The Sun. — 1833-08-29 (London, England)

ALGIERS.  We take the following from a letter dated Toulon, August 20 :—" The frigate La Vic Mire has arrived with intelligence of the expedition of Gen. Desmichels against Mostaganem, in which she took an active part. It appears that the occupation of this town by the French greatly annoyed the Arabs, and the surrounding' tribes assembled in a mass, with the intention of driving them out again. Mostaganem was soon assailed by the multitude who had pitched their tents around it. Gen. Desmichels, finding that his presence at Oran was indispensable, and that it would be impossible for him to return by land on account of the great number of enemies with which the country was covered, without being escorted by the whole of the troops he had with him, and thus abandoning his conquest, embarked on board La Victoire, who lay with her broadside to the town, and thus defended its entrance from the sea. He consequently returned to Oran on board this ship, taking with him the Turkish troops that had formed the garrison. The Arabs took advantage of this departure to form upon the shore, seizing and burning all the boats they could find, and murdering their crews. Fortunately, a very short time afterwards, the brig Le Hu:surd which had been met by La Vicloire in her course, arrived off Mostaganem, and, placing herself within pistol-shot of the shore, soon cleared it of the hostile Arabs. General Desmichels, immediately on his arrival at Oran, sent a reinforcement to Mostaganem and proposed to march himself with the remainder of his disposable force into the interior of the country, with a view of alarming the Arabs engaged in blockading Mostaganem for the fate of their wives and children, and, by thus diverting their attention, relieve the town from their attack. There was every reason to hope when La Victoire left Oran, that this diversion would have the desired effect, and give time for the French troops to fortify the place, and put it in a state to resist any future attempts." The following further particulars are extracted from a lever of the 10th instant from Oran :—" On the 30th ultimo a large portion of the inhabitants of Mostaganem quitted the town, and not one remained in the quarter inhabited by the Moors. Our troops occupied it. On the 31st the Arabs attacked us. They were numerous and fought with vigour. We had several men wounded. Their camp was on the other side of Missigran, a village situated about one league from Mostaganem. The country abounds in fig and lemon trees. In the, night of the 3d instant the Victoirc cast anchor at Merselkebir, having on board General Desmichels and his staff. Two vessels, with 150 Turks and women, arrived at the same time. All the troops sent from Oran remain at Mostaganem, and 300 more have just embarked to reinforce them. Colonel Fitzjames, Commandant of Oran, has been sent to take the chief command. The ihissard brig, which had gone out only to carry despatches, has received orders to remain at anchor for the protection of the shipping. The Arabs are collecting their forces before that town. Those at Missigran, who were roughly treated in the sortie from Mostaganem, are exasperated. • On the evening of the sth nearly one thousand men, under the orders of Colonel l'Etang, proceeded from Oran towards the tribe of the Zsmelis. They also attacked that of Saffareau-Douaires. The men in arms were upon their guard. Part of the women, children, and old men were massacred. We had on this occasion 40 killed and wounded. On the 6th the troops returned, bringing with them 100 bullocks, 2,000 sheep, 100 camels, 50 asses, and some women. The Arabs followed our forces to within sight of Saint Philip, when the troops.of the town were called out to reconnoitre the enemy. All the efforts of the Arabs to recover their position have proved fruitless. They were repelled with loss. Some of our soldiers have perished from thirst arid fatigue, and others have destroyed themselves. The regiment of chasseurs had one officer and four soldiers killed, arid ten wounded. The infantry lost about 20 men."  A