Star.
London, England, 1810-04-12 00:00:00

SPALV.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM A BRITISH 07FICE:n.
" Cadiz Eay, March IR.

" We have lately been joined here by the Teme- I
rairc, Tonnant, and Achille, making, with \chat we I
already had here, eight sail of the line ; which, in my !
humble opinion, is quite a sufficient force for any ser-
vice
that can be required in this quarter ; but I learn I
that the Caledonia, San Joscph, Eagle, Ori,n, and !
others, are expTcted. There are only nine sail of the j
Spanish ships (two 3-deckers and seven of 71 guns),
and three frigates, that could be immediately removed;
three Spanish ships of the line were lost in a heavy
gale, which began the G:h instant, aad continued for .
three successive days, without intermissim ; a Portia- !
guese ship of the line, and abn:i thirty rich laden
merchantmen, were also lost, all in that part of the
bay occupied by the French. Besides these, a Spa- I
nish 74. and a frigate r .r, inliorc up the Caraccas ; as
did also a P..rta:;ttese sl )op of war. The whole were ;
burnt, with the exception of the last-mentioned 74,
which was got off.—l never before witnessed such a i
melancholy picture ; scarce an hour elapsed during
the gale that sonic unfortunate vessel or other did not ;
pass us in the most wretched condition, imploring that !
assistance which we had it not in our power to give I
them, without exposing our men to the same fate as'
the unhappy sufferers. The French exerted them-
selves
much to plunder, and succeeded but too well ;
fir several vessels were thrown dry for a mile at low
water ; among them one of our transports, with part I
of the 4tli regiment on board : they were of course
made prisoners, and the vessel destroyed. "
I
The French have their head-quarters at Chiclana,
' about four miles to the southward of the outposts at i
Isle Leon, and are in possession of all the towns and !
Iplaces around the Bay, Rota, Port S. Mary's, Porti
Real, and are fortifying themselves strongly there.
We have a Spanish ship of the line and several gun-
boats playing upon them night and day ; and of course
j there have some broken heads, but we have lost more
by accident than battle. We have planted guns and
mortars on the ruins of Fort Matogardo, which greatly
annoy the etlemy. We are quite in the dark as to
the enemy's force ; but you will see by the chart how
difficult of access Cadiz must be; there is but one
pass to the Isla, and that so narrow, that I should
think any attempt to approach the outworks would be
attended with very fatal consequences : they have
been driven back from two or three advanced tempo-'
rary batteries ; but our troops cannot act with effect,
• for the whole country is a kind of morass, full of
swamps and salt ponds. The Spaniards have se-
veral strong works, (manned. with English artillery)
that front and flank the only pass by which the enemy
can advance ; independent of which, we have several
gun-boats stationed to the right and left of the bridge
over the river which forms the island.

Suppose all these works to be forced, there still
remains a fine fortification {called Fort Ferdinand),
two miles from Cadiz, on the land side, which com-
mands every pass by which the enemy can come.—
While Cadiz is defended by the English, I do not
conceive it possible for the enemy to take it ; but if
left to the care of the pusillanimous sluggish Spaniards,
it would won be carried by the enemy."