APPENDIX to the CHRONICLE. London Gazette, January 21. Admiralty-Office. Copy of a Letter from Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, Knt. Commanderin-Chief of his Majesty's Ships and Veffels, at Jamaica, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated in Port Royal Harbour, the 4th of November, 1799. Sir, HAVE the peculiar fatisfaction of communicating to you, for the information of my lords commiffioners of the admiralty, that his majefty's late fhip Hermione is again reftored to his navy, by as daring and gallant an enterprize as is to be found in our naval annals, under the command of captain Hamilton himfelf, with the boats of the Surprife only. Captain Hamilton's own letter, with the reports accompanying it, (copies of which are enclofed,) will fufficiently explain to their lordships the detail of this fervice, and the bravery with which the attack was fupported, and leaves me only one obfervation to make on this very gallant action, which adds infinite honour to captain Hamilton as an officer, for his conception of the service he was about to undertake. This was, fir, his difpofition for the attack; which was, that a number of chofen men, to the amount of fifty, with himself, fhould board, and the remainder in the boats to cut the cables and take the fhip in tow. From this manœuvre he had formed the idea, that while he was difputing for the poffeffion of the fhip, fhe was approaching the Surprife, who was laying clofe into the harbour, and in cafe of being beat out of the Hermione, he would have an opportunity of taking up the conteft upon more favourable terms. To the fteady execution of thefe orders was owing the fuccefs of this bold and daring undertaking, which muft ever have rank among the foremost of the many gallant actions executed by our navy this war. I find the Hermione has had a thorough repair, and is in complete order; I have, therefore, ordered her to be furveyed and valued, and fhall commiffion her as foon as the reports are made to me from the officers of the yard, by the name of the Retaliation. I have the honour to be, &c. Surprife, Port-Royal Harbour, Jamaica, Nov. 1. Sir, The honour of my country and the glory of the British navy were ftrong inducements for me to make an attempt to cut out, by the boats of his majefty's fhip under my command, his majefty's late fhip Hermione, from the harbour of Porto Cavallo, where there are about two hundred pieces of cannon mounted on the batteries. Having well obferved her fituation on the 22d and 23d ultimo, and the evening of the 24th being favourable, I turned the hands up to acquaint the officers and fhip's company of my intentions to lead them to the attack, which was handfome ly returned with three cheers, and that they would all follow to a man; this greatly increafed my hopes, and I had little doubt of facceeding: the boats containing 100 men, including officers, at half paft twelve on the morning of the 25th (after having beat the launch of the fhip, which carried a 24-pounder, mon degree of valour and exertion; but I confider it particularly my duty to mention the very gallant conduct, as well as the aid and affiftance at a particular crifis I received from Mr. John McMullen, furgeon and volunteer, and Mr. Maxwell, gunner, even' after the latter was dangerously wounded. As the frigate was the particular object of your order of the 17th September, I have thought proper to return into port with her. Enclosed, I tranfmit you a lift of captures during the cruife, alfo two lifts of killed and wounded. I have the honour to be, &c. E. Hamilton. Jamaica. London Gazette, March 29. W. S. Smith, Captain of his Ma- Sir, I have the honour to enclose a and 20 men, and receiving feveral Sir Hyde Parker, knt. &c. &c. Every officer and man on this expedition behaved with an uncom copy of my letter to the right hon. I have the honour to be, fir, &c. My lord, Tigre, off Jaffa, 8th November, 1799. I lament to have to inform your lordship of the melancholy death of Patrona Bey, the Turkish viceadmiral, who was affaffinated at Cyprus, in a mutiny of the Janilaries, on the 18th of October; the command devolved on Seid Ali Bey, who 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 bad reftored order, we proceeded to the mouth of the Damietta branch of the Nile, to make an attack thereon, as combined with the fupreme Vizier, in order to draw the attention of the enemy that way, and leave his highnefs more at liberty to advance with the grand army, on the fide of the defert. The attack begun 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 nearest poft heing a redoubt on the main land with two 32-pounders, and an 8-pounder field-piece mounted thereon, a point-blank fhot diftant. The fire was returned from the launch's carronade, mounted in a breach in the cafile, and from field pieces in the Imall boats, which fooù obliged the enemy to difcontinue 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 fhot 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 carronade annoying the enemy in his work and communications; at length the magazine blowing up, and one of their 32-pounders being filenced, a favourable moment offered for difem-“ barkation. Orders were given accordingly; but it was not till the morning of the 1ft of November, that they could effectuate this operation. This delay gave time for the enemy to collect a force more than double that of the firft 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 bavonets. 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 Olman 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, 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 been hitherto plied with evident effect, was now neceffarily fufpended, by the impoffibility of pointing clear of the Turks in the confuhon. 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 piteons F4 moans, 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 impatience, or overwhelmed with numbers; we, however, perfevered, and faved all, except those 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 lieutenant 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 ascertained. The French general, in his offer to exchange prifoners on the general account, affures me he 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 troops which, though irregular, will fight hand to hand with them, muft coft them dear in the end. ing her to be fecured by the ships aftern, continued the chase. I directed captain Gould, of the Audacious, and the El Corfo brig, to take charge of this prize. At half paft one P. M. the frigates and corvette 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, captam Peard, with great judgement and gallantry, lay across his hawfe, and raked him with feveral broad fides; in paffing the French fhip's broadfide, several shot struck 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 shot, 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 Perée, commander-in-chief of the French naval force in the Mediterranean, having a number of troops on board W. S. Smith. from Toulon, bound for the relief of Malta. I am, &c. Copy of a Letter from Lord Nelfon, to Vice-Admiral Lord Keith. Foudroyant, at Sea, off Cape My lord, be principally owing to the extreme good management of lieutenant William Harrington, who com mands the Alexander, in the abfence of captain Ball; and I am much pleased with the gallant behaviour of captain Peard, of the Succefs, as allo with the alacrity and good conduct of captain Martin and fir Edward Berry. I attribute our fuccefs this day to I have fent lieutenant Andrew Thompfon, firft lieutenant of the Foudroyant, to take charge of the Genereux, whom I beg leave to recommend to your lordship for Northumberland, Audacious, and El Corfo brig. promotion promotion; and have fent her this acquifition, which, I am happy under care of the Northumberland and Alexander to Syracufe, to wait. your lordship's orders. I have the honour to be, my lord, &c. Bronte Nelson, London Gazette, July 8. Admiralty-Office. Copy of a Letter from Sir Charles Sir, Gorce, April 23. You will be pleafed to acquaint the lords commiffioners of the admiralty, that having been informed that three French frigates were at anchor, under the forts of Goree, this intelligence, with the force and fituation of these frigates, induced me to take his majefty's fhip Ruby, then watering, at port Praya, under my command, and, with this additional force, I proceeded immediately in queft of them. In the afternoon of the 4th inftant, I reconnoitered the roadftead of Gorce, but not finding the frigates there, and conceiving our appearance fufficient to alarm the garrifon, I difpatched lieutenant Tidy, with a verbal meffage, fummoning the island to furrender (the enclofed letters having paffed between me and the governor): at midnight, lieutenant Tidy made me the fignal agreed on, that my terms were complied with; the marines of the fquadron were inftantly landed, under the command of captain Mac Cleverty, and the garrifon in our poffeffion before day. Their lordships will be well aware of the frength and confequence of to ftate, has been obtained fo eafily; Mr. Davis, of the Magnanime, be ing the only perfon wounded before our flag of truce was observed from the forts. On the 13th inftant, I difpatched Mr. Palmer, with two boats and 30 men, to Jool, a factory dependant on Goree; he returned on the 22d, having executed his orders most perfectly to my latisfaction, and bringing with him from thence a French brigantine and floop loaded with rice." I have the honour to be, fir, &c. |