Spaniards had two killed, and a Ma-
jor and twenty men wounded, who were brought into
the garrison.

Nov. 29.—General Courow's division of 1400
Men, and Colonel SKERRET'S, of 1200 British, from
Tarifa, were last night brought over from Algeziras
in boats, and landed on the neutral-ground, to rein-
force General BALLESTEROS, with the intention, it is
supposed, of attacking the enemy.
" Nov. 90.—1 n consequence of a large body of
dictum), making towards Tarifa, General COUPON'S
and,Colonel Sicutarr's division were embarked on
board of transports, and sailed for Tarifa this evening.
" Dtt 2:— A body of the enemy marched towards
Algeciras to-day' and; threw some shells into the
town, and summoned the place to surrender, as also
the island of Algeziras. Our gun boats, and a bomb-
ketch, kept up a constant fire on them all day.
3.l—A detachment of 100 infantry and 30
artillerymen, with some heavy ordnance, were sent
from garrison to the island of Algeziras this mor-
ning, A party of French entered Algeziras last night.
" Dec. s.—Our gun boats, off Algeziras, and the
guns on the island, have kept up a constant fare these
few dayspast on all parties of the enemy that appeared
on the outside of the town ; but the gun boats which
are lying close to the shore have not been able to fire
at the enemy with shot, as none of them ever ap-
pear there without forcing a body of women and
children in their front, whom they compel, at the point
of the bayonet, to march between them and our gun.
boats, to prevent their firing upon them.
" Dec. 7.—A French trumpeter deserted to the
garrison—he states the French force between this and
Tarifa to be
.upwards of 15,000 infantry and 1200
coalrY. He also states the French to be much in
want of bread and wine.

" Dec. 11.—A division of 2000 men, which Ge-
neral BALLY-ST=OS left in the mountains *in the
enemy's rear, have intercepted ten convoys of provi-
nces going to St. Roque, escorted by 70 cavalry and
341° infantry, the greatest part of whom they have
lined or taken, and the whole of the provisions has
Wen into the hands of the Spaniards.
di DiFr• 12.—The enemy abandoned St. Roque
this morning, and marched' towards Tarifa. The
%Innis,' cavalry have gone in pursuit of their rear-
Dud, and the infantry have again returned to St.
Roque from under the guns of the garrison.
' Dec. 13.—None of the enemy are in sight of the
garrison this morning. The STATELY sailed thisl
morning to resume her station off Tarifa.
" Dee. 20.—The enemy have for some days been
trying to bring battering guns against Tarifa, but
without success. They have upwards of 14,000 men
in that neighbourhood. A violent cannonade has
been heard there all this morning, and all the gun-
brigs and gun-boats sailed from hence today to the
uslaaance of that place. BALLESTEROS'S advanced
tilard.had a smart skirmish with the enemy on the
18th, in which the Spaniards had 12 killed and seve-
ral wounded—they brought in five prisoners to St.
Roque.

, ft—From the incessant firing which was
"Pt up the whole of yesterday at Tarifa, we have
ItaTacip to believe that the enemy have opened their

batteries on the town. The enemy have suffered se-
verely in carrying on their approaches to the place.'
They have compelled a number of the Spanish pea-
santry to work at the trenches, and several of them
who have made their escape, state, that upwards of
600 of the French have been killed or wounded by
our fire, and nearly 300 of the peasants. The prin-
cipal battery-of the enemy is within 300 yards of the
north-east angle of the town. About 30 wounded
men were landed this morning from Tarifa, also the
detachment of German Hussars."

A Cadiz Mail, arrived this morning, bringing letters
and papers to the 27th ult. We have the satisfac-
tion to learn that, up to the middle of December,
Valentia held out, and that SUCHETIS division had
been much weakened, in consequence of being obliged
to send off -6000 men to Arragon, where the Spa-
niards were in force. General LACEY, who is in
Catalonia, has under him 15,000 men. There
is a confused account in the Cadiz papers that the
enemy suffered a severe repulse at Valencia on the
9th ult. One account states that the loss of the
French was 4000 men, who were completely enclosed
within the city, and cut off. Other accounts state
the loss of the enemy at 14,000, but this number is,
by far, too extravagant.