Star.
London, England, 1807-09-03 00:00:00

THE LATE CAPTAIN WRIGHT.

The following is an extradt of a letter from the lamented Capt
Wright, the celebrated companion and fellow prifoner of Sir
Sidney Smith, and who was murdered whiift a prifoner in the
Temple it gives a more detailed account than any that has yet
appeared, of the manner in which Sir Sidney Smith and Capt•
Wright became prifoners :

" Part., December 6, :?96.

" Seven months of captivity hat indeed broken off almoft all
means of intercourfe between us, but it has not blunted the re-
membrance of my friends at home. I !till retain a grateful fettle
of the finecre intereft which I krow you all feel in whatever per-
fooally concerns me. For nearly three months previous to my
capture, I had few opportunities of writing to my friends IVf-tny
inters Ling events, therefore, which have occurred Gime we parted,
Inuit remain undeferiterl till we meet, or at leaf% till 1 fha/1 be
tinder lefs inaufpidous Influence. It may he nfeful, how • Ito., to
give you franc idea of our expedition and mifativenture, it will ene-
ma tome falfe 'mpreffions which have gone abroad, and which, is
fad, have been circulated by the enemy.
" Sir Sidney and myfelf are treated in a manner which has no
parallel in Military Hiftory. The enemy endeavour to juftify this
treatment by affixing to our expedition a motive and charader in-
compatible with the Laws of War.
" The hallowing is the manner in which we fell Into the hands
of thefebarkatians

" Having anchored on the morning of the t^tit of April, in the
Outer Road of Havre de Grace, with the Diamond alone, we dif-
covered at anchor in the inner Rout an armed lugger. A projedt
was immediately conceived of boarding her in the night by means
of our boats. In juftice to the merit, and indeed nccelEty of this
project, in a national point of wkw it is nect-frary to inform yea,
that this was the only remaining veffel which continued to annoy
the Englith trade within the limits of nor fquadron She bad been
recently equipped at Havre; carried test thrte pounders and 45
men ; was commanded by a bold. eneerprifing man, with a pd.
vase ettouniffion ; and failed fo well in light winds, as to have more
than once eluded the purfuit of our Frigate, when returning from
the Ertel% coaft. Her drft depredation• on our trade were of a
mtg. itutleto warrant the rift of a frnall facrifice in her capture ;
and Sir Sidney had eitablifhed it as a point of honour in his (qua-
dron, that an enemy's veal within the limits of his command
thould not even pars from port to port.
" The force employed in our euterprife confined of the launch.
armed with an 18 pounder carronade and markets, four other
boats with mufkets, including s two armed wherry, in which Sir
Sidney commanded in perfon, and carrying in all es palms. viz.
nine officers. fix of whom were from t a to s 6 years of age; three
fervants, Ind 40 (cameo. We were all Volunteers; were &pored
to furmount all obnacles that thould oppofe our purpofe; not a
breath of air—not a ripple on the water; the oars were muffled,
and every thing promifed the happleft fuccers. We quitted the
(hip about ten o'clock, preceded by Sir Sidney Smith in his wt eery.
Arrived within fight of the Vengtur, we lay moon oars to recon-
noitre her pontion. and termer:ye definitive orders. 'lbis done,
we took a broad duce between her anti the there, in order to sr-
fume the appearance of Silting boats coming out of harbour, and
thereby protract the moment of alarm : in this we fuccecded be.
gond expedation, and afterwards rowed diftetly towards her,
rercrving our fire till the Amid commence the salon. This hAp.
pened after hailing us within about half pillol hot ; the boats re-
turned it in the initant, and within kfs than ten minutes we had.
I got poffeffion of the vetfel.
" It was now that we 'deft dircovered our difficulties. The
enemy had very wifely cut their cable during the action, the veffel
had therefore been drifting towards the &ore all this time. On
perceiving it, we fought in vain for a fecood anchor heavy enough
to hold her againft the ftrength of a very rapid tide, that ruined
into the Stine. All the boats were rent ahead to tow, and every
fail was (et ; but it was all in vain. After all there fruitlefs efforts,
we tried the effect of a (mall fledge, without hope of its holding.
The veffel dragged it a long way, and at length brought up.
" Here, therefore. we lay, an:lout:ly expecting day light, to
difcover the extent of the evil we had to encounter, or for a pro•
pitiou. breeze to affift our efcape. Day-light at length appeared.
and terminated our fufpenfe. Our pofition was in the laft degree
critical—we were half a league Dither up the river than Havre,
the Town and Harbour of which was now in motion, in Aortae
preparation. Nothing now remained for us, but to make every
peffihic preparation on our parts for a defperate and unequal can-
did. The veffel, however. was deftitute of every material article
of defence, fuck as grape•thot and match. There was not a fingle
round of the former, and the latter was fo bad. that it would
never fire upon the Grit application. It was refuived, however,
to fight as long as the lugger would fwim, in the expedlatiott that,
ty protradting our furrender, a prorperous wind might deliver us,
even in the lalt extremity.
" All Havre was now in motion to attack us--fome that had
reaehed us whilft we were in the adt of difcharging our Pri-
toilers, and feuding them on their parole to Hoofhur ; for, with
his 'dual humanity, Sir SIDNEY SIEITN prOpOred to fend them
away clear from the dangers of a battle in which they could not
co-operate They received his 'Lindner& with gratitude.
" The attack now commenced. We got under weigh to at•
tack a large lugger which was advancing, whilft the boats were
detached to rake her with grape (hot and murquetry. The refute
was, that the Cheered off. We had not, however, cfcaped clear:
her grape and mufquetry had confiderably difabled our rigging, and
wounded fome of our belt men : your young friend Charles B. was
amongft the number This action was fearcely over when we
were furrounded on all fides by a variety of (null craft crowded
with troops; and another adtion immediately commenced, more
defperate. and more unequal than the former. Sir Sidney or-
dered all the to be colledted and loaded,and made fads a
diftribution of them that each man was enabled to fire feveral
rounds without the neceffity of reloading; the Midthipmen re-
loaded them as fan as they were difcharged. In this manner an
inceffaot fire was kept up for fame time. No breeze, however,
appeared, and refinance was evidently in vain, as the coantry was
alfcmbling.—in a word, we were compelled to furrender.

We are forry to Rate the lcfs of the Sufannah cut•
ter, Lieutenant Le BLANC, by upfetting at feat Lieu-
tenant Le BLANC and 16 men were Paved by the
boats of the NAIAD and INDIFATICAaLIF. She was
a Bermudian built cutter, on a plan of fait failing,
and was esteemed a fine veffel of her clan.

Admiral Dauar it to hoift his flag on board the
MONMOUTH, of 64 guns, at Portfmouth. He will
fail in a few days.
The NAMUR, 74 guns, was commiffioned at Chat.
ham laft week—the is intended as a guard (hip at the
Nore, the ZRALAND being too old for that fervice.
The following Article, relative to the New Com-
mercial and other Regulations in St. Domingo, will
prove not unacceptable to our Readers:—
The Council of State, upon the Propofition of the Prefidens and
Genenliificno of the Land and Sea Forces of the 'amid of Hayti,
enadts She following Law

ART. I.—Frona the eft of July next, the duty of ten per cent.
laid by the eft Article of the Decree Gi the sd September, is, and
mall be A:trended, upon the Fzportatinn of Sugar, Cotton, and
Cocoa.—it than only be reclined upon Coffe.!.
11.—It (hall hereafter be lawful for VeLfela of every defeription,
Foreigners or others, freely to elrort Sugar, Cotton, and Cocoa;
upon which article it is forbidden to exadt any duty whatever.
111.—The Duty of 5-4th, inipor:d upon the Produce I-4W bf
the Farmers of the State, by the tth Article of the Decree, rela-
ting to the mode of renting the Natioral Domains of the ssd De-
cember, tyy4• n.ttu be hereafter abolithed.

IV -L 'lie Fanners of the State 111211 be rubjeeted to no other
Charges than the payment of the Rent of their Farms.
V.—The Superintendant.Qeneral of the Finances is !Wetly en.
joined to carry the above into execution.

Date at the Cape, the aoth Jape, 11107, the 4th year et
I:xdeyeaderice.
A.Vtartz r. To CSSAINT BILAVZ, •
iii If Alf PHILLIP' PAHL, RAPIIMIL MANU&L,
lAN BAP mit, Ivor FLPORT,
lIIITIAL B , MACIII", Secretary.
PAUL KOWA la, Chainnan.

We. the PtrfiJett and Generalaino of the Land and Sea For.
as settle State of Hayti, have fandtioned and do hereby (Bodice
the prefent Law, and di:eft that the Seal of the Stz,tc 141 be
thereunto af6zed. and that the Caine be publifbed and carried into
mention throughout the territory of Hayti.
Given at the Palace, at the Cape. aria jvert, 1807. 4th yes:
of Independence. Henan CamsVoris&