the Roompot, where lieut.-general Sir J. Hope's division was also directed to proceed, in order to possess such points as might be necessary to secure the anchorage; as well as with a view to future operations up the East Scheldt. The left wing of the army under lieut.-gen. Sir Eyre Coote, particularly des. tined for the operations against Walcheren, arrived on the 29th, and morning of the 30th; but the wind continuing to blow fresh from the westward, and occasioning a great surf on the beach, both on the side of Zoutland, as well as near Domburg, it became expedient, in order to effect a landing, to carry the whole fleet through the narrow and difficult passage into the Veer Gat, hitherto considered impracticable for large ships; which being successfully accomplished, and the necessary preparations for debarkation being completed, I have the satisfaction of acquainting your lordship that the troops landed on the Bree, and about a mile to the westward of Fort der Haak, without opposition, when a position was taken up for the night on the sand hills, with East Capelle in front. Lieut.-gen. Fraser was detached immediately to the left against Fort der Haak and Ter Vere, the former of which, on his approach, was evacuated by the enemy; but the town of Vere, which was strong in its defence, and had a garrison of about 600 men, held out till yesterday morning, notwithstanding the heavy and well-directed fire of the bomb-vessels and gun-boats, during the preceding day, and until the place was closely invested. Early on the morning of the 31st, a deputation from Middleburgh, from whence the garrison had been with

drawn into Flushing, having arrived in camp, terms of capitulation were agreed upon, copies of which I have the honour herewith to inclose, as well as that of the garrison of Ter Vere; and the divisions of the army, under the orders of lieut.general lord Paget and majorgeneral Graham, moved forward and took up a position with the right to Maliskirke, the center at Gryperskirke, and the left to St. Laurens. On the morning of the 1st inst. the troops advanced to the investment of Flushing, which operation was warmly contested by the enemy. In this movement he was driven by major-general Graham's division, on the right; from the batteries of the Dykeshook, the Vigeter and the Nole, while brig.-gen. Houston's brigade forced the enemy posted on the road from Middleburgh to retire with the loss of four guns, and many killed and wounded. Lieut.-gen. lord Paget's division also drove in the posts of the enemy, and took up his position at West Zouberg.'

[His lordship here bestows great praise on lieut.-gen. Sir E. Coote, and the officers commanding columns; likewise on the light troops under brig.-gen. baron Rottenburg, the 3rd battalion of the royals; flank companies of the 4th reg. and generally on the whole of the troops.]

Ter Vere being in our possession, lieut.-gen. Fraser's division marched in the evening upon Ruttern, detaching a corps for the reduction of Ramakins, which, when effected, will complete the investment of Flushing. I have to regret the temporary absence of brig.-gen. Browne, who was wounded late in the day, but I trust not long to be

deprived

deprived of his services. I have the honour to inclose a return of the killed, wounded and missing.Deeply as the fall of every British soldier is at all times to be lamented, the loss will not appear to have been great, when the serious impediments it was in the power of the enemy to oppose to our progress are considered, as well as the formidable state of the batteries of Flushing, to which the troops were necessarily exposed. The pressure of circumstances has prevented the commanding officer of artillery from furnishing a detailed account of the guns and ordnance stores taken in the several batteries, and fortress of Ter Vere, but which will be hereafter transmitted, with a return of the prisoners taken since our landing, supposed to amount to 1,000. Commodore Owen's squadron, with lieut.-gen. marquis of Huntley's division, remains at anchor in the Wieling passage, and the divisions of lieut.-gen. the earl of Rosslyn and lieut.-gen. Grosvenor are arrived at the anchorage in the Vere Gat.

[The dispatch concludes with acknowledging the ability with which the fleet was conducted through the passage into the Vere Gat, and likewise the zealous exertions of the officers of the navy, as well as the seamen in dragging the artillery through a heavy sand.]

CHATHAM.

P. S. Since writing the above letter, I have received intelligence from lieut.-gen. Sir J. Hope, that the reserve of the army had effected their landing on South Beveland, and that a detachment had occupied the town of Goes.

[Articles of capitulation for the surrender of the town of Middle

burgh follow. They stipulate for the protection of the peaceable citizens, as well as all private property, condition that all fire arms are given up, and the public property accounted for to British commissioners appointed for that purpose. Public functionaries and their families are to be permitted to retire to any other part of Holland. The capitulation of the fortress of Vere is likewise appended. The garrison surrendered prisoners of war, public property is to be delivered up, and the inhabitants of the town are to be protected in their privileges.]

Middleburgh, August 3.

My Lord-Since my letter of yesterday's date, I have received intelligence from lieut.-general Sir J. Hope, of his having occupied Bathz, and taken possession of the whole island of South Beveland. I have also the satisfaction to acquaint your lordship, that upon the batteries being prepared to open, the fortress of Ramakins surrendered this evening, and I have the honour to inclose the articles of capitulation.

CHATHAM.

[The capitulation of the fortress of Ramakins here follows. The garrison, consisting of only 127 men, surrendered prisoners of war.]

Admiralty-office, Aug. 7. Dispatches brought by lieutenant J. Duncan, of the Ida cutter, were received yesterday evening from Sir J. Strachan.

Venerable, off the Vere Gat, August 4, 1809. Sir-You have been already acquainted that I had hoisted my flag in the Amethyst, and that it was

my

my intention to have preceded the expedition, in company with the Venerable, on board which ship lord Chatham had embarked; but finding the public service might suffer from the commanders-in-chief being separated, I therefore shifted to the Venerable, and sailed from the Downs at day-light on the 28th ult.

I have now to acquaint you, for their lordships' information, of my arrival on the evening of that day in the Stone Deeps, with the Amethyst and several smaller vessels, where I was joined by the Fisgard, captain Bolton, who had with great judgment placed vessels on the various shoals off this coast. After dark, lieutenant Groves of this ship, with some skilful pilots in Deal boats, were dispatched to sound the Roompot channel, and to station vessels at its entrance.

Early next morning the 29th, the division of lieut.-general sir J. Hope, conducted by capt. Bathurst, in the Salsette, joined me, as did also rearadmiral sir R. Keats, in the Superb. This zealous officer had the command of the blockading squadron off the entrance of the Scheldt; but observing the armament pass, he, with his usual promptitude, left that squadron under the orders of lord Gardner, and resumed the charge of sir J. Hope's division: I therefore directed the rear-admiral to shift his flag to the Salsette, and to proceed to the Roompot.

The entrance to that channel is very narrow; and as I was aware of sir H. Popham's local knowledge of the insular navigation before me, I intrusted to that officer the service of leading sir R. Keats's division in, and which he did with great skill in the Sabrina, captain Kittoe:

the whole were anchored in safety opposite Zeerickzee, situated between the islands of Schowen and North Beveland.

That afternoon, rear-admiral Otway with the left wing of the army, under sir E. Coote, joined me in the Stone Deep, but it blew too fresh to have any communication. On the morning of the 30th, sir H. Popham returned with a letter from sir R. Keats, acquainting me that the division under his charge were all safely anchored; and I was likewise informed that there was sufficient space in the Roompot to contain all the ships, to which anchorage sir H. Popham undertook to conduct them; and as it blew fresh, with all the appearance of an approaching gale, the squadron was instantly got under sail, and led in by the Venerable, when they all came-to in safety off the Vere Gat.

As soon as the ships were secured, measures were instantly taken to prepare to land the army on the island of Walcheren. I did not wait for the gun-boats coming up, but ordered those who happened to be near the Venerable, together with the mortar brigs, to push in shore, to cover the landing, and to force the Derhaak battery. At half past four the boats put off under the direction of lord Amelius Beauclerc, of the Royal Oak, and captain Cockburn of the Belleisle, and the troops were landed in excellent order, without opposition; the firing from the mortar and gun-vessels having driven the enemy completely from the Derhaak battery. Having thus accomplished this first object, I lost no time in directing the bombs and gun-vessels to proceed up the Vere Gat, off Camvere; and having given sir H. Popham,

who,

who, at the request of lord Chatham, had remained on shore with his lordship's permission to employ them as the service might require, he the next morning began to cannonade Camvere, which had been summoned, but held out. The fire of the gun-boats was exceedingly well directed, and did much damage to the town. The officers and crews engaged in that service had a great claim to my admiration for their conduct. Three of our gun-boats were sunk. In the afternoon it blew fresh; and as the strength of the tide prevented the bombs from acting, I'directed the flotilla to fall back, preserving a menacing position. At night, captain Richardson, of the Cæsar, who was on the Dyke, on shore, threw some rockets at the nearest battery of Camvere, and soon after the commanding officer of the town sent out an offer to surrender. A copy of the terms acceded to by lieutenant-general Fraser, and captain Richardson, the senior naval officer on the spot, accompanies this letter.

The army under sir J. Hope landed at South Beveland, on the 1st of this month; and by a letter from sir R. Keats, of yesterday's date, I find the whole of the island is in our possession, the enemy's ships are all above Lillo, and those most advanced, as high up as Antwerp. We are getting our flotilla through the slough into the Western Scheldt, to prevent succours being thrown into Flushing by the canal of Ghent.

[The letter concludes with acknowledging the particular services of rear-admiral Otway, Sir R. Keats, lord Beauclerc, and capt. Cockburn, and generally of all the

officers and seamen of his majesty's ships.]

R. J. STRACHAN. Sabrina, off South Beveland, August 1, 1809.

Sir-I have the satisfaction to inform you, that sir John Hope and 7,000 of his division of the army were landed at South Beveland this afternoon, since which I bave been informed by message from him, that he was met on his approach towards Goes by the magistrates, into which place he is at liberty to enter whenever he pleases. Three of the enemy's ships of the line and, six brigs, are at anchor off the east' end of South Beveland; the others I conclude, have moved higher up the Scheldt.

Three of the four sloops Ibrought up with me, struck in coming up. I have hoisted my flag in the Sabrina, and am not without hopes of getting the remaining parts of the division on shore, and most part of the army supplied to-morrow.

R. G. KEATS.

The substance of this letter was sent by telegraphic communication from the Sabrina, at five o'clock.The six brigs are getting under sail and moving up the Scheldt apparently, but the ships of the line are still fast.

Sabrina, off Wemeldinge, Aug. 3.

Soon after I landed, I was informed by letter from sir J. Hope, that Bathz had been evacuated in the night; and as he informed me the communication was open between Walcheren and this island, and he had sent to lord Chatham an account of the evacuation, I concluded you would hear it from hence, and went on to Bathz with a view to

make

make observations, and from which I am this moment returned.

R. G. KEATS. Sir R. J. Strachan, bart. &c.

authority among us. No department has felt more the miserable effects of these political vices than the commercial. All the best principles of the mercantile interest have been abandoned, and the dis

rica.

The critical situation of the parent states renders it of great importance to us to ascertain the actual situation of the dependencies of Portugal and Spain in the Western world. From Buenos Ayres we have received the subsequent letter, inclosing the first public act of government of the new viceroy, a copy of which we have also subjoined. By this document and the accompanying intelligence, it will be seen that the ancient system of Spain with regard to her colonies will be adopted by the Junta, and it will be a question for this commercial nation of no inconsider able magnitude to examine how far it be consistent with its policy to promote that close and intimate union between the mother country and her American territories, under which all direct intercourse will be prevented, and every bale of mer chandize must be subject to the duties the Supreme government, whatever may be its character, shall think fit to impose. With such remarks we shall not be liable to be misunderstood in making these communications.

Buenos Ayres, 3d August. The wise government of the Supreme Central Junta already appears to dawn in this vast and powerful empire-a country which has hitherto been corrupted by intrigues, and by the evil designs of those who have been invested with

tend such a state of things have been occasioned.

In this deplorable condition were affairs in these rich provinces until the 30th of June last, when at the most seasonable period, to restore us to our meridian splendor, arrived D. Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros, viceroy of these Provinces in the frigate Proserpine. This worthy and honourable chief, who has conferred so much benefit on the nation during his government of Carthagena, has come among us to be the depository of the confidence of the Supreme Central Junta, to convert irregularity into method, and essentially and principally to direct his views, and to employ his power for the protection and augmentation of our commerce. the few days he has resided here he has attended to this primary object of his mission, by giving directions that all foreign ships whether belonging to England or elsewhere, should withdraw from our ports; and he has begun to put in activity the laws by which the Indies have been hitherto governed. By such means the merchants will be restored to their privileges, and will be enabled to pursue with advantage their occupations under those early maxims of policy by which the prosperity of these countries has been secured.

In

Proclamation of D. Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros y la Torre, Knight of the Spanish Order of Charles