letter, where I am convinced you will observe, with great concern, the very harsh treatment the officers and crew of the Peterell met with when captured; and he has since added, that one man, who resisted the Spaniards plundering him of forty guineas, was murdered and thrown overboard.

I continued the chase till eleven o'clock that night, when I was within three miles of the sternmost frigate; but finding the wind become light, I feared it would draw me too far from the island of Minor ca; I therefore hailed the Centaur, and directing captain Markham to pursue the enemy, steered directly for Ciudadella, which I made the subsequent afternoon (the 14th) with the Calcutta and Ulysses. The next morning (the 15th) at day break, the Argo joined us off Ciudadella. Having had no communication from the general, I sent the first lieutenant, Mr. Jones, though a very hazardous night, in the ship's cutter, with a letter to the general, proposing to canonnade Ciudadella, if it would facilitate his operations. In the morning of the 16th, licute nant Jones returned with duplicates of two letters I had previously received by captain Gifford, the general's aid-de-camp, acquainting me that he had summoned the town on the 14th, and that terms of capitulation were agreed upon on the 15th, to surrender to his majesty's arms. When I went on shore, I signed the capitulation the general had made, on which fortunate event I most truly congratulate your lordship. The Centaur joined, not having

been so fortunate as to capture el

ther of the Spanish frigates, though within four miles of the sternmost, captain Markham being apprehen

sive the continuance of the chase would carry him to a great distance from more essential service.

From the 10th in the morning, when Fort Charles was put into our possession, and lord Mark Kerr in the Cormorant, with the Aurora, captain Caulfield, entered the port, those ships have been employed for the defence of the harbour, guarding the prisoners; and I have the pleasure to assure your lordship, in the performance of the various services incident to the movements I have stated, I cannot pass too high encomiums on the captains, officers, and seamen under my command. From captains Polden and Pressland, agents of transports, I received every possible assistance in their departments; and when it was necessary I should proceed to sea, to bring to action a reputed superior force, they showed great spirit, and used every exertion to accompany me in their armed transports, as did lieutenant Simmonds, the other agent, in his. I must now beg leave to mention my first lieutenant, Mr. George Jones, who, in the various and hazardous services he had to undergo, during the attack of the island, has proved highly deserving my praise; I have therefore put him to act as commander of the Peterell, which ship I have presumed to recommission, to convey present dispatches. There is also high merit due to my second lieutenant, Mr. William Buchannan, whom I landed as second in command under captain Bowen, with more than 250 seamen: there were likewise the Leviathan's and Centaur's marines with the army, to the number of 100, but other essential service calling captain Bowen on board his ship, the command of the

seamen

seamen devolved on lieutenant Buchannan; and, as will appear by the strongest accompanying testimony, given him from the commander-inchief of the army, he performed the services with the army with the greatest ability and exertion.

I should feel myself remiss was I to close this without noticing to your lordship the particular exertions, activity, and correctness, of lieutenant Whiston, of the Constitution cutter, in the various services and messages he had to execute.

The general having signified his wish, that his dispatches should be sent without delay, I have not yet been able to visit the port of Mahon, to obtain a return of the state of the dock-yard, or vessels captured in that place; but I understand, from captain lord Robert Mark Kerr, that there are no ships of war, and only one merchant-ship of value; the particulars of which I will transmit by the earliest opportunity.

I have the honour to be, &c.

Earl St. Vincent.

These frigates had come from Carthagena, had touched at Barcelona, sailed from thence on Saturday last, bound to Mahon, with eight millions of rials, to pay the troops.

Deeming it absolutely necessary to make the Peterell useful, untilyour return, I took all the Spaniards out (72 in number), and gave her in charge to my first lieutenant, Mr. Lynne, with a mate, two midshipmen, 30 seamen, and 12 ma rines, directing them to land an officer and guide at Fournelles, with a letter for general Stuart, and to return here immediately.

I am sorry to inform you the Spaniards behaved very ill to the offi cers and seamen of the Petercll, having robbed and plundered them of every thing. Great part of the captain's and officers clothes I have recovered. I returned off this place yesterday, but, being calm, I could not get near the shore.

I have, &c.

Argo, at Sea, 15th Nov.

Sir, I have the honour to acquaint you, that at half past three P. M. on the 13th instant, I had the good fortune to come up with the ship that I hauled the wind after, round cape Rouge, conformable to your signal: she proved to be his majesty's ship Peterell, in possession of Don Antonio Franco Gandrada, second captain of the Spanish frigate Flora, who, in company with the three others named in the margin, captured her the day before.

*

J. Bowen.

Before Ciudadella, Nov. 18. Sir,

I have the honour to return you, and the gentlemen employed on shore under your command, my sincere thanks, for your activity, zeal, and assistance, in forwarding the light artillery of the army; neither can too much praise be given to the seamen, for their friendly and cheerful exertions under very hard labour; exertions which were accompanied with a propriety of beha viour which I greatly attribute to your management, and which will ever merit my acknowledgements,

and

and affords me the satisfaction of assuring you that I am, with sincere regard,

Yours, &c.

Charles Stuart.

Lieutenant Buchannan.

A List of Stores found in the Arsenal of Port Mahon.

;

The keel and stern-frame for a man-of-war brig, on the stocks, with all the timbers, and part of the clothing, all the rigging, &c.; 14 gun-boats, hauled up, with all their rigging, in good order, but the boats very old; 13 boats, from 36 to 20 feet in length, all their rigging in good order, and fit for service; 2 cables of 17 inch; 2 cables of 9 inch 2 cables of 5 inch; rope of 5 inch, 400 fathoms; rope of 3 inch, 400 fathoms; rope of 24 inch, 600 fathoms; rope of 1 inch, 400 fathoms; rope of 1 inch, 300 fathoms; rope of inch, 400 fathoms; old junk, 6,000 pounds; 6 anchors, from 14 to 17 hundred weight; 7 grapnels, of seven hundred weight; a large quantity of all sorts of ironwork; a brass mortar, of 13 inch; 3 ditto, of 12 ditto; some shells, of 13 inch and of 8 inch; 2 topmasts for 74-gun ships; 3 lesser ones; several caps and spars; 1000 fir planks; several knees, and some oak plank; 20 tons of nails, of all sorts; 30 bolts of new, and about 400 yards of old canvas; 14 Spanish pennants; blocks for the sheers and heaving ships down of all descriptions, with various other small articles.

(Signed) J. Wooldridge, Lieut. of the Cormorant.

November 18.

a

;

Vanguard, at Sea, Nov. 1. My lord,

I have the honour to transmit you letter received from captain Ball, dated October 30, together with the capitulation of the castle of Goza, and a list of ordnance, &c. found in it; the prisoners are now embarked in the Vanguard and Minotaur, till I can get a vessel, to send them to France. Captain Ball, with three sail of the line, a frigate, and fireship, is entrusted with the blockade of Malta, in which are two sail of the line and three frigates, ready for sea; and, from the experience I have had of captain Ball's zeal, activity, and ability, I have no doubt

but

Alexander, off Malta, Oct. 30. Sir,

I have the honour to acquaint you, that the commandant of the French troops, in the castle of Goza, signed the capitulation the 28th inst. which you had approved. I ordered captain Creswell, of the marines, to take possession of it in the name of his Britannic majesty, and his majesty's colours were hoisted. The next day, the place was delivered up in form to the deputies of the island, his Sicilian majesty's colours hoisted, and he acknowledged their lawful sovereign.

I embarked, yesterday, all the French officers and men who were on the island of Goza, amounting to 217.

I inclose the articles of capitula tion, and an inventory of the arms and ammunition found in the castle, part of which I directed to be sent to the assistance of the Maltese, who are in arms against the French.There were 3,200 sacks of corn in the castle, which will be a great relief to the inhabitants, who are much in want of that article.

I have the honour to be, &c.

(Signed) Alex. John Ball. Rear-admiral sir H. Nelson.

Articles of Capitulation between Alexander John Ball, Esq. Captain of his Britannic Majesty's Ship Alexander, appointed to conduct the

Blockade of Malta, under Rear Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson, K.B. on the Part of Great Britain, and Lieutenant-Colonel Lochey, Aju. de Batt. Commander of the French Troops in the Castle of Goza.

I. The French troops shall march out of the castle of Goza with the honours of war, and shall lay down their arms as they get out of the gate.

II. The castle of Goza, with all the military implements and stores, shall be delivered up to the British officer appointed to take charge of them.

III. The French officers and troops shall be protected in their persons and effects, and the officers allowed to retain their side-arms; they shall be embarked immediately on board his Britannic majesty's ships, and sent to France, in transports, at the expence of the French government. They are not to serve against his Britannic majesty, or his allies, during the war, until regu larly exchanged.

Rear-admiral sir Horatio Nelson, K.B. has entered into articles with the inhabitants of Goza, that, if the French surrender to the British, they shall be considered as under their protection, and they will not offer them the smallest insult or molestation.

Signed, 28th of October, 1798,
Alex. John Ball, capt. of his
Britannic majesty's ship

Alexander.

Lochey, Aju. de Bataillon. Approved Horatio Nelson.

Extract of Articles found in the Castle

of Gora, the 28th October. 50 barrels of powder; 9000 ballcartridges; 1000 musket-cartridges,

without ball; 1700 flints; 38 eighteen-pound cartridges, filled; 140 twelve-pound ditto; 450 six-pound ditto; 268 four-pound ditto; 25 three-pound ditto; 88 two-pound ditto; 18 eighteen-pounder guns, good, and 200 shot; 2 twelvepounder guns, good, and 900 shot; 4 six-pounder guns, good, and 2985 shot; 400 hand-granades, filled; 90 pikes, and 90 halberts; 3200 sacks of corn.

N. B. No small-arms, except those laid down by the French troops.

Abstract of the Report from the Committee of Secrecy of the House of Commons, in Ireland, presented to the House, July 17th, 1798, by the Right Hon. Lord Castlereagh.

This report, which occupied in the reading full two hours, commences with a general view of the conspiracy carried on by the society of United Irishmen, from its original formation to its intimate connection with a foreign enemy.The report then refers to the report of the lords committee in 1793, and that of both houses in 1797, which it states " to have been fully confirmed by the evidence of some principal leaders in the society." The first objects of this society, at its formation in 1791, were alleged to be Catholic emancipation and parliamentary reform; but from the original scheme, as developed in a letter from the founder, Theobald Wolfe Tone, the true objects appear to have been to separate Ireland from Great Britain, to overturn the present constitution, and establish a democratical republic in this country.

To forward these views, the public mind was prepared by the frequent circulation of seditious writings, in particular those of Thomas Paine; but the real objects of the society were not disclosed publicly until the year 1795, when the test of the society which had previously bound its members to seek a reform in the commons house of parliament,' was changed by the substitution of the words following a more equal repre sentation of all the people of Ireland; and it had appeared to the committee, upon the testimony of one of the executive committee of that society, that this alteration was made, in order to forward the plan of a separate republic.

The report then goes on to state, that great numbers of persons in the north of Ireland having been induced to enter into the views of the union, an immediate and direct communication was opened with the enemy.

Upon the establishment of the yeomanry in the autumn of 1796, the union found it necessary to assume a military character in order to counter-act the efforts of government; and so far had they advanced in this system, that, from the papers seized in Belfast, in April 1797, it appeared that the number of men arrayed for military puiposes was not less than one hundred thousand; that arms in great abundance, pikes, cannon, and ammunition, had been provided; and that nothing had been neglected to prepare the members of the union to rise, upon either the arrival of a foreign enemy, or the orders of the superior officers whom they were bound by oath to obey.