between decks, that we might not have con- (As thefe various 'difpatches are very fufion with too many men. I believe in an in- long, and contain nearly a repetition of ftant fuch a change of people was never feen, the fame occurrences, we hope it will be every officer and man was at his duty, and I do believe, within three minutes, every fail in reckoned fufficient if we infert the most the fhip was fet, and the yards braced, ready material parts of General Dundas' letter, for cafting. The steady and active affiftance of which, befides the account of what took Lieutenant Turner, and all the officers, pre- place immediately under his own eye, vented any confufion from arifing in our critiI gives a narrative of the whole expedition). cal fituation. As foon as the cable was tort, ordered it to be cut, and had the good fortune to see the ship start from the fhore; the head fails were filled: A favourable flaw of wind coming at the fame time got good way on her, and we had then every profpect of getting out, if the forts did not difable us. To prevent our being retarded by the boats, I ordered them to be cut adrift, as also the French boat. The moment the brig faw us begin to loose our fails, we could plainly perceive the was getting her guns ready, and we alfo faw lights on the batteries. When we had fhot far enough for the brig's guns to bear on us, which was not more than three ships lengths, fhe began to fire; alfo a fort a little on the ftarboard bow, and foon all after, all of them on both fides, as they could bring their guns to bear. out. As soon as the fails were well trimmed, I beat to quarters to get our guns ready, but not with an intention of firing till we were fure of getting When we got abreast of the center part of the land of Cape Sepet, I was afraid we should have been obliged to make a tack, but as we drew near the fhore, and were ready, the came up two points, and juft weathered the Cape. As we paffed very clofe along that there, the batteries kept up as brifk a fire as the wetness of the weather would admit. When I could afford to keep the ship a little from the wind, I ordered fome guns to be fired at a battery that had just opened a-breast of us, which quieted them a little. We then stopped firing till we could keep her away, with the wind abaft the beam, when, for a few minutes, we kept up a very brisk fire on the laft battery we had to pafs, and which, I believe, muft other wife have done us great damage. At half paft twelve, being out of reach of their fhot, the firing ceased. Fortunately we had no perfon hurt. Some shot paffed through the fails, part of the standing and running rigging fhot away, and two French 36 pound fhot that ftruck the hull was all the da mage we received. To the Right Hon.} SAM. HOOD. Whitehall, March 11. Difpatches were yesterday received at the Office of the Right Hon. Henry Dundas, his Majefty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, from Vice Admiral Lord Hood and Lieutenant General David Dundas. SIR, St Fiorenzo, Feb. 21. I had the honour of informing you, from Porto Ferrara, on the 4th inftant, of our intenCorfica. The diflodging of the French from tion to fail for the gulph of St Fiorenzo in Baftia, St Fiorenzo, and Calvi, the three princi pal pofts they held in Corfica, and the attaining of fo fecure a harbour as St Fiorenzo for our own fleet, appeared fo important an object, deficient in many of the moft effential points of that although our military force was but small, equipment, and the feafon of the year was far from encouraging, I was induced to acquiefce in any attempt that fhould appear to promise the most diftant hopes of fuccefs. Two intel ligent and experienced officers were fent to con fer with General Paoli, to examine local fitua tions, and to report on the whole of circumftan. ces, which they did favourably; the fleet therefore failed from the Bay of Hieres (where we had lain fince the 19th of December) on the 24th of January, and proceeded towards St Fiorenzo; but the following day a very violent gale of wind (which lafted for three days) difperfed and endangered the fleet, and obliged us with great difficulty, to gain Porto Ferrara, in the river Elba, where we remained some days making preparation. On the 5th of February we again failed; but lified for thefe narrow feas and dangerous coafts, as the three decked fhips were not fo well qua at this feafon of the year, Commodore Linzee, with three fhips of the line and two frigates, was detached with the troops in transports, and on the 7th in the morning we anchored in an open and expofed bay, adjoining to that of Mortella, which we wished to occupy, as it affords the beft anchorage in the gulph of St Fiorenzo. The fame evening the troops were landed, confifting of the 2d battalion of the Royals, 11th, 25th, 30th, 50th, 51ft, and 69th regiments, amounting to about 1400 men bearing arms. As the enemy, befides the town of Fiorenzo, poffeffed feveral heights and points, in order to command the anchorage of the weft fide of the gulph, it was neceffary to dislodge them, before the fquadron could anchor in fecurity; and these points in fucceffion, on entering the gulph, were the tower of Mortella, the redoubt and batteries of the Convention, and the tower of Fornelli, with two confiderable fea batteries dependent upon it. Expecting little oppofition from Mortella tower, and trufting from intelligence that we could approach near enough to that of Fornelli to to attack it with light artillery, Lieut. Col. Moore was detached on the Sth with the Royal and 51ft regiments, a fmall howitzer, and a fix pounder, to effect this purpofe; but after a march of feven or eight miles, through a rocky, defert, mountainous country, deftitute of roads, and where the artillery was carried by a detach ment of failors, under Capt. Cook, he arrived on the heights immediately above Fornelli, and then found that the diftance was too great to hope for any effect from his fmall guns. The fame day we began, from a commanding height within 150 yards, to batter the Tower of Mortella; but it was not till the 10th, after the attack made by the Fortitude and Juno, and after establishing an eighteen pounder, two nine pounders, and a caronnade against it, that we were enabled to reduce it, and take an officer and thirty-two men prisoners. 3 On the 16th in the morning, we opened with two batteries, of three pieces of artillery each. One of thefe, at the diftance of 1000 yards, enfiladed the redoubt of the Convention, and the other at the distance of Soo yards took it in reverse. Our fire was heavyand unremitting, during the 16th and 17th; and, notwithstanding the gallantry of the enemy, both in serving their guns, and in repairing their works, their fire was nearly overpowered. On the evening of the 17th, a fifth eighteen pounder was brought up by the feamen, and a fixth was alfo placed on an advanced point near the fhore, to prevent the two French frigates in the bay from placing themselves in a fituation to enfilade our propofed attack. On the 17th, measures having been concerted, the fecond battalion of the Royals, 25th, goth, and 5th regiments, under the command of Licut. Cok Moore, were deftined for the attempt, while the 11th, 30th, and 69th, remained in referve. The troops marched in three columns, and having nearly equal diftances to go over, moved at the fame hour, (half past eight o'clock) in order to arrive at the enemy's works a little after the rifing of the moon. Lieut. Col. Moore, on the right, with the fecond battalion of the Royals, commanded by Capt. M'Kenzie, and the fift regiment, came down on the advanced point of the redoubt; Lient. Col. Wauchope, with the 50th, advanced towards its center; and Capt. Stewart, with the 25th, keeping close to the fea-fhore, was directed to enter on the left and most commanding part of the work. Notwithstanding the whole of the ground over which the troops marched was rocky, rough, thick, and covered with myrtle bushes, they approached the redoubt without the enemy being certain of their progrefs, and, under a very heavy fire, they arrived nearly at the fame time at their points, rufhed into their works, prevented more than two or three difcharges of cannon being given, and, with their bayonets, VOL. LVI. drove the enemy down the fteep hill which formed the rear of the work. The judicious fire kept up from our batteries" by Capt. Wilkes and Lieut. Duncan, jun. of the royal artillery, till the very moment of the attack, facilitated much the approach of the troops; and a falfe attack made by the Corficans, on Lieut. Col. Moore's right, ferved alfo to engage and diftract the attention of the enemy, who were not aware of the extent of their danger. The lofs of the enemy on the 16th and 17th amounts to upwards of 100 men killed and wounded, and 10 officers (amongst whom was the Commandant) and 60 men made prifoners, out of 550 men that occupied the work. The conduct of Lieutenant-Colonel Moore, and the feveral commanding officers under his orders, was firm and judicious, and merits every commendation. The enemy being now reduced to their last pofts on the heights of Fornelli, at about 400 yards distance, from which we were feparated by a strong and deep ravine, fearing that their retreat would be cut off, abandoned them about midnight, croffed over to Fiorenzo, hauled off their frigates, and left us in poffeffion of the tower and batteries of Fornelli, against which we otherwife must have placed cannon, and, in a delay of two or three days, probably have loft a number of men. On the 18th, the fquadron anchored in perfect fecurity in Mortella Bay. On the 19th, after taking measures for the march of the troops to the other fide of the town, to cut off the enemy's communication with Baflia, a fummons was fent to Fiorenzo to furrender. In the afternoon, a negative anfwer was received; but during the day ftrong fymptoms of a fpeedy evacuation were perceived. One of the frigates having been funk by our fhot, the other was fet on fire about four in the afternoon, when a boat came off to announce, that the enemy had quitted the town. It was immediately taken poffeffion of. In this manner are we now masters of the fortrefs and gulph of Fiorenzo, which is the moft important ftation in Corfica; divides the French polts, affords a fafe harbour for a numeraus ficet, and, from its commanding fituation, with refpect to the coaft of France and Italy, is at this moment of peculiar importance. The weather during the whole time has been most remarkably propitious; had it been otherwife, we could not have accomplished our undertaking. The perfeverance, fpirit, and gallantry of the officers and men of every denomination, merit the highest praife. Unprovided as we are with many neceffary articles of preparation, the fervice, at this feafon of the year, has been fevere, but undergone with the greatest chearfulness and good will.-To Sir James St Clair Erskine, Y and and all the officers of the Staff, I am much indebted. On this occafion fuccefs has crowned the joint endeavours of the British arms. From the navy we have received the most effectual and effential affiftance; their exertions have been wonderful and unparallelled. Commodore Linzee afforded us every fupport, and to the Captains Dickfon, Young, Wolfely, Hood, Woodley, and Cook, and to the officers and men who so zealously acted under their command,we feel every sense of their efficacious aid. In the course of the service we have derived effential affistance from the Corficans, affembled near us by Gen. Paoli, to the number of about 1200. They have occupied advanced pofts, and covered our flanks. I have the honour to inclofe returns of the killed and wounded (the lofs has fallen chiefly on the brave grenadiers and light infantry of the royal and 51ft regiments, who were the first that entered the enemy's works), and alfo returns of the ordnance and ftores taken in the town and several out-pofts. This letter will be delivered by Captain Hiflop, Deputy Adjutant General, an officer from whom I have received the moft effential affiftance, and whom I humbly beg leave to recommend as peculiarly deferving of any mark of the royal favour which his Majefty may be gracioufly pleased to confer upon him. I have the honour to remain, &c. D. DUNDAS, Lieut. Gen. Rt Hon. Henry Dundas, T. c. &c. [Here follows a return of ordnance, &c. taken at Mortella Tower, Convention Redoubt, and 39 brass guns, of different caliber, besides a vast quantity of fhot and fhells.] Return of the killed and wounded of the British troops in the different attacks upou the French pofts near San Fiorenzo, from the 7th to the 18th of February 1794. Royal Artificers-I rank and file killed. Royal Artillery-3 rank and file wounded. 2d battalion of royals-5 rank and file kil. led; I Lieutenant, I ferjeant, 16 rank and file, wounded. 11th regt.-1 rank and file killed. 25th regt. -2 rank and file wounded. 30th regt.-1 rank and file killed; I ferjeant, 2 rank and file wounded. soth regt.—1 rank and file killed; 5 rank and file, wounded. 51ft regt-4 rank and file killed; 8 rank and file, wounded. Officer's name-Lieut. Alexander M'Donell, of the 2d battalion of the Royals, wounded. Ja. St Clair ERSKINE, Adj. Gen. WHITEHALL, March 15. By dispatches, received on Thursday last by the Right Hon. Henry Dundas, his Majefty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, from Lieut. Governor Williamfon, dated Jamaica the 19th of January laft, and from Major Grant, of the fame date, from Mole St Nicholas in the island of St Domingo, it appears, that the united parishes of Leogane, and the parishes of Arcahaye, and Jean de Rabel, in that ifland, have furrendered to his Majefty, upon the fame terms which had been granted to Jeremie, Cape St Nicholas, and St Marc; and that Mirebalais, near Port-auPrince, had folicited leave to hoift the British flag, which had been complied with. [Here follows a lift of ordnance, &c. found in St Marc and Jean de Rabel, consisting of 26 iron and 5 brafs guns, from four to twentyfour pounders, and a great quantity of powder a and shot.] ADMIRALTY OFFICE, March 1. The following is an extract of a letter received on Thurfday laft, from Commodore Ford, commander in Chief of his Majesty's thips, at Jamaica, to Mr Stephens, dated Mole St Nicholas, the 22d of January 1794. I have the honour to acquaint you, for the information of the Lords Commiffioners of the St Marc, Arcahaye, and Boucaffin, on the Admiralty, that the parishes of Jean Rabel, north, and Leogane on the fouth fide of the Bight, are in our poffeffion, by capitulation, and the British flag flying therein; and, as our poft at Boucaffin is within twelve or fourteen miles of Port-au-Prince, I proceeded, without lofs of time, with the fquadron under my command, to the neighbourhood thereof, in order to give countenance and protection, according to the exigency of the cafe; and finding, on my arrival there, that the Spaniards had taken poffeflion of Borgne, Gonahives, Petite Rivierre, and Verrette, I proceeded off Port-au-Prince, in order to induce a capitulation to the King my mafter; and accordingly fent Capt. Rowley, of the Penelope, on the 2d inftant, with a flag of truce, to the civil Cont miffary Santhonax, offering the fame capitulation which the inhabitants of St Marc had voluntarily accepted, but which he refufed in tote. As I found that intreaty had no effect, I determined to establish a blockade, which has continued ever fince, and not a veffel of any defcription entered. 16. Letters were this day received at the office of the Right Hon. Henry Dundas, one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, from Major-Genral Williamfon, dated Jamaica, February, 9, 1794. They give an account of the capture of Cape Tiburon, in the island of Dominique, by a detachment under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Whitelocke. General Williamson states, that this poft is of the utmost importance; it fecures the paffage. and, with Cape Nichola Mole, commands that fine extenfive bay. The End of last month, the royal palace of Criftianbourg, at Copenhagen, was confurned by fire; a confiderable number of lives were loft, and much of the furniture destroyed. It was an immenfe pile of building; the lofs is computed at near two millions Sterling. Lond. Gaz. The west India planters and merchants held a meeting at the London tavern, and agreed to prefent a petition to parliament anent the foreign flave-trade bill, and to reprefent to miniftry the danger of removing, from our fugar-iflands, any part of the force there, and to requeft an augmentation of force by fca and land. The Bermuda ifles fuffered immenfe damage by the fevere gales of the 22d and 23d O&tober. Many houfes were blown down, and the wrecks of veffels around the coafts were very numerous. On the 27th of September laft, the Princefs Roval, Eaft Indiaman, was Captured nigh the Sunda iflands, by three French frigates in thofe feas, and in mediately fitted out as a privateer, The furvivors of the Winterton embarked on board a Portugucfe cruizer, and which was taken by the French, were re-taken by the Pigott, Eaft Indiaman, and carried to Bengal river, September last. Several French frigates, the end of last month, and beginning of this, have cruized in the Channel, and amongst the iflands of Jerfey and Guernsey, where they have captured a confiderable number of British veffels. The States of Holland and Weft Friefland, have published a placard, in exact conformity to the bill introduced into our parliament, relative to bills of exchange, and drawn up by, or in favour of perfons refident in France, fince Jan. 1, 1794 The new Drury Lane theatre was opened this month, and promifes to give the highcft fatisfaction to the public. In point of accomodation, elegance, and grandeur, it is, perhaps, unrivalled in Europe. The accommodations for the stage are upon a much larger fcale than thofe of any other theatre in Europe. The opening for the fcenery is 43 feet wide, and 38 high; which affords the painter and machineft a large space of 85 feet in width, 79 in length, and height, for the exertion of their refpective abilities. The whole, when completed, will include an area of upwards of 320 feet in length, by 154 in breadth, and the height of the building, meafuring from the fubítruction to the roof, is 118 feet. 110 in On the 8th inft. Lord Balcarras, who commands at Jerfey, received fuch intelligence of the French force at St. Maloes, as to dread an invafion of that ifland. He communicated the intelligence to the fates of the island, who immediately agreed to take the neceffary meafures for defence. The accounts arrived from St Domingo, give reafon to hope, that the whole of the French part of the island will foon be under the protection of the British nation, notwithftaanding of the indefatigable endeavours of the French reprefentative there to feduce the blacks, Y 2 and and the people of colour to perfift in their rebellion. During the courfe of this month, feveral detachments from the regiments of cavalry in England, have embarked for the continent, to ferve in the Duke of York's army. In Ireland, the Houfe of Commons have rejected a motion for a reform of the reprefentation. The Hon. Capt. Keith Elphinstone arrived in the Robuft man of war, in England, about the 17th inft. There arrived alfo, the French fhips Le Puiffant, Le Pompec, and Arethufa, which were brought away from Toulon, and on board of which there are a number of Toulonefe. In the beginning of February, nine fail of West India merchantmen, with their convoy the Convert frigate, were wrecked on the grand Camaynes, two days after they had failed from Bluefields, Jamaica, most of the crews were faved. The following gentlemen have obtained leave to raife fencible regiments: Col. Fullarton; Hon. J. C. Villiers; Sir Watkin William Wynne, and Tho. Leigh Efq; The Earl of Dalkeith and Lord Stopford have received commillions to raife. cach an independant company of cavalry, on the British establishment. Thomas Payne, in his prifon, feems not determined to remain idle. A production of his has juft made its appearance in English, and bears the following title: "The Age of Reafon; being an investigation to true and fabulous Theology. By Thomas Payne, Citizen and Cultivator of the United States of America, &c." The reprefentative of the people, Lanthenas, has tranflated this work into French. SCOTLAND. On Monday the 10th of March, came on the trial of Jofeph Gerald of Bloomfbury Square, London, lately refiding in the county of Edinburgh. He was accufed, at the inftance of his Majefty's Advocate, of being a member of a feditious affociation which met at Edinburgh in November and December laft, calling itfelf the British Convention, and of ma king various fpecches there of a feditious tendency, &c. When the Court met, before the libel was read over, the pannel rofe and faid, he objected to Lord Juftice Clerk fitting upon the Bench.-[Upon this his Lordthip rofe, and Lord Henderland took the chair.The pannel then stated, that his objection rofe from his Lordship having prejudged his caufe, and the cause of every man who belonged to the Britifh Convention. The pannel prefented a written mie nute, containing the fpecific, objections to his Lordship fitting on the Bench, and the facts which he offered to prove in fupport of thefe objections. They, in general, were, that his Lordthip had prejudicated his caufe, in fo far, that he fometime fince, when in the houfe of Mr Rochead of Inverleith, with company, faid, "What would they think of fending Margarot to Botany Bay, and giving him a whipping alfo?" The minute mentioned fome other circumstances alledged to have happened at Mr Rochead's, all which the pannel requested to be entered on the records of Court. Lord Henderland stated to their Lordfhips, that this was the firft objection of the kind he had ever witneffed, and fo very extraordinary, that he requested their Lordship's particular attention to it. Their Lordships, in general, were of opinion, that the objection was not well founded. For the words alluded to were merely part of a converfation at table; and could any man fuppofe, that fuch language could have any influence upoa a judicial procedure? Would it be proper to give force to fuch a charge, founded on a few loofe words, and not at all connected with the proceedings of the Court, nor delivered in the capacity of a Judge? If fuch objections were to be tolerated, they might be attended with the most dangerous confequences. It was throwing an indignity upon the Court, and was intended as a foul afperfion upon the cl:aracter of that refpectable and learned Judge who was viceprefident of the Court, and added ho nour |