without exception, given up to the officer appointed to take poffeffion of the place. V. The fick belonging to the garrifon fhall be taken care of by their own furgeons, at the expense of the French republic, and fhall be fent to France as foon after their cure as poffible. VI. A detachment of his Sicilian majefty's troops, and of his allies, fhall take poffeffion of the place two hours after this capitulation fhall have been delivered; and the embarkation of the garrifon fhall have effect twenty-four hours after the gates are given up, according as may be agreed upon and fettled between the respective commanding officers. I have the very great fatisfaction to acquaint you, for the information Done at Naples, the 12th Ther- of my lords commiffioners of the admidor, feventh year (July 31, 1799). miralty, that the whole of the Dutch (Signed) General Acton. fleet near the Vleiter furrendered to Nelfon. the fquadron under my command, Girardon, general of without firing a gun, agreeably to a brigade. fummons I fent this morning. The Dutch fquadron was to be held for Return of the Cannon and the Gar- the orders of his ferene highness the prince of Orange, and the orders I I have the honour to be, (Signed) Evan Nepean, esq. A. Mitchell, Ifis, at Anchor at the Red Buoy, near the Vleiter, August 31. Sir, It blowing ftrong from the fouthweft, and also the flood tide, I could not fend away my fhort letter of laft night; I therefore have, in addition, to request you will lay before the lords commiffioners of the admiralty, that on the morning of yesterday I got the fquadron under weigh at five o'clock, o'clock, and immediately formed the line of battle, and to prepare for battle. In running in, two of the line-ofbattle fhips, Ratvifan and America, and the Latona frigate, took the ground. We paffed the Helder Point and Mars Diep, and continued our courfe along the Texel, in the channel that leads to the Vleiter, the Dutch fquadron lying at anchor in a line at the Red Buoy in the eaftfouth-eaft course. The Latona frigate got off and joined me; but as the two line-ofbattle fhips did not, I closed the line. About half paft ten I fent captain Reinnie, of the Victor, with a fummons to the Dutch admiral, as it was lord Duncan's with that I fhould do fo; and in her way the picked up a flag of truce, with two Dutch captains, from the Dutch admiral, Captain Reinnie very properly brought them on-board; and from a converfation of a few minutes I was induced to anchor in a line, a short distance from the Dutch fquadron, at their earnest request. They returned with my pofitive orders not to alter the position of the fhips, nor do any thing whatsoever to them, and in one hour to fubmit, or take the confequences. to me. In lefs than the time, they returned with a verbal anfwer, that they fubmitted according to the fum. mons, and should confider themfelves (the officers) on parole, until I heard from the lords commiffioners of the admiralty and the prince of Orange, for my farther proceedings. I have now the honour to enclose you herewith the line of battle in which the fquadron advanced, a copy of my fummons to the Dutch admiral, and also a lift of the Dutch fleet. Admiral Storey's flag is down, and I have fent an officer on-board each of his fhips, to have an eye over and the charge of them, as they themselves requested that it fhould be fo. I have alfo furnished them with the prince of Orange's ftandard, many of them not having had it before, and they are now all under thefe colours. To maintain quiet among their crews, I iffued a fhort manifefto, of which I alfo enclose a copy herewith. The animated exertions and con duct of the whole fquadron are far above any praise I can beftow on them; but I fhall ever feel most fenfibly impreffed on my heart their fpirited conduct during the whole of this business. We have all felt the fame zeal for the honour of our fovereign and our country; and although the conclufion has not turned out as we expected, yet the merit, I may fay, in fome measure, is ftill not the lefs due to my fquadron; and if I had brought them to action, I truft it would have added another laurel to the navy of England in this prefent war. The Dutch were aftonifhed and thunderftruck at the approach of our fquadron, never believing it poffible that we could fo foon have laid down the buoys, and led down to them in line of battle in a channel where they themselves go through but with one or two hips at a time. I have fent lieutenant Collier with these difpatches, who will give their lordships every information, as he has been employed in the whole of the communication with the Dutch G 4 fquadron Veteran-Captain A.C. Dickson, 64 guns, 491 men. Ardent-Captain T. Bertie, 64 guns, 491 men. Belliqueux-Captain R. Bulteel, 64 guns, 491 men. Monmouth-Captain Geo. Hart, 64 guns, 491 men. Overyffel-Captain J. Bazeley, 64 guns, 491 men. Miftifloff Captain A. Moller, 66 guns, 672 men. Melpomone, Latona, Shannon, Juno, and Lutine, frigates. Given on-board the Ifis, in the Vleiter Channel, Auguft 30. A. Mitchell. To, captain of his majefty's. fhip the by command of the vice-admiral. T fis, under Sail, in Line of Battle, Auguft 30. Sir, I defire you will inftantly hoift the flag of his ferene highnefs the prince of Orange. If you do, you will be immediately confidered friends of the king of Great Britain, Galathea Captain Droop, 16 execution of the naval part of the expedition to restore the stadtholder and the old and lawful conftitution of the Seven United Provinces guaranteed by his majefty, having agreed that in confequence of the fummons to rear-admiral Storey, the ships, after hoifting the ancient colours, will be confidered as in the fervice of the allies of the British crown, and under the orders of his ferene highnels the hereditary stadtholder, captain and admiral-general of the Se-, ven United Provinces, has thought it proper to give an account of this agreement to the brave crews of the different fhips, and to fummon them by the fame to behave in a peaceable and orderly manner, fo that no complaints may be reprefented by the officer; the underfigned will fend on-board of each of the thips to keep proper order, until the intentions of his majefty and his ferene highness the prince of Orange, as admiral-general, fhall be known, for the farther deftination of these fhips, on account of which dispatches will be immediately fent off. And to make them aware, that in cafe their conduct should not be fo as may be expected from the known loyalty and attachment of the Dutch navy to the illuftrious house of Orange on this occafion, any excefs or irregularity will be punished with the feverity which the disorders may have been committed merit. (Signed) Andrew Mitchell. On-board the Washington, anchored under the Vleiter, 30th Auguft. Admiral, 1 to the laft moment, what I could do for my fovereign, whom I acknow. ledge to be no other than the Batavian people and its reprefentatives, when your prince's and the Orange flags have obtained their end. The traitors whom I commanded refused to fight; and nothing remains to me and my brave officers but vain rage and the dreadful reflection of our prefent fituation: I therefore deli ver over to you the fleet which 【 commanded. From this moment it is your obligation to provide for the fafety of my officers and the few brave men who are on-board the Batavian fhips, as I declare myself and my officers prifoners of war, and remain to be confidered as fuch. I am with refpect, Neither your fuperiority, nor the threat that the fpilling of human blood fhould be laid to my account, could prevent my fhewing to you, S. Storey. To admiral Mitchell, commanding his Britannic majefty's fquadron in the Texel. Ifis, at Anchor at the Red Buoy, near the Vleiter, August 31. Sir. Since my letter of the 29th, by captain Oughton, I received a letter from captain Winthrop, of the Circe, containing a more particular account of the men of war, &c, taken poffeffion of in the New Diep, than I had then in my power to fend, of which you will receive a copy herewith, for the information of my lords commiflioners of the admiralty. I have the honour to be, &c. Evan Nepean, efq. London Gazette Extraordinary, Sept. 9. Downing-Street. A difpatch, of which the follow, ing is an extract, has been received from lieutenant-general fir Ralph Abercrombie, by the right honourable Henry Dundas, one of his mageity's principal fecretaries of state. Head Quarters, Schager Brug, From the 27th of August to the at of September, the troops contiwued to occupy the Sand Hills on which they fought. On that day the army marched and took poft with #ts right to Petten, on the German Ocean, and its left to the Oude Sluys, on the Zuyder Zee, with the canal of the Zuype in front. A better country is now open to ns. We have found fome hories and waggons, and a plentiful fupply of fresh provifions. The troops continue healthy, and behave extremely well. The 11th regiment of dragoons are arrived, and have begun to dif embark. The transports have been ordered to return to the Downs. I have the honour to enclofe herewith a return of the artillery, ammunition, and engineers' ftores, captured at the Helder. To the right hon. Henry Dundas. Helder, August 31, Return of Ordnance, Ammunition, and Stores, taken on the 28th infi. at the different Batteries and Magazines at and near this Place, viz. Brafs ordnance, mounted.-24 24-pounders, 5 9-pounders, 4 6pounders, 1 3-pounder, 13 8-inch and 4 5 and inch howitzers; 5 10-inch mortars. Iron ordnance, mounted.-18 24pounders. Ditto, difmounted.--41 24-pounders, 56 9-pounders. Round hot.-713 24-pounders, 2780 12-pounders, 164 9-pounders, 3492 6-pounders. Cafe shot.-345 24-pounders, 64 9-pounders, 77 8-inch, and 61 5 and inch howitzers. Fixed fhells.-148 10-inch, 224 8-inch, 394 5 and inch. Empty fhells.-447 10-inch, 920 8-inch. Round carcaffes.-15 8-inch. Cartridges (flannel filled with powder), 685 24-pounders, 37 9pounders, 168 6-pounders; 530 5 and inch howitzers-(paper filled with powder), 11 24-pounders, 620 9-pounders; (mufket ball), 77,888; (fuzee ball), 1800-521 whole barrels of corned powder. J. Whitworth; lieutenantcolonel, commanding royal artillery. General fir Ralph Abercrombie, &c. Helder, |