.

troops to pass as quickly as possible. On the 4th, between two and three o'clock, brigadier gen. Maitland's corps moved on through a wood, and approached Fort New Amsterdam within a mile to reconnoitre, with a view to extend their position towards the river Sarinam, and thereby invest that fortress. Some shots were fired by the enemy's advanced centinels, who retired. At this time commodore Hood being with me at head-quarters on the Commewyne, we received a flag of truce from the commanding officer of the Batavian troops, with proposals to surrender on terms of capitulation, a copy of which is herewith enclosed; orders were in consequence issued to suspend hostilities until the conditions should be finally agreed upon. Lt. col. Shipley and capt. Maxwell of the royal navy, were sent to settle the terms. They returned early on the morning of the 5th, with two separate capitulations, signed by It. col. Batenburgh, commanding the Batavian troops, and commodore Bloys, chief of the naval department; but an article in the one signed by the military commandant not being sufficiently clear, brigadier gen. Maitland was employed to arrange the business, which being compleated to our satisfaction, at five o'clock, on the same evening, the advanced corps, under the command of brigadier gen. Maitland, marched in and took possession of Fort New Amsterdam. The Batavian frigate and sloop of war were also taken possession of at the same hour. Having thus detailed the particulars of our short, but active operations, it is a very pleasing part of my duty to state to your lorship, the names of those officers whose situations enabled them to come forward with distin

guished honour and credit to themselves.[lere general Green acknowledges his obligations to brigadier gens. Maitland and Hughes; to It. col. Shipley, major Wilson, of the Artillery; major Robertson, acting adj. gen.; acting com. gen. Glasfurd; capt. M'Geachy, assist. q. m. gen.; capt. Drummond, of the 60th reg.; and to com. Hood, and all the captains and other officers of the squadron: particularly to capt. Maxwell, of the Centaur, and capt. Kempt, agent of transports. The general concludes his letter with the following paragraph:]—I have the pleasure to assure your lordship, that the principal inhabitants of the colony appear to be extremely rejoiced at the event which has taken place, restoring to them the powerful protection of the British government, and the solid advantages arising therefrom. Captain Campbell, my aid-de-camp, will have the honour to deliver this dispatch to your lordship: he is a very old and deserving officer, and I beg leave to refer your lordship to him for further information.

On the 27th of April, gen. Green and com. Hood proposed terms of capitulation to the gov. of Surinam, according to which he was to surrender up the colony in twenty-four hours. The inhabitants were to enjoy their property; the exercise of their religion, &c.; the laws of the colony to remain in force; all ships of war, artillery, stores, &c. to be delivered up; the Batavian troops to surrender prisoners of war, &c. These terms the governor refused to accept, and hostilities continued until the 4th of May, when the commanding officer of the Dutch troops proposed a new captulation. A negociation was then commenced Nn 2

with

with him, and with the Dutch commander Van Treslong, which terminated at last in articles differing only in some slight modifications from those originally proposed by the British commanders.

Total Return of Killed and Wounded of the Troops under the Command of Major General Sir Charles Green, at the Assault and Capture of the Forts Leyden and Frederici, in the Colony of Surinam, on the 30th of April.

Total-3 rank and file killed; 1 field officer, 3 subalterns, 1 staff, 1 serjeant, and 7 rank and file wounded. Officers wounded-Lt.

col. the hon. George Cranstoun, of the 64th regiment; lieut. Arnold, of the royal engineers; Mr. Hobbs, assistant engineer; lieut. Ross, of the 64th regiment; lieut. Brownrigg, of the 87th regiment; brigadier gen. Hughes.

Total Return of Killed and Wounded of the Royal Navy, under the Command of Commodore Hood, at the Assault and Capture of Forts Leyden and Frederici, on the 30th of April. Centaur-1 lieutenant, 1 petty officer, and 2 seamen, killed; 2 lieutenants, and 4 seamen, wounded.————Drake—1 warrant officer, killed --Pandour--1 seaman, wounded.-Unique-1 lieutenant, wounded.-Total-1 lieutenant, 1 warrant officer, 1 petty officer, and 2 seaman killed; 3 lieutenants, and 5 seamen wounded. Officers killed. Lieut. Smith, first of the Centaur, mortally wounded; died the following day; W. Shuldham, midshipman of the Centaur; Mr. boatswain of the Drake. Total Return of Batavian Prisoners taken at the Conquest of the Colony of Surinam.

1 Lieutenant-general; 1 lieut

1

nant-colonel, 1 major, 19 captains, 22 first lieutenants, 30 second lieutenants, 1 surgeon-major, 6 first surgeons, 10 second surgeons, serjeant-majors, 79 serjeants, 110 corporals, 24 drummers, 1434 privates. 13 women, and 11 children. --N. B. Total number of prisoners (navy included) exclusive of staff and departments, is 2001.

There fell into our hands, on this occasion, the Proserpine of 32 guns, and the Pylades of 18.-The quantity of ordnance, ammunition, and stores taken is immense.

The wind yesterday set in strong from the N. Ñ. E. and N. E. by N. and made so much sea, that the enemy's vessels in the road of Boulogne became very uneasy; and about eight P. M. the lec-most brigs began to get under weigh, and work to windward, whilst some of the luggers ran down apparently for Etaples; their force was then 45 brigs, and 43 luggers. I made a signal to look out on these vessels, which was immediately obeyed by the Harpey, Bloodhound, and Archer, who closed with them, giving their fire to such as attempted to stand off from the land; the Autumn was at this time getting under weigh, and lost no time in giving her support to the vessels already on this service, and continued with them during the whole

weather

weather tide, to fire, from time to time, on such of the enemy's vessels as gave them opportunity. At daylight this morning there were nineteen brigs and eight luggers only remaining in the Bay; and about six o'clock these began to slip single and run to the southward, for Etaples or the river Somme, the Autumn and brigs being then too far to leeward to give them any interruption. As soon as the tide permitted this ship and the Leader to weigh, we stood in with Boulogne, when I perceived that a brig, a lugger, and several large boats, were stranded on the beach west of the harbour, the enemy were shipping and endeavouring to save from them what they could, but I have no doubt the rising tide would complete their destruction. Three other brigs and a lugger were on the rocks near the village of Portée, totally destroyed, a brig and two luggers remained at anchor close to the rocks with wefts up, and the people huddled toge ther abaft: the brig had lost her topmast, topsail, and lower yards, and one of the luggers the head of her mainmast; the sea was making a perfect breach over them, and if the gale continues, their situation is hopeless. The merits of captains Jackson and Heywood, as well as those of lieutenants Richardson and Price, are so well known to you, that I need only say, they acted on this occasion with the same decisive promptness they have always shewn; and though the night prevented my seeing all that passed, there cannot be a doubt but that their well-timed attack caused the enemy's confusion, and occasioned much loss, which, taking every circumstance, is, I doubt not, far beyond what fell within our observation. I have

Letter to Lord Keith from Capt.
R. D. Oliver, of the Melpomene,
off Havre, July 24.
My Lord,

Since my letter to your lordship of the seventeenth instant, we had very light and variable winds for three days, which were succeeded by a gale from the northward, when the bombs had some difficulty to keep clear of the shore. Yesterday the wind having got to the S. W. I stood in with the squadron, and at eleven made the signal for the bombs to try their range; they placed themselves with the utmost precision immediately off the pier heads, and at a quarter past eleven began a most tremendous fire of shells and carcasses, which was continued without intermission for an hour and a half; in a very few minutes the town was observed to be on fire, and as the pier was very full of vessels, it is impossible but they must have suffered considerably. The vessels which had been outside the pier, during the bombardment of the 16th, were so much annoyed as to retire, some into the pier, and some up the river; one of them was towed on shore under the batteries, and has been since taken to pieces. The enemy's mortar batteries have been very considerably increased since the attack of the 16th, and although the fire from them on the bombs was as great as, I will venture to say, was ever experienced, they being considerably within the range, yet it is with the most inexpressible pleasure I acquaint your lordship,

Nn3

lordship, that not a man has been hurt. A shell passed through the mizen stay-sail of the Zebra, another carried away the spare topsail-yard of the Merlin, and two chain plates, and grazed her side; and a 42-pound shot cut the spare topmast and some other spars, and lodged in the booms of the Hecla; this is all the damage done. It is impossible for me to find words to express my admiration of the conduct of captains Sykes, James, Paul, and Beauchamp, and the other officers and crews of the bombs, for the able manner in which they placed and managed their vessels; and also to the officers and men of the Royal Artillery embarked on board of them, for the judicious manner in which they fired the shells. Some luggers came out of the pier during the bombardment and fired their guns; but they were made to keep at a respectful distance by the vici. nity of the Merlin, Pluto, Locust, and cutters, which were always ready to give assistance where want. ed, as were the other ships in the squadron in the situations assigned to them.

R. D. Oliver.

A Letter from Capt. Robert Dudley Oliver, Commander of the Melpomene, to William Marsden, Esq. dated off Havre, the 2d Instant, incloses the following:

Melpomene, off Havre, Aug. 2. My Lord,

The wind having changed yesterday to the N. E. I determined to make another attack on the numerous vessels in Havre pier, as well

as those which were moored outside, amounting to 28 brigs, and as many luggers, and stood in with the squadron, as per margin*. At half-past seven P. M. the bombs were well placed off the Pier Heads, when they began a well-directed fire, which was kept up with great spirit for about an hour and a half. The town was very soon observed to be on fire in two places; and seven brigs, which were on the outside of the Pier, found it necessary to move; one lost her main-mast. As the wind came more off the land, and a strong ebb tide setting out, I ordered the bombs to discontinue firing. At half-past nine we anchored with the squadron about five miles from the Lighthouses. As the Explosion had fired away all her shells, and the Zebra most of her powder, I had them supplied from the Meteor; and at half-past five this morning got under weigh, and stood in with the squadron again. Before eight the bombs took up their position near the Pier Heads, and kept up a constant fire for near three hours with shells and carcasses; so many shells burst on and about the Piers, that the ene my's fire was observed latterly to slacken considerably, and it was evident they were in the greatest confusion; some brigs and luggers, however, got under weigh, and came out to endeavour to annoy the bombs, but all the other ships and vessels of the squadron were so well placed as to give chase to them immediately; and it was only by cutting away their boats, which were a-stern, and retreating very speedily into shoal water, that they

escaped,

escaped, but not before they had run the gauntlet of all the ships and cutters, and were very closely engaged for a considerable time by the Merlin, Favourite, Locust gunbrig, and Hope cutter; and on this occasion I feel particularly indebted to the exertions of captains Brenton and Foot, and lieutenants Lake and Dobbins, whose vessels were very often, during the action, in very shoal water, with a falling tide; indeed nothing but the bad sailing of the Merlin prevented captain Brenton from cutting off the sternmost brig. The Locust lost her main-topmast, but I have not heard of any other loss. The conduct of the captains Sykes, James, Paul, and Beauchamp, commanding the bombs on both these occasion, was highly meritorious; and although their ships were frequently struck, it gives me great pleasure to add that no lives have been lost. What damage may be done to the enemy by near 500 shells and carcasses thrown into the town and bason last evening and this morning, it is impossible to calculate; but I may without vanity say, that, if the exertions of the enemy's flotilla be not much greater on our shore than on their own, we have little to dread from them. I cannot conclude without expressing my obligations to every officer and man employed in this squadron. I am, &c. R. D. Oliver.

Commodore Dance's Account of his defeating the French Squadron

under Admiral Linois in the Indian Seas, in a Letter addressed to the Honourable the Court of Directors of the East India Company. Dated Earl Camden, August 6th, 1804*.

For the information of the Honourable Court, I beg leave to acquaint you, that the Earl Camden was dispatched from Canton by the Select Committee the 31st of January last; and the ships noted in the margint were put under my orders, as senior commander; also, the Rolla Botany Bay ship, and the country ships, as per margin ‡, were put under my charge, to convoy as far as our courses lay in the same direction. I was also ordered to take under my protection a Portuguese Europe ship, that was lying in Macao Roads, whose Supercargo had solicited it from the Select Committee.

Our passage down the river was tedious, and the fleet much dispersed; the ships being under the directions of their several Chinese pilots, I could not keep them collected as I wished.

The Ganges, a fast-sailing brig, was put under my orders by the Select Committee, to employ in any manner that might tend to the safety or convenience of the fleet, till we had passed the Straits of Malacca. I was then to dispatch her