Star.
London, England, 1809-10-25 00:00:00

FRENCH COURT MARTIAL.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE COURT-MARTIAL HELD AT ROCHE-
FORT ON THE CAPTAINS (IF Tne SIIIPS DESTROYED IN
BASQUE ROADS BY OUR NAVY.
The following is the substance of this interesting
document which we mentioned yesterday. The sen-
tence has not yet been transmitted :
It appears by the account of the loss of the Ton-
nerre, given by her Captain, Mr. CLEMENT DE LA
RONCIERE, that whilst endeavouring to avoid our fire-
ships, she was run on hoard of by the French man of
war the Ocean, and grounded on the rocks. Repeated
exertions were made to save her, but the wind proving
unfavout able, the boats being for a long time absent,
and the water no longer kept down by the pumps,
One of which had burst, although the masts had been
cut away, and the greatest part of her guns and water
casks thrown overboard, she was at length deserted
by her crew, after permission to that effect hard been
granted by a signal of the Admiral, answering their
signal of distress. The Captain was the last who left
the ship. This statement was fully corroborated by
the written minutes of the journal kept by the officers.
The account of the loss of the Calcutta was given
by her Captain, Lafon, and his officers jointly. It
states that whilst preparing to engage a British fri-
gate, they were surprised by the explosion of a cata-
maran, and soon after, being nearly surrounded with
fire-ships, one of which was sunk by their cannon,
they cut their cables to avoid the othesr, and about
midnight grounded ; but after lightening the vessel,
succeeded the next morning in getting off with the
tide. They were then attacked by two British fri-
gates and two bomb-vessels. Notwithstanding their
disadvantageous position, and the paucity of their
numbers, the whole crew consisting of only 230 Men,
they returned our fire, when, about three o'clock, two
other British ships joined in the attack. At four,,
convinced cf the impossibility of saving the ship, they
forsook it, having only twelve men wounded and
none killed, and set it on fire, when they repaired on
board the Admiral, who sent them to Rochefort.
The loss of the frigate l'lndienne is thus accounted
for in the journal of her Captain, signed by all her
officers :—Having placed his vessel at a short dis-
tance from the boom, which protected the French
line, she was suddenly covered with tire by two ex-
plosions which took place at the boom within the
lapse of forty minutes, and discovered to his view
the approach of several brigs and fire-ships, which
burst through the boom, and advanced in flames
against the fleet. In order to avoid them, he passed
through the French line, and after several astonishing
escapes, grounded, and waited for the return of the
tide. The next clay he was astonished at finding,
that not a single French vessel had suffered by the
effects of the explosions and fire-ships. That day was
spent chiefly in vain efforts to get afloat,and witnessing
the destruction of the Ville de- Varsovie, the Calcutta,
Aquilon, and Tonnerre. On the 13th he was attacked,
as well as the Ocean and Regulus, by six British gun-
boats, a small frigate, and two cutters ; but after ,n
action of several hours, that flotilla was obliged to re-
tire. Having thrown the greatest number of his guns,
almost all his powder, ammunition,and provisions, into
the sea, without being able of getting completely
afloat, he was obliged to send to the Admiral for am-
munition and assistance, both of which were not ef-
forded him in an effectual manner. On the 14th he
formed a battery on land, which was served by part',
of his crew. At four o'clock five British brigs, and
a bomb-vessel, attacked the Regulus and Foudroyant,l
and continued bombarding them until seven in the
evening, withomt compelling them to alter their posi-
tion. On the 15th, he succeeded in getting the fri-
gate perfectly afloat, and threw almost the whole of
his remaining cannon into the sea. In the evening
he thought he descried the approaching catamarans,
and took precautions in consequence. On the I6th
the frigate was driven aground by the wind a second
time. Her masts were on the point of falling over-
board ; she was filling fast with water, and her sides
began to gape, when her Captain called a Council of
War, which determined that every hope of saving her
being lost, i: was necessary to abandon her; she was
set on fire, and the crew lauded near Fouras, from
whence they repaired to Rochefort.
The Captains of la Ville de Varsovie and Aquilon,
having been taken prisoners, their statement of the
loss of their ships could not be transmitted to the
Court-Martial.
Captain La Caine, of the Tourville, one of the ships
that escaped, having been accused of leaving his ship
fer several hours, whilst she was in presence of the
enemy, and the accusation being corroborated by the I
minutes of his own journal, was also compelled to I
give an account of his conduct before the Ofticersl
composing the Court Martial.
It appears that when the first catamarans exploded,
the French frigate la Pallas, whilst endeavouring to
avoid a fire-ship, ran on board the Tourville, which
then cut a cable, and was soon after threatened by
the Regulus, to which a fire-vessel had fixed iteell.
The Tourville then manceavred to avoid the sur-
rounding perils, but got aground, and the Captain
ordered the gunpowder barrels to be open, in order,
should the ship catch fire, that they might be imme-
diately drowned by means of water pipes, but his
apprehensions proved unfounded. On the arrival of
a pilot, he attempted to gain the mouth of the river,
but with little hopes of success.
On the 12th, whilst several British frigates engaged
the Ville de Varsovie, the Calcutta, and Aquilon,
the Tourville threw her heavy guns and cannon halls
overboard, and sent al: her inexperienced and weak
sailors and boys on shore, keeping only the stoutest
men and marines on board. The pilot, convinced of
the impossibility of saving the ship, took French leave,
and the Ceptein informed that several fire-ships
Were coming against the Tourville, and conscious in
his grounded position of his inability to avoid or
remove them, ordered the whole crew to land, and
was die laFt who quitted the ship. The wind having
undergi ne a favourable change, and no fire-ships hay-i
ing reach( d their destination, the Captain and crew
returned ( n board, with the same pilot, whom they
had found On shere, and who now expressed his be-
lief that the ship could he got afloat on account of
the alun ati, n in the wind. Several British bomb-
vessels and other ships approached at that critical
moment to engage the Ocean and Tourville, both
of which answered their fire effectually. The next
night they succeeded in getting afloat, and sailed

LONDON.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25.

FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OT His MAJESTY'S ACCESSION TO
THE THRONE.—holiday at all the Public Offices.
PRICE OF STOCKS YESTERDAY.
3 per Cent. Red. 681.1 India Bonds 245. 235. pr.
3 per Cent. Cons. 69/ Excheq. 2iilas, Bs. 14s. pre.
4 per Cent. 8311 Omnium If pre.
5 per Cent. Navy 100 A. City Lottery Tickets £B. 15s.
Long Ann. Ws 9.16 Cons. for acc. 69f

We have received Dutch Papers to the 20th instant.
They state their former assertion, of Peace having
been signed on the 3d instant, to be premature, but
add their assurance that no obstacles have occurred to
retard it. The following are the most prominent ar.
tides these papers contain :