Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-04-08
A. BARRY, chief secretary to the go

printed.
ADMIR- ALTY- OFFICE, FEB. l3.
:. Lieutenant Gator, acting as commander OF
his Majesty's sioop the otter, arrived here
this morning with dispatches from Vicc-Adni-
raj BERTHE, Commander in Chief of his Majes-
tvs ships and vessels at the Cape of Good
Hope, to John Wilson Croker, Esq. Secretary
to the Admiralty, of which the following are
copies -
.5frieaine, in Port oms, Isle Of France,
Dec. 6, 1910.
SIR.---l have the honor to announce to you,
for the information of their Lordshlps, the
capture of the Isle of France and its depen-
denotes, comprehending the extirpation OF the
naval force of the enemy liz these seas, and the
subJuSat'on OF the last remaining colonial tcr-
-ri.ory OF France.
By my communication addressed to you on
thel2th of October last, and forwarded to
Eng land by the Otter, from Bourbon, had
the honor to acquaint YOU, that was on the
point of resuming the blockade OF the Isle OF
. France | accordingly arrived Off this port
OF the 10Th. and, finding the whole OF the enc
my's ships IN the harbor, and two only appa-
rently in state of forward equipment, Lett
Capt. Rowley with the Boadicea, Nlsus, and
Nereile. to watch the movement OF the enc
my and having previously detached the Ccy-
lon and Staunch to convoy the division OF
troops from Bourbon to Rodriguez, proceed
ed with the Commander OF the forces,
(MajorGeneral the honorable John Abercrom-
BY who had embarked in the lAfricaine to-
wards that anchorage. On the Gath was
joined by Rear Admiral Drury, with a division
OF his squadron, as per marglnt, and taking
under my orders for the time being the Rear
Admiral with the ships under his command,
was enabled to strengthen the blockadlng
squadron, by detaching the Cornelia and Hes
per for that purpose; and with the others
made all sail for Rodriguez where the squad
ron arrived on the Sd OF November, and found,
lying there the division Of troops from Bonn
bay On the 9Th arrived the division from
Madras, under convoy of the Psyche and
CORVALLIS. On the 9Th Rear Admiral Drury
Sailed with the Russell, Phaeeon, ard 8ucepha-
lus, 10 resume his command in India on the
18th arrived the division from Bourbon under
convoy Of the Ceylon.
The divisions from Bengal and the Cape not
arriving by the Goth, the season being SO far
advanced, and the anchorage surrounded by
for SO large a number OF ships, determined
on weighing with the whole fleet oil the morn
ing Of the 22d, proposing the convoy should
cruize to wiEdwurd until joined by one or other
of the divisions. Very fortunately intelligence
was received on the night OF the Dist that the
Bengal division, under convoy Of the Illus
trious, was in the ofing. General Abercromby
deemed il, as well as myself, advisable they
Sh0 hut hat hay
Gated with the convoy, and given them such
supplies asthey might essentially require, we
should proceed to the attacr. Of the Isle of
France, without waiting the junction of the
troops expected from the Cape. The whole
fleet accordingly weighed from the anchorage,
and on the morning of the 29th bore up Tor
the point of debarkation it had been determln-
ed to occupy in Grande Baye, about twelve
miles to windward CT Port Louis, where the
Africaine leading in and several ships Of war
following with the convoy, according to a
previous arrangement, the whole fleet was
at anchor by ten o'clock A. NJ. consisting OF
nearly 70 sail /; and the army, with their artll-
lery, stores and ammunition, the several de-
tachments OF marines serving III the squadron,
with large body of seamen, dlsembarked the
same day, without single loss or accident
division of ships still maintained a vigiiant
blockade ofthe port; another divisicn remain
ed for the protection of the convoy at the an
chorage; and a third, under my immediate
command, shifted their stations as circum-
stances required, to keep up more effectu
al communication with the army as it advan
ced, and which was dependant for its supplies
of provisions and stores wholly on the resources
of the navy.
On the I'd instant the Govenor-G General De
Caen proposed terms of capitalization, and, Com
missioners being appointed OH either side, a
captula.ion was signed and ratified on the
morning Of the Sd instant, at the British Head
Quarters, a copy of which have the honour
to transmit for their Lordships information.
= In a combined operation of this nature the
ultimate success of which must essentially, in
great degree, be made to depend upon a
Jealous and cumulative corporation * support
through each graduation and in the present
instance, where these features have been SO
eminently conspicuous in every rank, and in
every situation and circumstance, the recon-