W

HILE the land forces of Great Britain were reaping laurels in the fields of the peninsula the navy was reduced to those minor and unconnected exploits which occasion presented. One of the most brilliant of these actions was the defeat of a combined French and Italian squadron, off the isle of Lissa, on the Dalmatian coast, by an English squadron under the command of captain Hoste. Captain Barrie of the Pomoné frigate destroyed the tower and battery of Sagone, in Corsica, and poured so severe a fire on the enemy's vessels protected by the fortifications, that three of them blew up. Captain Napier, with his frigate, the Thames, and a sloop, captured, almost without resistance, 11 French gun-boats, one armed Felucca, 14 merchant-vessels, and four rafts of large spars, intended for the use of the Neapolitan navy. On the 11th of October, his majesty's frigate Imperieuse, the honorable captain Duncan, commander, attacked three of the enemy's gun-boats moored under the walls of a strong fort, near Positano, in the gulf of Salerno. The guns of the fort were thrown over the cliff, the magazines destroyed, and two gun-boats were brought off with trifling loss on the part of the victors. Two hundred and fifty soldiers, under VOL. II.

major Darley, attacked 900 of the enemy posted at Palinura, and drove them from their position. They then destroyed the gun-boats, batteries, and cannon, captured 20 merchantmen, and returned with their prizes to Melazzo. In the Adriatic, captain Gordon captured 18 transports laden with grain for the garrison of Ragusa; and four French gun-boats, at the isle of Nordency, on the Danish coast, surrendered to the boats of an English squadron lying off Heligoland. On the 19th of August, captain Bourchier, while cruising off St. Marcou, on the coast of Normandy, captured a national brig and three large transports. An enterprise in which both courage and policy were displayed, was undertaken by the Diana, captain Ferris, and Semiramis, captain Richardson, lying off the mouth of the Gironde. Perceiving four sail of vessels under convoy of a national brig of war on the inside of the shoals at the mouth of that river, captain Ferris so completely disguised the English ships, that the French pilots guided them into the midst of their own vessels; the brig was burnt, and the captured merchant-vessels brought out in triumph.

During the visit of the French emperor at Boulogne, in September, captain Carteret of the Naiade frigate, anchored off

2 R

and 120 men.

that port, and was attacked in consequence of the express orders of Napoleon, by seven praams, each carrying twelve 24-pounders, Notwithstanding their immense superiority of force, the Naiade sustained a gallant contest, and the flotilla only escaped destruction by anchoring beneath the batteries. A small squadron under captain Schomberg fell in with an armament of superior strength, on the coast of Madagascar, captured the Renommée of 44 guns, and 470 men, and obtained possession of the fort of Tamatave. On the night of December 4th, the Saldanha frigate of 32 guns, the honorable captain Pakenham, was lost off Loch Swilley, in Ireland a similar misfortune occurred to the_Hero of 74 guns, captain Newman, on December 24th, in the German ocean; and the Grasshopper, her companion, after encountering much danger, was carried into the Texel, and her crew made prisoners to the squadron of admiral de Winter, who treated them with great humanity.

The St. George, of 98 guns, under the care of admiral Reynolds, with a numerous convoy, and the Defence of 74 guns, were stranded on the coast of West Jutland, and 1400 men, including all the superior officers, were drowned; a greater diminution of British seamen than had occurred in the most glorions naval battles. The animosity which had so long existed between the governments of England and America was exasperated by an incident which threatened to involve the two nations in immediate hostility. The American frigate President, having fallen in with the British sloop of war, Little Belt, on the American coast, an action commenced, which terminated in a severe loss of men to the latter vessel. At half past six, captain Bingham, who had discerned the stars in the President's broad pendent, made every preparation against a surprise. Commodore Rogers, who affirms that he had not been able to make out to what nation the chase belonged, took a position to windward of her, and about half past eight came within hail. At this point the narratives of the commanders vary from each other Captain

Bingham states, "I hailed and asked what ship it was. He repeated my question. I again hailed, and asked what ship it was. He again repeated my words, and fired a broadside, which I immediately returned." Commodore Rogers, on the other hand, says, "I hailed, What ship is that? To this inquiry no answer was given. But I was hailed by her commander, What ship is that? After a pause of fifteen or twenty seconds, I reiterated my first inquiry, and, before I had time to take the trumpet from my mouth, was answered by a shot that went through our mainmast." He proceeds to state, that while he was in the act of giving his orders to fire a shot in return, a shot was fired by the second division of his ship, which was instantly answered by three others in quick succession, from his antagonist, and soon after by his whole broadside. From that moment the action became general, and lasted three quarters of an hour, when a suspension of hostilities ensued; the hailing was repeated, the ships recognised each other, and parted for the night; in the morning, the president sent a message on board the Little Belt, lamenting the unfortunate occurrence, and offering every necessary assistance, which captain Bingham declined. His spirit in maintaining a contest with a force so superior, the disparity being 18 guns to 44, was worthy of his station, but was attended with the loss of 32 men killed and wounded that of the Americans was extremely trifling. The American government brought Rogers to a court-martial, by which he was honorably acquitted; and captain Bingham, for the bravery of his conduct, received the plaudits of his superiors. Both governments, however, disavowed the transmission of hostile orders to their respective commanders, and, after some discussion. the conflict was forgotten as a casual oc

currence.

2

The English government manifested its desire of terminating the misunderstanding with the United States by sending out Mr. Forster as envoy extraordinary and plenipotentiary. From the correspondence of this gentleman with Monroe, it is evident

that the ordres in council constituted the principal obstacle to an amicable intercourse between the two countries. Finding their efforts to obtain the repeal of those orders ineffectual, the Americans declared that they had "endured injury till for bearance ceased to be a virtue," and to evince the firmness and order of that spirit by which they were inspired, they issued a proclamation recommending the levy of 10,000 regulars, and 50,000 militia, the repair of every vessel of war, and the preparation of merchant ships for their own defence. The ultimate effect of these energetic and judicious measures has been lamentably proved by the transactions of our last transatlantic campaign.

The most splendid acquisition made by the British arms in the year 1811, was Batavia, the capital of the Dutch settlements, in the East Indies, with the rich island in which it is situated. After the reduction of the islands of Amboyna and Banda, the governor-general of India, lord Minto, resolved to complete the British dominion in that quarter of the globe by the conquest of the island of Java. In the month of March a body of troops, destined for this expedition, were encamped at Madras, consisting of his majesty's 14th, 15th, 59th, and 69th regiments of foot, four squadrons of the 22nd dragoons, two squadrons of horse, and a party of foot artillery. The 78th regiment was to sail from Bengal. The chief command was vested in sir Samuel Auchmuty, and general Witherall was nominated second in command. Lord Minto himself was determined to accompany the armament, which was appointed to sail in April. It was understood that general Daendels, the governor of Java, was making every possible preparation for a formidable resistance to the expected attack. He had successfully terminated a destructive war against the people of Bantam, who had rebelled (as it was termed) against the Dutch authority; and his government, under the influence of French direction, was conducted with unusual vigor and intelligence.

On the 4th of August sir Samuel Auch

muty effected a landing without opposition at the village of Chillingching, twelve miles to the east of Batavia. As the enemy's chief force, commanded by general Jansens (who had succeeded general Daendels in the government,) lay at Cornelis, some distance up the country, it was resolved first to explore the road leading to Batavia, and the troops on the 6th approached the Anjol river, the bridge over which had been broken. A great fire being then perceived in Batavia, it was concluded that the garrison intended to evacuate the city, for which reason colonel Gillespie was sent with a detachment to take possession of the suburbs. On the 8th the burghers applied for protection, and surrendered the city without opposition; and although large storehouses of public property were consumed in the conflagration, yet some valuable granaries and other stores were preserved. On the 10th colonel Gillespie moved with his corps to the enemy's cantonments at Weltevreede, which he found abandoned; but a strong position had been taken a little beyond, two miles in advance of the works of Cornelis, defended by an abbatis, and 3000 of the enemy's best troops. This was attacked with the bayonet by the British, and carried, with considerable loss to the defenders. A column that came to their assistance was driven back on the arrival of the British line.

By

There now remained the main body of the enemy, in the works of Cornelis, greatly superior in numbers to the assailants, and strongly entrenched in a favorable position. After a continued and severe cannonade the batteries of the enemy were silenced, and at the dawn of day on the 26th of August a general assault was made. the gallant exertions of colonel Gillespie and colonel Gibbs the lines in front of Cornelis were forced, and the enemy's army was killed, taken, or dispersed. The slaughter in the action and pursuit was immense on both sides, and near 5000 prisoners were taken by the invaders. General Jansens escaped during the engagement, and collected the remaining European and native force for the defence

of the rest of the island. Sir S. Auchmuty therefore prepared to prosecute his success with vigor, and in the beginning of September the fort of Cheribon was occupied by the seamen and marines of three frigates. A body of troops was embarked on board the ships of the fleet under rear admiral Stopford, which was ordered to proceed to Samarang, where they were joined by sir Samuel and by the admiral. It was discovered on the 12th of September that general Jansens had evacuated the place, and had occupied a position on the road to Solo, the residence of the emperor of Java. The position was attacked, the European troops surrendered at discretion, and on the part of the rest of his forces and of the inhabitants, general Jansens agreed to a capitulation, which surrendered the island of Java on terms highly honorable and advantageous to the British nation.

A coronation had lately been performed in the island of St. Domingo. Christophe who now possessed the north side of the French part of the island, was elevated to the throne under the title of Henry I. emperor of Hayti. A few days before his coronation took place, he created by a singular anomaly dukes, counts, barons, and chevaliers, that they might communicate by appearing in the dresses and insignia of their respective orders, additional splendor to the ceremony. He commanded the erection of a palace, which was to be situated in the centre of a fort upon which neither skill, nor labor, nor expense was spared to render it impregnable. His fleet consisted at this time of a 44 gun frigate, nine sloops of war, 11 brigs of from 14 to 22 guns, and a number or schooners each mauned with about 100 men. For the trappings of royalty, and all the spectacles which its display can afford, the black king Henry shewed as decided a taste as more renowned and potent sovereigns. A set of regalia and jewels, consisting of crowns, crosses, gold spurs, a gold and silver plume, diamond ear-rings, collars, and tiara were made for him in London, and had the singular fortune to be seized by the custom-house officers, his ageut having neglected to make an entry

of them, but they were released by the treasury as far as the rights of government were concerned.

Christophe had about 12,500 negro troops under his command. The opposite side was held by his rival, general Petion, at the head of the mixed race, a less numerous but better instructed population; and a third party was formed in the centre of the island under Phillippe Dos, a friend of the unfortunate Touissaint. Hayti therefore was at this period divided into petty states, those in the interior plundering their neighbours, and those on the coast becoming a race of pirates, the more formidable because they were at all times sure of finding friends and recruits.

To detail alternate and momentary successes of the royalists and the insurgents in Spanish America, would be equally tedious to the reader and unsatisfactory to the historian. The contending forces seldom exceeded 1200 men, and their efforts under Leniers the celebrated defender of Buenos Ayres, and Elio the Spanish viceroy, were more alarming to the inha-. bitants of the towns and provinces in which they acted than skilful or decisive. On the 13th of August, Miranda, at the head of a body of revolutionists, hemined in the loyalists at the city of Coro, and starved them into a surrender at discretion. But his triumph was of short duration. On March 26th, 1812, at seven minutes after four in the afternoon, an earthquake was felt throughout the whole province of the Caraccas. The shock was slight at first, but it increased during the space of a minute and terminated in a sharp and jerking motion which in the course of two seconds laid Guayra, St. Carlos, Caracos, Barquisimeto, and many. other towns in ruins. The walls were thrown down, the fortifications destroyed, the road between Guayra and the capital broken up with chasms, or filled with the wreck of the mountain. At the former place above 1500 persons perished, and in the latter 1800. This dreadful visitation happened on Holy Thursday, the anniversary of the establishment of the revolutionary government. The circum

stance acting upon the minds of an ignorant and superstitious people, combined with the general diffusion of famine and distress, to extend the progress of distrust, and to exasperate the people to those acts of resistance which ultimately, proved fatal to Miranda.

In a

The vigorous and extensive preparations of the emperor of France, appeared to prognosticate the renewal of continental hostilities. The system of conscription was adopted in the naval to nearly the same extent as in the military department, and a decree was issued for calling out 80,000 military conscripts for the year. speech to some merchants assembled in a chamber of commerce, he suffered it openly to appear that Russia was no longer the dupe of his policy, nor the subservient tool of his ambition. "I," said he, "am and am and always will be, the master of the Baltic. The emperor of Russia has not indeed as yet caused my decrees to be observed in his ports, but ere six months be past, he will, or I declare war against him. At Tilsit, what prevented my march to Petersburgh? What I did not, I can do yet.'

In the spring of the year Maria Louisa bore him a son, which his enemies have repeatedly asserted to be supposititious, without adducing the shadow of a proof. The forms of religion and of superstition were on this occasion rigidly observed. The usual prayers had been made for the safe delivery of the empress. The shift of the virgin preserved for nine centuries in the Notre Dame, was exposed to view, and afterwards presented to the empress by the bishop of Marseilles, at the head of a deputation. The usual rejoicings, illuminations, and thanksgivings, were made telegraphs announced to the whole of France that the young prince began to take nourishment with avidity from his nurse; that he suffered during night the colic pains incident to his age, and that he was well in the morning. He was immediately designated as the king of Rome. The city of Paris presented a cradle for the infant of gilt silver and mother of pearl, superbly ornamented with flattering devices The legislative body assured Na

poleon that they felt the highest interest in this august infant; and it was resolved that a deputation, consisting of the presi dent, the two vice-presidents, the two questors and 20 senators, should be commissioned to present their homage to the baby king. Buonaparte must have despised in his heart the base and subservient flatterers who thus voluntarily assisted in so degrading an exhibition. He did not condescend to be present when the ceremony was performed; he contemptuously left the nurse to receive these abject slaves, some of whom had sanctioned those measures of barbarity by which the slow murder of the dauphin was accomplished. Let the reader imagine what his feelings would be were such an act recorded of the house of commons and the speaker, and he will then exult in the difference between a Briton and a Frenchman.

As there existed no other limitation to the extension of the territory denominated France than the will of its ruler, no surprise was excited by the further annexation of districts in Italy. By a decree dated the 5th of August, the territories belonging to the kingdom of Italy, situated on the left bank of the Enza, were united to France; and that river, from its mouth to its source, was to be the future boundary between France and Italy. Other alterations were announced of the boundaries between the kingdom of Italy and the Illyrian provinces of the French empire. Further severities with respect to commercial intercourse with England, were adopted in the north of Germany, under the direction of Davoust, prince of Eckmuhl 'and duke of Averstadt. Every individual was required, on pain of exemplary punishment, to make declaration of all property belonging to the English, entrusted to his possession; and in case of non-compliance, triple security was to be demanded for payment of the penalties incurred. The Hamburghese were utterly incapable of resistance, but no people displayed a greater aversion to the yoke, They were compelled to furnish 1500 men for the conscription; and such was the horror entertained of fighting in the French