Three or Four Hundred Yards; and the Flats rowed up to us with great Refolution until they were within Musket-Shot, when our Guns, loaded with Round and Grape, or Cafe, for about One Hour, cut them up in Chips before they could retreat; and our Fire on the Boats attempting to fave thofe finking must have occafioned great Slaughter, as they were crowded with Soldiers for the Purpose of forming us. I conjecture, from the fmall Flat, No. 13, I have towed in Bottom up, having One Hundred and Twenty-nine of the 2d Company of the Battalion of Boulogne Marine on board, that there were Six or Seven Thoufand Men 'embarked; and of the Fifty-two that began thẻ Action, I could difcover only Forty-three able to Lieutenant Bourne took every Method in his Power to affift me; but from the Situation of the Attack the Eaft Inland was deprived for fome Time of doing much, but with the Shells from the Sixtyeight-Pounders over the Length of the Weft Iband, but latterly did them great Damage, by flanking the North-Weft Face of the West Island. I am pleased to acquaint you, that Lieutenant Enfor, who commands the Party of Marines under my Command, behaved, with his Men, in a very extraordinary good officer-like Manner, having the whole Face of the Redoubt to attend to. Lieutenant Maughan, with a Detachment of Twentytwo Marines, lent me from the Adamant, commanding the Two detached Guns and a Blockhouse, did great Execution; and it is impoffible for me to defcribe the fteady good Behaviour of Serjeant Henderfon, with the Nine Artillery Gunners, Marines, and Seamen. I am forry to announce the Death of Thomas Hall, private Marine, killed; Richard Dunn and Peter Williamfon, Marines, wounded, and Thomas Banks, Seaman, wounded. But But confidering our receiving the Fire of near Eighty heavy Bow- Guns, from Thirty-fix to Eigh teen-Pounders, for upwards of Two Hours, I look. upon our Damage as not great. We had Four Guns difmounted, but I got them fit for Service before Night. Enclosed I fend you Lieutenant Bourne's Letter to me, the Morning after the Action. I am, &c. SIR, CHA. P. PRICE. Sandfly, Eaft ftand; St. Marcou, 7th May, 1798. I HAVE the Pleafure to inform you, that in the Affair of this Morning, there were no Killed or Wounded in this Ifland. I cannot speak in Terms fufficiently ftrong, of the firm and manly Conduct, difplayed on this Occafion, by the Officers and Men under my Com mand; and I feel particularly indebted to Lieutenant Lawrence, of the Marines, Enfign Carter, of the Invalids, Meffrs. Trotter and Moore, Mates of the Adamant and Eurydice, and Mr. John Mather, Commiffary of Ordnance Stores, for their Affiftance and ready Execution of my Orders during the Action. 1 have the Honor to be, &c. RICHARD BOURNE. Lieutenant Price, &c. &c. Senior Officer at the Iflands of St. Marcou. 1 BULLETIN FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE or MAY 22d, 1798 Admiralty-Office, May 22, 1798. NAPTAIN WINTHROP, of His Majefty's Ship Circe, arrived here this Day with a Difpatch from Captain Home Riggs Popham, of His Majefty's Ship Expedition, to Evan Nepean, Efq. Se cretary of the Admiralty, of which the following is a Copy: I His Majefty's Ship Expedition, Oftend SIR, Roads, May 20, 1798. BEG you will do me the Honor to inform my Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, that, in pursuance of their Orders of the 8th Inftant, I proceeded to Sea the 14th with the Ships and Veffels named in the Margin, having on board the Troops under the Command of Major-General Coote, To anchor to the Eastward. Minerva, J. M'Kellar. Savage, N. Thompson. Circe, R. Winthrop. Terrier, T. Lowen. Vefuve, W. Elliott. Furnace, M. W. Suckling. Το Coote, for the Purpose of blowing up the Bafon Gates and Sluices of the Bruges Canal, and deftroying the internal Navigation between Holland, Flanders, and France. On the 18th P. M. I fpoke the Fairy, when Captain Horton told me he had taken a Cutter from Flufhing to Oftend, and he understood, from the People on board, that the Tranfport Schuyts fitting at Flufhing were to go round immediately by the Canals to Dunkirk and Oftend; and a though it was impoffible that any Information could give additional Spirit to the Troops forming this Enterprize, or encrease the Energy and Exertion of the Officers and Seamen under my Command, yet it convinced Major General Coote and myfelf that it was of the greatest Importance not to lofe any Time, but to attempt, even under an encreased Degree of Risk, an Object of fuch Magnitude as the One in Queftion; and as the Weather appeared more favourable than it had been, I made the Signal for Captain Bazely, in the Harpy, to go a head, with the Veffels appointed to lie as Beacons N. W. of the Town of Oftend, and for Captain Bradby, in the Ariadne, to keep between the Expedition and Harpy, that we might approach as near the Coast as poffible, without the Chance of being difcovered from the Shore. At One A. M. we anchored; soon afterwards the Wind fhifted to Weft, and threatened fo much to blow, that the General and myself were deliberating whether it would not be better to go to Sea, and wait a more favourable Opportunity, when a Boat from the Vigilant brought a Veffel alongfide, which fhe had cut out from under the Light-Houfe Bat To keep to the Weftward, for the Purpose of making Feint to land there. Champion, H. Raper. Dart, R. Raggett. Wolverene, L. M. Mortlock. Crash, B. M. Praid. tery, tery, and the Information obtained from the Perfon who were on board her, under separate Examina tions, fo convinced us of the small Force at Oftend, Nieuport, and Bruges, that Major-General Coote begged he might be landed to accomplish the great Object of deftroying the Canals, even if the Surf fhould prevent his Retreat being fo fuccefsful as he could with. I of courfe acceded to his fpirited Propofitions, and ordered the Troops to be landed as faft as poffible, without waiting for the regular Order of Debarkation. Many of the Troops were on Shore before we were discovered; and it was not till a Quarter paft Four that the Batteries opened on the Ships, which was inftantly returned in a moft fpirited Manner by Captain Mortlock, of the Wolverene; Lieutenant Edmonds, of the Afp and Lieutenant Norman, of the Biter. The Hecla and Tartarus Bombs very foon opened their Mortars, and threw their Shells with great Quickness and Precifion. The Town was on Fire feveral Times, and much Damage was done to the Ships in the Bafon. By Five O'Clock all the Troops or dered to land, except those from the Minerva, were on Shore with their Artillery, Miners, Wooden Petards, Tools, and Gunpowder; and before Six o'Clock I heard from General Coote that he had no Doubt of blowing up the Works. I now be came very anxious for the Situation of the MajorGeneral, from the State of the Weather, and I ordered all the Gun-Boats that had anchored to the Eastward of the Town to get as near the Shore as poffible, to cover and affift the Troops in their Embarkation. The Batteries at the Town continued their Fire on the Wolverene, Afp, and Biter; and as the Wolverene had received much Damage, and the Afp had been lying near Four Hours withm Three Hundred Yards of the Battery, I made their Signal to move, and foon after directed the Dart, Harpy, and Kite to take their Stations, that the Enemy |