Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-05-20
NEW YORK, Nav "a.

81 days from Sireenock. The Editor of
the Mercantile ADVERTISER has received
by her Glasgow papers 10 the 9Th ult.
containing London news Of the 5th, from
which the following articles (Which APP
pear OF cursory perusal To be the
most Interestingly are copied.
LONDON, April 4.
Captain Duncan, who for some time has
had command in the Portuguese naval
service, had the good fortune, about the
end OF February, TO escape on board the
Russian squadron in the Tagus from
whence he further succeeded 10 getting on
boari vessel OF our b,ockaded fleet, and
is now arrived in England. This officer
renamed on board The Russian squadron
I'll The iS;h uIt. he OF course had ample
means of aSUerlaning the state of opinion,
aud Dispositions, OF the Russian officers
there. Captain Duncan states, that they
are anxious To leave that uncomfortable
station, could they do il with safety.
The Russians had suffered greatly from
the wait oil neces3aries OF al! kinds. Junct
had forbidden aoy supplies being sent to
them nor had ,hey been enabled, for some
time, III procure from the stores OF Portu.
gal an ounce OF fresh provisions ofauy kind
in the mean while, the inhabitants of Lis.
bon were reduced 10 The necessity of max.
ing bread OK pease. beans, aud all the inle.
rior sorts OF grain, which, when mixed
together, were scarcely eaia5ie and even
OF tots kind The supply was scan,y.
Several councils had been held on board
The Russian squadron, TO consider Of the
Ineasotes TO be pursued at such am emrr.
genCy. a. one time, it was proposed tina,
The Russian fleet should pu, 10 sea, consls-
ting OF n'ne sail OF the line and frigate,
and rish. an engagement with the British
bu;, oil rclectins that every one of their
ships were damaged in their masts, the
plan was abandoned rs impraclcabe. b..
sides tbs, The Crews far want of proper
nou'1shInent, were IN a very sickly state.
he plan shat had met the sense of The
majority, as the less evil of the two, was
that otIaying up their ships in the Tagus,
ard OF marching their c,ews over land TO
d. Pe'eresburgh. L his project lad not
been carried into execution Oh the depar-
lure OF captain Duncan but he is of OPT.
ZION that IL iAusi soon take place from me-
ceSsity.
/, was 4 prevailing notion among the
crews thar the withholding of relief from
tie Russians was measure OF policy ON
the part OF the French, IN oider to induce
them 10 abandon their ships and procsed
IL 81. PeteTsbargi--but @hen the real scar
city IN Lisbon became apparent, they be-
gan 10 judge more favor-b!y OF the conduct
OF JuHot. When the Russian squadron
hrst arrived, Junot showed great attention
10 the, officers, and invited them TO dine
VITA him on shore; but these civillties cea
SGD asirr li'ue. /! is said that offence
was given by the Russian officers emitting
Id toast Bonaparte, AFTER General Junot
had drank the health OF The Emperor.
same &cccnGts have been received from
The Freuch coast, which speak of fresh
assenIblage OF irolps on the heights Of Bou.
iu.,ne. The huls which form The encamp-
rnen, in rhat neghborhood, appear To have
been newly painted as they were last
spsiCg, ANA ;heIr number considerably To-
creased within the last month--the Aotlla
IL NE ha,bor, however, remains in statu
quo.
Daring the late unfortunate cam
paisn III Germany, the number of Prus-
sian prisoners who were sent to France,
amounted to little short OF iO0, 600.
By tae treaty of rilsit, it was stipula-
ted t,lat they should be Immediately
restored but various pretexts were
urged for not executing the article,
until nearly the whole of these people
were induced or enforced into the SER
p vice Of France. April s.
No farther accounts have been recei-
we'd OF the reported victory in the Me-
diterrancan and therumours thathav
been ci s,lated on that subject are
sinking into discredit. Had any real
accounts been received, the names of
the parties, the mode Of communica-
ton, every circumstance, would have
transpired before this time--by no
possibility could they have been con-
cealed bet on the contrary, every thing
like authority that has yet been quoted
has vanished, when attempted to be
ascertained.---As we have repeatedly
observed. from the known situation
of Affairs in the Mediterranean, it is
more than probable that an action has
taken place in that quarter before this
time. On. this probability, we doubt
not, the rumour has been fabricated,