The Statesman.
London, England, 1809-08-01 00:00:00

Tuyi.„l

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near each other ' A. No ; It Wa prior that I
diringuished them separate.
Q. Can you at an determine how far they were
&filmier? A. 1 slioal.l think not a ship's length
frpm each other, those throe.
IQ. Were you on hoard the Caledonia when the
fleet was at single author ? A. I was on board
the Lyra.
Q. Were you on board the Caledonia when they
weighed ? A. I was.
Q. At what hour di I the fleet weigh to ap.
roach the Lie of Aix? A. About nine or ten
o'clock ; and came again to anchor about half an
1104 r afterwards.

Q. After anchoring again, what was the distance
of the Caledonia from the fort on the Isle d'Ai: ?
A. Cross bearings gave it about three miles and a
half, from thence to three miles.
Mr. SrorEs called. .

Q. Where *ere you in the forenoon of the
12th of April last ? A. I was on board the Ca-
ledonia.

Q. State how the wind was on that day, and
the time of high water? A. From day-light in
the 'naming, till 10 o'clock, N.N.W. ; from 10 to
N.N.W. and N.N. ; fron►'l2 to three in the
afternoon, from N.N.E. to N.N.W. the wind
valint!.
Q. Could any of the enemy's ships on the 12th
of April, before they ran up the Charente, have
annoyed, and ri ached any of the ships that might
have been sent in to attack them ?—A. Tint Foe-
druyant and Castend both lay afloat; the Cassard
about a third of a mile distant from the Isle of
Aix, and close on the edge of the b.►nk that ex-
tends from the Isle d'Aix, to the N. W. point of
the Pallas Shoal, the Foudroyant also lay close
to that bank, and, I suppose, about three cables
distant from the Cassard ; the three.deekers lay
With their broadsides Nanking the passage, and
could have Grew with complete effect on a►►y ships
that might approach.
Q. After the enemy's ships had run up the
Charente, could they have been approached by any
of the British ships ? —A. Nu.
Q. is the navigation of Aix itnads difficult for
iar;;.c ships, and much limited in space ?—A. Very
difficult fur large ships ; deep water very much
suited.

Q. Then the space for anchorage must be very
much confined, and stater around its shoal?—A.
Yrs.

Q. Were you employed sounding and surveying
within the Isle of Aix ?—A. I was, from the 17th
to the 24th of April.
Q. Did the general knowledge you obtained
while so cinpl led by my orders, agree iv'th the
chart, or Neptune Francois, of that part?—A.
In some parts it agreed, in other party I have
found a wide difference; the Neptune Ffancois
gave more water than I found in many places.
Q. Did you soutul between the Bunyan Shoal
and the l'allas Shoal ?—A. I passed between them
three or four times ; I took soundings at those
times, _

Q. Is the account that you gave of 16 and 12
feet Water, at low water, between these two shoats,
derived from the information Of your own sound.
ings?—A. Not entirely from my own soundings,
but from the soundings taken by the maste/..df the
Dotterel!, whom I sent for that perpose, Who rc-
ported, in writing, to me these soundings. .
Q. Had you any opportunity of ascertaining
what is the rise of the tide iu Aix Roads, or the
vicinity of Aix Roads, at spring tides ? A. The
Iced was hove, and the depth of water carefully
ascertained, every half-hour, ou board the Cale-
donia, until her departure from Basque Roads,
whereby we ascertained, beyond all manoer of
doubt, that the actual rise of water in Basque
Roads was 19 feet in spring tides, and eight feet in
dead neaps.
Q. If the rise of the tide is 19 feet in Racque
Roads, must the rise be greater Of less in Aix
Roads ? A. The riseof the tide found in Aix R03,1s
is 21 feet at high spring tides, which is more than
we ever found it rise in 133sque Roads.
Q. Could the three French ships which were
aground on the sand, and afterwards warped off,
and run up the Charente, ever have been attack.
ed by line of battle ships ? A. No ; they never
could have come ocar ettofigh fur the shut to
r,nch.

Q. Could any more of the enemy's ships have
been destroyed, had any of the King's ships been
sent to attack them ut clay-light on the 12th of
April ? A. If we had attacked the enemy's ships
on the morning of the 12th, in the position of the
Fondroyant, and the three-Jecked ships,
I think tee should have sacrificed our own ships,
without making any impression on the enmity ; the
only time that they could hare been attacked,
with any prospect of success, was at the time the
attack was made. The tide had then ebbed,
and the ships were fast on the ground, with their
sterns to the westward, and they Could not bring
any guns to bear on the attacking ships ; and under
that circumstance, in my opinion, we owed our
who). tliccess; fur had the French ships grounded
with their broadside, iu flank isle the passage, they
eroti!il have been able to have dcf.•nded theatseltes,
and could nut have been attacked.

Q. A. you were employed some tin* in the In-
ner itootl of Air, you had an opportunity of as-
rerritioiog the streugth of the current of thu Road
of Aix ? A. I had.

- -
Q. Was it so strung as to prevent fast-sailing
ships from working over it and beating ont against
the flood ? A. The flood tide and the springs
run at least three knots an hour, so that it is isle.
possible that any ship can wurk against the tide.
Q. Then, ships going in at the end of the ebb,
must necessarily remain during the whole of thu
flood 2.--A. They oast.
Q. You base said, that if soy ships of the lute
bad gone into Aix Roads on the morning of the
14Th April, they could nut possibly have got out
again that day ?—A. They could not.
Q. Is that an opinion you him formed since you
left Basque Roads, or was it your noinion on the
12th of April 2—A. It was nay opinion on the
tautening of the ltth, and I have never Sad any
reason w Weser to alter it.
Q. Were you consulted on the practicAllity of
going in and out of the Road of ua the 1201