Star.
London, England, 1803-10-01 00:00:00

BORtEiItIIMERT OF THE FRENCH

GUN-BOdTS.

Dl•t, VITT. 30, 1803, 0111 O'CLOCII.

Since my la, till this morning, we have all la-
boured under an ottani) degree of painful anxiety,
to,learn the refult of the attack made on the French
gun-boats. Two cutters went nut yefterday, for the
exprefs purpofe of bringing intelligence. A third,
having on board Lord Magma, General SMITH, and
fome other Gentlemen, who were defirous of being
fpedators of the awful fcene exhibited by a naval
anion, or perhaps a bombardment, failed afterwards,
to endeavour to afcertain the injury fufiained by oar
republican neighbours. I have not been able to learn
whether they hive returned ; all I know is, that they
had not returned at a late hour Jail night. The con-
flid, however, feems to have been obflinately main-
tained : from four till fix o'clock yellerday after-
noon, the cannonading was brificer and hea4r than
any ever remembered by the oldeft inhabitant of
this place. 7hr horlfer here flock popeittaty, and the
earth a3atally treAkel, notwithfianding the great dif-
lance. This gives us reafon to think, that fomething
important has been achieved; for it is hardly to be
luppored, that Britifh {hips of war would keep up fo
long and fo continued a fire, without doing confider-
able execution. By the hafly accounts, however,
which 1 have been able to coiled, it does not appear
that our fquadrnn has been fo fuccefsful as we could
have walled. But this is not owing to any fault of
the gallant Officers and feamen employed on the ex-
pedition. The fquadron, it feems, was not properly
prepared for fo long a cooled, and, in confequence
of their having expended all their ammunition, the
Imstorrat.yrs frigate, a {hip, and a brig, have been
fent to join them. The DISCOVARY bomb is juft at•
rived in the Downs, having loft all her anchors; but
I have not heard the particulars of the injury the has
fuftained.

HALF PAST ONE O'CLOCK.

I have jurt returned from the beach. Two fri-
gates, one (hip, and the HARPY floop of war, are
under way. The haze is fo exceedingly thick, that
it is with great difficulty I can difcern feveral fail
near the French coaft. Some are of opinion that
they are part of our fquadron returning, but as they
are at fuch a diftance and little wind flirting, it is
impoffible to afcertain whether this be the cafe or not.
I have nothing farther to add, except that a (hot
from the enemy went in at the Discovear's head,
and went out at the bows: the men were at quarters
at the time, and providentially none of them fultain-
ed any injury. It is really wonderful to fee the num.
bet of ftrangers who have flocked hither fince yeller.
day to hear the iflhe of this bufinefs. They are all
big with expedlation, and an:jollity expeß to hear
that many of the gun-boats have been funk, burned,
taken, or deftroyed. Nothing delights Jots): BULL
fo much as to bear of fuch exploits, and on no occa•
lion could accounts of a fuccefs of this kind be re-
ceived with more enthufiaftic joy than at prefent,
when we are threatened with it:raison by a defperate
and unprincipled foe, to whore unbounded ambition
Great Britain is the only country which has ventured
to oppofe bounds. A day or two will, no doubt,
difpel our uncertainty.
OFT sot/Loops, sem aq, sts &twee.
I have jull time to inform you, that we have this
moment beat the retreat from the fecond very hot
&Elko, which we have had fines it o'clock in the
morning, agaioft yo or 6o gun boats, two of which
have been driven on (bore; our fquadron has fuftain•
ed no material injury. The greate4 was occafioned
by the hurtling of a (hen, on board the LIDA frigate,
but the fire was loon extinguiffied. I have not yet
heard whether any people were killed or wounded
by it.

Yellerday we hal a tanning fight for three hours,
with 33 fail of gun boats, but we could not afcertain
what damage was done to them. You may &fly
form tome idea of the hotnefs of thefe saions, when
I inform you that the fquadron has very little am.
munition left, and that in the middle of the fira anion
this morning, the Aurtista was obliged to barrow
powder of the LIDA,.

P. S. I have juR learnt that the then which bora
on board the Lion, did no injury wltatnver among
the people. Adieu.

A letter from Guernfey, dated lan Wednefday,
fays:--,, Our military force at prefent ccmfills of
the sth, 43d, and gilt Regiments, the ad and sth
Garrifon Battalions : other regiments are expelled
in a short time, as great additions are making to the
different barracks in the Itland. The Governor, Ge:
neral Dorms, is indefatigable in his exertions for put-
ting it in a proper Sate of defence, and within thefe
lad two months, embank-tient', or bulwarks have
proceeded rapidly, and will in a Rion time, I have
no doubt, render the ifland impregnable, with the af-
fillance of 150 additional 24-pounders already ar-
rived, or on their pa:rage. No doubt teems to be
entertained of an attack in a (bore time. Soll3e of
the Papers mention, that Sir lanes Sausetasz is
failed on another expedition—his •Sig is now flying
on board the DIONIIII2 in thefe goads. • The frigates
on this Ration are cruizing off Cherbourg Ind Gran-
ville Tthe ALc sues and lirnaa). Rafpelling the
late attack, nothing further his tranfpired, but that
the gon-boats bave fieffered very cat:lidera*, as cut
af 291 (bells, frarce'y one failed doing mifehief.—
The Camila us, wnen aground, might with the
gritted cafe have been taken by the boats, but they
were greatly intimidated by the launch, with one
gots. only, on Ward whirls Lieut. MAN Si le fired Des*
trio Riots."