perceive to be armed. I determined on forcing them to shew their colours (which they appeared to wish to avoid), and for that purpose stood directly for the headmost frigate, when she shortened sail, and brought to, for the other to close. I now made all sail, in the hope of being able to get alongside of her before it could be effected; but in this I was foiled, by her wearing, making sail, and joining the other, and taking a station a-head and a stern, with the 20 gun ship and a brig on the weather bow; they stood to the S. S. E. with larboard studding sails, and all the sail that could be carried; the sternmost hoisting French colours, at a quarter of an hour past two o'clock; she opened a fire from the aftermost guns upon us at 3 o'clock, being in a good position (going ten knots an hour). I commenced firing with considerable effect, the shot going either through, or just over the starboard quarter to the forecastle, over the larboard bow; when, at forty nine minutes past four she struck her colours to his Majesty's ship Majestic, under my command. The wind increasing, the prize in a state of great confusion, and night fast approaching, obliged me to stay by her, and to suffer the other frigate, with the ship and brig, to escape; the sea got up very fast, so that only one hundred of the prisoners could be exchanged, and even in effecting that, one boat was lost and two prisoners drowned: this, I hope, Sir, will plead my apology for not bringing you the whole of them. The captured ship is the Terpsichore, of 44 guns, eighteen and twenty four pounders, and 320 men, Breton Francois de Sire, Ca

pitaine de Frigate; the other was the Atalante, sister ship, exactly of the same force; they sailed from the Scheldt on the 20th of October, and went to L'Orient, from whence they sailed again on the 8th of January, in company with La Yade, a similar ship, which parted from them in latitude 45, and longitude 16. 40. The enemy had only three men killed, six wounded, and two drowned; the Majestic hone.

The officers and men I have the honour to command conducted themselves on this occasion, as I expected they would do.

WAR DEPARTMENT.

Downing-street, March 11, A dispatch, of which the following is an extract, has been this day received at Earl Bathurst's office, addressed to his Lordship by Field Marshal the Marquess or Wellington, dated

St. Jean de Luz, Feb. 20. In conformity with the intention which I communicated to your Lordship in my last dispatch, I moved the right of the army, under Lieutenant General Sir R. Hill, on the 14th; he drove in the enemy's picquets on the Joyeuse river, and attacked their position at Hellette, from which he obliged General Harispe to retire, with loss, towards St. Martin. I made the detachment of General Mina's troops, in the valley of Bastan, advance on the same day upon Baygorey and Biddarray; and the di rect communication of the enemy with St. Jean Pied de Port being cut off by Lieutenant General Sir Rowland

Rowland Hill, that fort has been blockaded by the Spanish troops above mentioned.

On the following morning, the 15th, the troops under Lieutenant General Sir Rowland Hill continued the pursuit of the enemy, who had retired to a strong position in front of Garris, where General Harispe was joined by General Paris's division, which had been recalled from the march it had commenced for the interior of France, and by other troops from the enemy's centre.

General Murillo's Spanish division, after driving in the enemy's advanced posts, was ordered to move towards St. Palais, by a ridge parallel to that on which was the enemy's position, in order to turn their left, and cut off their retreat by that road; while the 2d division, under Lieutenant General Sir W. Stewart, should attack in front.Those troops made a most gallant attack upon the enemy's position, which was remarkably strong, but which was carried without very considerable loss. Much of the day had elapsed before the attack could be commenced, and the action lasted till after dark, the enemy having made repeated attempts to regain the position, particularly in two attacks, which were most gallantly received and repulsed by the 39th regiment, under the command of the Honourable Colonel O'Callaghan, in Major General Pringle's brigade. The Major General and Lieutenant Colonel Bruce, of the 39th, were unfortunately wounded; we took ten officers, and about 200 prisoners.

The right of the centre of the army made a corresponding move

ment with the right on these days, and our posts were on the Bidouze river on the evening of the 15th. The enemy retired across the river at St. Palais in the night, destroying the bridges, which, however, were repaired, so that the troops under Lieutenant General Sir R. Hill crossed on the 16th; and on the 17th, the enemy were driven across the Gave de Mouleon. They attempted to destroy the bridge at Arriverete, but they had not time to complete its destruction; and a ford having been discovered above the bridge, the 92d regiment, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Cameron, supported by the fire of Captain Beane's troop of horse artillery, crossed the ford, and made a most gallant attack upon two battalions of French infantry posted in the village, from which the latter were driven with considerable loss. The enemy retired in the night across the Gave d'Oleron, and took up a strong position in the neighbourhood of Sauveterre, in which they were joined by other troops.

On the 18th, our posts were established on the Gave d'Oleron. In all the actions which I have above detailed to your Lordship, the troops have conducted themselves remarkably well; and I had great satisfaction in observing the good conduct of those under General Murillo, in the attack of Hellete on the 14th, and in driving in the enemy's advanced posts in front of their position, at Garris, on the 15th. Since the 14th, the enemy have considerably weakened their force in Bayonne; and they have withdrawn from the right of the Adour, above the town.

Admiralty

Admiralty-Office, March 5, 1814.

Copy of a letter from Admiral Lord Keith, K. B. to John Wilson Croker, Esq. dated on board his Majesty's ship York, in Caw sand Bay, the 2d inst.

Sir, I have the honour to enclose, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, a copy of a letter from Captain Phillimore, reporting the capture of La Clorinde French frigate, after a most severe conflict, on the evening of the 25th ultimo, between her and the Eurotas; an action which reflects the highest honour upon the bravery and professional skill of Capt. Phillimore and his officers, and upon the valour and good conduct of his crew, Captain Phillimore has been severely wounded on the occasion, but I entertain a flattering hope that his Majesty's service, and the country at large, will not long be. deprived of the services of so valuable an officer.

I have the honour to be, &c.
KEITH, Admiral.

His Majesty's ship Eurotas, Ply

mouth-sound, March 1. My Lord, I have the honour to inform your lordship, that his Majesty's ship under my command parted company from the Rippon on Monday night, the 21st ult. in chase of a vessel which proved to be a Swedish merchant ship; and on Friday, the 25th, in endeavouring to rejoin the Rippon, being then in lat. 47. 40. north, and long. 9. 30. west, we perceived a sail upon the lee-beam, to which we gave chase. We soon discovered her to be an enemy's frigate, and that she was endeavourVOL. LVI.

ing to out-manoeuvre us in bringing her to action; but having much the advantage in sailing, (although the wind had unfortunately died away), we were enabled at about five o'clock to pass under her stern, hail her, and commence close action. When receiving her broadside, and passing to her bow, our mizen-mast was shot away. I then ordered the helm to be put down to lay her aboard, but the wreck of our mizen-mast lying on our quater, prevented this desirable object from being accomplished.

The enemy just passed clear of us, and both officers and men of the Eurotas renewed the action with the most determined bravery and resolution, while the enemy returned our fire in a warm and gallant manner. We succeeded in raking her again, and then lay broadside to broadside; at 6. 20. our main-mast fell by the board, the enemy's mizen-nast falling at the same time; at 6. 50. our foremast fell, and the enemy's mainmast almost immediately afterwards. At ten minutes after 7 she slackened her fire, but having her fore-mast standing, she succeeded with her fore-sail in getting out of range. During the whole of the action we kept up a heavy and well-directed fire; nor do I know which most to admire, the seamen at the great guns, or the marines with their small arms, they vying with each other who should most annoy the enemy.

I was at this time so much exhausted by the loss of blood, from wounds I had received in the early part of the action from a grapeshot, that I found it impossible for me to remain any longer upon M

deck.

deck. I was therefore under the painful necessity of desiring Lieut. Smith (First Lieutenant) to take command of the quarter-deck, and to clear the wreck of the foremast and main-mast, which then lay nearly fore and aft the deck, and to make sail after the enemy; but, at the same time, I had the satisfaction of reflecting that I had left the command in the hands of a most active and zealous officer.

We kept sight of the enemy during the night by means of boatsails, and a jigger on the ensignstaff; and before 12 o'clock the next day Lieutenant Smith reported to me, that, by the great exertions of every officer and man, jury-courses, top-sails, stay-sails, and spanker, were set in chase of the enemy, who had not even cleared away his wreck, and that we were coming up with her very fast, going at the rate of six knots and a half; that the decks were perfectly clear, and that the officers and men were as eager to renew the action as they were to commence it; but to the great mortification of every one on board, we perceived two sail on the lee-bow, which proved to be the Dryad and Achates, and they having crossed the enemy (we only four or five miles distant) before we could get up to her, deprived us of the gratification of having her colours hauled down to us.

The enemy's frigate proved to be the Clorinde, Captain Dennis Legard, mounting 44 guns, with four brass swivels in each top, and a compliinent of 360 picked men.

It is with sincere regret I have to state that our loss is considerable, having twenty killed and forty wounded; and I most sincerely la

ment the loss of three fine young midshipmen; two of whom had served the whole of their time with me, and who all promised to be ornaments to the service. Among the wounded is Lieutenant Foord, of the Royal Marines, who received a grape-shot in his thigh, while gallantly heading his party.

I learn from Monsieur Gerrard. one of the French officers, that they calculate their loss on board the Clorinde at 120 men. It is therefore unnecessary for me to particularize the exertions of every individual on board this ship, or the promptness with which every order was put into execution by so young a ship's company; but I must beg leave to mention the able assistance which I received from Lieutenants Smith, Graves, Randolph, and Beckham, Mr. Beadnell, the Master, and Lieutenants Foord and Connell, of the Royal Marines; the very great skill and attention shewn by Mr. Thomas Cooke Jones, Surgeon, in the discharge of his important duties; the active services of Mr. J. Bryan, the Purser, and the whole of the Warrant Officers, with all the Mates and Midshipmen, whom I beg leave most strongly to recommend to your lordship's notice. I enclose a list of the killed and wounded, and have the honour to be, &c.

J. PHILLIMORE, Capt. Adm. Lord Keith, K. B.

[Here follows a list of 20 killed, including Messrs. Jer. Spurking, and C. Greenaway, midshipmen, and Mr. J. T. Vaughan, volunteer, and 39 wounded, including Captain Phillimore, and Lieut. Foord, of the marines, severely; and J. R. Brigstocke, midshipman, slightly.]

London