Star.
London, England, 1809-10-21 00:00:00

among whom is a large proportion of officers. The
complaints are fevers, fluxes, and interrnittents.
" This town is about 100 miles from Lisbon, and
a little more to Cadiz ; which place I imagine, will
bring us up at last, if Austria should be so abjectly
infatuated as to make peace with BONAPARTE. In
this event, it is immaterial whether we fall back on
Cadiz, or on Lisbon, as the conclusion of this cam-
, paign would then be beyond a doubt.
" Entre nous, the sooner we depart and leave the
field open to the French, the better for England ; if
this could be well done without injuring or compro-
mising our national faith with the Spaniards, who
are, I assure you a pack of —; and as for their
peasantry, so far from befriending us, I have not a
doubt that they would cut our throats, if they could
do it with safety, or a good grace.
" You must not believe all you read from this coun-
try about the energy and patriotism of the Spaniards,
believe me, it is leaning on a rotten reed to place any,
dependence on them. General MOORE'S army was
blindly sacrificed from trusting to the boasted energy,
and assistance of the Spaniards ; and has not this
I army been obliged to fall back on Portugal under
levery disadvantage, through the ignorance and cow-
.ardice of the Spaniards?
" As to the organized Portuguese troops, they are
not wortlrtke trouble that is taken to form them.—
You might as well attempt to twist a rope of sand,
or build a fleet with bulrushes, as to make an army
out of such useless materials. In justice to this na-
tion, however, I must say that the better ranks are,
for the most part, kind and hospitable.
" You will no doubt be glad to hear that the
wounded British prisoners, left at Talavera, are ex-
tremely well treated by the French, who bestow every
attention on them. They write that the French offi-
cers will not allow their own servants to buy a single
article in the market, for a given time, until the ser-
vants of the British officers have first supplied them-
selves with what their masters need. The wounded
are removed to Madrid."

The followir,g dispatch bears honourable testimony
to the intrepidity of a part of the Sicilian navy on a
late remarkable occasion :

Copy of a Letter from Captain Maxwell, of the British frigate
the Alceste, to his Excellency Rear Admiral Martin.
" On board the Alceste, at anchor off Ischia, Aug. 16.
SIR—I feel infinite satisfaction in informing you,
that the pride and vanity of the present usurper of the
crown (4' Naples, were yesterday completely humbled
by the bravery and good conduct of the officers and
crews of his Sicilian Majesty's navy.
To account for their detention here, it is neces-
sary to inform you, that subsequent to your leaving
this island, I was enabled, by the active assistance of
Captains PALMER, MILFoRu, and PURVIS, to make
arrangements calculated to impede the enemy's pas-
sage to this idiom!, to his no small mortification and'
loss. The usurper had given himself a great deal of
trouble in collecting an immense number of gun-
boats, which he was to review on the 15th ; and on
the 16th, as he promised kis credulous subjects, he
was to come here with his flotilla and squadron, to
chase away the English, to take Pouza, and thence
to pass over to Sicily. Several persons believed that
he would do so, though I gave them my word as an
English officer, that nothing of the kind would happen.
" On the 12th, I left here Captain Merman, being
confident that he would not suffer the enemy to pass,
and proceeded to Ponza, to solicit ten gun boats of
Prince de CANOSA. He not only acceded to my re-
quest, but proposed to accompany me in person with
the Venere and Sirena frigates, twelve gun boats, and
two bomb ketches, doing me the honour to say that
every thing remained at my disposal. Captain At.-
MACRO most cordially concurred in this determina-
tion, and immediately weighing anchor, joined me
here on the 14th, and Prince CANOSA disembarked
with 150 troops, and two field pieces. It was re-
solved, that the squadron should enter the bay, to
witness the grand fete which was to take place at
Naples on the 15th, in honour of BONAPARTE'S birth-
day, leaving two gun boats to guard the passage.
" Next day-break we observed the enemy's flotilla,
' consisting of one frigate, one corvette, and sixty-nine
gun boats, anchored in a line under protection of the
strong batteries which extend from Castello dell Ovo
to Pausilippo, and secured with cables made fast to
the shore. In the course of the morning they fired a
salute, hoisted their colours, and made a very fine ap.
pearance ; while we were becalmed at the distance of
five miles.

64 At three in the afternoon, the wind freshened ;
we stood towards them ; and, in an instant* that
splendid and formidable flotilla, fitted out` iii* so
much pains and expence, to take Ponza and Sicily,
thinking itself insecure, even under the protection of
chore immense batteries, broke the line, and began to
retreat towards the Mole. I made the signal, or his
Sicilian Majesty's gun-boats add bombs, who attack-
ed in the most brilliant manner, while the three fri-
gates covered them, and cannonaded the batteries ; '
and the French frigate, though fastened with six ca.'
bles to the Castello dell Ovo, was deserted by her
crew at the very commencement of our attack.
" The firing continued three hours and a half ;
and persons who have left the city since the action,
state, that seven gun boats were sunk, and many
more damaged, and that'ope of our shells killikl three
men close to MURAT. That, under Such eircum,
stances, when the people of Naples were tobienter-
tained with a naval fete, the enemyYs =vine force
should be attacked by a. petty Squadron, Oieflrbe-
longing to their lawful Sovereign, must un4bnbtedly
afford pleasure to you and the Commander of -the
Cape. My only merit consists in having brought it
here, and I hope that you will give an account to the
Sicilian Court of its excellent.conduct. lam much
indebted to Prince Calcosa, tor his prompt concur-
rence in my plan ; to Captain ALMAGRO, fOr his *ea-
loos co-
operation ; apd
INFANTS for 'hie
admirable conduit in the attack.
" Though the enemy's red-hot shot a44oells fell
ahoqt us in great profusion, I have the P1e211441 to
state that they did us o Inischier whatever."