Star.
London, England, 1811-08-12 00:00:00

I RJM SATURDAY NIGHT'S GAZETTE.

ADMIRALTY OFFICE, AUGUST 10.

Extract of a Letter from Captain Brisbane of hi M.ksty's Alp
Belle Nide, addressed to Captain Rowley of tile Eagle, the
Senior Officer in the Adriatic, and transmitted by Admiral Sir
Charles Cotton to John Wilson Crolt,•r, EN. ,
Its Majesty'. ship Brae. Poule,at Sea,
Adriatic, May 6.
I have the honour to inform you, that on the 4th
inst. being off the Coast of Istri t with his Majesty
ship Alceste in company, at ten A.M. we discoveted
and chaced a large French brig of eighteen guns,
which sh-mtly afterek ards hauled into the small har-
bour of Parenza.
Having received intelligence that such a vessel
might be expected conveying supplies of all &scrip-
tions for the French fiigates at Ragels t, which had
escoped front the recent gallent actitat off Lissa, I
f..4t that no means should be kit untried to capture
or destroy her. Atter reconnoitring her position,
and consuleng the Pilots, and a most intelligent ()ni-
cer I had on board, Mr. Thomas Bsardman, acting
Lieutenant of the Acorn, who, from his general local
knowledge of the Adriatic, hAd handsomely volun-
. leered his services for the crniae, I found it was im-
practicable for the ft igates to enter the harbour, there
being only fifteen feet water in it, but that the brig
might nevertheless be cannonaded with effect where
she was then lying ; accordingly at three p. m. both
ships stood in, within a cable's length of the rocks, at'
.the entrance of the harbour, and opened an animated
fire cn her, and a battery under which site lay, and
in an hour obliged her to haul ash,* under the town
out of reach of our shot. The shits were frequently
hulled by the battery, but sustained no other damage
but what could be immediately repaired. All far-
ther efforts from the frigates being perfectly useless,
I determined to take possession of an island in the
mouth of the harbour, and within musket shot of the
town. The ships were anchored, after the close of
day, about four miles from the shore, and about
eleven o'clock the same night two hmidred seamen,
and all the marines, went under the orders of Lieu-
tenant deihts M'Curdy, senior Lieutenant of the Belle
Pottle, accompanied by the Officers and Petty Officers
named in the margin*, and took possession of the
island without opposition. With incessant labour,
arid themost extraordinary exertions, a defence was
thrown up, and a battery of four guns (two howit-
zers and two nine.pounders,) mounted on a com-
manding position by five o'clock. A field piece was
also placed at some distance to the left to divide the
attention of the enemy, who, aware of our operations,
had been busly employed during the night in plant-
ing guns in various parts of the harbour. Soon after
five a.m. the French opened a cross fire from four
different positions, which was immediately returned,
and kept up on both sides with great vigour for five
hours, when the brig'bcing cut to pieces and sunk,
and of course the object of oar landing accomplished,
the guns, trnmunitien, &c. were all re-embarked,
Stith the most perfect order and regularity.
I have only to lament that this service has not
been performed without some loss, but considering
the determined resistance that was made, and the pe-
culiar situation of the place, it is less than might
have been expected. We have had four killed and
as many wounded belonging to the two ships, a par-
ticular list of whom is herewith transmitted.
List of killedand wounded belonging to h!s Majesty's 'Hips Belle
Folic ..ou At.:eve, wit. ti tics' royin a Vrench brig of war hi
the liarbour of ParenzA, the 4th and sth May.

Mr. Richard Kelly, Gunner, killed, on shore ; William John-
son, able seams', ditto, on shore ; Thomas GrilSth.s, a4le sea-
man, slightly wounded on board ; John Wilkinson, private ma-
rine, ditto, on shore.

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