ed to execute your further orders. On that day I saw a convoy coursing round Croisiq, of 15 or 16 sail, but was in no hurry to chase, rather permitting them to get nearer to St. Gildas, and in the evening stood out, and made the necessary signals to Mr. Forbes. It fully answered my expectations, as he, being to windward, turned them all, and they made for the Villain, just where I was. About eight we took a small one, just as the battery of St. Jacques was hailing us, which I immediately manned, and sent her with our own boat along shore, and by four A. M. found ourselves in possession of five more: this is all they could attempt, as the whole coasts were then alarmed, and the battery of Notre Dame, at the entrance of the river Peners, kept up so brisk a fire as to send three shot through the last vessel; but the spirit of our people was such, that they were determined to have her out, and unluckily one man was slightly scratched with a splinter. On joining the Lurcher in the morning, I found she had got three more, making nine, the particulars of which are expressed in the adjoined list: the four largest are decked, and very capable of going to England, but the others cannot. Since the 7th, Mr. Forbes has been continually on the look-out; but not a single vessel, I believe, has stirred since, I am, &c.

GEORGE ARGLES. [Then follows a list of six vessels captured by the Nile cutter, laden with provisions for Brest, and three by the Lurcher cutter, bound to Yannes.]

Extract of a letter from capt. Rowley Bulteel, of the Belliqueux, to E. Nepean, esq. dated at Rio Janeiro, August 2+.

On Monday, August 4, soon after day-light, four sail were discovered

from the mast-head, in the N. W. quarter, and apparently steering about N. by E. At seven A. M. they hauled their wind, tacked, and stood towards us; upon which I bore down with the whole of my convoy. At noon the enemy perceived our force (which was greatly exaggerated, in their opinion, by the warlike appearance of the China ships): they bore up under a press of sail, and by signal separated. I stood for the largest ship, and, notwithstanding the light and baffling winds, we came up with her, and after a few chase-guns, and a partial firing for about ten minutes, at half past five in the afternoon (Tuesday) she struck her colours, and proved to be the French frigate La Concorde, of 41 guns, 18-pounders, and 444 men, commanded by citizen Jean François Landolphe, capitaine de vaisseau, and chef de division. At seven the same evening, the French frigate La Medée, of 36 guns, 13-pounders, and 315 men, commanded by citizen Daniel Goudein, struck her colours to the Bombay Castle, capt. John Hamilton, and the Exeter, capt. Henry Meriton. The above frigates were of the squadron which sailed from Rochefort the 6th day of March, 1799, and, having committed great depredations on the coast of Africa, had refitted in the Rio de la Plata, and were now cruizing on the coast of Brazil. La Françoise, of 42 guns, and 380 men, commanded by citie zen Pierre Jurieu, escaped by throwing a part of her guns overboard, and also her anchors, boats, and booms, and by night coming on; as did also an American schooner, their prize, fitted as a cruizer. On this occasion I hope their lordships will permit me to bear testimony of the spirit of the officers and ship's company of the Belliqueux; and I have peculiar pleasure in mentioning the

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zeal and activity I have ever found in Mr. Erdon, my first lieutenant, to whom I only do justice in recommnending him to their lordships' notice and favour. Too much praise cannot be given to the captains, of ficers, and crews of the different ships under my convoy, for their ready obedience to my signals, and for the whole of their conduct on that day, particularly to captains Hamilton and Meriton, who very gallantly pursued and captured the aforesaid frigate La Medée; and also to capt. Torin, of the Coutts, and capt. Spens, of the Neptune, who, with great alacrity, pursued La Françoise, although they had not the good fortune to come up with her, for the reasons above assigned; and my best thanks are due to the whole of the commanders of the ships under my convoy, for their assistance in taking a number of prisoners on board their respective ships. We arrived at Rio Janeiro on Tuesday, the 12th of August.

[This Gazette also contains accounts of the capture of the Spanish privateer lugger, San Josef, of six guns and 40 men, by the Concorde, capt. R. Barton; and of a French sloop, bound to Brest, with provisions, by La Magicienne.]

Admiralty-office, 20. This Gazette contains an account of the Favourite, captain Joseph Westbeach, having captured Le Voyageur cutter privateer, of Dunkirk, of 14 carriage-guns and 47 men; she had taken the Camilla, belonging to Sunderland, the day before.

22. This day the united parliament assembled for the first time. Admiralty-office, 24. Letter from Rear-admiral Duckworth, com mander in chief of his majesty's ships and vessels at the Leeward islands, to E. Nepean, Esq. dated Leviathan, Martinique, Oct. 27.

SIR,

Having directed the Gipsy, of 10 four-pounders and 42 men, tender to the Leviathan, under the command of lieut. Coryndon Boger, to carry the Charlotte merchant ship (in which my late cap. tain, Carpenter, took his passage) to the northward of the islands, I am to beg you will inform the lords commissioners of the admi ralty, that on the 7th instant, in passing near Guadaloupe on the above service, he chased and brought to action a French sloop of very superior magnitude, and manned with double his number of select troops of Guadaloupe. For the particulars of this very handsome contest I shall refer their lordships to lieut. Boger's letter; but I should not do justice to his majesty's service, from the knowledge I have of this valuable officer's character, and from the unanimous voice of his crew, if I did not say his modest recital of his gallantry does him as much honour as the action itself; and I flatter myself he will be honoured with their lordships' protection. I am, &c.

J. T. DUCKWORTH. P. S. Since the concluding of the above I find three more of the wounded have died.

Gipsy, in St. John's Roads, Oct. 8.

SIR,

At eight A. M. off the north end of Guadaloupe, I chased and came up with an armed sloop. On firing a shot at her she hoisted French colours, and returned it; an action instantly commenced. We remained at very close quarters for an hour and a half, when, finding that her musketry did us considerable damage, I hauled a little farther off, and kept up a sharp fire of round and grape; and at half past ten I had the (A 3) satisfaction

richena, (formerly the Resolution cutter in the British navy,) which sailed from Vera Cruz three days before. As soon as her crew were removed to this ship, we made all sail, and an hour after day-break got sight again of the xebec, and captured her at three o'clock in the afternoon; she is from Vera Cruz, and was bound to the Havannah. The Resolution was in general towed by us until the 27 th ult. when her main-mast went by the board: an attempt was made to refit her; but her rigging and sails being perfectly rotten, and every thing belonging to her in such a miserable condition, it was necessary to destroy her. On the 7th inst. off Porcillo, in the island of Cuba, we recaptured the schooner St. Joseph.

P. HALKETT. [This Gazette also contains copies of three letters transmitted by earl St. Vincent, giving accounts of the following captures: the French national ship corvette L'Aurora, of 16 guns, lieut. C. Girault commander, from the Mauritius, having on board the aide-du-camp to the governor of that place, with dispatches to the French government, by the Thames, capt. Lukin; the French brig La Favorite, from L'Orient to Bourdeaux, laden with staves and hides, by the Doris, capt. Halliday; and the Spanish letter of marque Charlotta, by the Sirius, capt. King, the Amethyst being in company.]

Admiralty-office, 10. Enclosure from the carl of St. Vincent, K. B. &c. to E. Nepean, esq.

L'Oiseau, Torbay, Feb. 3. My Lord,

On Monday, Jan. 26, at eight A. M. in lat. 45 deg. N. long. 12 deg. W. I fell in with the French national frigate La Dédaigneuse, of 36 guns and 300 men, with dispatches from Cayenne for Rochefort, and chased her until noon the following day;

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when I discovered his majesty's ships Sirius and Amethyst off Cape Finisterre, whose captains I directed, by signal, to chase, and continued in pursuit of the enemy until two o'clock on Wednesday morning. Being within musket-shot, she opened her fire on the Sirius and L'Oiseau, (which was immediately returned,) and surrendered to the above ships after an action of 45 minutes; distant from the shore, near Cape Belem, about two miles. Her running rigging and sails were cut to pieces; several men killed, and 17 wounded: among the latter were the captain and fifth lieutenant. My warmest thanks are due to captains King and Cooke for their exertions; but particularly to the former, as, from the Sirius's steady and well-directed fire, the enemy received considerable damage; the Amethyst, from unfavourable winds, was unable to get up until she had struck. happy to say, notwithstanding the gallant resistance made by the Dédaigneuse, neither of the ships lost a man. The Sirius's rigging and sails were a little damaged, her main-yard and bowsprit slightly wounded. I cannot conclude without expressing my approbation of the officers and company of his majesty's ship under my command; and, in justice to them, must add, their anxiety to close with the enemy, on first discovering her, was equal to what it was on becoming so superior; and must farther beg to acknowledge the very great assistance I received from Mr. H. Lloyd, my first lieutenant, during a long and anxious chase of 42 hours. I trust your lordship will be pleased to recommend him to the lords commissioners of the admiralty as a most valuable officer, and deserving of their attention: on his account most sincerely do I lament the baffling winds that prevented my bring(A 4)

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ing the enemy to action on the preceding day, which I was several times in expectation of doing. La Dédaigneuse is a perfect new frigate, copper-fastened, and sails well; carries 28 twelve-pounders on her main deck, and pierced for 40 guns. I have given the prize in charge of my first lieutenant, with directions to proceed to Plymouth; and have also to acquaint your lordship of my having detained on the 1st inst. the Swedish ship Hoffnung, from Valentia, bound to Altona, laden with brandy, burthen 260 tons. S. H. LINZEE. 12. This day the lord mayor, attended by seven aldermen, the two sheriffs, the recorder, and a select number of the common council, proceeded from Guildhall, at one o'clock, to St. James's, and present ed the following address:

To the King's Most Excellent
Majesty.

The humble address of the lord mayor, aldermen, and commons, of the city of London, in common council assembled.

"Most Gracious Sire, " "We, your majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the lord mayor, aldermen, and commons, of the city of London, in common council assembled, approach the throne with the liveliest sentiments of congratulation on the very important event of the legislative union of your majesty's kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland. Unshaken as we are in our firm allegiance to the best of kings, we contemplate with peculiar satisfaction every circumstance which, in its design or operation, can tend to the security and honour of your majesty's crown, and thereby to the declared first object of your majesty's heart, the welfare and prosperity of your people. The accomplishment of this great measure, founded in wisdom, and de

monstrative of that paternal regard. which your majesty has ever evinced for every class of your subjects, the union of the two kingdoms, particularly affords, at this momentous crisis of public affairs, the gratifying prospect of consolidating the joint interests, energy, and resources of the empire, and of confirming, by a mutual participation of the peculiar blessings of each, the prosperity and happiness of both kingdoms. Long may your majesty wear the diadem, which, through unexampled difficulties, has maintained its dignity and preserved its lustre! and long may the subjects of your united empire,

with one heart and one voice, confess with gratitude the loyalty and veneration due to a sovereign, whose honour must be their pride, and on whose security is engrafted their immediate welfare! and may the most complete success, under Providence, crown their determinations to subdue your majesty's enemies wherever they may be found!"

To which his majesty was pleased to return the following most gracious answer:

"I thank you for this dutiful and loyal address, and for your warm congratulation on the union of the two kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland; an event which, I trust, cannot fail, under the blessings of Providence, to augment and perpetuate the welfare and happiness of all my people. Your affectionate expressions of attachment to my person and government, and your steady determination to maintain, against every aggression, the security and honour of my crown, are highly acceptable to me, and secure to my faithful citizens of London my constant favour and protection."

Admiralty-office, 14. Letter from licut. Bond, commanding his majesty's schooner Netley, to lord Keith, dated Oporto, Dec. 22.

Netley,