The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — 1825-05-24 (London, England)

PIR.I7'ES.  In the National Journal of .3aturday, we find several official ro nmun kat ion% from Lieut.-Commandant John 1). Sloat, of the United States schooner Grampus. together with copies of various documents on the subject of the destruction and capture of a bawl of pirates in the Island of Porto Rico. The principal fa:ut are already in the possession of the public; we shall therefore confine ourselves to a general view of these papers. The first is a letter from Lieut. Stoat, to the Secretary of the Navy, dated at St. Thomas, the 12.11 of March, in which he states that he was prosided with two sloops, free of expense, by the Governor of St. Thomas, with which lie proceeded to Ponce, where he arrived on the 3d, after examining all the south coast of the island without success. The next morning a suspicious sloop was seen beating to the eastward, when one of the sloops was manned under the coin. mand of Lieut. Prendergast, Acting Lieutenant Macgruder, Dr. Biddle, and Midshipman Stone, with twenty-three men, whn sailed in pursuit the next day. They had the good fortune to fall in with her id the harbour of " llcica del Infierno," which is very large, and has many lilding.places, where an action commenced, which lasted forty-five minutes, when the pirates ran their slog.) ashore, and jumped overboard ; two of them were found killed, and ten of those which escaped to the shore were taken by the Spanish soldiers, five or six of whom were wounded. and ammget them the famous piratical chief Cofrecinas, who has long been the terror of the coastsond the rallying point of the pirates in the vicinity. As near as could be ascertained, none of our men received any tnjuty. Ile had fifteen or sixteen men on board, armed with one fourpounder, and muskets, pistols, cutlasses, and knives, for his men. The second is a letter from the Alcalde and Military Commandant of Ponce to Lieut. Prendergast, returning him thanks fur the important service rendered them by the capture of the piratical vessel under Cofrecinas.  Letter third is another communication from Lieut. Sloat to the Secretary of the Navy, offering sundry documents connected with this subject, and informing him of the great importance the capture of Cofrecinas was to the Governments of Porto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas, as he had been the terror of that city for a number of years, owing to his horrible murders sad piracies. Letter fourth is from the same to the Captain• General of Porto I Rico, informing him of the capture, and offering the testimony of the Officers of the Grampus in briuging the pirates to justice, if it should be necessary. Letter live is a reply from the Captain-General to Lieut. Slam, returning his most grateful thanks for the services rend( red in the pursuit and capture of these wicked wretches; aid declining the offer of testimony front our officers, as the pirates did not deny the principal facts, and had already confessed sufficient to convict them.  The next paper is a general order of the Captain-General to the Military Commandants, &c. on the coasts of Porto Rico, directing then) to atlind Lieutenant Sloat all the necessary aid in discovering the pirates, as also to co-operate with him both by sea and land.  The seventh is a letter from Lieut. Sloat to the Governor of St. Thomas, returning the sloops loaned fur the occasion, together with the captured sloop to he restored to her owners. who lived in St. Thomas's, with his warmest thanks for the aid afforded.  The next it a reply from Governor Von &holten, congratulating him on the successful reault of the expedition, and returning his individual thanks, as well as those of the community, fur the assistance au readily afforded that island on every occasion.