a general panie prevails throughout the whole army; fome of thofe who have arrived in this diforderly state having come even from General Moreau's headquarters, which they left at Ulm on the twenty firft.

:

It is difficult to learn with certainty any thing relating to the number or strength of the pealants under arms in the Black Foret all that we know is, that fome fall corps of Auftrians have penetrated from the fide of Offenburg and Friburg, and are difperfed among the valleys and woods about Donefchingen, Tengen, and Engen, and that the alarm-bell is conftantly ringing in every village within hearing of the frontiers of this country, The Republicans, however, are still in poffeffion of the Frickthall, and the three adjoining foreft towns, Rhinfelden, Lauffenburg, and Seckingen. The rage and hatred of the pealants against the French paffes all belief, and is only equalfed by the terror they have infpired in the Republican army.

Lord Grenville, his Majefty's principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. Offenburg, O. 13, 1796.

MY LORD,

IN confequence of the affairs which had taken place betwixt the van-guard of General La Tour's army and the rear of the enemy on the 29th and 30th ultimo, the Auftrians had advanced to Groth and Steinhaufen, and the French maintained themfelves between Schuffenried and the Feder See.

General Petrafch, in the mean time, had taken poft between the fources of the Necker and the Danube, when he more effectually covered the paffes of the Black Foreft, and his parties inceffantly harraffed the rear of the enemy.

Preffed in this manner, General Moreau faw the extreme danger to which his further retreat was expofed, and he refolved to rifque a general action, as the only means of extricating himself trom the difficulties by which he was furrounded. Early on the ad, accordingly, the left wing of his army croffed the Danube at Riedlingen, and repaffed it at Munderkingen, turned and defeated the corps which General La Tour had posted betwixt the Feder See and the river.

As foon as General Moreau was af fored of the fuccef's of his left, he advanced from Schuffenried to attack General La Tour in front, and the action was maintained during fix hours with the utmoft obftinacy. At length, however, General La Tour, finding that his right flank was totally uncovered, and that his rear was menaced by the progrefs of the enemy, was obliged to abandon his ground, and retire behind the Rifs, and ultimately behind the Rothambach. His retreat was covered by the corps ef Condé, with a degree of bravery and steadiness which reflects upon them the highest honour.

I am forry to itate, that the lofs of the Auftrians on this occation has been very confiderable. On the 3d General La Tour occupied a pofition behind the Rothambach, extending from Monchrod, by Erlenmoos, to Laupheim.

General Moreau, having thus fucceeded in gaining fufficient freedom for the future movements of his retreat, recommenced his march on the 5th following with the main body of the army, the route of Stokach.

On the 6th two divifions of his left paffed the Danube, in feverat columns between Riedlingen and Sigmaringen,

and,

In order, however, to omit. no precaution, I fent up Lieutenant M'Nab, with a few mounted men, to watch the Bay more narrowly; and from him. received a report, on Saturday night the 6th inftant, at twelve o'clock, that the fame number of thips which had for merly been reported had anchored that morning in the Bay, and that there was no doubt of their being enemies. I loft not a moment in fending directions to Simon's Town, from whence, by the general willingness and activity which prevailed amongst all ranks, five veffels were, difpatched by nine o'clock, in queft of the Admiral, with the information.

As it fortunately happened that the 25th and 27th Light Dragoons, with part of the 19th and the whole of the 33d regiments, were in Simon's Bay, I could be under no apprehenfion for the fafety of the colony from any force which could be landed from nine thips of war. It became, however, an object of infinite importance to the welfare of the fettlement to prevent any body of the enemy from throwing themfelves into the country. At the fame time the fecurity of the Cape Town became an object of particular attention, both from the reasonable expectation that the enemy would not have come with fuch a force without a profpect of a junction with fome other armament, and from the poflibility of the Admiral being prevented from doubling the Cape by the north-westerly winds which ufually prevail at this feafor, and which would carry the enemy in fix hours from Saldanha to Table Bay. It was therefore with particular fatisfaction that I found myfelf poffeffed of a force adequate to both these objects.

No time was loft in making the neceffasy arrangements in a country totally unused to a movement of this nature. The troops began their march On Sunday morning, neceffarily by divifions, on account of fubfittence. The Burgler Senate was affembied, to whom I expofed my intentions, to which they expreffed the most ready compliance. Waggons were every where demanded by them and furnished with chearfulness. Cavalry was neceffary, but the appointments of the 28th were on board a bip which had failed in quest of the Admiral. Thofe of the 25th were alfo on board fhip in Simon's Bay, and we had not above fifty horfes. The appointments were brought up, and I

did not fcruple, on fuch an occafion, to require all faddlehorfes without exception to be brought in, which were valued by two members of the Court of Juftice, and two officers of the 28th Dragoons, and paid for on the fpot, to the entire fatisfaction of the owners.

By thefe means, Sir, leaving Major General Doyle in the command of the troops at and about Cape Town, amount ing to near 4000 men, and Brigadier General Campbell in the immediate command of the town, I, on the morn ing of the 16th inft. reached Saldanha Bay, at the head of the advanced guard, confifting of the Light Infantry, a body of Hottentots, and fifty of the 25th Light Dragoons, athted by BrigadierGeneral M'Kenzie, the remainder of whofe corps, confifting of the Grena diers, the 78th and both battalions, fifty more of the 25th, and one hundred of the 28th Light Dragoons, in all about 2500 men, with two howitzers and nine field pieces, arrived there, alfo in an hour after.

In the mean time the Admiral had returned to Falfe Bay, and there receiving the first accounts of the enemy being in Saldanha Bay, had put to fea again with the utmoft expedition; and we had the fatisfaction, from the heights from whence we defcended to the shores of the bay, to fee him, with all his fails crowded, advancing with a fair wind directly to the mouth of the har. bour, though ftill at fome distance, One of the enemy's, frigates, which lay near the fhore to cover their watering, cannonaded us very brifkly as we de fcended the heights, though without effect, and we returned their fire with as little,, having at that time only three pounders with us; but a howitzer being brought up, a few shells were thrown with great precifion by Captain Ko-bertfon, who would probably foon have deftroyed her; but perceiving that our fleet was then entering the bay, and that there was no poffibility of her efcaping, I defifted from firing, thinking it more for his Majelty's intereft that the should fhare the fate of the remainder of the fquadron, the capture of which appeared to me to be inevitable, than that we thould risk the deftroying her, from a vain punctilio of obliging her to strike to us. We then employed ourselves in making the neceffary difpofitions for affording fuch affiitance as might be in our power, in the event of the obftinacy of the enemy obliging the Admiral to

attack

attack them, as well as fuch as would be expedient in cafe they thould run their fhips on thore, neither of which, however, I thought probable. I was accordingly informed, by a letter from Sir George the following morning, that the whole had furrendered themfelves to him.

The means by which this event has been accomplished, Sir, has not afforded any opportunity to his Majefty's troops of difplaying that bravery in his fervioe, which I am confident they would have fhewn, had the occafion prefented itself but if the utmost alacrity and 'chearfulness, under almost every privation, except that of meat, during a march of ninety miles, through fo barren a country that there exift but five houfes in the whole line. have any merit, I can with truth present them to his Majesty's notice.

This march, Sir, has never yet I believe been attempted by any body of troops, however fmall, and, permit me to affure you, has been attended with fuch uncommon difficulties, that it never could have been accomplished but by the difplay of the qualities, I have mentioned in the troops, and a union of extraordinary exertions in all the departments concerned. In thefe all have equal claim to my acknowledgments; but I cannot difpenfe with particu. larizing the intelligence and activity with which, regardless of the uncommon fatigue which attended it, Lieutenant M'Nab, of the 98th regiment, with about twenty of his mounted men, performed the fervice allotted to him of watching the enemy, and preventing any communication with them, from the first moment of their coming into the bay, till our arrival.

It is, Sir, with very particular fatisfaction that I have further to report, that I have received on this occafion every poffible affiftance from his Majefty's fubjects of the colony.

The Burgher Senate have difcharged the duty impofed upon them with the greatest readiness, impartiality and activity, whilft their requifitions and orders on the inhabitants for their wag. gons, cattle, and horfes, have been complied with with a chearfulness which could, I am fatisfied, only proceed from a conviction of the preference to be given to his Majesty's mild and paternal

Government over the wild fyftem of anarchy and confufion from which they were furnishing the means of being effectually defended.

This will be delivered to you, Sir, by my Aide-de-Camp, Capt. Baynes, who has been in this country fince the first arrival of his Majefty's troops under my command, and to whofe intelligent and active affiftance I have been, on every occafion, highly indebted, I beg leave, Sir, moft humbly to recommend him to his Majesty's notice. I have the honour to be, With the greatest refpect, Sir, &c. J. H. CRAIG.

ADMIRALTY-OFFICE, NOV.3, 1796. DISPATCHES, of which the following are copies (brought by Capt.' John Aylmer, of his Majefty's fhip Tremendous), were this day received from the Honourable Vice-Admiral Sir George Keith Elphinstone, K. B

SIR,

Monarch, Saldanha Bay,
Aug. 19, 1796.

I HAVE the honour to inclofe a lift of a Dutch fquadron under the command of Rear-Admiral Engelbertus Lucas, fent hither for the reduction of this Colony, but which were compelled to furrender, by capitulation, on the 17th inftant, to the detachment of his Majefty's fhips under my command, named in the margin, on the terms alfo enclofed. For further particulars I beg leave to refer you to the accompanying detail of the proceedings of the fquadron from the 4th to the 18th inftant, and I hope the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty will approve the measures I have taken, fo effential to the British commercial interefts in the Eaft.

The hips are all coppered, and in good condition, excepting the Caftor, whofe ruder is defective.

In justice to the Officers and men I have the honour to command, it is my duty to obferve, that, in confequence of the most violent tempeftuous weather I ever heheld, and the very unpleasant fituations in which the fquadron was at times placed, they chearfully, and much to their credit, underwent a degree of fatigue hardly credible.

Captain Aylmer will have the honour of prefenting thefe difpatches. I beg

leave

SIR,

Monarch, Saldanha Bay,
Aug. 19, 1796.

I HAVE the honour to inform you, that intelligence was received at Cape Town, on the 3d inftant, of a number of thips having been feen in the Offing at Saldanha Bay, which was confirmed on the 5th. In confequence of this, every preparation was made for putting to fea immediately, with the fquadron under my command; but from the Monarch's main-maft being out, and the tempefluous weather, I was not able to quit the anchorage in Simon's Bay until the 6th, when we proceeded to

On getting under way an Officer from the fhore caine on board to inform me that a number of fails had been feen the preceding night in the Offiug, near Faife Bay; I then refolved to fteer to the Southward and Weft, in expectation of their having taken that courfe.

The fquadron continued cruizing in the most tempeftuous weather I have ever experienced, which damaged many of the hips, and at one time the Ruby had five feet water in her hold: We were joined at fea by his Majefty's fhips Stately, Rattlefnake and Echo floops. On the 12th I returned, with a fresh breeze blowing from the South Eaft, and, upon anchoring in Simon's Bay, the Mafter Attendant came off with information that the thips feen, confift ing of nine fail, had put into Saldanha Bay on the 6th, the fame day on which I had procceded to fea; that they remained there by the last advice, and that four thips had been difpatched in quet of me to communicate this welcome intelligence.

I immediately made the fignal to, fail, bur the Crefcent had got athore ; the wind blew ftrong and increafed on the following day to a perfect tempeft, in which the Tremendous parted two cables, drove, and was in great danger of being lott, fo that, notwithfanding every exertion, and the most anxious moments of my life, we could not get out until the 15th.

On the 46th the fquadron arrived off Saldanha Bay at fun-fet, and the Crefcent, which had been ordered a-head to difcover information and to report, made the fignal for the enemy, confifiing of three fips of the line, three frigates, and other hips, being moored in the Bay.

The fquadron flood on into the Bay in the order of failing; but the night coming on, and the rear being too far extended for action, I judged it expedient to come to an anchor within thot

of the enemy's hips, and, perceiving their numbers very inconfiderable in comparifon with the force, under my command, I confidered it my duty, and an incumbent act of hunianis, to addreis the Dutch Officer in command, and confequently forwarded the Letter to him, of which the Inclofure No. 3 is a Copy, by Lieutenant Coffin, of the Monarch, with a Flag of Truce; to this I received a verbal return, that a po fitive reply fhould be fent in the morn ing at day-break, I was fearful the enemy might attempt to injure the hips, and therefore ordered Lieutenant Coffin to return immediately, with my Let ter No. 4, to which he brought back the Reply No. 5

On the 17th, at nine in the morning, a Dutch Officer came on board with a Flag, and prefented Propofals of Terms for Capitulation, which you will ob ferve in the Correfpondence, with my remarks and definitive letters; and at five P. M. the Terms contained in the inclofed Copy wefe ultimately agreed upon, but it was impoffible to take poffeffion of the hips until the 18th, on account of the formy weather.

It affords me the highest fatisfaction, therefore, to communicate to my Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, that a fquadron of hips belonging to the United States, under the command of his Excellency Rear-Admiral Engel. bertus Lucas, has furrendered to the British force under my command, confifting of Three Ships of the Line, Two tine. Frigates, Two of 25 guns, and a Sloop of 18 guns, alt completely coppered, tored and victualled, together with a large laden Store-fhip, the names of which are defcribed in the Inciofure No. 6, and the British hips to whom they are Prizes, on the Inclofure No. 7.

The confequent joy of this fortunate event is much augmented from the confolatory reflection on its accompli ment without effufion of human blord.

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