make an attack upon the Island of An- Lieutenant Holsten on the other, comhoult now in possession of the enemy, in menced the attack. The out-works were order to conquer the fort and establish- already gained, and the troops were prements there erected. This intention would paring to get over the high walls, when have been put in execution in the fall of cartridge shot poured down on them from last year, but as the enemy's ships of war more than forty pieces of cannon. Major kept on their station until the frost and Von Melstedt ended his honourable career ice set in, this place was given up, being at the head of his troops. Captain V. found to be impracticable.-It was in the Reydz then immediately took the comcommencement of this spring that the mand, and inspired new life into the brave attack was again resolved to be made; troops, who with the greasest steadiness, but the gun boats which were intended to stood the dreadful fire, and in conjunction be used in the expedition were at that with the valiant Lieutenant Holsten, again time in winter quarters in the lakes, which renewed the attack. A cannon ball carwere this year for a long time covered ried away both of Captain V. Reydz's with ice; and which prevented the ves legs, and another put an end to the life sels being put into activity before the be- of Lieutenant Holsten, whilst leading his ginning of the present month.-The order brave seamen on to combat. The men for attack was given, and on the 23rd in- who had still to pass the inner and very stant, the flotilla and transports were as- deep ditch, were obliged to give way for sembled in Gierrila Bay. The island was the cartridge balls, but their retreat was reconnoitred, and it was found that there nevertheless conducted with the utmost was only one schooner lying on the sta- order. An English battery pursued the tion. We knew that the Light-house was fugitives, and the retreat was performed fortified, but no other part of the island. under a continual fire from the enemy. It was in consequence determined, that In the mean time, and very unexpectedly, the troops should be disembarked by a frigate was seen to the northward, which night, and on the morning march against stood round to the east of the island, a the Light-house Fort, and storm it, while brig steered to the west part, a schooner in the mean time the gun-boats were to came from the southward. It came to fire upon it from the rear, a formal siege blow hard, and the gun boats could no being found to be impracticable. On the longer keep their station. Endeavours 26th twelve gun-boats and twelve trans- were then made to reimbark as many port vessels sailed from Gierrila Bay, as possible of the troops, and to save having on board the troops destined for such as had escaped from the enemy. The the expedition. On the 27th, at 4 in the transport vessels had something the apmorning, the troops were disembarked in pearance of gun-boats, and they were the greatest order. The first Lieut. Carl therefore caused to steer towards the TreHolsten, in the naval service, marched im- feord, in order thereby to decoy the frimediately with 200 seamen, along the gate to follow them, and thereby save the shore, but unfortunately he was disco-gun-boats, and the troops embarked on vered by a patrole of cavalry. The enemy now fled into the fort, and it was not in our power to cut him off. The intrepid naval Lieut. Holsten followed them, and stormed the fort, but was beaten off. Major Melstedt then put himself at the head of the 650 men under his command, and being joined by 150 men under Capt. V. Reydz, and the seamen under Lieut. Holsten, undertook a general storm, but were again forced to retire. In the meanwhile the flotilla were laid round the fort, and commenced a firing on it, whilst the troops were preparing for a fresh attack. The loss which had been sustained by these warriors only tended to increase their ardour. Whilst the gun-boats kept up a brisk fire on the flank of the fort, Major Melstedt on the one side, and

board of them; but the wind increased, and the gale became so violent, that the gun-boats could scarcely be kept afloat. To enter into an engagement with the enemy was not to be thought of, and it would have been a useless loss of time to have endeavoured, at this time, to collect the boats together.-It was therefore deemed most expedient to let the flotilla disperse itself. Signal was accordingly made for boats to reach the nearest shore, and the flotilla accordingly dispersed itself agreeably to orders given. The movement could not be perceived by the fri gate, which was lying to the eastward of the island, on account of the reef which run out from it.-Eight of the gun-boats that were nearest together, made the best of their way for Jutland, whilst the other

with their dependance upon the assistance of the country to supply the wants of the army, and particularly with the. degree to which the French armies depend upon this assistance, must be aware of the distress which this system has occa sioned to the enemy; and the official and private letters which have been intercepted, are filled with complaints of its effects; which have been repeated in the official papers published in the Moniteur at Paris.—It happened, unfortunately, that the Indian-corn harvest, which is the principal support of the inhabitants of a large part of Portugal, was on the ground at the moment of the enemy's invasion. This of course could not be carried off'; and where the enemy's troops have been, they here, as usual, destroyed what they could not consume; and nothing remains.

four, with the utmost bravery, engaged the brig and schooner; they detained the enemy in his progress, and brought him several points out of his course; one of these boats is safe, the fate of the other three is still uncertain, possibly they may be fallen into the enemy's hands. Although that this expedition has been unsuccessful, yet the enemy will certainly not have to boast of having obtained an easy victory; even during the retreat, the schooner sustained so much damage, that she was obliged to put in under the island, and to seek to obtain assistance. Besides the three commanders, several other of our Officers fell in the field of honour.During the whole of the affair, the most determined courage was shewn on our part, and the very considerable loss sustained in killed and wounded in proportion to the corps employed, will sutlici--If, therefore, the result of the campaign ently prove the determined resolution and courage with which these brave men continued the combat under such a heavy fire; and have again, on this occasion, proved the ancient valour which is inseparable from the character of the people of Denmark and Norway, who are always ready to shed their blood for their King and native country.

PORTUGAL.-Copy of a Dispatch from Viscount Wellington, to the Earl of Liverpool; dated Pero Negro, 27th October, 1810.-Laid before Parliament, April,

1811.

should be to oblige the enemy to withdraw from Portugal, it is much to be apprehended that the greatest distress will be felt in those districts through which the enemy's troops have passed; which there are no means whatever in this country of relieving.-Upon former occasions, the wealthy inhabitants of Great Britain, and of London in particular, have stepped forward to assist and relieve the distresses of foreign nations, whether suffering under the calamities inflicted by Providence, or by a cruel and powerful enemy. This nation has received the benefit of the charitable disposition of his Majesty's subjects; and there never was a case, in My Lord-Your Lordship has been which their assistance was required in a apprized of the measures which had been greater degree, whether the sufferings of adopted, to induce the inhabitants of Por- the people, or their fidelity to the cause tugal to quit that part of the country, they have espoused, and their attachment through which the enemy was likely to to his Majesty's subjects, be considered. pass, or which it was probable would be--I declare, that I have scarcely known come the seat of his operations; carrying an instance in which any person in Poroff with them their valuable property, and tugal, even of the lowest order, has had every thing which could tend to the ene- communication with the enemy, inconsistent my's subsistence, or to facilitate his pro- with his duty to his own Sovereign, or gress.-There is no doubt that these inha- with the orders he had received.-I would, bitants had sufficient knowledge, from for- therefore, beg leave to recommend the mer experience, of the treatment they unfortunate portion of the inhabitants, would receive from the enemy: and there who have suffered from the enemy's invais no instance of those of any town or vil- sion, to your Lordship's protection; and I lage having remained, or of their having request you to consider of the mode of failed to remove what might be useful to recommending them to the benevolent dispothe enemy, when they had sufficiently sition of his Majesty's subjects, at the moearly intimation of the wishes of government, which I hope may be not far dis ment or of myself, that they should abandon their houses, and carry away their property. All those who are acquainted with the nature of military operations,

tant, that the enemy may be under the necessity of evacuating the country.-I have, &c.—(Signed) WELLINGTON.

949]
PORTUGAL THE WAR.- -Extract of
Dispatches from Lord Viscount Talavera,
Olveira de l'Hospital, March 21. 1811.
The enemy suffered much more in the
affair of the 15th than I was aware of,
when I addressed you on the 16th inst;
the firing was not over till dark, and it
appears that great numbers were drowned
in attempting to ford the Ceira. The
enemy withdrew his rear-guard from that
river in the course of the 16th, and we
crossed it on the 17th and had our posts on
the Sierra de Murcella; the enemy's army
being in a strong position on the right of the
Alva. They moved a part of their army
on that night, but still maintained their po-
sition on the Alva, of which river they
destroyed the bridges. We turned their
left by the Sierra de Santa Quiteria with
the 3d, 1st, and 5th divisions on the 18th,
while the light division and the 6th
maneuvered in their front from the Sierra
de Murcella; these movements induced the
enemy to bring back to the Sierra de Moita
the troops which had marched the pre-
ceding night, at the same time that they
received their corps from the Alva, and in
the evening their whole army were as-
sembled upon Moita, and the advanced
posts of our right were near Arganil, those
of our left across the Alva.-The enemy
retired from the position of Moita in the
night of the 18th, and have continued
their retreat with the utmost rapidity ever
since; and I imagine their rear-guard will
be at Celorico this day. We assembled
the army upon the Sierra de Moita on the
19th, and our advanced posts are this day
The Militia under
beyond Pinhancos.
Colonels Wilson and Trant, are at Fornos.
-We have taken great numbers of pri-
soners, and the enemy have continued to
destroy their carriages and their cannon,
and whatever would impede their pro-
gress. As the great number of the pri-
soners taken on the 19th had been sent
out on foraging parties towards the Mon-
dego, and had been ordered to return to
their position on the Alva, I conclude that
the enemy had intended to remain in it
for some days.-Soult has gone to Seville
since the fall of Badajos; and it is re-
ported, that about three thousand French
troops had been seen on their march
through Barcarota to the Southward.

PORTUGAL. THE WAR. A dispatch, of
which the following is an extract, was
yesterday evening received from Lieute-

tenant-General Lord Viscount Wellington,
K.B., by the Earl of Liverpool, dated
Goveia, March 27.- London, 13th April

1811.

When I found that the enemy retired with such celerity from Moita, I continued the pursuit of them with the cavalry, and the light division under Major-General Sir William Erskine only, supporting these troops with the 6th and 3rd divisions of infantry, and by the militia on the right of the Mondego; and I was induced to halt the remainder of the army till the supplies, which had been sent round from the Tagus to the Mondego, should arrive. This halt was the more desirable, as nothing could be found in the country; and every day's march increasing the distance from the magazines on the Tagus rendered the supply of the troops more difficult and precarious; and the further advance of the main body for a few days did not appear to be necessary. The cavalry and light troops continued to annoy the enemy's rear and to take prisoners; and the militia under Colonel Wilson had an affair with a detachment of the enemy, on the 22nd, not far from Celorico, in which they killed seven and wounded several, and took fifteen prisoners. The militia under General Silveira also took some prisoners on the 25th.The enemy retired his left, the 2nd corps, by Goveia through the mountains upon Guarda, and the remainder of the army by the high road upon Celorico. They have since moved more troops upon Guarda, which position they still hold in strength. Our advanced guard is in front of Celorico, towards Guarda, and at Alverca, and the 3rd division in the mountains, and occupying Porco Miserella and Prados.-The allied troops will be collected in the neighbourhood of Celorico to-morrow.--General Ballasteros surprised General Remon on the 10th, at Palma, aud dispersed his detachment, and took from him five hundred prisoners.-General Ballasteros had since retired to Valverde, and I hear that General Zayas had been detached from Cadiz with six thousand men, including four hundred cavalry, to be disembarked at Huelva to join General Ballasteros.-P. S. Since writing the above, I have received the report of a gallant action of one of our patroles yes terday evening, between Alverca, and Guarda, under the command of Lieutenant Perse of the 16th Light Dragoons, and Lieutenant Foster of the Royals, who at

tacked a detachment of the enemy's cavalry between Alverca and Guarda, and killed and wounded several of them, and took the Officer and 37 men prisoners. The enemy have withdrawn from Pinhel across the Coa.

Foreign Office, April 12. Dispatches have this day heen received at this office from Charles Stuart, Esq. his Majesty's Minister at Lisbon, dated the 30th ult. stating that Sir William Beresford, having united the whole of his force in Portalegre on the 23rd of March, advanced on the 24th, and attacked the enemy with his cavalry on the 25th. They were compelled to abandon Campo

Maior, with the loss of 600 men killed and wounded. On the 26th General Beresford's head-quarters were at Elvas.The enemy had withdrawn their whole force, excepting a weak picquet, to the other side of the Guadiana.-The corps under Marshal Soult has halted in the neighbourhood of Llerena.-General Ballasteros had returned to Gibraleon, on the 29th, where his force had been increased by the arrival of 6000 men under General Zayas.-Marshal Bessieres arrived at Zamora on the 5th of March, with 7000 men.