SIR, Thunderer, Choc-Bay, St. Lucia, I AM to communicate to you, for the information of my Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, that the island of St. Lucia and its dependencies furrendered by capitulation on the 25th of May, and that the Morne was taken poffeffion of by his Majefty's troops on the 26th at noon; the terms of capitulation are herewith tranfmitted.* In the progrefs of the fiege, great difficulties were to be furmounted, and much service of fatigue undertaken. The more effectually to affift the operations of the army, I directed eight hundred feamen to land, under the command of Captain Lane of the Aitrea, and Captain Ryves of the Bulldog: the merit of their fervices will be better reported by the commander in chief of his Majesty's troops; but I feel it an indifpenfable duty to acquaint their Lordships that the conduct of the officers and feamen equalled my moft fanguine expectations, and that it has been in every inftance highly meritorious. Captain Lane, of the Aftrea, is charged with my dispatches; that officer having ferved at St. Lucia from the moment of my arrival, will be able to afford their Lordships correct information of the naval occurrences connected with the fiege. The state of the Aftrea, by Captain Lane's report to me, is fuch, that her proceeding to England became a neceffary measure. Captain Ryves, of the Bulldog, will proceed immediately to join his hip; but I should be unjust to the merits of his exertions were I to omit recommending him to their Lordships' notice and protection. I ftated to their Lordships, in my letter of the 4th inftant, the services of Captain Searle, of the Pelican, on the firft landing; fince that period he has, with unremitting diligence and ability, effectually blocked the ports of the Carenage. The Madras, under the command of Captain Dilkes, has been, in the first arrangements, detached to land and co-operate with a divifion of troops on the left wing of the army, anchored for that purpose at Marigot des Roffeaux, where his exertion and affiduity have been highly commendable: he took poffeffion of a point at the southern entrance of the Grand Cul de Sac, with great labour and perfeverance, placed upon the pinnacle of the hill two eighteen-pounders and two carronades, from which he confiderably annoyed the batteries of Sifferon and Agille. The general wishing to establish batteries on the southern fide of the Grand Cul de Sac, Captain Wolley, of the Arethusa, was detached to join Captain Dilkes, and directed to land a proportion of feamen to aflift this fervice, which was very fpeedily and chearfully executed: more exertion has not been evinced, and I believe there never has occurred an instance of more cordial co-operation than has fubfifted between the army and navy during this fiege. Great have been the fervices of fatigue, confidering the nature of the country and the fituation of the Morne, and very rapidly have they been brought to effect the reduction of the island. On the morning of the enemy's attack on the 24th inftant, with a view to repoffefs themfelves of the advanced poft from the Morne, it became neceflary to detach the 14th regiment to fupport the troops employed at that poft, in confequence of which 320 marines were landed * Referred to in the difpatch from Sir R. Abercromby. to to take the ground occupied by the 14th. The conduct of the marines upon this, as upon all other occafions, was moft perfectly correct. The general's opinion of the conduct of the feamen and marines will be beft understood by the fentiments expreffed in his public orders, an extract of which is herewith tranfmitted. I tranfmit a list of the small veffels found at this anchorage. And I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant DURING the fervices which have been carried on in the island of St. Lucia, all the courage and every exertion of the army would have proved ineffectual, if Rear-admiral Sir H. C. Chriftian, and the royal navy, had not stepped forward with the alacrity which has been fo confpicuous in forwarding the most arduous part of the public fervice: to their skill and unremitting labour, is in a great measure owing the fuccefs which has attended his Majefty's arms. It will afford the commander in chief the greatest fatisfaction to be able to lay before his Majesty the eminent fervices which have, on this occafion, been performed by the royal navy; and Admiral Sir Hugh Cloberry Chriftian will confer a particular obligation on Lieutenante general Sir Ralph Abercromby and the army at large, if he will be fo obliging as to communicate to the royal navy, and in particular to Captains Lane, Ryves, and Stephenson, and the other officers who acted on fhore, and to the corps of marines, the great obligation which they confider themselves under to them. T. BUSBY, Affist. Adj. Gen. Return of hips and vessels taken poffeffion of in the Carenage of St. Lucia, by John Clarke Scarle, Efq. commander of his Majefty's floop Pelican, May 26, 1796. One fhip-An American, called the Victoria, of New York, William Henry, master, in ballaft; has twenty two perfons on board, one a Frenchman; left in charge of Lieutenant Fortefcue, of the Pelican. Three brigs-An English-built brig, with her fails, rigging, and anchors and cables on board, but has no cargo or any perfon on board her; her yards and topmaft ftruck. An American brig, the Harriot, late of New York, taken, condemned, and fold here, with her rigging on board, but no fails to be found, has her anchors and cables; both brigs left in charge of Mr. Troad, from the General Abercromby. An English-built brig, with her yards and topmaft ftruck; has no cargo on board, or any perfon in her; left in charge of Mr. Nixon, mafter's mate of the Pelican. Five fchooners-One privateer, of 4 four-pounders, no cargo on board. One privateer of 8 four-pounders and 2 fwivels, no cargo on board; both schooners left in charge of Mr. Charlton, of the Thunderer. Two Two small schooners, with their fails on board; one of them has 21 bags of coffee, 1 of cotton, and 1 of falt; both schooners left in charge of Mr. Douglas, midfhipman of the Pelican. One American fchooner, the Dolphin, of Salem, John Brown, mafter, has a cargo of fugar, coffee, cocoa, and molaffes; feven perfons belonging to her on board, and one mulatto man, four black women, two children, and one boy, all English, left in charge of Mr. Nixon, mafter's mate of the Pelican. One fmall fhallop, with her fails on board. Total number of fhips taken is, Copy of a Letter from Vice-Admiral King fmill, Commander in Chief of his Majefty's Ships and Veffels on the Coaft of Ireland, to Mr. Nepean, dated L'Engageante, Cork Harbour, June 29, 1796. SIR, I HAVE the fatisfaction of acquainting you, for the information of my lords commiffioners of the admiralty, that the whole of the fquadron which had failed from Breft under the orders of Commodore Moulton, is in our poffeffion; Lá Legere, a fine coppered fhip corvette of 22 guns, being now brought in here by his Majefty's fhips Apollo and Doris; further particulars of which are contained in the accompanying letter to me from Captain Manley. Separated as thofe French fhips were, the capturing of them all is a rare inftance of fuccefs, and a proof of the activity of his Majefty's cruizers on this station. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient humble fervant, Copy of a Letter from Captain Manley, of his Majefty's Ship Apollo, to Vice-Admiral King fmill, dated Cork Harbour, June 29, 1796. SIR, AGREEABLE to your order of the 21ft ultimo, I cruized in his Majefty's fhip under my command, accompanied by his Majefty's ship Doris, until the 22d inftant; and at nine o'clock in the morning of that day, in latitude 48 deg. 30 min. north, and long. 8 deg. 28 min. weft, difcovered the French national corvette La Legere, very close to us to the windward. We immediately gave chace, with the wind at W. N. W. blowing a double-rcefed topfail gale, but, from her being a very faft failer, did not arrive within gun-fhot until feven o'clock in the evening, at which time the two fhips were a like diftance from her, and, after exchanging a few shot, we had the fatisfaction to see her strike her colours. She is copper-fastened and copper-bottomed, and a remarkable fine fhip, poffeffing every good quality for a man of war. She is commanded by Monf Carpentier, has 168 men on board, and is pierced for 22 guns, nine-pounders. She failed from Breft on the 4th inftant, in company with three frigates, and has taken fix prizes. I am very much pleated to find that the whole divifion is taken by the fquadron under your command. I have the honour to be, &c. Vice-Admiral Kingsmill, &c. &c. J. MANLEY. From the LONDON GAZETTE, July 16. Admiralty Office, July 16, 1796. Extract of a Letter from Sir John Jervis, K. B. Admiral of the Blue, Commander in Chief of his Majefty's Ships and Vellels in the Mediter ranean, to Mr. Nepean, dated Victory, off Toulon, June 10, 1796. I ACQUAINT you, for the information of my lords commiffioners of the admiralty, that laft evening, having obferved a French cruizer working up to Hieres Bay, within the iflands, I called Captain Macnamara, of his Majefty's fhip Southampton, on board the Victory, pointed the fhip out, and directed him to make a dafh at her through the Grand Pafs, which he performed with admirable fpirit and alacrity; and I beg leave to refer their lordships to his statement inclofed for the detail of this gallant action. SIR, Southampton, off Toulon, June 10, 1796. IN obedience to the orders I received from you on the Victory's quarter-deck laft evening, I pushed through the Grand Pafs, and hauled up under the batteries on the north east end of Porquerolle with an eafy fail, in hopes I fhould be taken for a French or neutral frigate, which I have great reason to believe fucceeded, for I got within piftol fhot of the enemy's fhip before I was difcovered, and cautioned the captain, through a trumpet, not to make a fruitlefs refiitance, when he immediately fnapped his piftol at me, and fired his broadfide. At this period, being very near the heavy battery of Fort Breganfon, I laid hin inftantly on board, and Lieutenant Lydiard, at the head of the boarders, with an intrepidity no words can defcribe, entered and carried her in about ten minutes, although he met with a spirited refiftance from the captain (who fell) and a hundred men under arms to receive him. In this fhort conflict, the behaviour of all the officers and fhip's company of the Southampton had my full approbation, and I do not mean to take from their merit by ftating to you, that the conduct of Lieutenant Lydiard was above all praife. After lafhing the two fhips together, I found fome difficulty in getting from under the battery, which kept up a very heavy fire, and was not able to return through the Grand Pafs before half after one G 2 o'clock o'clock this morning, with the L'Utile corvette, of 24 guns, French fixpounders, commanded by citizen François Veza, and 136 men, several of whom efcaped on thore in the launch. I am happy to inform you, that I only loft one man, William Oirion, marine, who was killed by a piftol fhot near me on the quarter-deck. From the best information I can obtain, the enemy had killed and wounded 25. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your very obedient humble servant, Admiralty Office, July 16, 1796. Copy of a Letter from Vice Admiral Sir John Jervis, K. B. Commander in Chief of his Majefty's Ships and Veffels in the Mediterranean, to Mr. Nepean, dated Victory, off Toulon, June 8, 1796. SIR, I HEREWITH enclofe a letter I received last evening from Commodore Nelfon, in the Gulph of Genoa, with an account of the important articles taken from the enemy in the expedition under the Commodore's immediate direction, the 31ft ultimo; alfo a list of the killed and wounded. Their lordships are fo thoroughly acquainted with the vigilance and enterprize of Commodore Nelfon, that I forbear to repeat his merits on this occafion. SIR, Agamemnon, off Oneglia, June 1, 1796. AT two P. M. yefterday, feeing fix fail running along fhore, which I believed to be French, and knowing the great confequence of intertepting the cannon and ordnance ftores which I had information were expected from Toulon to be landed at St. Piere d'Acena, for the fiege of Mantua, I made the fignal for a general chace, when the veffels, which now hoifted French colours, anchored clofe under a battery. I directed Captain Cockburn, of the Meleager, to lead me in, which he did in a moft officer-like manner, and at three o'clock the Meleager and Agamemnon anchored in lefs than four fathoms water, as foon afterwards did the Peterell and Speedy; after a fhort refiftance from the battery and veffels, we took poffeffion of them. It is impoffible I can do justice to the alacrity and gallantry ever confpicuous in my little fquadron. Our boats boarded the national ketch (the commodore of the convoy) in the fire of three eighteen-pounders, and one eighteen-pounder in a gun-boat. The Blanche and Diadem being to leeward, the former could not anchor nntil the veffel had ftruck, but the boats of all the fhips were active in getting them off the fhore, the enemy having cut their cables when they furrendered. A fmart firing of mufquetry was kept up from the fhore during the whole of this ferviee. The Agamemnon's mafts, fails, and rigging, are a little cut, but of no material confequence. Much as I feel indebted to every officer in the fquadron, yet I cannot omit to mention the great fupport and affiftance I have ever received from Captain Cockburn; he has been under my command near a year on this ffation, and I should feel myself guilty of neglect of duty, was I not |