Weymouth. There, lately passed through this place two seamen from Sallee, that gave the following account of their escape from thence. One of them, having a strong impulse on him to endeavour to regain his freedom, consorted with two other captives on the same design; but one of them, from fear, declined it; the other two got to the walls, and with ropes let themselves down, and travelled to the shore, where they hoped to find a boat, which they did, but in the boat there were two Moors asleep, who were both killed by the first designer; then they rowed from the shore to come to a French man of war that lay in the road; but before they could reach him, though it was night, the castle discovered them, and fired several shot at them; one hit the boat, but the French hearing the guns fired from the castle, manned out their boat, and received them on board, and treated them very kindly. They gave an account of some persons that are now slaves at Sallec, which confirms the truth of this relation. These men escaped in 1681. September 9, 1681.-This day three of his Majesty's ships, viz. the Mermaid, the Guernsey, and the Pearl, arrived at Plymouth, from whom we received the following account, viz. that as they were cruising to the westward, the Pearl, commanded by Captain Williams, came up with the St. Michael, of St. Jean de Luz, Captain Jean Monfigure, commander, carrying about 18 guns, and 60 men, and came from Greenland, whom he required to strike, by firing three guns across her fore-foot, which the other not only refused, but keeping his colours aloft, bore down briskly, and fired a broadside at the Pearl, which was immediately returned by Captain Williams, and the fight continued betwixt them from nine in the morning till near two in the afternoon, at which time the Mermaid, commanded by Captain Trotter, came up to the Frenchman, which he at a distance took to be a Turk, fighting under French colours, and being ready to board the Monsieur, they then all cried for quarters, and struck their colours. Captain Trotter inquiring what might be the cause of so great a dispute, the French captain replied, that he did not know but that there might have been a war betwixt the two kingdoms, and therefore they designed to defend themselves. There were three men killed on board the Pearl, and five wounded. The Frenchman lost five or six men, and had many wounded. There being blood in the case, our frigates have brought her in hither, where she will remain till his Majesty shall have been made acquainted with the whole matter, and his pleasure be known therein. This is another instance of the naval jealousy, which ever has, and ever will, exist between the rival nations of England and France; but jealousy, force, nor the despairing cry of "I want ships and commerce," will prevail, or obtain superiority for the latter over the former, while British seamen are Hearts of Oak. MR. EDITOR, S an additional instance of the liberality of the mercantile society at Bombay, relating to their very generous presents to Sir Nathaniel Dance and his associate captains, who commanded the fleet of East India ships, and so gallantly attacked and put to flight Admiral Linois, with his squadron of French men of war, the following letters will be found deserving of a place in your CHRONICLE. The particularly meritorious conduct of Captain Timins, who, on that occasion, commanded the Royal George East Indiaman, was not, it appears, at the moment, understood by the gentlemen of Bombay; but when the very gallant manner in which he led his ship into action, in consequence of being placed in the van, came to their knowledge, they considered it incumbent on them not only to give it their particular attention, but to explain the cause of their not having in the first instance distinguished his particular merit. I therefore have the pleasure of transmitting you the enclosed. I am, &c. A. D. to "To JOHN FORBES, Esq. and P. C. BRUCE, Esq. M.P. London. "We had lately the pleasure of receiving by the Huddart your favour of the 30th June, 1806, and its enclosures, by which we have the salisfaction to perceive, that the wishes of the commercial meeting of this place, held on the achievement of Sir Nathaniel Dance and his brave associates, had been carried into effect, except as far as they related to Captain Timins, of the Royal George. "The desire which is felt here to leave no part unaccomplished of what was so sincerely and honourably intended, to convey a just and highly-deserved tribute of applause and gratitude from this community, will, we trust, be a sufficient apology for again soliciting your assistance towards presenting to Captain Timins a more adequately appropriate testimony of the high sense enter-. tained of the very distinguished share which he bore in the action, than the limited knowledge of the transactions of that memorable day which the meeting of the 31st March, 1804, were then in possession of, enabled them to determine on. "The information, subsequently received, of the eminent claim of the commander of the Royal George, whose undaunted and heroic bravery, in leading into battle, and laying his ship alongside of the Marengo, still excites our admiration, would at once have induced an earnest desire of conveying to Captain Timins a more conspicuous proof of the sentiments his meritorious conduct inspired, had it not been considered probable, that under the latitude afforded to you by the resolutions of the meeting, and having before you the official particulars of the engagement, it would have occurred to you, in the appropriation of the sum remitted, to have remedied any deficiency or omission of this nature in the proceedings here. "We now beg leave to request that you will present to Captain Timins the sum of one thousand guineas, to be laid out in a vase, or such piece of plate as you may think preferable, with a suitable inscription, and that you will transmit it, with a letter of explanation, to Captain Timins, in which we shall be thankful if you will express those feelings of esteem and respect of the body we represent, which we now endeavour to convey to you. We have the honour to be, gentlemen, your most obedient humble servants, "ALEXANDER ADAMSON. "CHARLES FORBES. "WILLIAM CRAWFURD:" PATRICK HADOW, Secretary to the "To Captain TIMINS, late Commander of the Royal George East Indiaman. SIR, "London, December 19, 1807. "We have very lately received from Bombay the letter, of which the enclosed is a copy, and we feel very great gratification and pleasure in being solicited by so respectable a community, to convey to you their opinion of your very gallant conduct; and also their particular wish to commemorate their sense of the essential share which you had in the victory gained by the fleet of Indiamen, over a powerful squadron of French men of war, on the 14th of February, 1804. "We beg leave to say, that every sentiment stated in the letter, from our friends at Bombay, is in perfect coincidence with our opinion of your conduct in that very memorable action; and we shall have great satisfaction, whenever it may suit your convenience, to communicate with you relative to the plate to the value of one thousand guineas, which we are directed to present to you, from the Insurance Society, the Ship Owners, the Merchants, and Underwriters of Bombay, whose interests and property you were a principal means of essentially protecting on that occasion. "We have the honour to remain, with sentiments of the highest personal consideration, sir, your very faithful and most obedient humble servants, "JOHN FORBES, "P. C. BRUCE." "To JOIN FORBES, Esq. and P. C. BRUCE, Esq. M.P. GENTLEMEN, “ London, December 24, 1807. "I have had the honour to receive your obliging favour, conveying the copy of a letter which had been addressed to you from the Merchants and Committee of the Bombay Insurance Society. "The very flattering approbation expressed of my conduct, by a body so highly respectable, and the munificence with which it is accompanied, claim my sincere and fervent gratitude. Such distinguished favours are at all times valuable, but never more so than when they result from the deliberate investigation of an event, that has no longer novelty to recommend it; and the particular merits of which, it might be presumed, would now have ceased to be interesting. "On the occasion alluded to, it was my good fortune to be placed in a prominent situation, wherein I only acted as I am persuaded any of my brother commanders would have done, under similar circumstances. It was by the spirited ardour and united efforts of every individual present on that day, that the attempts of a powerful enemy were successfully defeated. "Allow me, gentlemen, to offer you my respectful thanks for the bandsome manner in which you have honoured me with this communication, and to assure you, that the value of it is considerably enhanced by the very gratifying testimony of your good opinion. I have the honour to be, gentlemen, your most obliged and obedient humble servant, "J. F. TIMINS." 121 MARINE SCENERY. WE TOUR THROUGH THE ISLAND OF ST. HELENA. (From JOHNSON's Oriental Voyager.) E commenced by ascending Ladder-hill, a precipice which at first sight seems designed by nature as a barrier that would for ever defy the human race to scale; yet human industry has, by incredible exertions in blowing up the rocks, formed a zig-zag path to its summits. "So when proud Rome, the Afric warrior brav'd, Where girt with clouds the riftel mountain yawns, About midway we stopped to take a view of the town, which, even from this height, looks like one in miniature, the streets resembling those formed by the little houses which we see in toyshops; the whole assuming such a mimic appearance, that a person would be almost tempted to think he could cover a considerable part of it with his hands. Looking upwards, what a contrast appears! who, without emotions of terror, can behold such gigantic projections of rocks hanging over him, in so loose and disjoined a state, that the excited imagination paints them in the very act of precipitating themselves headlong down the horrid steeps. Accidents of this kind sometimes happen after rain, by the wild goats climbing along the edges of the precipices, and loosening small pieces of rock, which rolling down, displace others still larger, till at lengh whole torrents of them come thundering down into the valleys, to the astonishment and terror of the inhabitants. "As from some mountain's craggy forehead torn, Kav. Chron, Hol. XIX. R |