The Commiffioners alfo informed the Convention, that fourteen English and Spanish fhips had lately entered Toulon, on board of which were feveral British and Spanish officers, thinking it was fill in the poffeffion of the Allies. The Commiffioners at the Iiland of Noirmoutier, gave a particulr account to the Convention of the advantages obtained by the capture of that Iiland, and the apprehenfion of the Chiefs of the infurrection. AMERICA. Extract of a letter from a gentleman in The firf bufinefs that attracted their at- men. ITALY. pre By letters from Leghorn, of the date of the 3d Jan. we learn, that on the ceding day, the English fhip of war the Lutine, of 24 guns, and the corvette the Sincere of 14 guns, had arrived there from the illand of Hieres. These two vef fels are filled with Toulonefe. On the morning of the 3d, a chaloupe arrived from Port Ferrago, with the account of a fquadron of Englifh fhips of war being in that Road, having on board, befides their crews, 3000 Toulonefe. Thefe fhips were, the Britannia of 100 guns, Vice-Admiral Hotham; the Windfor Cafile of 98 guns, Vice-Admiral Cosby; and the Commerce of Marfeilles of 110 gurs, Admiral Trogoff. The number of merchant veffels arrived at Leghorn was fo great that the harbour could not contain them. Domeftic Intelligence. From the London Gazette Extraordinary. SIR, Fort St George, Aug. 24. 1793. I have the pleafure to inform you that the Fort of Pondicherry furrendered to our army under the command of Colonel Brathwaite, on the 230 inflant. In confequence of intelligence, received here on the 1ft of June, from Mr Baldwin, that war had been declared by France against England and Holland, we ordered the army to affeinble near Pondicherry, and having prepared and forwarded all the neceffary equipments for the fiege of that fortrefs, our operations commenced early in the prefent month, and have thus happily terminated. Permit me, on this occafion, to offer you my warmeft congratulations, and to exprefs a well-grounded hope, that fo important, a conqueft will afford complete fecurity to our poffeffions in India. The French fettlements in Bengal and on the Malabar coaft have all likewife furrendered to the British arms. Our meafures, on the receipt of Mr Baldwin's intelligence, were honoured by the fulleft approbation of the Governor General in Council. Marquis Cornwallis determined to take the first opportunity of coming himself to the coaft; and, as no frigate could be fpared to convey him, he requested the Triton Indiaman might be lent for that purpofe, which failed from Bengal on the 31ft of laft month, and I expect her return in a few days. I have the honour to be, &c. Cha. Oakeley. Whiteball, Jan. 24. 1794. The following dispatches were this morning receiv ed over land from India, by the Court of Directors of the Eaft India Company. t Fort St George, Aug. 24, 1793. Hon. Sirs, We have great fatisfaction in reporting to your honourable court, that Pondicherry was furrendered to the army under Colonel Braithwaite on the morning of the 23d inftant. As we forward this addrefs via Bombay, we fhall embrace another opportu nity of giving you a detailed account of the operations of the army. It will be fufficient to mention here, that not a moment was loft after our receipt of the intelligence of the war (which reached us the first of June, in a letter from the Britifh Conful at Alexandria,) in making preparations for the fiege. An infilading battery was opened againft the fort on the twentieth inftant, and, on the twentyfecond, a battery opened in the face of the attacked, and in a fhort time completely filenced the enemy's guns. That lame evening the governer fent out a deputation, with propofals to furrender; and early the next morning our troops tock poffeffion of the place. We have the honour to tranfmit a copy of Colonel Braithwaite's Jatt ditpatch, with a copy of the articles of capitula tion, and to offer our warmeft congratulations to you on an event fo honourable and important to your interests in this country. All the French fettlements in Bengal, as well as thofe on the two coafts, have been furrendered to the British arms. We have the honour to be, with the To the Hon. Sir Charles Oakeley, Bart. Camp on the Red Hills, Aug. 23, 1793. Captain Braithwaite, my aid de camp, will have the honour to deliver this to you; it inclofes copies of my correfpondence with Monf. de Chermont, and a copy of the terms which humanity alone induced me to grant to the French garrilon, who in many inftances behaved very ill; but it seems they were under little or no controul of their officers, who were hourly in apprehenfion for their own lives; and this day I was greatly alarmed by repeated information that fome of them had furrounded the Governor's house and menaced his life, and preffing me to push forward the troops, which was accordingly done and I had the pleasure to learn, that though matters had, for a short time, worn a difagreeable appearance, they had never had recourfe to their arms, or any act of violence; they were mostly drunk, and ftraggling about in various directions, but without arms; however, they have been moftly collected, and will, before night, be perfectly secured in the church of Arian Coupang. I have alfo the honour to inclofe a copy of the orders I iffued this day, and to remain, with refpect, Honourable Sirs, Your very obedient fervant, To General Braithwaite, Commanding in ŞIR, Pondicherry, Aug. 22, 1793. Humanity, and the interefts of this co lony, have engaged me to propofe a capitulation; afk, in confequence, four and twenty hours to reduce it to form; during which time you will establish, as well as me, a perfect fufpenfion of arms, and cease to continue your works against the place, as I fhall ceafe to continue mine in its defence. I have the honour to be, with the moft perfect efteem, and the higheft confideration, Sir, Your moft humble and obedient fer(Signed) Chermont. vant, To M. Chermont, Governor of Pondicher- Camp before Pondicherry, Aug. 2, 1793. Humanity, and the real intereft of the city of Pondicherry, induced me to offer you the most honourable and humane terms on my appearing before this place, with fuch a fuperiority of force as entitled me to fay, that humanity alone induced me to make those offers. You, Sir, contrary to the dictate of humanity, and the real interefts of the Colony under your command, rejected thofe terms, and, without any probability of defence, continued to fire upon my people, to do as much mischief as you could; and now that my batteries are opened, you begin to think of humanity, that is, for your own people, for you in dicated none for thofe under my command; but, thank God! they are not in a fituation to require it. Matters being thus circumftanced, I give you till to-morrow morning, at eight o'clock, to furrender at difcretion, and truft to the known humanity of the English nation. Till then I will ceafe to fire, unlefs fired upon, but I will not cease to work; and if a shot is fired from you before the furrender of the place, all further application will be unneceffary. If the place is furrendered, the whole may depend upon fecurity to their lives, and that liberal treatment which the English nation always shews to its prifoners. In short, they shall be treated as prifoners of war furrendering them felves into the hands of a brave and honourable people.-Precifely at eight o' clock to-morrow morning I fhall begin to fire, with no intention of ceafing, till I am eftablished in the full poffeffion of Pondicherry. You have once, Sir, refufed a fair and honourable offer; this is the fecond, and I believe a third is never made. I have the honour to be, Sir, your moft obedient and very humble fer(Signed) John Brathwaite vant, SIR, To General Brathwaite. Pondicherry, Aug 22, 1793. The cruel fituation in which myself and a number of brave men have found themselves, and which I believed was known to you, has forced us to the con duct we have held. I fend you an officer of merit, whom I beseech you to hear. I hope he will be able to obtain from you a capitulation, and the twenty-four hours I have asked. I have the honour to be, with the higheft confideration, Sir, your very humble, and very obedient fervant. (Signed) Chermont. To M. Chermont, Governor of Pondicherry, &c. I have faid in my letter to M. Chermont, that, in furrendering at difcretion, he might confide in the humanity and generofity of a brave nation; but, as he defires affurances, to quiet the minds of fuch as are alarmed at the idea of furrendering at difcretion I. I promife, that if the place, with all public property, flores, ammunition, arms, ordnance, treasure and provifions, is faithfully delivered up, all private property belonging to individuals fhall be faved and inviolable: it being understood that arms, warlike or naval ftores, tho' in the hands of private merchants, muft be considered as public property, and faithfully delivered up as fuch. II. The place must be turrendered to the troops that I fhall fend to take poffeffion, as foon as they appear at the Ma dras and Vellenour Gates. The English troops, and the Native troops in the Bri-, tifh fervice, fhall behave with good order and difcipline, the French troops muft do the fame. III. The Garrifon muft lodge their arms in the arfenal, and march out without arms or colours. They will be confidered as prifoners of war, and treated humanely as fuch, They fhall be marched to Ária Coupang (the Native troops excepted, who fhall have liberty to go where they pleafe,) and lodged and fed there, till tents, &c. can be prepared to fend them to Madras; and I pledge myfelf they fhall be sent to Europe by the firft opportunity. IV. With regard to the officers, they fhall wear their fwords, and be prifoners on their paroles of honour, referving their private properties. V. Hoftages, two officers of rank, muft be sent to me before nine o'clock to-morrow morning for the faithful acquietcence to these terms: And on the arrival of thofe hoftages I will fend troops to take poffeffion of the place, and to escort the French foldiers to Aria Coupang. VI. Rigour would juftity me, under prefent circunftances, in infifting upon harfher terms; but humanity induces me to fpare perfons and private property; and the inhabitants remaining in Pondi cherry, provided they demean themselves with due obedience to our government and laws, shall be treated and confidered as inhabitants under the protection of the British Government. VII. This is final. If not acceded to by the arrival of the hoftages, I fhall recommence hoftilities at nine o'clock pres cifely. Given under my hand, folely for the prefent, in the abfence of Admiral Cornwallis. Camp_before Pondicherry, August 23, Three, A. M. John Brathwaite. To General Brathwaite. SIR, Pondicherry, Aug, 23, 1793. I have the honour to fend you, as prefcribed, the Capitulation which you offer me, and which is accepted, as alfo the Lieutenant-Colonels Gautier and Joffet. You may, at nine o'clock, take poffeffion of the Villenour and Madras Gates. I have given orders to the troops to be ready at that hour to furrender themfelves at Aria Coupang. You will find here a figned copy of the capitulation. I have the honour to be, with the most perfect efteem, and the higheft confideration, Sir, your very humble, and very obedient fervant, (Signed) Chermont. Head-Quarters, Camp before Pondicherry, Aug. 23, 1793 General Orders by Colonel Brathwaite. Colonel Brathwaite has the honour and happiness to announce to the gallant army under his command the news of the furrender of Pondicherry, on terms dictated by himself; terms which, he flatters himself, muft ever remain as a memorial to the French nation, that no fuperiority of fire, no advantage of circumftances, no mifconduct of an enemy, will caufe a British commander to deviate from the humanity which is the diftinguished characteristic of a brave nation. He has fpared the whole garrifon and the properties of individuals, which the rigid law of arms would have juftified him in treating other wife. He has fpared an enemy that continued to act offenfively and deftructively while unmolefted, but who funk under the firft impreffions of a fuperior force. Actuated by the fame fentiments, he has no doubt but that the whole of the army under his command will confider their infatuated and unfortunate prifoners entitled (being now their prifoners) to their most humane attention. It is not neceffary for him, at this time of day, to give to this fo eminently-diftinguished army any orders on that head; the Generals under whom they have ferved have taught them, that an enemy conquered is an enemy no more; and he is convinced that the British troops, about to garrison Pondicherry as conquerors, or about to take charge of French prifoners, will convince both the inhabitants and their prifoners, that they can be as orderly, generous, and humane, in the discharge of thefe duties, as they have been active and brave in the duties of the trenches. To a chearful, unanimous, and zealous perfeverance in their feveral duties, and to their eftablished character for bravery, must be attributed the fuccefs of the prefent day, and their commander will ever remember it with pleasure and gratitude. To thank corps of individuals in an army, fo wholly entitled to his warmeft thanks and approbation, cannot be attempted; he thanks and approves the whole with all his heart, and will not fail to speak these his fentiments of them to his fuperiors. From the London Gazette, Jan. 25. Madrid, Jan. 1. Intelligence has been received from Barcelona, that on the 20th ult. the Spanish troops, which were at Banuls de Mar, attacked the town of Port Vendre, and the entrenchements on the heights behind the place, and carried them, after an obftinate and bloody action, taking fix pieces of cannon: That General Ceufta afterwards directed a fudden attack upon Fort St Elmo, where the French had retired from Port Vendre, and, notwithstanding the inceffant fire kept up by the garrison, two battalions of Walloons and fome other corps gained the almoft inacceffible heights by which the place is commanded, and obliged the garrison to furrender prifoners of war: That the guns of the Fort of St Elmo were immediately turned upon the town of Collieure, which was given up at difcretion the next morning: That, on the 21ft, the Marquis de las Amaril las, at the head of three columns, attacked the flank of the batteries and entrenchments in the front of the Spanish van guard at Bolo, carried three batteries, and obliged the French to retreat to Banuls de Afpres: That a falfe attack was, at the fame time, made on the right of the enemy's camp by a column from Ceret, commanded by the Portuguese General Forbes, and another on the left by Ge neral Hurrigaray, who fell in with a column of 2000 men, on their march from Perpignan to the camp at Banuls de Af pres, which they charged, killed 500 men on the spot, and in the purfuit took 200 prifoners, and two baggage waggons, with very inconfiderable lofs. It is computed that, in these several actions, the Spaniards have taken 70 pieces of heavy artillery, a great quantity of clothing and ammunition, and fix months provisions for 10,000 men. From the London Gazette, Jan. 28. Lisbon, Jan. 11. Accounts have been received here from the Head-quarters at Bollou, dated December 23, that at daybreak on the 21ft the Allies attacked and carried all the enemy's advanced lines and batteries; which fuccefs, together with the capture of Port Vendre, Fort St Telmo, and Collioure, determined the enemy, whose left and rear flanks were laid open, to quit, in the course of that night, all their camps and pofts in front of the Allies, and retire into Perpignan, leaving the Spaniards mafters of the country, te the very gates of the town. From the London Gazette, Feb. 1. Extract of a letter from his Royal High nefs the Duke of York to Mr Secretary Dundas, dated Ghent, Jan. 22, 37941 received yesterday a report from Lieutenant General Count Kinky, from Tournay, that on Monday the enemy moved forwards with nine hundred infantry and one hundred cavalry, from Waterloo, and attacked the first poft of Aelbecke, which at firft was obliged to retire; but the Auftrian out-pofts having immediately affembled, attacked the enemy in flank, and drove them completely back to the other fide of Waterloo. The enemy's lofs was twenty-one men killed and one feverely wounded and taken pris foner. The Auftrians had one man kil led, and one wounded. Admiralty Office, Jan. 28, 1794. Extract of a letter from Capt. Lucas, of bis Majefty's fhip Sphynx, to Mr Stephens, dated Plymouth, the 21st inft. I have the honour to acquaint you, for the information of my Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, that being on a cruife off Cape Clear, on Sunday the 12th inftant, we faw a fail to the weftward ftanding before the wind: We tacked after her. At noon, the bore up to crofs us, which was prevented. At two P. M. fhe began an unfuccessful fire, hoifted hoifted the National flag, and in about ten or twelve minutes ftruck to his Majefty's colours. She proves to be La Trompeuse, a national brig, mounting 18 fix-pounders, commanded by Monf. Biller, a fecondcaptain, three lieutenants, and 105 men; quite a new veffel, cutter built, and ftores complete for three months. From the London Gazette, Feb. 8. Whitehall, Feb. 5. A letter, of which the following is a copy, was this day received from the Moft Noble Marquis Cornwallis, K. G, by the Right Hon. Henry Dundas, his Majefty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Depart ment: DUPLICATE*. went off immediately upon being chaced by Admiral Cornwallis, and has not fince been heard of on this coaft. I was very defirous of giving my perfonal affiftance in carrying on the laft piece of fervice that was likely to occur during my ftay in India, and embarked on board a fmail French veffel, that had been feized and armed in Bengal, as foon as I could avail myself of the convoy of the Woodcote Indiaman, which had been taking in new mafts at Calcutta, and without which I did not think I could with prudence hazard the voyage, at leaft while I held the office of Gover nor-General. The Triton Indiaman, which Admiral Cornwallis and Sir Cha. Oakeley fent, at my requeft, on account of the difficulty and uncertainty in equip Fort St George, September 16, 1793. ping the Woodcote, arrived a few days SIR, Advice of the war with France arriv ed at Fort St George on the 2d, and at Fort William on the rrth of June, from Mr Baldwin, his Majefty's conful at Alexandria; and this gentleman was fo anxious to promote the public fervice, and so defirous to enable the Company's governments to derive every poffible advantage from his communication, that he declared himself refponfible in his public character for the truth of the information, and affured them that they might act upon it with confidence; adding, that all the British and Dutch veffels in the ports of France had been feized. Upon the receipt of this intelligence, all the fmall factories belonging to the French on the continent of India, as well as their fhips in our ports, were taken poffeffion of; and the government of Fort St George proceeded immediately to make preparations for the attack of the important fortrefs of Pondicherry, which place was in full as good a ftate of defence as when it was attacked at the breaking out of the last war. It was reported at Pondicherry, that confiderable reinforcements were expected from the Ifle of France, under the convoy of the Sybille of 40 guns, and three fmaller frigates; and we were in fome doubt whether Admiral Cornwallis, who blocked up the place by fea with the Minerva frigate, and three Indiamen, would have been able to prevent the fuc cours from being landed; but the Sybille, which was the only fhip of the enemy's that appeared during the fiege, before we failed, and returned with us. By the great and meritorious exertions of the Governments of Fort St George, in tranfporting the ordnance, ftores, &c. for fo confiderable an undertaking, aud thofe of Colonel Brathwaite, and of the troops under his command, in carrying on the attack, our batteries were opened againft the place fooner than I expected; and the mutinous and daftardly conduct of the garrifon obliged the Governor to furrender the forts feveral days before my arrival, and before the arrival of five companies of Bengal artillery; and twelve companies of Lafcars, which I had embarked on board of the Woodcote and three other veffels, which were likewife employed in bringing rice, on Governments account, to this Prefidency. I fhall beg leave to refer you, for the particulars of the operations against Pondicherry, to the inclofed letter, and the accompanying papers, which I have received from Colonel Brathwaite, and to his Aid-de-Camp, Capt. Brathwaite, of the 72d regiment, who will have the honour of delivering to you my dispatches; and who likewife carries to England the colours that were taken from the enemy. I have the honour to be, &c. Cornwallis To the Moft Noble Marquis Cornwallis, K. G. Lieutenant-General of his Majef ty's forces, Commander in Chief in India, &c. My Lord, As foon as Colonel Floyd, under whose command the forces moft contiguous were affembled The Original, fent by the Scorpion, with Captain Brathwaite, is not yet arrié ved. |