JUNE. 1. On Monday, during the whole day, there was a very violent ftorm, which was particularly felt in St. James's and Hyde parks, where the trees have fuffered even more than in the memorable hurricane of November laft. In the Pool feveral fhips were driven from their moorings, and dashed with fuch violence against each other, as to occafion the finking of fome, and the very materi injury of others. At flood tide, the wind and current being oppofite, it was impoffible to navigate the river with boats. Inconceivable damage has likewife been done to the fruit trees, garden grounds, &c. 2. On the 25th of May, a common-hall was held at Guildhall, for the purpofe of nominating proper reprefentatives for the city of London to ferve in the enfuing parliament. The candidates were the lord-mayor, aldermen fir Watkin Lewes, Anderfon, Lufhington, Pickett, and Combe. After the ufual forms were gone through, and the candidates had feverally addreffed the livery, the poll was opened, and the numbers for each day were as follow: 1. 2d. 3d. 4th, 5th. 6th. 7th. Lushingt. 104 659 746 568 959 722 611 Curtis 108 677 741 576 8:2 718 601 Combe 169.608 678 462 814 604 528 Anderfon 75 521 536 408 646 506 478 Pickett 136 403 484 336 543 452 436 difrefpectful manner in which he had treated a writ of habeas corpus. When the perfon who wished to ferve the writ got on board the Brunswick, the admiral ordered the men to get ready a 32lb. fhot. He then tied the habeas corpus to a boat, and told the perfon who brought it, that he would fink him and the boat too, if he did not go back, and carry his habeas corpus along with him.-Lord Kenyon faid, it was a very ill-advised thing, and if the admiral had a minute to paufe, he had no doubt but he would do what was right in this bufinefs.-Mr. Park told the court, the fhip was under failing orders, and by a late rule of the court, the rule for the attachment was absolute in the firft inftance.-Lord Kenyon faid, fince that was the cafe, the attachment must go, and he was forry for it.-[On a fubfequent day, the rule was difcharged, the admiral having complied with the requifition of the habeas corpus.] The fame day Mr. Erfkine moved, that a fatisfaction be entered for 300l. being part of the fine imposed upon Andrew Robinfon Bowes, efq. and which his majefty had been pleafed to remit. The attorneygeneral gave his confent to Mr.' Erfkine's motion. Mr. Erskine then faid, that his majefty having taken Mr. Bowes' cafe, and his good conduct while in confinement, into his moft gracious and humane onfideration, had been pleased to remit that part of the fentence by which Mr. Bowes was to find two fecurities in 5000l. each, for his good behaviour for fourteen years. Mr. Erfkine then delivered to their lordships his majefty's warrant. for the above purpofe, with the fign. manual-Lord Kenyon faid, he had inquired into Mr. Bowes' behaviour while in prison, and found (C2) that that his conduct had been exemplary. Mr. Bowes then gave his own fecurity in 10,000l. for his good behaviour.. 14. Yesterday, the poll for the city of Westminster finally closed; when the numbers appeared as follows: Mr. Fox 5160 Admiral Gardner 4814 John Horne Tooke, efq. 2819 18. The Gazette of this evening announces the capture of Les Trois Couleurs of 10 guns and 70 men, and of La Blonde of 16 guns, and 95 men (two corvettes) off Ufhant, by the Indefatigable frigate of 44 guns, captain fir Edward Pellew. It alfo contains a letter to admiral Kingfmill, at Cork, from captain Martin, of the Santa Margaritta frigate, containing an account of the recapture of the Thames frigate; another letter to the faid admiral from captain Williams of the Unicorn frigate, announcing the capture of La Tribune of 44 guns; and a letter from lord Amelius Beauclerk, captain of the Dryad frigate, to Mr. Nepean, with advice of his having taken La Proferpine frigate of 38 guns, off Cape Clear. Thefe letters were as follows: Santa Margaritta, at Sea, June 11. SIR, I have the honour to inform you, that on the 7th inftant, being in mpany with his majefty's fhip Unicorn, 18 leagues weft of Scilly, we difcovered, at two o'clock in the morning, three fail of fhips about a mile on our lee beam. As the day opened, we perceived them to be frigates belonging to the French nation, which I communi.cated to captain Williams by fignal, who immediately made fail to join me, and on his near approach made our fignal to pafs within hail, for the purpose of giving him inforina tion of the enemy's force. The ftatement of their fuperiority encouraged him in his eager purfuit, having faid that he would attack the largeft fhip, and defiring me to engage the next in ftrength. This noble example infpired every perfon with confidence of fuccefs, and each fhip fteered for her opponent; but the enemy, determined to evade an action, steered away large under a prefs of fail, the smallest ship at the fame time making off to windward. At half past eleven o'clock, by our fuperior failing, we arrived within gun-fhot of the enemy; but as they appeared to clofe, for the mutual fupport of each other, and the Unicorn being fome distance aftern, I judged it prudent to poftpone our attack till fhe was fufficiently advanced to occupy the attention of the French commodore. At this time the enemy commenced a fire from their ftern-chace guns. At one o'clock, having approached them within three quarters of a mile, we fired our bow guns, whenever a favourable opportunity prefented itself, the enemy at the fame time yawing to difcharge their broadfides. At two o'clock, the Unicorn being on our weather beam, we made fail, keeping up a running fight till a quarter paft four o'clock, when the sternmoft fhip finding it impoffible to efcape, put his helm a port, and endeavoured to rake us; but being fortunately baffled in this effort, afforded us an opportunity of placing ourselves abreast of him within piftol-hot, when a quick and well directed fire compelled him to furrender to his majefty's fhip, in lefs than 20 minutes. She proved to be the Thames, commanded by citoyen Fraden, mounting 36 guns, and 320 men. The hip, which the Unicorn continued in chace of, is La La Tribune of 40 guns, and 320 men, bearing the broad pendant, citoyen Mouitfon, commander of a divifion the other, which made off to windward, is La Legere, of 24 guns, and 180 men. I am glad to obferve that our lofs is very difproportionate to the enemy, having only two feamen killed, and the boatswain, and two feamen, wounded; and her's 32 killed, and 19 wounded, and many of the latter have fince died. It is with extreme pleasure that I feek the prefent opportunity of testifying my gratitude to the officers and fhip's company, for their active zeal and steady unanimity at all times and in all fituations, but more particularly in the capture of the Thames, on which occafion their courage and exemplary conduct is worthy the greatest praife. The readinefs of Mr. Harrifon, the first lieutenant, and his prompt execution of my orders, did effentially facilitate our fuccefs. It is my fincere wish to particularize each individual, but where general merit claims the greatest approba tion, to difcriminate becomes a difficult task. In addition to the officers and fhip's company, may I alfo be permitted to beg you will offer to the confideration of the admiralty the meritorious conduct of captain Jofeph Bullen, a mafter and commander in the navy, ferving in the Santa Margaritta as a volunteer, by permiffion from lord Spencer: his defire to have fome active employment induced me to beg he would affift in the management of the main deck guns, as I well knew that his long fervices and approved courage in various fituations would be a proper example to the younger part of the fhip's company. I am, fir, &c. T. B. MARTIN. Vice-admiral Kingsmill. Copy of a Letter from Captain Williams, of his Majefty's Saip Unicorn, to Vice Admiral Kingf mill, dated Unicorn, at Sea, June 10. Holy Head, SSE. dift. 8 Leagues." I have the honour to lay before you a narrative of the proceedings of the fquadron under my command, fince my departure from Cork, on the 19th uit. On the following day, in confequence of my having received intelligence of the enemy's privateers being on the coaft, to the northward of Cape Clear, I difpatched his majefty's floop Hazard, with orders to lieut. Parker, her commander, to cruize between the Cape and the mouth of the Shannon, while I, for the more effectual protection of our trade, cruised with the Santa Margaritta in the vicinity of Cape Clear. I had the fatisfaction a few days afterwards to learn that the Hazard had retaken two prizes, and had chafed the privateer off the coaft that captured them, after a narrow efcape from being taken. On the 5th inft. having met with other hips of the Irish ftation, I concluded upon making a circuit on the outer limits of my ftation, accompanied by the Santa Margaritta, and at dawn of day on the 8th inftant, Scilly bearing E half S 17 leagues, we difcovered three hips of war on our lee beams, diftant two or three miles, to which we immediately gave chace, and foon afterward perceived them to edge away, and that they were enemy's fhips, two frigates and a large fhip corvette. At nine, A. M. they formed themfelves in a close bow and quarter line, and continued to run from us in that pofition, the largest fhip under eafy fail, for the fupport of his fquadron. In this. fituation we approached them very (C 3) faft, faft, and must have speedily brought them to action. I therefore made the fignal to form for battle, the Margaritta being at this time ahead of the Unicorn, and at the fame time directed her by fignal to come within hail, to learn from captain Martin his opinion of the enemy's force, who informed me, that the largeft hip was a 38 gun frigate, the Thames, and a corvette. I ordered captain Martin to attack the Thames, acquainting him with my intention to fight the largest hip with the Unicorn. On our nearer approach, the corvette, which detained the other hips, gradually hauled out to windward, and paffed our weather beam in long gun-fhot, fteering afterward the fame courfe as the other hips, and with the intention, I then imagined, to be in readiness to give fupport to either of her friends eventually moft needs ing it. S. I At one, P. M. the two frigates hoifted French colours, the largest hip a commodore's pendant, and at the fame moment commenced a quick and well-directed fire on us with their ftern chaces. The corvette at this time hauled more up, and to our great aftonishment, brought to, to board a floop paling ms on the contrary tack. As the Commodore continued to wait for ahe Thames, we thereby approached them both, but were confiderably retarded by the effects of their fhot. At four, P. M. the Thames being the fternmost fhip, bore round up to avoid the fire from the Unicorn, and to pour a broadfide into the Santa Margaritta's bow, when I had the pleasure to fee captain Martin manoeuvre his fhip with the greatest judgment, and with the utmoft gal dantry he laid himself clofe alongafide his opponent. The fuperior and well-directed fire from the Santa Margaritta marked the discipline of his fhip, and foon put the Thames into his poffeffion. The · commodore, on feeing his companion fall, made all fail, and by a fudden and judicious, though unfuccefsful manoeuvre, endeavoured to gain the wind of the Unicorn, We were at this time chafing him toward the entrance of the Irish channel, and foon after paffed clofe to the Tufker rock. The parity of failing in the two fhips, aided by the judgment of the enemy's commander, kept us at running fight for ten hours; during which pe riod we were much annoyed in our fails and rigging, and were for fome time unluckily deprived of the ufe of our main top-fail; but on its falling lefs wind after dark, we were enabled to use our fupernumerary fails, royal fteering fails, &c. which, by flow degrees, brought us fo near his weather-quarter as to take the wind from his fails; when, at half paft ten at night, after having purfued 210 miles, we fhot up alongfide of our antagonist, gave him three cheers, and commenced clofe action, which had continued in that pofition with great impetuofity on both fides for thirty-five minutes; when, on clearing up of the smoke, I obferved that the enemy had dropt on our quarter, was clofe hauled, attempting, by a masterly manoeuvre, to cross our stern, and gain the wind. This was happily prevented by our inftantly throwing all aback, and giving his hip ftrong fternway, by which we paffed his bow, regained our fituation, and renewed the attack. The effects of the fire foon put an end to all manœuvre, for the enemy's hip was completely dismantled, her fire ceafed, and all further refiftance appearing to be ineffectual, they called to us they had furrendered. The fhip proves to be La Tribune, commanded by commodore John Moulfton, mounting 44 guns, though pierced for 48; on the main deck 26 twelves, onthe quarter deck and forecaftle 16 long fixes, and 42lb. carron ades; had on board at the commencement of the action 337 men, 37 of whom are killed, 13 badly, and two flightly wounded. The hip is quite new, launched fince the commencement of the war, fails extremely faft, is of large dimenfions, being on the gun deck two feet broader, and 13 feet longer than the Uni. corn. Commodore Moulton, who I am forry to add is among the wounded, is by birth an American, but has ferved fixteen years in the French navy, and during the prefent war has always had the command of a divifion. The fquadron fate under his orders, confifting of La Tribune, La Proferpine, the Thames, and La Legere, of 24 nine-pounders, had left Breft two days only, had taken nothing. La Proferpine feparated the preceding evening in a fog. I will not attempt to find words to convey to you, fir, the fenfe I feel of the conduct of the officers and fhip's company under my command, for if it was poffible for me to fay any thing that could add to the glory of British feamen, I have ample field for fo doing in the fituation I held this day. Indeed nothing lefs than the confidence of the moft gallant fupport from them, and the high opinion I entertain of the Santa Margaritta our fecond, could induce me to rik an action with a force apparently fo much our fuperior; and while I congratulate myfelf upon the happy effects of their valour in the capture of two of the enemy's frigates, that have done fo much mifchief to our commerce during the war, and on their prefent cruife were likely to do fo much more you may easily conceive what my feelings are, when I inform you, fir, this fervice is obtained without the lofs of one of the brave men in the fhip under my command. My happinefs will be complete, if I find the Santa Margaritta has been equally fortunate. In juftice to the officers of the Unicorn, I muft beg of you to recommend to the notice of my lords commiffioners of the admiralty, my first and fecond lieutenants, Meffrs. Palmer and Taylor, Mr. Quayle, the mafter, and lieutenant Hart, of the marines. I had great reafon to regret the abfence of Mr. Carpenter, the third lieutenant, of two mates, and fome of my best feamen, who were the evening before put on board a valuable fhip from Surinam; but the able affiftance I fhould have derived from lieutenant Carpenter, I was made to feel the lefs by the exertion of Mr. Collier, the purfer, who voluntarily offered and undertook to fupply his place to the beft of his abilities, and whofe name I beg you to include in your recommendations to their lordfhips. We are, now ufing our utmost exertions to put the Unicorn, and her shattered prize, in a condition to proceed to Cork. I am, &c. THOMAS WILLIAMS, Copy of a Letter from Lord Amelius Beauclerk, Captain of his Majefty's Ship Dryad, Plymouth Sound, June 16, to Mr. Ne |