Star.
London, England, 1810-01-01 00:00:00

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of the. defences towards the sea,
air the direction of Captain Rodyerd, has also
nt completely Carried into effect, by dismantlinj
the batteries, throwing down the parapets, and in
every respect extending the devastation of such works,
as far as could be accomplisheJ without haz'arding an
inundation of the town ; and with regard to the im-
portant service of the mines, employed as the means
of destroying the piers and abutments of the flood-
gates which secured the basin, I am to acknowledge
the skilful directions of Captains Squires and Fan-
shawe, and the personal exertions of the other officers
of the Corps of Royal Engineers, and Assistant En-
gineers e:nployed undcr them, as the undertaking
happily terminated in an explosion that succeeded in
displacing the very foundations throughout the whole
work.—l have the honour to be 8:e.
(Signed) R. PlucixotoNi
I.ievt. Col. Royal Engineers.
To Lieutenant-General Loa, &c. arc. &c.
ADMIRALTY-OFFICE, DEC. W.

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Copy of a Letter front Sir Richard John Strachan, Part, and K. B:
Rear Admiral of the Rel, Etc. to John Wilson Crokcr, Esq.
dated on board his Majesty's Ship St. Domingo, in the Dawns,
December 28.
Sir—/t is with great pleasure I inform you of the arrival of Com-
modore Owen, in the Clyde, who gives me the pleasing intelligence
of the divisions under his corrmtand, and that under Captain Ma-
son having sailed front the East and West Scheldt, and are by this
time at the mouth of the Thunes, if not cct the places of their re-
spective destinations; I inclose the Commodore's report of his
proces.diegs. I, Is my duty to draw their Lordships' attention
to the excellent fondue: of Commodore Owen, in the diicbarge
of the various and arclonus dinies he I:ad to perform : and I beg,
in the most earnest tinnwtr, to recommend to their Lordships'
notice, the :eel, bravery, and perseverance or :he Captains, Offi-
cers, and seamen, composing the flotilla under the Commodores
orders. The same good condect has pervaled the Captains, 01-
hcers, and seamen of the flotilla under Captain Mason, of the
Fisgard; arid whin Iget that olac, r's report, I shall have great
pleasure in intreducing his merits to tbc:r Lordships' particular
notice. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed)
R. 5. STRACIIAN.

I lis NTajesty's Ship Cyde, off the Ncrth Forektud, Dec. 18.
' Sir— In obedience to the direction of Rear Admi-
ral Otway, I have the honour to lay before you the
following detail of my proceedings in carrying into
execution, the orders to evacuate that part o the
island of Walcheresi, with the duties of which I had
the honour to !)e charged.
Of our previous state of prepatation you hare been
acquainted, and that all the stores, guns, anal am-
munition not judged immediately necessary to our
defence, had been withdrawn and put on board, and
every arrangement made in the beginning of De-
cember.
I have likewise had the honour to report to you, that
the enemy's anxiety to complete his works on Wol-
vcrsdyke and South Beveland, for the purpose of
clearing the Sinu. and driving our advanced divi-
sions from the channels whiCh led to it, had obliged
in to commence a system of offensive operations,
and the result thereof has likewise been submitted to
you.
I had further informed you of the necessity I felt
for shifting my pendant to the Cretan, that 1 might
be better situated to direct our movements.
Our flotilla held their forward stations 'hen, on
the morning of the 23d, I received your letter,
ac-
quainting me that you. intended to quit Flushing on
that day, provided the wind would permit the line of
battle ships to pass the Duerloo. I immediately
made preparation likewice to withdraw. The bo.tts
assembled, and embarked the rear guard of the army,
under the direction of the Honourable Captain Cado-
gan ; whilst the few remaining guns of Vere and
Armuyden Points were rendered useless, and every
other art;cle of stores was taken off.
In the mean time our advanced divisions fell back,
and collected at their defensive stations, but it was
two o'clock before those duties were completed; and
there was rt." chance of clearing any considerable part
of our force from the Veer Gat before dark, whilst
the wind, which was serf light, hung so far to the
westward, as to leave me doubtful of your succeeding
w:th the line of battle ships ; I therefore ordered the
Clyde only, whose draught of water might embarrass
ts, to shift out to the Roompot, whilst I sent an in-
telligent person to Flushing for information of your
movements.
Colonel Pack (with whom it has been my good
fortune to co-operate) was good enough to offer the
Town Major of Ter Veer for this duty. Captain
Clements of the 71st regiment, who returned to me
at five o'clock, with the information that every thing
was dear except two frigates, and a two decked ship,
and Vie stay of these seemed to be the effect of chance
alone, and I concluded they would follow in the
morning. Captain Clements found the towns of
Middieburgh and Flushing occupied by Burgher
guards, and at four on the following morning, the
gates of Veere were likewise given to the Burghers.
At daylight of the g4.th, I made the signal for our
distant ships to move, but the transports at the en-
trance of the Gat did not succeed in getting out till-
dai k.
Captain Davis's division of the gun-boats however
reached the Roompot, and were disarmed.
It was whilst this movement was making, and
mhich was much retarded by the baffling winds, I
learnt of your arrival in the Roompot ; and it was in
the pause the shift of wind and tide occasioned that
you did me the honour to join me in the Cretan, and
sanction my proceedings.
On the morning of the 25th, our Guard-boatswere
recalled, the Pallas got nut to the Roompot, and, a
movement of our whole flotilla made • but as it then
came on to blow, you ordered it to take a position off
the fort Den Haak.
Encouraged by our retreat, the enemy's advanced
division of gun-boats moved through the Waivers-
dyke Channel to the station heretofore occupied by
our advance, but on our anchoring, returned again
to its former station, as however we had decidedly
given up Ter Veere, three row-boats with Dutch
troopS, crossed over there from Campvere, and in the
i.course of the afternoon some schuyts followed likewise
with Dutch troops, and by sunset the enemy had
pouted sentinels at Dentaak.
On the 26th, the wind got round to the N. E. and
you (seeing every prospect of our getting out) had
sailed for England, the wind however backed again
to the westward of north. and I did not think it right
to disaim any more of the gun-boats than the divi.it n
of acting Captain Rich.
All the Merchant vessels had got clear of theVeere
Gat, but one gun-boat was aground. I sent Captain
Carteret with two divisions to cover her, and to pro-

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