the marines, and Mr Williams, drove the French, with their armed adherents, from the guns, and took possession of the castle and of them. Finding, on my landing, that the town was tenable against any force the enemy could bring against me from the nearest garrison, in a given time, I took post with the marines; and, under cover of their position, by the extreme exertions of Lieut. Carrol, Mr Ives, master, and the petty officers and boats' crews, the guns were conveyed to the Pompee, with twentytwo barrels of powder.. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) W. SIDNEY SMITH." Accompanying the above dispatch are the correspondence which passed with the commanders at Capri, the capitulation, and Capt. Richardson's ac. count of the two sorties from Gaeta, in substance as follows: The object of the first sortie (on the 13th of May) was to destroy a battery, of four guns, which the enemy had erected on the Point of La Madona della Catterra. Sixty men from the garrison were embarked in four fishing boats, and landed undiscovered in the rear of the enemy's work. The enemy fled, and before they could return with a reinforcement, the guns were spiked, the carriages destroyed, and the troops re-embarked without loss. The second sortie took place on the 15th of May. It was covered by the English and Neapolitan gun-boats, in three divisions, and was completely successful. The Neapolitan troops drove the enemy out of their trenches, carried the Serapo battery, spiked the guns, and returned into the garrison with little loss, carry ing with them a Captain of engineers, and several other prisoners. The loss of the garrison is not known. The boats had four men killed and five wounded. The enemy must have suffered considerably, as more than 100 muskets were brought in. On the night of the 5th of June, the boats of the Apollo frigate brought out of the Gulph of Tarento a French brig, laden with six brass 24 pounders, with their shot and carriages, intended for the new batteries of the Pharos. She was gallantly carried under a heavy fire of musketry, aided by a large field piece. We had only one man wounded. The casual ties at the taking of Capri were, Lieut.. Crawley, of the Eagle, four seamen, and six marines wounded; one seaman and one marine killed. Notwithstanding, however, all the supplies and assistance afforded by the British fleet, the gallant garrison of Gaeta has been at length under the necessity of capitulating to the French army under Massena, after a most noble defence of five months against an army of 16,000 men. For eleven days the fortress was battered by 125 pieces of hea. vy artillery, which destroyed a great part of the town, and effected two practicable breaches. On the 13th of July, while the brave Governor, Prince Fre derick of Hesse Phillipstall, was giving directions on one of the batteries, he was so severely wounded by a splinter from the wall, as to oblige him to relin. quish the command, and to be carried on board an English frigate in the bay for surgical assistance. Col. Francesco Holz, the next in command, finding the place no longer tenable, proposed a capitulation, which was readily granted, and on the 19th, the garrison (about 1300 men) embarked in transports for Palermo, with their arms, eight field pieces, and provisions for 10 days, and engaging not to serve against France or her allies during one year and a day. Massena's army, after the surrender of Gaeta, was ordered immediately to Calabria, where we are informed the insurgents were still in considerable force. They had been supported by a body of English troops, which landed in the bay of Euphemia, and the French troops under Gens. Regnier and Verdier were not strong enough to attack them. The new King Jofeph made his public entry into Naples on the 20th May, guarded by a strong body of French troops, infantry and cavalry. It does not appear that he finds his royal person in perfect security among his new subjects. Almost all the principal no. bility have been banished out of the Kingdom, and their estates confiscated. Many of those had previously accompanied the royal family to Sicily. The celebrated Cardinal Ruffo and his family have been likewise exiled. His eminence went to Rome, where he had a long conference with the Pope. Our Our army in Sicily has been reinforced by the 39th regt. from Malta, and the 78th from Gibraltar. It now consists of 10,000 men, and Sir John Stuart is also raising a Sicilian Regiment. Sir John, in General Orders, highly praises the general good conduct of the Army, but laments, that, in some instances, inebriety (induced by the cheapness of the wine,) had betrayed some of the men into excesses, every instance of which he threatens to punish with the utmost rigour. Two soldiers having resisted their serjeants in the execution of their duty, and fired at and killed one of them, they were both executed on the sea shore, in presence of the whole line. On the 29th of June, a large convoy from Ireland, with the Hanoverian bri gade on board, and the Chiffonne frigate from Portsmouth, with Gens. Sir John Moore, Sherbrooke, and Mackenzie, arrived at Gibraltar. And on the 5th of July, the frigate with Sir John Moore, and several transports with De Roll's German regiment, which has been long quartered in that garrison, sailed likewise for Sicily. CATTARO. The occupation of the Mouths of the Cattare by the Russian army (as stated in our Mag. for May) has occasioned much altercation among the parties. The Emperor of Austria has been so beset by the threats of Bonaparte, that he has implored the Emperor Alexander to evacuate the position, that it may be delivered to the French, in terms of the treaty of Presburg. This we understand the Emperor of Russia has agreed to do, in order to relieve the former from the danger of another war. On the 17th of June accordingly, a body of Austrian troops sailed from Trieste under Gen. Bellegarde to take possession, and to deliver it up to the French army in Dalmatia. On their passage they were met by the Russian and English squadrons cruizing in the Adriatic, who informed the Austrian commander, that they may put back again, as the port would not be delivered up, in consequence of the Greeks and Montenegrins having joined the Russians, and insisted on retaining possession. Bellegarde disembarked his troops on the islands of Curzola and Lessina, and sent intelligence to his court. We learn that the French ambassador at Vienna had agreed that Austria should take no further steps towards dispossessing the Russians of this position; trusting, we presume, that by the treaty of peace betwixt France and Russia, the evacuation of the post will be stipulated for. In the mean time, the French army in Dalmatia, under Gen. Lauriston, ocpied Ragusa: And the French official Journal gives a long detail of the operations in this quarter. It states in substance, that in the month of June a considerable body of Russians disembarked at Cattaro, and were joined by 10,000 Montenegrins. General Lauriston, who had only 2000 men to oppose them, shut himself up in Ragusa, which was invested by the united force of the enemy. The siege continued for nearly three weeks, but was at length raised by Gen. Molitor, who advanced with a considerable force, attacked and routed the Montenegrins; forced the Russians to retreat to their ships, and took 20 pieces of cannon, six mortars, a number of carronades, and a great quantity of ammunition, and all this with the loss of only two killed and seven wounded, During the siege, the Montenegrins are stated to have committed the most dreadful barbarities on the inhabitants of the Province of Ragusa. cial account of these operations contains a tacit reproach on General Bellegarde and the Austrians, for having quietly remained at anchor, without taking any part in these affairs. The offi Notwithstanding the peace concluded with Russia, the affair of Cattaro still affords a pretext to Bonaparte for keeping a large French army in Ger many, to be maintained at the expence of the Empire. Napoleon, we are po sitively assured, has demanded of the Court of Vienna, no less than one million sterling (24,000,000 francs) as the Emperor's contingent of this expence; a sum which the Austrian finances can very ill afford at present to deburse, but which demand we are told has been made peremptorily. The lady of Spencer Smith Esq; formerly Envoy at Stutgard, and brother of Sir Sidney Smith, was lately arrested at Venice by order of the French Commandant there, and ordered to be sent to the Castle of Valenciennes.-She had been carried as far as Brescia, where favoured by the address and cou rage rage of a Neapolitan servant, she effected her escape from those who had charge of her, and has reached Prague in Bohemia in safety.--We understand, in order to be freed of every risk of molestation, she was to set out for St Petersburgh, and from thence take shipping for England. She is an Austrian by birth, and daughter of Baron Herbert, the Austrian intermincio at Constantinople. PRUSSIA AND SWEDEN. The differences betwixt these powers still continue. While the Prussian troops are collecting on the Swedish frontier, as if meditating an attack on Pomerania, the Swedish fleet, on the other hand, keeps up the blockade of all the Prussian ports with the utmost rigour. No ship has been allowed to enter or pass from the ports of Dantzick or Memel for three months past, which has so deranged the trade of these ports with the merchants of St Petersburgh and Cronstadt, that the Emperor Alexander's mediation has been most earnestly solicited both by the King of Prussia and by the Russian merchants. mediation has been accepted, and numberless couriers have passed between Berlin and St Petersburgh. But we are told that the king of Sweden's indigna The tion at the conduct of Prussia in the last coalition still exists to such a de gree, that no terms of conciliation that have been proposed, have induced im to accede to an amicable adjustment ef the dispute. NAVAL INTELligence. The Greenland fishing has been interrupted by the depredations of a squadron of French frigates which escaped from L'Orient in March. They have taken and burnt several English vessels, and on the 19th of June they took, off Shetland, the Sims letter of marque of Leith, of 16 guns, Capt. Kelly, which they likewise burnt, and put her crew on board a Danish vessel they met with, who landed them at Peterhead. On the first receipt of the intelligence, three frigates, the Blanche, Phoebe, and Thames, were dispatched by Lord Keith for the Greenland seas, and on the 30th of July, the Blanche, Capt. Lavie, had the good fortune to fall in with the Guerriere frigate off Faro. Capt. Lavie's official letter briefly announces the capture, after a sharp contest of 45 minutes. On board the Blanche, Lieut. Bastin and three marines were wounded; none killed. The enemy had 20 killed and 30 wounded, ten of them dangerously. The Guerriere is of the largest class of frigates, carrying 50 guns and 317 men. She was sadly cut up. The damages of the Blanche were confined to her topmasts, rigging, and sails. We have the satisfaction to announce the capture of another fine French frigate by the Mars of 74 guns, Captain R. Dudley Oliver. On the evening of the 27th July, while a detached squadron of the Channel fleet, under the command of Captain Keats in the Superb, was cruizing in the Bay of Biscay, the Mars discovered four French frigates from the mast-head, and followed them with a press of sail. Next morning, at day light, he had gained considerably on the stern-most, which induced the French Commodore to tack with the other three for her support. But after making some signals, he made off with the three frigates, and left her to her fate. At six o'clock, after a chace of 150 miles, the Mars at length got alongside, and after firing one shot, She the frigate struck her colours. proved to be the Rhin, Captain Chesneau, a fine ship of 44 guns, and 318 men. The other frigates got into Bourdeaux, the rest of the English squadron having lost the chase in the night. The enemy's squadron sailed from Cadiz in March, and were on their return from Porto Rico. Letters transmitted by Lord St Vincent, contain an account of a gallant attack made on the enemy's shipping in the mouth of the Garonne, by the boats of the squadron off Rochefort. It being ascertained that two corvettes and a French convoy were in the entrance, a boat from each of the line of battle ships, three from the Iris, and three from the Indefatigable frigates, 'were sent to attack them, under the orders of Lieut. Sibley, of the Centaur. The boats had but just put off, when the wind unfortunately shifted to the westward, and came on to blow very fresh, which, with the tide running very strong, greatly perplexed them. Nothing however could withstand the ardour and intrepidity of our officers and men. They boarded and carried the largest corvette, Le Cæsar, of 18 guns and 86 The conflict was severe on both men. sides, the enemy being completely prepared, expecting the attack. Lieut. Sibley received seven severe wounds, but none of them mortal. The French Captain was killed, and the slaughter on board his ship was great. The greater part of the boats were either shot through, or so badly stove, that they were swamped, and obliged to be cut adrift from the prize. The Revenge's boat, officer, and crew, are missing, but are believed to have been taken, as accounts had been received of 16 English prisoners having been marched into Rochefort from Bourdeaux. Lieut.. Parker, of the Indefatigable, is highly praised for his cool and intrepid conduct in bringing out the prize, under a constant cross fire, for two hours, from the batteries and the other corvette. The convoy all cut their cables, and an up the river, on the first attack. Our loss was, Mr Helpman, Master's Mate of the Conqueror, and five seamen and petty officers killed; Lieut. Sibley, and 35 seamen and petty officers wounded; 21 missing. The Cæsar is a fine vessel, and fit for his Majesty's service. The enterprize was admirably planned, and would have completely succeeded, but for the untoward circumstances above mentioned. A letter from Capt. Collier, of the Minerva, announces the capture, by his barge, of a Spanish pr vateer, one of those, (though insignificant in herself,) which have done so much mischief to the British Oporto traders. She was armed with one 9-pound-, er, blunderbusses and musketry, manned with 26 of the Guarda desperadoes, and capable of rowing 20 sweeps. She made a desperate resistance, having been apprised of the approach of the barge, which advanced under a discharge of grape shot from the prow gun. The crew afterwards defended themselves with the sabre and pistol, but they were soon overpowered. One Spaniard was killed, and the Captain, two Officers and two seamen, mortally wounded. We had not a man hurt. Capt. C. hopes that this check may tend to destroy that spirit and enterprise which has so long marked the inhabitants of Guarda. The Minerva's boat was under the direction of Lieut. Mulcaster, and Lieutenant Menzies, of the marines, who so recently distinguished themselves in a similar case. A letter from Captain Hawker, of the Tartar, announces the capture by that ship, of the Observateur Fjench corvette, of 20 guns and 104 men, victualled and stored for four months. -The prize was instantly manned and dispatched in quest of a French brig of war, which sailed from Cayenne in company with her, and was to cruize for four months near Bermuda. The Gazette of the 12th of August contains a letter from Capt. Stiles, of the Adamant, in substance as follows: On the 5th May, four days after parting with the East India Convoy, Capt. S. fell in with and captured the Spanish ship Nostra Senora de los Dolores, of 30 guns and 315 men, a strong well-built vessel, coppered, and which, from her force and magnitude, might have done much mischief on the African coast. The crew were a desperate set of French, Spaniards, Portuguese, and Americans the principal officers French. She was from Rio de la Plata, had authority from the Viceroy to wear the Spanish colours, and had a company of Spanish infantry on board. NEGOCIATION FOR PEACE. We can now with certainty announce, that a negociation for Peace with France is begun, and with hopes of a speedy conclusion. For several months past a very active correspondence has been kept up between M. Talleyrand, the confidential Minister of Bonaparte, and Mr Secretary Fox, the subject matter of which is known only to the Cabinet Ministers, the profoundest secrecy hav ing been observed. In the beginning of June, the Earl of Yarmouth, who had been detained in France since the commencement of the war, arrived in London, and, after having several conferences with his Majesty's Ministers, returned again to Paris, where he arrived on the 18th of the same month. Since that time, we understand his Lordship has had almost daily interviews with M. Talleyrand, and has also made repeated communications to the British Ministers. On the 1st of August, a Mr Charles Goddard, an intimate friend of Lord Yarmouth, and who has likewise been kept a prisoner in France, arrived in London with dispatches from his Lordship, and with passports for an English Minister to proceed to Paris. A Cabi. net net Council was held the same evening, at which it was resolved to send an accredited Minister to France, to receive and discuss proposals for a treaty of peace. The Council at the same time fixed upon the Earl of Lauderdale to be the negociator. His Lordship accordingly attended next day at Lord Grenville's office, to receive his instructions, and where he continued three hours. At five o'clock the same evening, Saturday Aug. 2. his Lordship left Lon don, accompanied by Mr John Maddi son, of the Foreign Department of the Post office, who is to act as his Lordship's private secretary, and Professor Dugald Stewart of Edinburgh. They arrived at Dover about five on Sunday morning, when his Lordship and suite immediately embarked on board the Clyde frigate, then lying in the Downs, from which they were safely landed at Calais about ten o'clock. His Lordship reached Paris on Tues. day evening the 5th, and according to the French prints, had an interview with M. Talleyrand next day. Two dispatches have been received from his Lordship by Ministers, but the strictest secrecy has been observed respecting their contents. Report states, that his Lordship considered it necessary to send an English messenger to St Petersburgh, and that, at all events, he would remain in Paris till his return. In this state of the negociation, specula tion would be vain. We can only add, that stocks have fallen considerably since the receipt of the last dispatch, on the 23d of August. The prospect of peace being thus afforded by the opening of a negociation, the funds at first rose considerably, andso confident are many persons that the negociation is already far advanced to an amicable termination, that policies have been opened at Lloyd's Coffee house, to give 30 guineas to receive 100 if preliminaries of peace should be sign ed on or before the 1st of September. Clarke, Counsellor of State, and of the Cabinet, on behalf of the French Emperor, who, we are told, ratified the treaty six hours after. This peace was announced on the 22d by the French Mi nister of marine, in a circular letter to all the ports, with orders to the Admirals and Commandants, to treat all Russian ships as friends. On the 22d of July, M. D'Oubril left Paris for St Petersburgh, with a copy of the treaty for the Emperor Alexander's ratification. No particulars of this treaty have transpired, though we understand the British Ministers know every thing respecting it, from communications by Me Adair, our lately appointed Ambassador at Vienna. It is with this knowledge that our Ministers determined to send a negociator to France. Whatever may be the result of this pacific overture, we learn from the French Journals, that at Paris peace with Britain is considered as almost certain; and throughout all Holland so general is the confdence of its taking place, that the fleet at the Texel is begun to be laid up. This confidence seems to be grounded on a very unexpected event, viz. the actual conclusion of a separate peace, between Russia and France: On the 6th of July, M. D'Oubril, the former Russian envoy to France, and who has been for some time at Vienna, arrived in Paris, and on the zoth, a treaty of peace was signed between him and Gen. Notwithstanding, however, this apparent confidence, a considerable reinforcement to our army in Sicily sailed from Portsmouth on the 8th of August. It amounted to about 4000 men, (of these 800 of the Guards,) under the command of Gen. Oakes, and convoyed by several ships of the line under Admiral Sir John Duckworth. On the same day, a reinforcement for the Cape of Good Hope, amounting to 2500 men, sailed from Ramsgate, with Gens. Sir Samuel Achmuty, D. D. Wemyss, and Spencer, and a considerable medical staff. Gen. Sir Hew Dalrymple embarked at the same time on board the Ganges man of war, 74 guns, for Gibraltar, where he is to take the com and, in room of Gen. Fox, who left that garrison on the 29th of June, to take the command of the British army in Sicily. At this highly important crisis of the national affairs, a circumstance has occurred, which has excited general anxie ty and regret; we mean the severe indisposition of Mr Fox, the Secretary for the Foreign Department. He has for a considerable time laboured under a dropsical complaint, which, in spite of the first medical assistance, shewed no symptoms of abatement. About the |