Louisville messenger. (Louisville, Miss.) 1842-1843, 1843-05-27
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LATER FROM YUCATANi,

LATER FKOM 1UCATANN
by ihe steamer Rainbow, we mr.,
placed In possession Of an extra
: from tho office Of the New Orlean,
: Tropic Of Sunday, containing news
from Laguna 10 the I'd aud Campcn.
: chy TO the 9th inst, brought over by
tho Octavio. Tie Mexican war
schooner Indepencia had voluntarily
surrendered TO the Yucaiancsc, and
had been attached to their squadron.
On the night Of the I'd inst. tho Yu.
ca,an gun boats cut out from Lerma
three vessels, two Of them American,
having contrabahd articles on board.
The Tropic contains letter from
Comodorc Moore, giving detailed
account Of his proceedings since lea
wing the Balize, accompanied by mi
nutcs Of the action with the Mexican
squadron on the 30th April. From
the latter it appears the gallant
Commodore made a narrow escape
with his life by lodging Is bound
shot, the only one that struck the
Austin during the action. Ia the
''minutes' we find that a sixty-cight
pound shot from the Gaudaloupe, cut
the after shroud Of the mizzen rigging
about eight feet above the dead-eye,
Commodore Moore holding the shroud
at the time,) passed between Com.
Moore and Lieut.. Gray, would have
killed both of them but that one
lodged to the right and the other to
the left; passed through the poop
deck into the cabin, and passed out
the stern about two feet above the
transom.
The length ofihe letters of Moore
and his Secretary precludes their re-
publication, more particularly as most
of the information contained in them
will be found in the annexed letter
Of a correspondent ofthe Tropic, who
was on board the Austin at the time
of the engagement.
CAsPE AcHY, Friday, May 5, ls4s.
Owing ID light winds and occasion
faily ahead. we did NOT reach TeIshae
Until the s,h day from the Balize.--
The Montezuma was not there, and
we kept along The coast to Sisai,
where we learned that she had passed
"a hours before, and that the whole
Mexican fleet were at Lerma, some
30 or 40 miles from this, and to which
place we bent our course, arriving
within view of the feet on the eve-
ming Of Saturday, the 29th ult.; and
at daylight, Sunday morning, discov-
cred the two steamers and two armed
briggs and two armed schooners;
bearing down for us. We had got
under weigh at daylight, also. As
soon as it was discovered that they
were actually bearing down for us,
the crews Of each Of our vessels gave
three cheers and prepared for action.
AS soon as the steamers discovered
who we really we're, notwithstanding
their formidable array, they evinced
a disposition to be off particularly as
| it was discovered that we were in no
wise inundated and actually turn
ed tail Com. Moore crowed sail to
overhaul them, when at length they
presented their bread side and avail
ted until we were within long shot,
when they opened their fire upon us,
and to which Com. Moore paid no
attention, keeping the even tenor Of
his way, for the purpose of closing
with them; but their stearm enabled
them to back off as fast, or faster
than We could approach; so that we
had finally to commence the action
and at it we went, hammer and tongs.
We fought for near an hour, when
they hauled off without our reach to
wind-ward. The briggs and schoonerS
the crews, it appeared TO be perfect
frohc for them-while it was per-
feet jubilee for the young middys and
powder boys. In fact it was fine
affair for all on board, and if ever our
vessels can get within close shot Of
these redoubtable steamers, they will
capture them in twenty minutes.
( We have just heard that the Capt.
Of the Montezuma and eleven men
were killed, and a large number
wounded. We could perceive the
carpenter over the side plugging the
shot holes 10 the steamers, after the
action.