Star.
London, England, 1804-10-05 00:00:00

BLOCKADING SVADIIO?IS.

It has for Tome time been known, that an expedi-
tion was prepanng for the phrpore of attempting
Come enterprise againft the enemy. The deflrue-
tion of the flotilla at Boulogne vas the 4hjeZt ;
and a dark night, a leading wind for the French
cold, and a favourable tide, were Cuppored to be
the moft fortunate combination that could occur
for making the experiment. All of thefe took
place on Tueeday night, and accordingly, a little
before midnight, a molt tremendous cannonade was
heard in the direaien of Boulogne, which was con.
filmed widlostt intermiMon for fume Mars. The
firing of mot and (hells, both from our fleet and the
hoflile flotilla, as well as the land batteries, is repre-
fented,in the letteis from Deal and Dover, to have
'far exceeded any that has yet taken place od the op•
polite coati. Three diflind explofions wetc heard,
(Come account: fay only one) during the cannonade,
which were euppoied to proceed lions the blowing up
of the fame numbtr of fire-Mips Cent its among .the
'French flotilla, an operation for which the direflion
Of 112 e wind was particularly favourab*,
Whin our paper was put to •prees yefterday; no
accounts of the event had been received. excepting
41y what we dated—that a very heavyfiring had beat
on Tucfday, between eleven and twelve at
the direBmtt of Bonlogne, which continued
tillpaft midnight; and that it was believed an attack
bad been made crithe enemy's flotilla itt that patter.
In the afternoon, however, Come of our coternpo-
:Arles, who are in the hibit of publifhing exaggerated
details of the particulars of every rumour, announc-
ed to the public that 48 of the enemy's gun boats
had been deßroyed, and a great deal oe other mif-
thief done to th;m, without any loft on our fide.
It would only be infulting the good fence of our
Reade;:s to repuhlifla the aecohnts that were left
night impofed on the public as genuine coffeepot).
'fence from Deal, Dover, &c. &C. Suffice it to fay
that having done ore dAty in mentioning the ru-
mours that *ere circulated we are concerned to
date that the attack from which fo Much was ex-
peded hat failed, and that few, if any of the ene
by!' ecireie, have been (unit or deftroyed.

The attack was made under the immediate °lifer-
Nation of the Fiat Lord of the Admiralty, Lord
111/LVILLS having embarked or. board l'Asstaate
frigate, commanded by Capt. Bottom, at Deal, on
Tuefdair evnieg. when the immediately flood over
for Boulogne, wiih a favourable wind. Both Lord
NEITI4 and Admiral Lout's were prefent ; and the
whole of our force which had been collated for the
defence of the firait, was concentrated off Boulogne
on that evening.
The plats of attack we undetfland tts "lave been !
lbgge*cd by Sir Hosts Pot HAst, who lupe:intended '
*he execution of It in perfon—and it is Paid that
boats or machines of a particular kind, which we
know to have been fume time hack eonfituited in
one of, the King's Yar.ls, tinder the infpation of
that Officers were employed on this oecation. Thole
machines are reprefeuted as capable of being floated
under water, and towed along by a (mall beat. Each
machine is reported to have tcntained font tons of
flonet and feveral barrels r.f gnnpnwder ; arid hav-
ing, under the &apes of the night, been previonfly
Placed as neat the flotilla that was anchored in Bou-
logne Roads as polLble,explied af:er a certain time.
borne fire (hips were afterwards Put in among them;
and in addition to there means of molePaiion, an in-
ceffant cannonade was kept op by our fquadron.
Such are the means by which a eonfiderable de-
Clement was intended to have been inflitted en the
VINOR Navy of the Ce:forrz Ulurper, and which, if it
bad been filcafsful, even to one.thlrd of tlz extlnt
that is mentioned, would probably not have made it
advifeable for it to.ftinter (made the pier of Bou:
logne.

We lametit that the fat...rine expeeations which
were formed refiseaing the ;eralt of this enterprife
&mild be fo dirappointed ; expettatinns which were
rot merely confined to the gallant Officers who were
charged with all the details of it, btit which it
Teem were warmly entertained by Maine's
thetitrelves ; for w. ;mow of nothing etre ftifficiently
important to have fent the Firll Lord of the Admi:
malty to fez, and to have drawn almott the Whole of
the Cabinet th Walmer Callle.

The whole of our fquadron has rettftned to the

Downs, .4:c

DIAL, Ot r. 4.—ArTi-cd the MONAP6I man of
war, Right Hon. Admiral Lord 'Cirri ; CASTOR,
JAMAICA, Gatynoutin, and l'lmmoarALarr frigates;
DAIT, HARPY, ORIST AUTUMN, hfratoas, Eu-
CFNIk, Sreaoy, ALo.vn, and Scoveca, floops of
war; Lrcirtß, 17VAY, VOLCAhO, SoL►*Ut, DsvAg•
TAT and the Discorcet bombs ;—Svaitt.irio,
Cr !ewer, and TroaEZ!Ftin hrigg, with fevera: other
flips of var from off 'h.- Ft coch cnall, and remain.
Arrived and (Ailed for the River, the Sea NyroVa,
S,IITH, and the Ellen, LANCITArr, from Malta.—
Wind S W.

Letters from nor erttizers vn ,:,e ens'', or Holland
pt , that IA rtiday, rnis.,tMi,n(ting the notice
vhich they have received, not to gn fea, without
espofing themfcives NI be caromed, reveral Dutch
i4lting-tioacks left Sekvecingen, hut were fnon per
-ed and chafed by one of on; frigates. Keeping,
• • V't f, too dofe tc the (bore tht frigate to 10-