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who entertained a jealousy of the consequences which might result from submitting the grounds of Christian doctrine to the judgment of the unlearned, yet the idea of opening the scriptures to all ranks of people is so conformable to the principles and practice of the early reformers, that the opposition to it has borne an unfavourable aspect. It has been a more plausible objection, that, as a charity, such institutions were not at the present time particularly wanted; that the means were disproportioned to the end; and that the matter has been taken up like one of those rages which successively occupy the mind of the public, and foster extravagant and delusive expectations. Meantime it cannot be denied that much occasional benefit has accrued to the promoters of these associations, by giving exercise to their benevolent feelings, and joining them in charitable union with the well-disposed of different persuasions.

The agitation produced in the commercial world by the proceedings respecting the renewal of the charter of the East India Company has been noticed in the account of the parliamentary transactions relative to that important national concern; and it cannot be doubted that the changes introduced into the new charter, (the principal of which are to be found in our abstract of the bill) will render the present year an era in the history of British commerce. Those changes are indeed less than were expected by the sanguine advocates for free and open trade; and it was manifest, during the course of discussion,

that the influence of the East India Company with the government was exerted with powerful and progressive effect. Still, however, a large scope is afforded by the new regulations, to that spirit of enterprise which so peculiarly characterises the British commercial body; and speculation is doubtless already busied in framing plans for future adventures. The passing of the bill in the House of Commons, on July 13th, produced a minute from the committee of the Courts of Directors, dated on the 15th, in which a detail was given of the circumstances attending the negociations between the company and the government on the occasion, with a view of the regulations in the bill, and the effects on the company's prosperity which might be expected to result from them. On the 21st, a general court was held at the East India House, when the opinions from behind the bar being read in favour of accepting the bill for the new charter, a motion was made to that effect by sir Hugh. Inglis. After some discussion, and the rejection of a proposed amendment, the motion was carried unanimously; and the chairman, Mr. R. Thornton, congratulated the court upon the attainment of a charter which, in some instances, had exceeded their most sanguine expectations.

The bounteous harvest which crowned the hopes of the year, has already produced the desirable effect of reducing the price of the most necessary articles of human subsistence to half, or two-thirds, of that which they bore during

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CHAPTER XI.

Naval Occurrences.-Loss of the Java.-Engagement between the Amelia and a French Frigate.-Capture of a Flotilla on the Coast of Calabria.-Capture of the Isle of Ponza.-Loss of the Peacock Sloop.Capture of a Convoy on the Dalmatian Coast.-Successes in the Bay of Chesapeake.-Loss of the Vincejo.-Capture of the Chesapeake Frigate by the Shannon.-Capture of the Annaconda, and the Islands of Ocracoke and Portsmouth-Capture of Fiume.-Success at Cassis.— Capture of the American-sloop Argus.-Success in the Gulf of Cataro. -Capture of Le Weser and La Trave.-Reduction of Batteries at Cuxhaven, &c.

N this year, as in the preceding, few opportunities have been afforded to the British navy to act a distinguished part in the course of events which will ever render the period memorable. The French navy, reduced to inaction, or to a few petty and stolen attempts, has presented no occasion of fair and decisive combat; and the blockade of the American coast has curbed that adventurous spirit which some unexpected successes appeared to have excited in the infant navy of the United States. Actions worthy of record have not, however, been entirely wanting; and in several instances of co-operation with the land forces, our seamen have found room for the display of their accustomed courage and activity.

The first event, however, to be related, is one of additional misfortune, though not of disgrace, to the British flag. His majesty's frigate Java, capt. Lambert, bound to the East Indies, with lieut.-gen. Hislop, and the officers of his staff on board, descried, on Dec. 29th,

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1812, off St. Salvador, on the coast of Brazil, a strange sail, to which she gave chace. The ship proved to be the American frigate Constitution, which, shortening sail about two o'clock in the afternoon, came into action. The American manœuvred for some time to avoid close combat, aiming by firing high to disable the masts of his antagonist, in which he obtained some success, having shot away the head of the bowsprit with the jib-boom of the Java, and much injured the running rigging. Capt. Lambert, finding the enemy's rak ing fire very heavy, ordered him to be laid on board; but this was rendered impracticable by further damages to the masts and rigging which left his ship quite unmanageable, with most of the starboard guns useless from the wreck lying over them. At half-past three the captain received a dangerous wound which obliged him to be carried below. From this time till a quar; ter past four the Java could only fire two or three guns; but her

mizen mast being then shot away, she fell off, and many of her star board guns were brought to bear. The two ships were now brought broadside to broadside, and both continued to fight for some time in this position. The Constitution then made sail a-head out of gunshot, to repair her damages, leaving the Java a wreck, with only the main-mast standing, and that tottering. Every attempt was how ever made to put her in a state for renewing the action, but the mainmast fell over the side, and the starboard guns were nearly all covered. The enemy now standing, forwards to make an attack, and preparing to take a raking position, Mr. Chads, the first lieutenant, consulted his officers whether, in their disabled condition, with great part of the crew killed or wounded, it would be justifiable to waste more lives in continuing a fruitless defence. The result was, that they agreed in the painful necessity of striking their colours; and their victor, commodore Bainbridge, gave a testimony of the desperate state to which their ship was reduced, by ordering her to be set on fire as soon as the wounded were removed. The loss on board the Java was very severe in officers and men, and the gallant captain Lambert died in consequence of his wounds a few days after, and was interred with all military honours in fort St. Pedro. The loss on board the Constitution was also considerable. The respective force of the ships was, Java, guns, 46; weight of metal, 1034lb.; crew and supernumeraries, 377: Constitution, guns, 55; weight of me tal, 1490; crew, 480. It scarcely needs be added, after this relation,

that the surviving officers of the Java were most honourably acquitted of blame for the surrender of their ship.

An action in which a serious loss was sustained, with no other advantage than the gallant repulse of a superior foe, occurred in an engagement between his majesty's ship Amelia, the hon. capt. Irby, and a French frigate, off the coast of Africa. Capt. Irby, being about to quit Sierra Leone river at the close of January, was informed by lieut. Pascoe, of the Daring, gunbrig, that he had been obliged to run his vessel on shore, and blow her up, in consequence of being chased by a French frigate, which, with two consorts, he had left at anchor off the De Loss islands. Capt. Irby dispatched lieut. Pascoe to reconnoitre, who brought intelligence that the force of the enemy was two frigates of the largest class, L'Arethuse and Le Rubis, with a Portuguese ship, their prize. Capt. Irby, thereupon, determined to eruize off those islands in order to fall in with any other English ships of war that might be coming down the coast, and protect the trade to Sierra Leone. One of the French frigates stood out to sea on Feb. 6th, and on the next day the other stood towards the Amelia, which had been lying off the island of Tamara in the night. Capt. Irby, with the hope of drawing her from her consort, continued standing to sea till sun-set, when, not perceiving the other ship from the masthead, he shortened sail, wore, and stood to her. At 45 minutes past seven, p. m. the two antagonists began firing within pistol shot, and the action continued till 21

minutes past 11, when the French frigate bore away, leaving the Amelia in an ungovernable condition, with her sails and rigging cut to pieces, and her masts injured. During the action the Amelia twice fell on board the enemy in attempting to thwart his hawse; when he made efforts to board, but was repulsed. "The superior, force of the enemy (says capt. Irby), the considerable quantity of gold-dust we have on board, as well as the certainty of the other frigate coming up, would have prevented my seeking a renewal of the action, if it had not been totally impractica ble." The slaughter on board the Amelia was too good a proof, together with the disabling of the ship, how well the enemy's guns were served. The return of killed, and since dead, was 51, of wound ed, 95. Among the former were three lieutenants, and lieutenant Pascoe, of the Daring. Capt. Irby was severely wounded. He immediately proceeded homewards, and arrived at Spithead on March 22nd. A brilliant service performed by the Sicilian flotilla under the com mand of capt. Hall, aided by a part of the 75th regiment, was reported by sir Edward Pellew, the admiral in the Mediterranean, in the month of March. Capt. Hall, in a letter to lord W. Bentinck, relates, that the enemy having thrown up new works, at Pietra Nera, on the coast of Calabria, confided so much in their strength, that a convoy of 50 armed vessels assembled to transport timber and other government property to Naples. On receiving this intelligence, capt. Hall, on the night of Feb. 14th, proceeded with two divisions of the flotilla, and four

companies of the 75th regiment, commanded by major Stuart, and arriving at day-light, landed about 150 of the soldiers, with an auxiliary party of seamen under the command of lieut. Le Hunt. Major Stewart immediately led them to occupy a height defended by a whole battalion, with two troops of cavalry, and two pieces of artillery. A most determined attack was made, which was resisted till the enemy's commander and most of his officers were killed or made prisoners, and the height was covered with their dead. The flotilla, under capt. Imbert, in the meantime was cannonading the batteries, which held out till they were stormed by lieut. Le Hunt with his seamen. Every thing now came into the possession of the assailants, who launched the most valuable of the vessels and timber, and set the rest on fire. Of the enemy, 150 were killed, and 163 wounded, and their two guns were taken. The loss of the victors was comparatively trifling, but the gallant major Stewart was unfortunately killed by a musket shot as he was pushing off from shore after the re-embarkation of the troops.

Another successful enterprise in which the land and sea forces were conjointly engaged was the capture of the Isle of Ponza, off the gulf of Gaeta, on the Neapolitan coast. Capt. Napier, of the Thames, having taken on board lieutenant col. Coffin, and the 2nd battalion of the 10th regiment, arrived_off Ponza, accompanied by the Furieuse, on Feb. 23rd. The harbour of the island is about a quarter of a mile wide, with a mole at the extremity, defended by four bat

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