intercepted dispatches, we learn, he is strengthening himself there, and proposes to wait for reinforcements. In the mean time, the Morena passes in his rear have been occupied by 5000 Spaniards; the road is broken up; and, I trust, all communication has been cut off. General D'Alril had received orders to join him at Seville with 4000 men, who were to assemble at Alcorentia, but our arrival off Ayamonte, and the arming of all Spain, and the alarms in Portugal, having prevented this movement, I trust that General Junot will not now be able to detach any troops from Portugal, though we understand a French corps has been collected at Elvas, but I do not think it can exceed 4000 men, though the reports of its strength are very various. At Faro the Portuguese have already risen, have taken or destroyed a detachment of about 200 men, have seized the arms and ammunition of the province, which the French had collected in a depot, and also about 40,000 dollars in gold, which the French General had amassed. Admiralty Office, July 12. Extract of a letter from Vice-Admiral Lord Collingwood, dated Ocean, off Cadiz, June 14th 1808. SIR-In my letter of the 12th instant, by the Alphea, I informed you that application had been made for a ship to carry to England Commissioners appointed by the Supreme Council of Seville, to treat with his Majesty's Ministers on such matters as are important to the interest of both countries The Admiral who commands in the port of Cadiz being one of the deputed, they did not choose he should depart until the surrender of the French VOL. I. PART. II. ships, which took place this morning. The Spaniards having constructed an additional battery of thirty heavy guns, and numerous gun and bombvessels having taken their stations, the French ships struck their colours at seven o'clock this morning, and soon after the Spanish were hoisted on board them. The French ships, I understand, are not at all injured, as the Spaniards wanted them for their own use; nor has there been much loss of men on either side. The Governor, some days since, and before I came here, requested of Major-General Spencer to proceed to Avamante, to oppose a detachment of the French army, which was said to be marching from Portugal by the coast; and yesterday the transports procceeded, under the protection of the Zealous, to that quarter, where the Windsor Castle had conducted a detachment the day before. June 15th. The Governor of Cadiz has notified to me, that the Commissioners will be ready to embark in two days. As the Revenge has been stationed near the town, where Sir John Gore has had much intercourse with the Governor and Chiefs in command during the late operations, and witnessed the temper and disposition of the people, I have ordered that ship to receive them, that he may give to his Majesty's Ministers the information they may desire of what has come within his observation as to the present state of this part of Spain. Application has been made to me this evening by the Supreme Council at Seville and the Governor of Cadiz, to give a passport to a Spanish frigate and four dispatch vessels, to carry to the several governments and presidencies K in the West Indies, information of the events which have happened in Spain, and their instructions to the Governors; and also that a sloop of war may take out officers to that country, whose presence there is important; this they urge in preference to their going in a Spanish vessel, as it will convey a proof of their connection with Great Britain. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) Letter transmitted by Sir C. Cotton, Bart. from Captain Creyke of the sloop Eclipse. COLLINGWOOD. His Majesty's sloop Eclipse, off the SIR-Since the account I had the honour of delivering to you on the 10th June, Oporto has undergone two revolutions, and has been successively in the hands of the French and the subjects of the Prince Re gent. After the Spaniards had delivered the forts into the custody of the Portuguese, and the national colours were every where hoisted, the French were again able to establish their authority, in consequence of the weak and undetermined measures of the Governor, Louis D'Oliveira, who is now confined as a trai tor, and maintained it till the 16th, the day of Corpus Christi, a great national festival, when it had been usual for the Portuguese regiments to attend with colours flying. The Governor D'Oliveira, in consequence of orders from Junot, at tempted to establish the French flag instead of the Portuguese at the procession. This violent attack on the national custom drew forth the murmurs of the populace to so great a degree, that an attempt to compromise on the part of the Governor had no effect; and on the 18th, in the evening, the day before my arrival here, they were excited to such a degree of fury, that, countenanced by the priests, the people rose en masse, broke open the depots, and supplied themselves with 25,000 stand of arms, and, together with the regulars, formed a most determined and enthusiastic army. From this moment all French authority ceased; and every man, either French, or suspected of being inclined to French interest, was arrested. The Bishop of Oporto was elected as the new governor, and an army of 20,000 men sent to meet the French, who had advanced, to the amount of 900, within six leagues of Oporto. The enthusiasm has communicated from one to the other; and the Portuguese provinces of Tralos Montes, Minho, and the northern parts of Beira, in imitation of the Spaniards, have risen in arms, determined to extirpate the French from their kingdom. From the most moderate accounts, besides what are at Oporto, I may estimate them at upwards of 100,000 men. All the regular regiments disbanded by the French are forming again with the greatest alacrity, and will soon join them. I have this day had an interview with his Excellency the Governor, conducted to him amidst the shouts and huzzas of the populace. To-morrow I send a party of men to mount the guns of a large Brazil ship, the command of which is given to an Englishman, and destined as a floating-battery to defend the bridge, in case the French should have the temerity to approach, though such an event is not to be apprehended. If any requisition is made for powder, I shall comply with it; but they have at present abundance of abundance of arms, amunition, and provisions. The detestation of the ing by one o'clock the next day, I concluded some sudden attack, or unexpected event, must have taken place. In the afternoon, a brig came out of the harbour full of people of all descriptions, who had left the town on the report that the French were advancing. I immediately got under way, and sent Captain Daly of the Comet, up the harbour, to gain some confirmed intelligence, and should the report prove true, to reconnoitre the fort, and find out where the principal magazine was, and, if it was possible, to destroy it. Between eight and nine p. m. Captain Daly returned His Majesty's ship Cossack, off with certain information that the St Andero, June 25. French army had gained the pass, and had halted only a few miles from the town, and were expected to enter that night or next day. (Signed) G. A. CREYKE. Extract of a letter from Captain Digby of his Majesty's ship the Cossack, addressed to the Right Hon. Lord Gambier. MY LORD-The last opportunity I had of writing to your Lordship, I acquainted you of my intention to go to St Andero immediately, and afford every assistance in my power to the loyal inhabitants, and bring off any British subjects that might wish to come away, in the present uncertain state of the country; and I had intelligence that the French frigate in Passage, accompanied by several gun-boats, was expected to make a descent on that part of the coast. Owing to the strong easterly winds and long calms, I did not get there till the 21st. The signalpost displayed a flag of truce, which was answered by both ships. The Captain of the port, Don Vincento Camino, came on board; he told us the French army were soon expected to make an attack on the pass in the mountains, that guarded the approach to the town; he invited us to anchor in Sardenero Bay, which we did at five p. m.; until he had made his report to the Bishop, who was the present Governor, he wished us not to land. No boat return Captain Daly also made every possible observation, and had himself spiked the guns in two forts near the town, and he requested to go and destroy the magazine, and the guns in the fort that guarded the entrance of the harbour. I should certainly have sent the boats that night, but the great chance of their being taken by surprise, sould the enemy advance, and the night being very dark and squally, with every appearance of bad weather, made me defer it till the next morning. At daylight we stood into the bay, and manned and armed two boats from each ship, under the orders of Captain Daly; he was accompanied by Lieutenant H. M. Herbert, of the Cossack, and Lieutenant Reid, of the Royal Marines, and several of the younger officers, who all volunteered their services; they left this ship soon after six o'clock, and landed about eight, spiked all the guns in Fort St Salvador de Ano, and Fort Sedra, and wedged shot in the chambers of them, which renders them quite useless; the magazine was at some little distance, and had five hundred whole barrels of powder in it, besides quantities of other stores; all which were completely destroyed, great part by throwing it over the cliffs into the sea, leaving sufficient to blow up the magazine; the train was laid for a considerable distance, and it was let off about ten o'clock, which instantly levelled the whole building to the ground; finding some more powder in Fort Sedra, a train was laid to it, which took effect, and blew part of the house and storehouse in it up; the two other forts on the west side of the bay they could not attempt, as the surf was so high it was impossible to land, and to walk round was too far from the boats, as they had not a moment to spare, having heard before they set fire to the first train, that the French had entered the town, and they expected a strong guard at the forts; the boats left the shore by eleven o'clock, and had just got round the Point of De Ano, when a considerable body of French dragoons appeared on the hill, and took post near the smoaking ruins of the magazine. I am sorry to say, Captain Daly, and Lieutenant Reid, of the Marines, are much scorched, particularly Lieutenant Reid, in setting fire to the last train, but am happy to find his eyes are safe, and is doing well. Captain Daly speaks in high commendation of the zeal and exertion of every officer and man employed with him. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) GEORGE DIGBY. The following is a list of the French ships taken at Cadiz :-Neptune, of 84 guns; Pluton, of 74; Hero, of 74; Argonaut, of 74; Algesiras, of 74; and a frigate. 13th. LONDON.-This day the Sessions for Middlesex and London commenced, before Mr Justice Le Blanc, Mr Justice Chambre, and several of the city Magistrates. James Davy was convicted of bigamy. Isaac Dewberry was tried for a rape on the person of Margaret Weston, in Lincoln's Inn Fields, and subsequently aiding and abetting in a most brutal attack upon her per son. Sarah Baker, Ann Gibbons, and Mrs Mills described the girl as struggling at the entrance of the stable where the violence was com. mitted; her screaming repeatedly, until she became too much exhausted by the violence and restraint under which she suffered. The prosecutrix acknowledged, that in the bewildered state of mind which she was in when the officers came, not knowing but they were men of the same description as those which she had before met with, she did say to them at first, that Dewberry was not the man; though she corrected her mistake immediately on the recovery of her senses. There were other inconsistencies in the evidence of the prosecutrix, which she reconciled in the same way. Mr Fisher, the surgeon, proved the violence on her person. The prisoner made no defence. Several publicans, deposed, that the prosecutrix was addicted to tippling, and fond of joking with men, but none impeached her character for personal virtue. A neighbour of the prosecutrix swore, that she had known her for two years and a half, and seen her for all hours of the day, and did not know that she had ever seen her sober. Various witnesses attended, who gave the prisoner an excellent character. After a very long and minute charge from Mr Justice Chambre, who laid great stress on the contradictions of the prosecutrix's testimony, the very high character of the prisoner, and the evidence against the character of the prosecutrix, the Jury retired for nearly half an hour, and returning, pronounced a verdict of Not Guilty. The trial lasted from half after ten till half after eight. General Arabin and several other gentlemen were on the bench. PLYMOUTH. Nearly 5000 Spanish prisoners who have been released, sailed this day. As they embarked, they poured forth the warmest wishes for the happiness of this country. Many of them took up the sand from the beach, kissed it with reverence and affection, as the sand of a free nation, and put it in their pockets to exhibit it to their countrymen upon their return. 14th. LONDON.-Court of Common Council. The court was assembled this day for the avowed purpose of considering the propriety of a declaration of the Corporation of London in favour of the Spanish patriots. Mr Quin in rising to address the court declared, that the object of his motion was to shew to the empire, and to the world at large, the sympathy of the Corporation of London in the glorious struggle of the Spanish patriots against the usurper of France, and the tyrant of Europe, After various observations tending to point out the interest of this country in the success of the Spaniards, he concluded with moving, "That ▲ dutiful and loyal address be pre sented to his Majesty, expressive of their thanks for the great, decisive, and magnanimous measures adopted by his Majesty, towards assisting the glorious cause in which the Spanish nation is engaged, to defeat the perfidy and usurpation of the common enemy of Europe." The address was seconded by Alderman Birch, and opposed by Mr Jacks, Mr Waithman, and others, as it seemed to them to convey, under an outward shew of attachment to the Spanish cause, a compliment to his Majesty's ministers. Mr Goodbehere then moved an amendment, expressive of their sympathy in the Spanish cause, and their readiness to concur in any measure calculated to promote its success. The amendment was, however, withdrawn, and the original motion carried unanimously. COURT OF KING'S BENCH.-Edward Brown, Edward W. Roberts, and Elizabeth Dorothy Roberts, alias Brown, alias Cole, were indicted for a conspiracy to cheat several tradesmen of their goods by deceit. It appeared that Brown took a house near Russel Square, Mrs Roberts passing for his wife. They had a chariot and servants proper for such an establishment, and their habit was to drive to tradesmen's houses and give their orders, the mansion in Coram-street serving as a convenient depot for the articles furnished. The almost uniform representation by Brown was, that he was a wine-merchant of eminence, and carried on business in the city, where he had a suitable counting-house; that he had estates in Scotland. The fraud was consummated by confessing a judgment to Roberts, who having entered the house upon that judgment, sought to sell the goods in execution |