negotiating and concluding a treaty of peace with the plenipotentiaries of the French republic duly authorised for that purpose, his lordship set out yesterday for Lisle, where the negotiations are to be forthwith opened. His majesty has also been pleased to appoint the honourable Henry Wellesley to be secretary to the above mission. Admiralty-Office, July 1. Extract of a letter from eari St. Vincent to Evan Nepean, Esq. dated on board the Ville de Paris, off Cadiz, May 17. I inclose a report from lieut. Pengelley, commanding his majesty's cutter the Viper, relating his capture of a Spanish privateer. Viper, Gibraltar Bay, April 30. Having received orders from captain Bowen (of his majesty's ship Terpsichore) to proceed with his majesty's cutter under iny command to Algiers; upon my return to Gibraltar, on the 13th ult. being about seven leagues N. W. of Alboran, I fell in with and gave chase to a brig in the N.W. quarter; at one P. M. I fired a gun, when she hoisted Spanish colours, and fired a gun shotted, hove to, and gave us a broadside. At half past one we came alongside of her, and brought her to action, which continued till ten minutes past three, when she hauled down her colours. During the action she attempted several times to set us on fire, by endeavouring to throw on board us flasks filled with powder and sulphur. She is called the Piteous Virgin Maria, mounting 10 carriage-guns, 4 six-pounders, and 6 four-pounders, with 8 swivels; had on board, at the commencement of the action, 42 men, and had been from Malaga 6 days. I am happy to inform you that I lost no men during the action; the enemy had one killed, and seven wounded dangerously, one of which is since dead. The cutter received 40 shot in the main-sail, and ber rigging was very much damaged and cut to pieces; a four-pound shot is lodged in her lower mast. In justice to the officers and men, I beg leave to observe, that they respectively did their duty to my entire satisfaction. I have the honour to be, &c. This gazette contains an account of the capture of a fine Spanish privateer brig,named San Francisco, alias Los Amigos, pierced for 14 guns, and 53 men, by the Santa Margarita; also, of a French lug ger privateer, called the Succès, of 6 guns, and 42 men, by the Telemachus cutter;-also, of a Spanish brig corvette, called the Nostra Senora del Rosario, of 20 guns, and 100 men, by the Romulus and Mahonesa;-and, also, a French lugger privateer, named the Poisson Volant, mounting 14 guns, and 50 men, by the Trent. 3. A most melancholy circumstance happened about 12 o'clock at the admiralty. Captain John Eaton, who had been appointed by lord Bridport, acting captain of the Marlborough, of 74 guns, having arrived in town on the preceding day with an account of that ship having returned to port rather in a mutinous state, attended at the admiralty, about ten o'clock, and sent up his name to earl Spencer. The messenger brought down word that his lordship could not be spoken with until twelve o'clock. Eaton waited in the lieutenants' room till near that hour, and several persons passed in and out without observing any thing particular in his conduct. Capt. Oughton was Capt. the the only person in the room, and was looking out of the window when, hearing some noise, he turned round, and saw captain Eaton had stabbed himself in the belly with a kind of dirk, and was making further attempts to destroy himself. He immediately called for assistance, but before any could reach him, captain Eaton had stabbed himself in the side and in the neck, but the first wound was mortal, as part of the entrails had burst out. During the agonies of death, several loose expressions escaped the suicide. He cried out, 'Justice, lord Spencer, justice!''I have done my duty!" 'D――n to all traitors!' and then mentioned the names of two officers. A medical gentleman was called in, but the unfortunate officer died in about 20 minutes. Next day, an inquest was taken at the admiralty on the body of captain Eaton, when a verdict was returned of lunacy; and the body was ordered to be interred. 4. The lottery for the service of the current year was contracted for. The following gentlemen were the bidders, viz. 1. s. d. Eyton and Co. 12 18 6 Eleazer Philip Salomons 12 15 Hazard and Co. for lottery office-keep 6 12 13 11 8 12 12 12 12 4 Messrs. Eyton and Co. being the highest bidders, were the purchasers. Admiralty Office, July 8. This gazette contains an account of the capture of the L'Argonaute French lugger privateer, mounting 2 brass six-pounders, 10 swivels, and 36 men, by the Galatea;-also, of a French lugger privateer, called the Tigre, mounting two two-pounders, four swivels, small arms, and 28 men, by the Repuke revenue cutter; and also, after a chase of two hours, captured on the shore, near Clacton, in the Waller, Les Graces, French lugger privateer, mounting one two-pounder, and two swivels in carriages, and small arms, by the Viper cutter. From the London Gazette, July 11. Admiralty Office, July 11, 1797. Extract of a letter from adiniral the earl of St. Vincent, commander in chief of his majesty's ships and vessels employed on the coast of Portugal, to Evan Nepean, Esq. dated on board de Ville de Paris, off Cadiz, June 16, 1797. SIR, I desire you will acquaint the lords commissioners of the admiral ty, that lieutenant Hardy, in the French republican corvette La Mutine, cut out of the bay of Santa Cruz, by the boats of his majesty's ships Lively and La Minerve, has this moment joined. The gallantry of this action, recited in the public and private letters of captains Hallowel and Cockburn, has prompted me to take the Mutine into his majesty's service, and to appoint lieutenant Hardy to the command of her. A measure so necessary to encourage a continuance of daring enterprise, I am confident will merit the approbation of their lordships. Lively, off S. W. end of Teneriffe, May 31, 1797. SIR, myself in opinion that she might be taken from her anchors, I ordered all the boats of the two ships, with a lieutenant in each, the next night to bring her out. Lieutenant Hardy, of La Minerve, being the senior officer, the command fell on him. At about half past two in the afternoon he made a most resolute attack, in which he was gallantly supported by lieutenants Bland, Hopkins, and Bushby, and lieutenant Bulkeley, of the marines, in the Lively's boat, and lieutenants Gage and Masing in La Minerve's boats, and under a smart fire of musquetry from the brig, boarded and carried her almost immediately. This gave an alarm to the town, and a heavy fire of artillery and musquetry was opened from every part of the garrison, and from a large ship lying in the road immediately, which continued without intermission for near an hour, during which time they were very much exposed in getting the brig under weigh, and towing her out, there being very little wind; and a little before four o'clock they had got out of reach of the batteries with La Mutine French national corvette, of 12 six-pounders, and 2 thirty-six-pounder carronades, and one hundred and thirty-five men, one hundred and thirteen of whom were on board at the time, commanded by citizen Xavier Paumer, capitaine de frégate. She sailed from Brest on the 8th, for l'Isle de France, and had put into the bay of Santa Cruz three days before she was captured, to take in water. The captain was on shore at the time she was cut out. Lieutenant Hardy having commanded the boats on this expedition, I have sent him in with the prize, and cannot recommend him, or the officers or seamen employed on that service with him, in too strong terms. Inclosed is a list of the wounded belonging to both ships. I have the honour to be, &c. BENJ. HALLOWEL. List of the petty officers and seamen belonging to his majesty's ship Lively, who were wounded on the 29th of May, in taking La Mutine French national corvette, so as to render them incapable of doing their duty for the present. Mr. Ralph Standish, master's-mate; William Allen, Quarter-master; Peter Laurence, and Grenville Newberry, seamen. Return of officers and men belonging to his majesty's ship Minerve, wounded on the 29th of May, 1797, taking the national brig La Mutine. Lieutenant Hardy. Warrant officer.-Mr. J. Coulson, gunner. Petty officers.-Mr. Bagar, mid shipman. Mr. Carpenter, ditto, dangerously. Matthew Velley, gunner's mate. Davis Lewis, second master's mate. Robert Sloper, coxswain. Seamen.-Anthony Hull, dangerously. Soldiers of the 11th regiment.James Dunlap, corporal. John Muton, private. Samuel Clark, ditto. Total 11. GEORGE COCKBURN, This gazette also contains an account of the captures of the El Principe de Paz, Spanish brig privateer, of 20 guns and 100 men, and his catholic majesty's packet El Enfante, by the Boston;-and also, of the Castor, French lugger privateer, pierced for 14 guns, which she threw over during the chase, and 57 men, by the St. Fiorenzo. From From the London Gazette, July 15. Parliament-street, July 13, 1797. A dispatch, of which the following is an extract, has been received by the right honourable Henry Dundas, one of his majesty's principal secretaries of state, from lieutenant-colonel Simcoe, cominanding his majesty's troops in the island of St. Domingo, dated Port-au-Prince, May 8, 1797. In my letter of the 13th April, I have done myself the honour of informing you, that the army of the enemy under Toussaint, after the unexpected evacuation of Mirebalais, had possessed itself of Grand Bois, while the division of their forces on the side of Leogane continued to tire with cannon against Grenier. The preservation of these posts was an object of considerable moment. Every method was taken, in case of their loss, to guard the mountain, and to dispute the ground on which the tnemy could place their howitzers for the destruction of Port-au-Prince, the object which was supposed to be in their contemplation; but, as it was evident that the army of Toussaint could not be prevented from crossing the plain, and, under this impression, the baron Montalembert had obtained my permission to evacuate the post of Thomazeau, at the foot of the mountains of Grand Bois, I determined to take the guns in the battery against Grenier, that, in case the armies of Toussaint and Leogane should join, they might be totally without cannon, which could not be well brought across the plain of the Cul de Sac, and without cannon the junction or separation of their armies was equally indifferent. Col. Dessources was there fore placed at the head of 2000 troops, and such preparatory ar rangements were made as provided for the protection of L'Arcahaye, and were well calculated to mislead the enemy; and such feints were directed as might distract their attention. The attack was intended to have taken place on the 15th of April: but the wind did not permit the arrival of colonel Dessources with his regiment until the 26th,' when he marched early in the morning from Port-au-Prince to Tourmier. The enemy, as was their custom, placed some troops in ambuscade, who were soon dispersed, and the king's forces arrived at Tourmier, with little loss. The enemy had occupied two posts on the crest of the mountain of L'Hospitre, on each side of Tourmier, and nearly at two miles distance from it, at the habitations of Boutillier and St. Laurent. It was necessary to dislodge them from these positions. Colonel de Peyster was therefore detached to Boutillier, from which, with his usual gallantry and good conduct, he drove the enemy. The post of St. Laurent was more obstinately defended; and, by the unfortunate loss of major Pouchet, who was killed in leading on the Jeremie troops, they were thrown into confusion; nor was the post taken till a greater force, with cannon, appeared against it. The delay occasioned by the defence of St. Laurent induced colanel Dessources to postpone the attack of the battery till the next day; and that intelligent officer employed the remainder of the night in making such preparations as were ne cessary to assure the success of this enterprise. The defence of the Cul de Sac was entrusted to the baron Montalembert, who made a considerable detachment to the pass where the road road from Leogane by Grenier enters the plain. This detachment was skilfully conducted by major O'Gorman. It attracted the notice of considerable bodies of the enemy, and, on its return to the Croix des Bouquets in the evening, was attacked on all sides by small parties, who were repulsed. Toussaint entered the plain in the course of the day, and marched to the side of the Croix des Bouquets, actuated, as it is said, by some vague report of that import ant post being to be abandoned on his first appearance. His cavalry fell in with the advanced posts of the baron Montalembert's cavalry, under the command of captain comte Manoux. That officer, collecting his troops, immediately charged the enemy with great vivacity, when they fled, and withdrew, with the utmost expedition, to the mountain. In the mean time capt. Couchet, of his majesty's ship Abergavenny, with some armed vessels, proceeded off Leogane, which place has been effectually blockaded since my arrival at Port-au-Prince, and made various demonstrations to draw the enemy's attention to that side. I am happy in this opportunity to express how much I am beholden to the zeal and promptitude with which captain Couchet has assisted me in promoting his majesty's service. On the morning of the 17th colonel Dessources, having made his dispositions, marched in two columns, the left to Grenier, under the direction of colonel de Peyster, in which was the British detachment commanded by major Clay. The right column, under the direction of colonel vicomte D'Alzune, descended from St. Laurent. Upon the division of the left ar riving in the bottom, which separated the post of Grenier from the enemy's battery, it turned to the right, and joined the column that had marched from St. Laurent. The fog and haze in the bottom prevented the enemy from seeing this movement. It was also concealed by the judicious manner in which captain Spicer of the royal artillery threw shells from the heights of Fournier from an howitzer and carronade, directing them against the various ambuscades and defences which the enemy had thrown up to protect their battery from any attack in its front or on its right. On the junction of his division into one column, colonel Dessources proceeded through a most difficult and inaccessible country to turn the left of the enemy's battery, and the works which supported it, having left troops on the heights of St. Laurent to secure his retreat, and major Clay to protect him from any attack made by the road from Leogane. As the colonel approached the flank of the battery, and that of the breast-work which defended it, he successively broke his troops into divisions, which kept the ene my's forces in check and suspense, until another division, under the command of lieutenant-colonel Dessources, had, to their great surprise, possessed themselves of the heights considerably beyond them, when, after an ineffectual resistance, they fled on all sides, and left colonel Dessources in possession of their battery, the work of several months, and of the gun which they had in the preceding night withdrawn from it for the defence of their breastwork. This critical enterprise, I am happy to say, was effected with but little loss; and by its success, I Was |