It then blowing a hard gale of wind, and a very heavy fea running, I thought it impoffible to take poffeffion of her, but by the zealous and well-managed conduct of Mr Jofeph Blyth, my Second Lieutenant, with the Gunner, and seven other Volunteers, fhe was boarded; the boat, in the attempt to exchange prifoners, funk, when, from the few perfons on board with Mr Blyth, and the darknefs of the night, the Spaniards twice attempted to retake her, but were fruftrated.

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 dispatches from Sir Sydney Smith, Knight, Captain of that ship, and senior Officer of the fquadron employed on the coaft of Egypt, containing an account of the capture of the fort of El Arifh, by an advanced body of the army of the Grand Vizir, affifted by a detachment 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 Arish on the 20th December last, and that the French Commandant having refufed to capitulate, the fort was reconnoitred by Major Douglas, accompanied by Lieut. Col. Bromley and Capt. 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 impoffible in the first moments to reftrain the impetuofity of the Turkish troops, 300 of the French garrifon were put to the fword, the remainder were, however, by his exertions, and thofe of the Turkith Commanding Officer, placed in fecurity, and the fick and wounded taken

care of.

:

The Major acknowledges himself highly indebted to the affiftance of Lieut. Col. Bromley, and commends the good conduct of Captains Winter and Trotté, and the gallant behaviour of Mr Thos. Smith, Midshipman, belonging to the Tigre, and reprefents that the chearful manner in which the whole detachment Ed. Mag. June 1800.

I lament to have to inform your Lord fhip 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 command 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 Supreme 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 Defart. The attack began by the Tigre's boats taking poffeffion of a ruined Caftle fituated on the eaftern 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 Turkifh 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 thirty-two pounders, and an eightpounder field-piece mounted thereon, a point blank fhot distance.

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 discontinue working at an intrenchment they were making to oppofe a landing. 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 fay with the lofs of one man killed and one wounded. This interchange of hot continued with little intermiffion during the 29th, 30th, and 31ft, while the Turkish tranfports were drawing nearer to the landing place, our fhells from the carropade annoying the enemy in his works and communications; at length the magazine blowing up, and one of their thirty-two pounders being filenced, a favourable moment offered for difembarkation. Orders were given accordingly; but it was not till the morning of the 1ft November 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 themselves from the suspicion of cowardice having been the cause of their delay; for when the enemy were within ten yards of them, they rufhed 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 courfe advantageoufly 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 route in their turn. Our flanking fire from the caftle and boats, which had hitherto been 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 turbands, 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 them, without being victims to their impa

tience, or overwhelmed with numbèrs; we, however, perfevered and faved all, except thote 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 Lieut. 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, aflures me he has eleven hundred. 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 troops, which though irregular, will fight hand to hand with them, muf coft them dear in the end.

I have the honour to be, &c.

W. S. Smith.

Copy of a Letter from the Right Hon. Lord Keith, K. B. Vice Admiral of the Red, and Commander in Chief of his Majefty's Ships and Veffels in the Mediterranean, to Evan Nepean Ffq. dated on board the Queen Charlotte, off Valette, 20th Feb.

SIR,

My letter of the 15th acquainted you, for the information of their Lordships, that I had received intelligence of the reported approach of an enemy's fquadron towards this ifland; and although I had confiderable difficulty in perfuading myself that they would hazard the attempt in the face of fo fuperior a force, I nevertheless confidered it incumbent upon me to take the neceffary precautions of reconnoitring the quarter in which they were to be expected, and at the fame time guarding moft particularly 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 ftrong 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 Gaza and Malta, while the Queen Charlotte was kept as clofe in with the mouth of the har

bour

bour as the batteries-would admit of: the Alexander at the fame time was under weigh on the fouth-eaft fide of the inland. On the 16th I was joined by the Phaeton, from Palermo; and the wind having thifted to the North-weft, 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. Signals were made from various parts of the island of an enemy's being in fight, and with the Queen Charlotte, Phaeton, Serena Neapolitan frigate, and Minorca floop, I anxiously continued to maintain a pofition near the fhore, to prevent the enemy from paling 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 Corfo joined with a large French armed ftore fhip, which he took poffeffion of at four o'clock in the afternoon of the 18th, by fignal from Lord Nelfon, whofe fquadron was then engaged with the French. Capt. Ricketts reported this fhip to be the Ville de Marfeilles, loaded with falt meat, brandy, wine, cloathing, ftores, &c. She failed from Toulon on the 7th inft. in company with the Genereux, 74, Adm. Perrée, Badine, 24, and two corvettes, having near four thousand 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 Lord Nelfon that the Genereux had furrendered without any action, and that the three corvettes had efcaped, from all the line of battle fhips having anxiously preffed after the French Admiral. I have the honour to enclose a copy of Lord Nelfon's let

ter.

His Lordship has on this occafion, as on all others, conducted himfelf with Ikill and great addrefs in comprehending my fignals, which the ftate of the weather led me greatly to fufpect. Captain Peard has evinced excellent management from the moment he firft difcovered the enemy off the South-weft end of Sicily, until the period of the capture; and Lieut. William Harrington, commanding the Alexander in the abfence of Capt. Ball, has fhewn great merit in fo ably conducting that fhip, in prefence of fo fuperior a force, previously 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 stragglers. I have the honour to be, &c.

Keith. Foudroyant, at Sea, off Cape di Corvo, eight leagues Weft of Cape Paffaro, off Shore about four Miles, Feb. 18.

MY LORD,

This morning at day-light, being in company with the fhips named in the margin*, I faw the Alexander in chafe of a line of battle ship, three frigates, and a corvette. At about eight o'clock, the fired feveral fhot at one of the enemy's frigates, which struck her colours, and leaving her to be fecured by the fhips aftern, continued the chafe. I directed Capt. Gould, of the Audacious, and the El Corso brig to take charge of this prize.

At half past one, P. M. the frigates and corvette tacked to the Weftward, but the line of battle thip, not being able to tack without coming to action with the Alexander, bore up. The Succefs being to leeward, Capt. Peard, with great judgment and gallantry, lay across his hawfe, and raked him with feveral broadfides; 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 paft four, the Foudroyant and Northumberland coming up, the former fired two fhot, when the French fhip fired her broadfide, and ftruck her colours. She proved to be the Genereux, of 74 guns, bearing the flag of Rear Admiral Perré 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 Lieut. William Harrington, who commands the Alexander, in the abfence of Captain Ball; and I am much pleased with the gallant behaviour of Capt. Peard, of the Succefs, as alfo with the alacrity and good conduct of Capt. Martin and Sir Edward Berry.

I have fent Lieut. Andrew Thompfon, Firft Lieutenant of the Foudroyant,

to take charge of the Genereux, whom I beg leave to recommend to your Lordfhip for promotion, and have fent her, under care of the Northumberland and Alexander, to Syracufe, to wait your Lordship's orders.

I have the honour to be, &c. Bronte Nelfon. Extract of a Letter from Capt. Ballard, of his Majefty's Ship Pearl, to Lord Keith, dated Port Mahon, 15th Feb. MY LORD,

On the 9th inftant, being drove by contrary winds to the Weftward of Marfeilles, I chafed and forced on fhore off Narbonne a Genoefe fhip Polacre, of fourteen guns. where he was totally loft; her crew ftepped from the veffel on fhore, and the few fettees fhe had under convoy got into Adge.

Admiralty-Offices March 29. Extract of a Letter from Lord Viscount Duncan, Admiral of the White, and Commander in Chief of his Majesty's Ships and Veffels in the North Sea, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated at Yarmouth the 26th inftant.

Arrived here this morning the French cutter privateer Perfeverant, mounting fourteen guns, and forty-nine men, taken by the Cruizer on the Brown Bank the 23d inftant, belonging to Dunkirk, had been out twenty days, laft from the Texel, where she had been two days, but had not captured any thing. I have received no letter from Capt. Wollafton, the Cruizer being left in chace of another veffel.

I am, &c.

Captures.

Duncan.

Lately, at Perth, Mr Alex. Smith, manufacturer, to Mifs Ann Cameron.

At Paifley, Mr Dundas Paterfon, merchant, Glasgow, to Mifs Elizabeth Buchanan, daughter of the deceafed Mr John Buchanan, manufacturer in Paisley.

At Lisbon, Lieut. Col. Neville, to Mifs J. Ruddle.

Mr Robert Sellar, merchant in Liverpool, to Mifs. Ifabella Sinclair, daughter to Mr Robert Sinclair, merchant of London.

Lieut.-Col. Anfon of the 15th Light dragoons, to Mifs Hamilton, of Lower Grofvenor-ftreet, London.

At Camberwell, Mr Robert Grant, of Little St Helen's, to Mifs Anna Chriftian, daughter of the late John Christian, Esq. of the lfle of Man.

At London, Benjamin Outram, Efq. of Butterly Hall, Derbyshire, to Mifs Anderfon, daughter of Dr Anderfon, of Mounie.

At Glasgow, Mr Daniel Mackenzie, merchant, to Mifs Margaret Bannatyne, daughter of the late Rev. Mr Charles Bannatyne of Irvine.

May 6. At Edin. Capt. A. Maclean, of the 36th regt. to Miss Jean Cameron, daughter of the late Allan Cameron, Efq. of Glendeffary.

7. At London, the Hon. John Cochrane, to Mifs Birch of Pinner.

10. At Fetternear, Alexander Frafer, Efq. of Strichen, to Mifs Amelia Leflie, eldest daughter of John Leflie, Efq. of Balquhain.

12. At London, Robert Scott, Efq. nephew of David Scott, of Upper HarleyAtreet, M. P. to Mifs Jervis, daughter of

Benjamin

24. Mr Thomas Falconer, jun, writer, Glafgow, to Mil's Mannie Watt, daughter of the deceafed Mr James Watt, tobacconist. 30. At London, Lieut.-Col. Howard, of the Coldftream regt. of Foot Guards, to Lady Charlotte Primrose, eldest daughter of the Earl of Roseberry.

At Pittillock, the Rev. Mr Robert Walker, of Cupar of Fife, to Mifs Jane Young, youngest daughter of John Young of Pitillock, Efq.

June 2. At Glasgow, Mr Henry Johnfton, furgeon in Edinburgh, to Mifs Itabella Nicholson.

- At Ayr, James Hunter, Efq. merchant in Paifley, to Mifs Sarah Rankine, fecond daughter of Macorne Rankine, Eiq. of Drumdow.

3. John Hay, Efq. of Kingston-upon-Hull, to Mifs Walker, daughter of William Walker, Efq. of Ordington Hall.

At Edinburgh, Mr Montgomerie of the 15th regiment of Foot, to Mifs Henrietta Fletcher Campbell, daughter of Gen. Fletch er Campbell, of Boquhan.

At Edinburgh, Arthur Forbes of Cullo den, Efq. to Mifs Cuming, daughter of the late Sir John Cuming, of the Hon. Eaft In dia Company's Service.

6. At Kiltearn Manfe, James Watson, Efq. Cranti, Orkney, to Mifs Chriftian Robertfon, fecond daughter of the Rev. Mr Harry Robertfon.

7. At Edinburgh, Dr Thomas Brown, Phyfician in Glasgow, to Mifs Marian Jeffrey, daughter of George Jeffrey, Efq. one of the Depute Clerks of Seffion.

9. Mr John Stuart, merchant in Glafgow, to Mifs Mary Millar, daughter of the deceased Mr William Millar, late merchant in Glasgow.

13. At Dudhope, by Dundee, William Fullarton-Gardner, Efq. to Mifs Anna Rankine, third daughter of John Rankine Efq. of Dudhope.

DEATHS.

June 1799. At Calcutta, Mr William Baillie.

Aug. 7. On the coaft to the fouth of Madras, John Nairne of the 19th regt. of Foot, and fon to Col. John Nairne of Murray Bay in Canada.

Forbes, Midfhipman on board the Calcutta Sept. 14. At Calcutta, Mr Thomas Indiaman, fecond fon of Mr William Forbes,

merchant Aberdeen.

24. At Calcutta, Daniel Munro, Efq. late of Mirzapour.

gufon, of his Majefty's 78th regt. of Foot. Nov. 27. At Culcutta, Capt. Jofeph Fer

Finlayfon, youngest fon of the late Mr Wm. At Savannah-la-Mar, Jamaica, Mr John Finlayfon, Depute Clerk of the Bills.

Jan. 18, 1800. In his paffage to the Weft Royals, eldeft fon of the deceafed William Indies, Lieut. Patrick Campbell, of the Campbell, Efq. Writer to the Signet.

maica, Mr James Hood, furgeon, late of 24. At St Elizabeth's, Black River, JaGlasgow.

In Jan. laft, in Jamaica, Mr Moray Græme, fon of James Græme, Efq. of Gar

vock.

Royal Artillery, Commanding Officer of Feb. 2. At Quebec, Major Hamilton of the

that corps.

10. At Black River, Jamaica, Mr David Ruffel, merchant.

20. At his eftate of Hopewell, in the Ifland of Jamaica, John Murray of Philiphaugh, Efq.

Among the fufferers by the fatal lofs of the Queen Charlotte, General MacLeod of

MacLeod has to lament his eldeft fon, a moft promifing youth of nineteen.

Likewife Mr J. Vans, third fon of R. Vans Agnew of Sheuchan; a moft promifing youth of 18.-A fhort time before the Queen Charlotte blew up, and after all hope of stopping the flames was at an end, he quitted her on the fame plank with the Ift Lieutenant, and both perished together.

March 5. At Madeira, in her 20th year, Mifs E. Heron, fecond daughter of P. He ron of Heron, Efq. M. P. for the Stewartry of Kircudbright.

April 7. At Perth, Mrs Jean Clow. Reof the Gofpel at Orwell. lict of the late Rev. John Spence, Minister

10. At Kilburn Wells, John Francis Crawford, Efq. of the Ifland of Antigua.

13. At London, Mrs Webstez, relict of the late Dr. Charles Webfter, phyfician Edinburgh.

15. At Inverness, Mifs Mary Alves, daughter of the deceafed Thomas Alves of Shipland.

16. At Oxford, the Rev. John Clark late of Belfast,

At Dumfries, Mr James Robson.