ing thrown off, by the motion of the floop, whilft he was pointing her. I now beg leave to refer you to my journal. You will perceive, that I carried away the main boom on the 23d ult. in chafe of a ship privateer; and that I parted company with Le Telegraphe, lieutenant Thompson, in chase of a brig to leeward. In addition to that, I have to acquaint you that at eight A. M. on the 25th inftant in lat. 50 deg. N. long. 12 deg. W. I brought to action a French brig privateer, of 18 guns; when, after a warm conteft of an hour, 50 minutes of it fought in good style, clofe to each other, he began to make off, having damaged the rigging and fails fo as to prevent my clofing with her again, though every exertion was made on the part of the officers and men; being at the time fhort of 44 officers and men, away in prizes; fix men unable to attend their quarters; fix wounded, and four fentinels over 78 prifoners in the hold: that confidered, I truft it will appear to you, that there is much merit due to the officers and men on board. I have to acknowledge myself indebted to captain Hearnes, of the 43d regiment, and to lieutenant Bournes, of the 1ft Weft-India regiment, for their affiftance; and I beg you will be pleased to recommend to my lords commiffoners of the admiralty lieutenant Toulerton, and Mr. Verling the mafter. E. BRACE. Lift of men wounded in action. Mr. William Allen, boatfwain. -Thomas Marks, William Johnfon, Henry Pitts, George Moore,feamen.-William Milliard, marine. N. B. None killed. Copy of a letter from captain Barlow to admiral Kingfmill. SIR, Phabe, Kinfale harbour, March 9. She I have to acquaint you, that on the 5th inftant, in lat. 50 deg. two min. N. long. 14 deg. 43 min. W, his majesty's fhip under my command captured the French fhip privateer Heureux, of Bourdeaux, mounting 22 brafs 12-pounders, and manned with 220 men. bore down to us at eight in the morning, her commander taking the Phoebe for an East-Indiaman, and not difcovering his error until within point-blank mufket fhot, when he wore on our weatherbow, and hauled to the wind on the fame tack as the Phoebe. In this fituation, he began a fpirited well-directed fire, which was kept up a confiderable time, in the hope of efcaping, by difabling our mafts, fails, and rigging: an act of temerity to be regretted, as it occafioned a lofs to his majefty's fhip of one feaman killed, and five wounded, two of whom mortally, and ince dead; and to the enemy, a lofs of 18 killed, and 25 wounded, most of which have loft limbs. The Heureux is the most complete, fluth-deck fhip I have ever feen; coppered, copper faftened, highly finihed, and of large dimenfions, viz. 128 feet long, 32 and a half broad, and admeasures near 600 tons. The accounts given of her failing are very extraordinary; fhę will be confidered as a most defirable hip for his majefty's fervice. She had been out 42 days, and had taken only a finall Portuguese floop, laden with wine, which had been blown off the land in her paffage from Limerick to Galway. Penelope, captain Blackwood. Camp of the Grand Vizir, near This day a convention has been figned here by Mouftapha Rafchid Effendi and Moustapha Refhi Effendi, commiffioners appointed on the part of the grand vizir, and by general Deffaix and monfieur Pouflielgue, commiffioners appointed on the part of general Kleber; by which it has been agreed, that the French troops now in Egypt fhould evacuate that country, and fould be allowed to return to France. The forts of Salahich and Cathie are to be furrendered by the French troops within eight days after the ratification of this capitulation by the grand vizir and general Kleber, and the other places and towns in Egypt at the different periods fpecified for that purpose. Admiralty-Office, March 27. Major Douglas, late commander of the party of marines ferving on board his majefty's fhip the Tigre, arrived this morning with difpatches from fir Sidney Smith, knt. captain of that fhip, and fenior officer of the fquadron employed on the coat of Egypt, containing an account of the capture of the fort of El Arif, by an advanced body of the army of the grand viz r, aflified by a detach ment of marines from his majefty's fhips under the orders of the major. By this account it appears that the grand vizir moved from Gaza to El Arith on the 20th December laft, and that the French commandant having refufed to capitulate, the fort was reconnoitred by major Douglas, accompanied by lieutenant-colonel Bromley and captain Winter; that batteries were erected on the 24th and the following days, the fire of which was attended with complete fuccefs; and that, on the 29th in the morning, the enemy having ceafed firing, major Douglas afcended the wall of the fort by means of a rope which was let down for him, and received the fword of the French commandant; but that, it having been found impoflible, in the first moments, to restrain the impetuofity of the Turkish troops, 300 of the French garrifon were put to the fword; the remainder were, however, by his exertions, and those of the Turkish commanding officer, placed in fecurity, and the fick and wounded taken care of. The major reprefents, that the cheerful manner in which the whole detachment performed their duty, expofed, as they were, in the defert without tents, very ill fed, and with only brackish water to drink, gained them the admiration of the whole Ottoman army. 27. A mutiny took place on board his majefty's fhip Danae, which has been carried into Breft by the villains who obtained poffeffion of her. The purfer of the hip arrived at the Admiralty this day with the tidings. Admiralty Office, March 29. Copy of a letter from captain fir W. S. Smith, captain of his majefty's fhip Tigre, to Evan Nepean, efq. dated off Jaffa, Nov. 8, 1799. SIR, I have the honour to inclofe a copy of my letter to the right honourable lord Nelfon (of this date), for Lieutenant Stokes was detached with the boats to check a body of cavalry advancing along the neck of land; in which he fucceeded; but I am forry to say, with the lofs of one man kiled and one wounded. This interchange of fhot continued with little intermiffion, during the 29th, 30th, and 31ft, while the Turkish tranfports were draw I lament to inform your lordship of the melancholy death of Patrona Bey, the Turkish vice-admiral, who was affaffinated at Cyprus, in a mutiny of the janiffaries, on the 18th of October; the commanding nearer to the landing place, our devolved on Seid Ali Bey, who had juft joined me with the troops from Conftantinople, compofing the fecond maritime expedition deftined for the recovery of Egypt. As foon as our joint exertions had reftored order, we proceeded to the mouth of the Damietta branch of the Nile to make an attack thereon, as combined with the fupreme vizir, in order to draw the attention of the enemy that way, and leave his highness more at liberty to advance with the grand army on the fide of the defert. The attack began by the Tigre's boats taking poffeffion of a ruined caftle, fituated on the eastern fide of the Bogaz, or entrance of the channel, which the inundation of the Nile had infulated from the main land, leaving a fordable paffage. The Turkish flag, difplayed on the tower of this caftle, was at once the fignal for the Turkish gun boats to advance, and for the enemy to open their fire, in order to diflodge us; their neareft poft being a redoubt on the main land, with two 32-pounders, and an eightpounder field-piece mounted thereon, a point-blank fhot diftant. The fire was returned from the launch's carronade, mounted in a breach in the caftle, and from field-pieces in the fmall boats, which foon obliged the enemy to difcontinue working at an entrenchment they were making to oppofe a landing. fhells from the carronade annoying the enemy in his works and communications; at length, the magazine blowing up, and one of their 32 pounders being filenced, a favourable moment offered for dif embarkation. Orders were given accordingly; but it was not till the morning of November 1, that they could effectuate this operation. This delay gave time for the enemy to collect a force more than double that of the first divifion landed, and to be ready to attack it before the return of the boats with the remainder. The French advanced to the charge with bayonets. The Turks completely exculpated themfelves from the fufpicion of cowardice having been the cause of their delay; for, when the enemy were within ten yards of them, they rushed on, fabre in hand, and in an inftant completely routed the first line of the French infantry. The day was ours for the moment; but the impetuofity of Ofman Aga, and his troops, occafioned them to quit the ftation affigned them as a corps of referve, and to run forward in purfuit of the fugitives: European tactics were, of course, advantageously employed by the French at this critical juncture. Their body of referve came on in perfect order, while a charge of cavalry, on the left of the Turks, put them completely to the rout in their turn. Our flanking fire (B 4) from from the castle and boats, which had been hitherto plied with evident effect, was now neceffarily fufpended by the impoffibility of pointing clear of the Turks in the confufion. The latter turned a random fire on the boats, to make them take them off, and the fea was, in an inftant, covered with turbans, while the air was filled with piteous moans, calling to us for affiftance; it was, as at Aboukir, a duty of fome difficulty to afford it to them, without being victims to their impatience, or overwhelmed with numbers; we, however, perfevered, and faved all, except thofe which the French took prifoners, by wading into the water after them; neither did the enemy interrupt us much in fo doing. Major Douglas and iieutenant Stokes, who were with me on this fervice, gave additional proofs of their zeal, ability, and bravery, and the boats' crews, as ufual, behaved admirably. The lofs in killed, on our fide, cannot be afcertained. The French general, in his offer to exchange prifoners on the general account, affures me has 1,100. As to the enemy's lofs, we have no means of eftimating it; but it must have been fufficient to convince them, that fuch victories as thefe, against troens which, though irregular, will fight hand to hand with them, must coft them dear in the end. SIR, My letter of the 15th acquainted you, for the information of their lordships, that I had received intel ligence of the reported approach of an enemy's fquadron towards this ifland; and, although I had confiderable difficulty in perfuading myfelf that they would hazard the attempt in the face of fo fuperior a force, I nevertheless considered it incumbent upon me to take the neceffary precautions of reconnoi. tring the quarter in which they were to be expected, and, at the fame time, guarding most particu rly the entrance of the harbour of Valette, as the only point in which they could fecure themfelves, and debark their troops and ftores. The wind being strong from the S. E. and accompanied with rain, I could only communicate by fignal; I accordingly denoted the bearing, and the reputed force of the enemy, and directed the Foudroyant, Audacious, and Northumberland, to chafe to windward, and the Lion to look out off the paffage between Goza and Malta, while the Queen Charlotte was kept as clofe in with the mouth of the harbour as the batteries would admit of; the Alexander, at the fame time, was under weigh on the S. E. fide of the island. On the 16th I was joined by the Phacton, from Palermo; and the wind having fhifted to the N. W. which afforded a favourable opportunity for landing the Neapolitan troops at Marfa Sirocco, I accordingly embraced it, and in the afternoon returned off the harbour of Valette: fignals were made from various parts of the island, of an enemy being in fight; and with the Queen Charlotte, Phaeton, Serena Neapolitan frigate, and Mi norca floop, I anxiously conti nued nued to maintain a pofition near the shore, to prevent the enemy from paffing within us, and to expofe them to the attack of his majefty's fhips that were in purfuit of them. On the morning of the 19th, El Corso joined with a large French armed ftore-fhip, which the took poffeffion of at four in the afternoon of the 18th, by figual from lord Nelfon, whofe fquadron was then engaged with the French: captain Ricketts reported this hip to be the Ville de Marfeilles, loaded with falt meat, brandy, wine, clothing, ftores, &c. &c.; the failed from Toulon on the 17th inft. in company with the Genereux, 74, admiral Perrée; Badine, 24, and two corvettes, having near 4000 troops on board for the relief of Malta. At four P. M. the Foudroyant and Audacious joined me; and I was acquainted by rear-admiral Nelfon, that the Genereux had furrendered without any action, and that the three corvettes had escaped, from all the line of battle hips having anxiously preffed after the French admiral. I have the honour to enclofe a copy of lord Nelfon's letter. His lordfhip has, on this occafion, as on all others, conducted himself with skill, and great addrefs in comprehending my fignals, which the ftate of the weather led me greatly to fufpe&t. Captain Peard has evinced excellent management, from the moment he firit difcovered the enemy off the S. W. end of Sicily, until the period of the capture; and lieutenant William Harrington, commanding the Alexander in the abfence of captain Ball, has shown great merit in fo ably conducting that fhip, in prefence of a fuperior force, previoully to the appearance of lord Nelfon; I beg leave to recommend him to their lordships' confideration. I have detached fhips in all directions, to endeavour to pick up the ftragglers. KEITH. Foudroyant, at fea, off Cape di Corvo, 8 leagues W. of Cape Paffaro, off fhore about four miles, Feb. 18. MY LORD, This morning, at day light, being in company with his majesty's fhips Northumberland, Audacious, and El Corfo brig, 1 faw the Alexander in chafe of a line of battle fhip, three frigates, and a corvette. At about 8 o'clock the fired several fhots at one of the enemy's frigates, which ftruck her colours, and, leaving her to be fecured by the fhips a-ftern, continued the chase. I directed captain Gould of the Audacious, and the El Corso brig, to take charge of this prize. At half paft 1 P. M. the frigates and corvettes tacked to the weftward; but the line of battle fhip, not being able to tack without coming to action with the Alexander, bore up. The Succefs being to leeward, captain Peard, with great judgment and gallantry, lay acrofs his hawfe, and raked him with feveral broad fides. In paffing the French fhip's broadfide, feveral fhot ftruck the Success, by which one man was killed, and the mafter and eight men wounded. At half past 4, the Foudroyant and Northumberland coming up, the former fired two fhot, when the French fhip fired her broad fide, and ftruck her colours. She proved to be the Genereux, of 74 guns, bearing the flag of rear-admiral Perrée, commander-in-chief of the French naval force in the Mediterranean, having a number of troops on board from Toulon, bound for the relief of Malta. I attribute our fuccefs this day to be principally owing to the extreme good management of lieutenant |