it too hazardous to run into Aix Roads (from its shallow waters), I therefore anchored again at the distance of about three miles from the forts on the island.

As the tide suited, the enemy evinced great activity in endeavour ing to warp their ships (which had grounded) into deep water, and succeeded in getting all but five of the line towards the entrance of the Charente before it became practicable to attack them.

I gave orders to Capt. Bligh, of the Valiant, to proceed with that ship, the Revenge, frigates, bombs, and small vessels, named in the margint, to anchor near the Boyrat Shoal, in readiness for the attack. At twenty minutes past two P. M. Lord Cochrane advanced in the Imperieuse, with his accustomed gallantry and spirit, and opened a well directed fire upon the Calcutta, which struck her colours to the Imperieuse; the ships and vessels above mentioned soon after joined in the attack upon the Vilie de Varsovie and Aquilon, and obliged them, before five o'clock, after sustaining a heavy cannonade, to strike their colours, when they were taken possession of by the boats of the advanced squadron. As soon as the prisoners were removed, they were set on fire, as was also the Tonnerre, a short time after by the enemy.

I afterwards detached Rear-Admiral the Hon. Robert Stopford, in the Cæsar, with the Thescus, three additional fireships (which were hastily prepared in the course of the day) and all the boats of the fleet, with Mr. Congreve's rockets, to conduct the further operations

of the night against any of the ships which lay exposed to an attack. On the morning of the 13th, the Rear-Admiral reported to me, that as the Cesar and other line of battle ships had grounded, and were in a dangerous situation, be thought it advisable to order them all out, particulary as the remaining part of the service could be performed by frigates and small vessels only: and I was happy to find that they were extricated from their perilous situation.

Captain Bligh has since informed me, that it was found impracticable to destroy the three-decked ship, and the others which were lying near the entrance of the Charente, as the former, being the outer one, was protected by three lines of boats placed in advance from her.

This ship and all the others, except four of the line and a frigate, Irave now moved up the river Charente. If any further attempt to destroy them is practicable, I shall not fail to use every means in my power to accomplish it.

I have great satisfaction in stating to their lordships how much I feel obliged to the zealous co-operations of Rear-Admiral Stopford, under whose arrangement the boats of the fleet where placed; and I must also express to their lordships the high sense I have of the assistance I received from the abilities and unremitted attention of Sir Harry Neale, Bart. the captain of the fleet, as well as of the animated exertions of the captains, officers, seamen, and marines under my command, and their forwardness to volunteer upon any service that might be allotted to them; particularly the zeal and

activity

Return of officers, seamen and marines, killed, wounded and missing.

Two officers, 8 men killed; 9 officers, 26 men wounded, a man missing. Total 46.

GAMBIER.

A Letter from a Lieutenant of Ma

rines in Basque Roads. "Our fire-ships arrived the 10th instant, and were sent in the next night, each ship conducted by a lieutenant and five men; the ships were 16 in number, and some very heavy ships; when they got in, the French ships cut and slipped, and nine sail of the line got on shore on the isle of Aix, and the next morning we discovered them; the fire ships having done little good, the small craft and frigates were ordered in to attempt to destroy them.The place where they lay was like their being in Portsmouth harbour, under the fire of two batteries, each of which had three tier of guns of 29 each, all heavy metal: the navigation to get at them was very dithcult, in some places there being only four fathoms water. Just as we were sitting down to dinner on board the Revenge, our signal was made to go in and assist the gun and mortar vessels: our ship was clear for action in fifteen minutes, and in half an hour we were along side of three sail of the line, when we opened a dreadful cannonade on them, which continued for an hour and a quarter, when the Warsaw, a fine 80 gun ship, and the Aquilon, struck to us; we were now in a very critical state ourselves, being in only five fathoms water, which was ebbing very fast; the batteries on shore having got our length, struck us almost every shot for the last quarter of an hour; luckily a breeze

springing up we got off into deeper water and out of reach of their guns, when we anchored again, and sent our boats and took out the prisoners, and set them on fire about seven P. M. At nine they were all in flames, and at two in the morning they blew up with a tremendous explosion; the French set fire to the Tonniere, and the Imperieuse to the Calcutta; three other ships of the line are on shore very much mauled by the frigates and bombships, some of them are on their beam-ends, and but little chance of their getting off again. The capt. of the Warsaw is on board our ship: he says, they were bound out to relieve Martinique with troops and provisions. I went on board his ship after she struck, and the decks were strewed with dead and wounded; a most dreadful slaughter. We also lost several killed and wounded, and our ship is much cut up in sails and rigging, which makes it probable that we shall be sent in to refit."

The singular coincidence of favourable occurrences which led to the destruction of the ships in the Basque Roads is unknown to the British public, and deserves notice. The trite adage, that "fortune favours the brave," was never more fully verified than in the present instance; and the reason for the maxim, though obvious, is in fact founded in nature: for the brave, the energetic, the active, (such as are British seamen) are always in a state of readiness and preparation to take advantage of any desirable turn of fortune that may offer, and may so far be said to be "favoured by fortune." We have been given to understand, then, and from as good information as can be had in such a case, that it was at first the

intention of the enemy's fleet to attack the little squadron which was stationed off Rochefort harbour, when a signal was made from the French shore, without specifying the number, of another enemy's fleet.

This induced admiral Willaumez rather to seek for safety than attempt conquest, and to desist from the pursuit of that little squadron, which when, after his entrance into the harbour, he had discovered to be joined by only three ships, he would have undoubtedly attacked with his eleven, had he not been prevented by the dread of being intercepted by lord Gambier's fleet. After this we became the assailants, and were again favoured by great good luck; for if the Mediator, contrary to the plan prescribed at home, had not been fitted up as a fire-ship, the boom could not have been broken by fire-ships of the usual weight, and two other booms would have been shortly placed.Nor is this all; it appears, that owing to some derangement of the other vessels, the brave lord Cochrane hailed captain Woolridge, of the Mediator, to slacken sail, but was luckily unheard; for if the impetus of that vessel had been checked, the boom could not have broken. All these fortunate occurrences were necessary to produce the happy result. Admiral Willaumez is, we understand, ordered to Paris to "be tried for his conduct.

REPORT relating to the Dutch

Commissioners.

Your committee, having derived from the minutes of evidence and proceedings of the committees on Public Expenditure of the preceding sessions referred to them by

the House, some material information respecting the establishment and the transactions of the commissioners for the sale, management and disposal of Dutch property, captured or detained on the occasion of the commencement of hostilities with Holland, in consequence of its invasion by the French, have pursued the investigation of that subject, and proceed to report upon it.

The commissioners, who were five in number, were appointed in 1795, under the authority of the 21st clause of the 35th Gen. 3. ch. 80; and their commission, after reciting in the words of the act, that "the cargoes of Dutch ships, detained or brought in, might perish, or be greatly injured if some provision was not made respecting the same, authorizes the commissioners to take such ships and cargoes under their care, and to manage, sell, and dispose of the same according to such instructions as they should from time to time receive from the king in council."

"

The lords of the Privy Council in their instructions, dated 13th June, 1795, direct the commissioners generally as to the conduct of their transactions, and require them to keep minutes of all their proceedings, and to "keep accounts in such form as the lords commissioners of the treasury shall direct or approve.' No instructions appear to have proceeded from the board of treasury, and the commissioners represent themselves to have undertaken their office, without having come to any understanding with any branch of the government respecting the manner of deriving their compensation for their services, or the amount of it.

They