Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1801-09-19

gave the town OF Dover notice of the en-
gsgement. When the water fell, it was
neceaarily given over; but it had the de-
fired effect of convincing lord Mellon that
ne had guehed the nature Of the enemy's
itrength, and that he had judiciouAy pla-
ced the gun boats. While the fhips were
firing their broadfidcs, as aboye- men
toned, at feven in the morning, his lord
fhip was in his barge, moving about, ma
king obfervafions and minutes, which may
be ufeful in future attack.
He vifted the bombs ferarately, ard
rowed along the whole line, amidft a
fhower Of ihot and hells from the enemy,
attended by the King and Queen cutters
and, by the cool and intrepid conduct diff
played in all the actions of this grea, man,
giving his orders and animating BY ex-
ample. The French batteries on each fde
the harbor could only fire ftraighr out, or
nearly 70, while our bombs were itation 70
much to their left that the batteries could
not bear upon them. Add to this, tha
the bombs, being placed to the weitward,
obiquely from the enemy's line of venes,
every bomb thrown lad tho advantage Of
raking the whole line, as it were. For
reliance, if a bomb were thrown for the
tartheit French fhip, and fell ihort, it had
great chance of hitting one in the line
nearer ; or if thrown for the neareil, and
going beyond her, it had chance of hit
ting another farther off. The French foon
difcovered the inutility Of ,Acir batteries,
and found that lord Mellon had not been
10 polite as 70 attack them in the manner
they expected. They therefore iet num-
Der OF men on to throw up works and bat
rerles on the hill in the eaitern turn, of the
bay, which tanks the whole line of the
coat. This covered the mouth of the
harbor tolegably well but it could moi
reach our bombs, which were at the ex
tremlty OF the wefward, and the enemy
threw only few ihells fromit. The diff
petition and object of our yedels were TO
force all the French lhips to retreat towards
the mouth OF the harbor, that having them
in clutter, their deftruttion might efec
sualIy be made atnigbt. In this " part
ly fucceeded, The enemy's fire continu
ed very heavy till about one O'Clock,
when it wholly ceafed from the hills and
batteries, feeling, no doubt, that it was ut
terly intellectual /; but our fire of bombs
continued with undated vigor. One vef-
Eel threw two hundred bombs. At this
time three of the enemy's veAels had been
funk and bilged. In the courfe of the af-
ternoon two Others thared the fame fate,
and FIVE others were rendered ufelefs, but
were drawn by ropes on ihore. The fire
of the Englilh alto 1lackened during the
afternoon. The enemy fometimes fred
ihot or threw lhell. Towards duAl the
fire was renewed with a little warmth,
but without much meaning. 1t was lord
Nelfon's intention, In the dark, to have
fent three bombs cloie upon the enemy,
each bomb towed by ten boats the bombs
were TO attack the enemy in way that
could not fail of annihilati3g them I; and
the boats were to be ready TO row the
bombs away, in cafe of accident. Lord
Mellon likewife ordered all lhips 10 keep
as clofe as poGible, to render them neceGa-
ny alifance; but the wind Hitting, the
attack became impraaicable without the
utmof danger; and our whole feet was
obliged to haul off without making the at
tempt.
Lord Mellon will, however, foon give
the navy another opportunity Of diRin-
guifhing themielves, as he intends to bring
up at-bottomed boats ID the attack at the
time the bombs are throwing hells.-
Yesterday, our feet food off from Bou-
logne and the various fhips have this
day been difperfed, providing themfslves
with ammunition, sc. Some fiat bottom
ed boats have failed from the Downs