The long mid-watch he keeps: no haven near
Shelters the treasure that my soul holds dear.
No moon-beam lights him o'er th' inconstant deep,
Yet still their course the patient helmsmen keep.
To thee, great God, I kneel! at thy decree
List grows the wind, and calm the troubled sea.
Thy guardian angel watchful still shall stand;
Support him o'er the waves, and guide him safe to land.

ADDRESS TO THE WINDS,

BY MRS. RADCLIFFE.

VIEWLESS, through Heav'n's vast vault your course ye steer, Unknown from whence ye come, or whither go!

Mysterious powers! I hear ye murmur low,

Till swells your loud gust on my startled ear,
And awful! seems to say-some God is near!
I love to list your midnight voices float
In the dread storm that o'er the ocean rolls,
And, while their charm the angry wave controuls,
Mix with its sullen roar, and sink remote.
Then, rising in the pause, a sweeter note,
The dirge of spirits, who your deeds bewail,
A sweeter note oft swells while sleeps the gale!
But soon, ye sightless powers! your rest is o'er;
Solemn and slow, ye rise upon the air,

Speak in the shrouds, and bid the sea boy fear-
And the faint warbled dirge is heard no more!
Oh, then I deprecate your awful reign!
The loud lament yet bear not on your breath!
Bear not the crash of bark far on the main,
Bear not the cry of men, who cry in vain,
The crew's dead chorus sinking into death!
Oh, give not these, ye pow'rs! I ask alone,
As wrapt I climb these dark romantic steeps,
The elemental war, the billows moan;

I ask the still, sweet tear, that list'ning fancy weeps!

HUMAN LIFE COMPARED TO THE OCEAN,
BY DR. YOUNG.

OCEAN! thou dreadful and tumultuous home
Of dangers, at eternal war with man!

Death's capital! where most he domincers,

With all his chosen terrors frowning round,
Tho' lately feasted high at Albion's cost,
Wide op'ning, and loud roaring still for more!
Too faithful mirror! how dost thou reflect
The melancholy face of human life!

The strong resemblance tempts me farther still:
And, haply, Britain may be deeper struck
By moral truth, in such a mirror seen,

Which Nature holds for ever at her eye.

Self-flatter'd, unexperienc'd, high in hope,

When young, with sanguine cheer, and streamers gay,' We cut our cable, launch into the world,

And fondly dream each wind and star our friend;

All in some darling enterprise embarked:

But where is he can fathom its event?

Amid a multitude of artless hands,

Ruin's sure perquisite! her lawful prize!

Some steer aright; but the black blast blows hard,
And puffs them wide of hope: with hearts of proof
Full against wind and tide, some win their way;
And when strong effort has deserv'd the port,
And tugg'd it into view, 'tis won! 'tis lost!
They strike; and, while they triumph, they expire.
In stress of weather, most: some sink outright;
O'er them, and o'er their names the billows close;
To-morrow knows not they were ever born:
Others a short memorial leave behind;
Like a flag floating, when the bark's ingulph'd,
It floats a moment, and is seen no more:
One Cæsar lives, a thousand are forgot.
How few beneath auspicious planets born,
With swelling sails make good the promis'd port,
With all their wishes freighted! Yet even these,
Freighted with all their wishes, soon complain:
They still are men; and when is man secure?
As fatal time as storm! the rush of years
Beats down their strength; their numberless escapes
In ruin end and now their proud success
But plants new terrors on the victor's brow:
What pain to quit the world just made their own,
Their nest so deeply down'd, and built so high!
Too low they build, who build beneath the stars.

Copy of a Letter from Sir Charles Thompson, Bart. Vice Admiral of the Blue, to Evan Nepean, Esq. dated at Spithead, Nov. 29.

SIR,

BE pleased to acquaint their Lordships that his Majesty's ship Ambuscade arrived at Spithead this afternoon, with L'Hirondel, a French prize of twenty guns and fifty men, from the Isle of France. I am, Sir, &c.

CHARLES THOMPSON.

ADMIRALTY OFFICE, DEC. 4.

Copy of a Letter from the Right Hon. Lord Bridport, K. B. Admiral of the White, Se. to Evan Nepean, Esq. dated the 2d instant.

SIR, INCLOSED is the copy of a letter which I have received from the Honourable Captain Stopford, of his Majesty's ship Phaeton, which I transmit to you for their Lordship's information. I have the honour to be, &c.

MY LORD,

BRIDPORT.

Phaton, at Sea, Nov. 24.

I have the honour to inform your Lordship, that his Majesty's ship under my command has this day captured a French brig privateer, called La Resolue, mounting 18 guns, and carrying 70 men.

She was returning from a cruize, in which she had captured one English merchant ship, called the General Wolfe, from Poole, bound to Newfoundland; and an American sloop from Boston to Hamburgh, which latter was recaptured by the Stag last night. The Phaton having continued the chace after the pri vateer, the two ships separated, but I am in hopes that we shall soon again join. I have the honour to be, &c.

ROBERT STOPFORD.

Copy of a Letter from the Earl of St. Vincent, K. B. Admiral of the Blue and Come mander in Chief of bis Majesty's Ships and Vessels in the Mediterranean to Evan Nepean, Esq. dated at Gibraltar, October 31.

SIR,

I inclose a letter from Captain Fland, of L'Espoir, acquainting me with the capture of a small French cutter (La Fulminante). This vessel is so admi ably adapted for an advice boat, of which we are in extreme want, and so well found, that I immediately ordered Commissioner inglefield to cause her to be surveyed and estimated, and she proceeded to sea the day after she was taken.

MY LORD,

I am, sir, &c.

ST. VINCENT. L'Espoir, O♬. 29, 1798.

I have the pleasure to inform your Lordship, his Majesty's brig under my command has captured a French national cutter that was cruizing between Tarifa and Tangiers, who had the impudence to attack us. I am, my Lord, &c.

LOFTUS BLAND.

Extract of another Letter from the Earl of St. Vincent, K. B. to Evan Nepean, Esq. dited at Gibraltar, November 15, 1798.

You will perceive by the inclosed copy of a letter and list of captures and recaptures from Captain Middleton, of his Majesty's ship the Flora, that the position i placed her and the Caroline in furnished a considerable degree of protection to the outward bound African and West India trade.

MY LORD,

His Majesty's Ship Flora, off the Salvages, Oft. 4

I have the honour to inform your Lordship that the Salvages bearing N. by W. six or seven leagues distant, I fell in with his Majesty's ship the Caroline, in chace of a cutter; after passing the private signal, I joined in the chace until nine A. M. when she struck. She proves to be the President Parker, of L'Orient, Citizen Ferry, commander; a new vessel, sails well, and belongs to the Republic, but has a letter of marque for six months. In the chace he hove all her guns overboard, also the shot and a quantity of provisions. She had captured the Bird, of Liverpool, Robert Tyne, master, bound to Africa, which Captain Powen, of the Caroline, had recaptured this morning at four o'clock. Annexed I send your Lordship a list of the guns thrown overboard; and have the honour to be, my Lord, &c.

R. G. MIDDLETON.

A List of Guns, &c. thrown overboard by the Cutter during the Chace. Eight carronades, 36-pounders; I long gun 9-pounder; six months provisions of all species nearly), and all her boats.

A List of Ships and Vessels captured, re-captured, and destroyed by bis Majesty's Ships Flora and Caroline between the 19th Day of July and the 5th Nov. 1798. Portuguese brig Noftra Senora de Monte, of 12 men, belonging to Madeira, bound from Madeira to St. Michael, laden with bale goods, prize to L'Abeille French privateer, re captured the 1st of August 1798, off Palma, by the Flora, and sent to Madeira.

Spanish packet Grimaldi, of 2 guns, and 28 men, belonging to Corunna, bound from Corunna to the Havannah, laden with wine, &c. captured the 4th September off Teneriffe, by the Flora, and sent to Madeira.

Spanish ship La Carlota, of 19 men, belonging to Teneriffe, bound from the river de Plata to Teneriffe, laden with leather and tallow captured the 30th September off, Teneriffe, by the Flora, and sent to Madeira.

English ship Bird, of 10 guns and 30

men, belonging to Liverpool, bound from Liverpool to the coast of Guinea, laden with various Guinea stores, prize to President Parker privateer, recaptured the 4th of October off the Salvages, by the Caroline, and sent to Madeira.

French cutter privateer President Parker, of 12 guns and 50 men, belonging to Dunkirk, bound from L'Orient on a cruize, captured off the Salvages, by the Flora and Caroline, and sent to Madeira.

French lugger privateer L'Esperance, I gun with musquets, and 38 men, belonging to Santa Cruz bound from Santa Cruz on a cruize, destroyed the 16th October at Teneriffe, by the Caroline's boats.

French ship polacre privateer, Le Baret, 10 guns and 77 men, belonging to Malaga, bound from Grand Canary

on a cruize, captured the 20th October off Teneriffe, by the Caroline and Flora, and sent to Madeira.

R. G. MIDDLETON

ADMIRALTY OFFICE, DEC. 15.

Copy of a Letter, dated at Ramsgate, the 6th Instant, from Mr Thomas Robert Ridge, Commander of the Badger Excise Cutter, to the Honourable the Commissioners of Excise, and transmitted to this Office.

HONOURABLE SIRS,

I BEG leave to inform your Honours, that being cruizing with the Badger cutter on the mo ning of the 5th instant I fell in with and captured between Folkstone and Dungenness a French lugger privateer of four carriage guns, and manned with 18 men, called the Calaisen, Citoyen Jaques Guillaume Lamey, commander, of and from Calais, out 18 hours, and had captured nothing, quite new, being her first cruize. I have put in here with the prize, owing to its blowing very strong from the southward, and as soon as it moderates I shall proceed to Dover with her. I am, &c.

ADMIRALTY-OFFICE, DEC. 22.

THO. R. RIDGE.

Copy of a Letter from the Right Hon. Lord Bridport, K. B. Admiral of the White, &c. to Evan Nepean, Efq dated the 18th inft.

INCLOSED is a copy of a letter from Captain Jenkins, of his Majesty's ship Ambuscade, which is transmitted to you for their lordships information. I have the honour to be, Sir, &c.

BRIDPORT.

Ambufcade, at Sea, Dec. 13.

MY LORD,

I beg to acquaint your Lordship, that I have captured the Letter of Marque, Faucon, from Guadaloupe bound to Bourdeaux, loaded with sugar, coffee, &c. She is near 200 tons, has been 46 days on her passage, and had not taken any thing.

I have the honour to be, &c.

HENRY JENK'NS.

Copy of a Letter from the Earl of St. Vincent, K. B. Aamiral of the Blue, and Commander in Chief of his Majefiy's Ships and Veffels in the Mediterranean, to Evan Nepean, Efq, dated Le Souveraine, Gibraltar, Nov 23, 1798.

SIR,

I enclose a letter from Lieutenant Coryndon Boger, of the Majestic, who commands his Majesty's sloop El Corso in the absence of Lord William Stuart, her Captain, giving an account of the capture of one of the most mischievous of the enemy's privateers which infest the entrance of the Straits; and his activity on the occasion does him great credit. I am, &c.

MY LORD,

ST. VINCENT. Tangier Bay, Nov. 21.

I have the honour to acquaint your Lordship, that after seeing the convoy into the Eay of Gibraltar, I chaced two rench privateers, one of which, l'Adolphe, mounting six carriage guns and 42 men, i captured yesterday evening, the other I drove on shore about two miles to the westward of Tariff but from the day being far advanced, and very hazy weather, I found it impossible, with safety, to attempt destroying her. I am your Lordship's, &c.

CORYNDON BOGER. ADMIRALTY OFFICE, DECEMBER 23, 1798. LIEUT. JONES, of his Majesty's ship Leviathan, arrived here this afternoon with a dispatch from Admiral the Earl of St. Vincent to Mr. Nepean, of which the following is a copy:

SIR,

Le Souverain, Gibraltar, December 6, 1798.

I inclose the copy of a letter form Commodore Duckworth, with other documents relating to the conquest of the Island of Minorca; upon which important event I request you will congratulate the Lords Confmissioners of the Admiralty.