bour Sud Est, in the Isle of France, with a view to attack an enemy's squadron of two frigates, a corvette, and an armed Indiaman laying at anchor there. In pushing for their stations along-side the enemy, the Sirius, Magicienne, and Nereide, unhappily grounded, and it was found impossible to get them off, though the utmost skill and gallantry in endeavouring to save the ships under circumstances of peculiar disadvantage was displayed.-After two days unremitted, but unavailing exertion, under the fire of the heavy batteries, Capt. Pym abandoned all hope of being able to get off the Sirius and Magicienne, and they were in consequence burnt by their crews. The situation in which the Nereide grounded enabled the enemy to turn the whole fire of their ships on her; but even in this unequal contest, Capt. Willoughby continued to fight her to the last extremity, till every officer and man on board were either killed or wounded. All the enemy's ships were driven on shore, but one of the frigates was afterwards got off, and being joined by three others from Port Louis, they blockaded the Iphigenia at her anchorage under Isle of Passe, on which island (it having been previously garrisoned by us) the crews of the Sirius and Magicienne were landed.

The following was posted up at Lloyd's" Letters from the Cape of Good Hope, dated Sept. 17, state that an American vessel had arrived from Bourbon, and brought intelligence of the loss of three British frigates at the Mauritius, and that a fourth (the Iphigenia) was in a very perilous situation; also, that the Ceylon and Windham Indiamen were captured."

Extract of a Letter from the Cape of Good Hope, Sept. 26.-"We had taken the Isle de Passe, at the entrance of Port South East, and the Nereide was anchored off it, when a French squadron, cousisting of the

Minerve, Bellone, Victor, Windham, and Ceylon, captured Indiamen, made their appearance in the offing.

French colours were hoisted on the frigates and batteries; but as soon as the French came close they were changed, and a fire opened upon them, which they pushed through, and anchored in port South East, except the Windham, which put about and stood for Riviere Noire, but was re-taken by the Sirius.— Capt. Pym, on receiving this intelligence, immediately worked up to port South East, and was joined by the Magicienne and Iphigenia.

"An attack on the enemy's ships was determined on, and easy victory anticipated. Fate, however, had destined otherwise; the Sirius and Magicienne grounded on some unknown small shoals, and all endeavours to get them off proved fruitless.-The Iphigenia got to leeward of a shoal, which lay between her and the ene my, so that Capt. Willoughby, in the Nereide, alone gained his allotted station, and engaged singly the whole of this force, together with about 60 pieces of cannon, mounted on the batteries, in a manner that perhaps history cannot equal. The action lasted many hours, until 10 at night, when she was taken pos‐ session of by a boat from the enemy, after every officer and man, to the number of 280, had been either kill ed or wounded. The whole of the enemy's squadron were driven on shore as well as the Nereide.

of that nation, which is happy in your happiness, happy in your hopes, happy in your expectations, happy in all those sentiments with which he is inspired by the august princess, whom it esteems both on her own account and on yours."

After the audience, the Emperor, having descended from his throne, received the foreign ambassadors, who were introduced in the usual form."

A gentleman who left Paris only a few days ago informs us that 50,000 men were on their march to reinforce the French armies in the peninsula. Contrary to the public expectation, a new levy of 150,000 recruits had been ordered to be immediately carried into execution throughout the French empire.

SWEDEN.- -A DECLARATION OF WAR

AGAINST GREAT BRITAIN.

We, Charles, by the grace of God, King of Sweden, of the Goths and Vandals, &c. &c. Heir to Norway, Duke of Schleswig, Holstein, &c.&c. make known. Whereas, in order completely to do away the doubts which have been expressed concerning the situation of our kingdom with respect to England, and in order in a more effectual manner, to confirm the ties of amity and confidence that exist between us and his Majesty the Emperor of the French, and King of Italy: as also, in ordet, on our part, to contribute to the common object of the powers of the Continent, namely, the conclusion of a general and speedy peace, we have been induced hereby to declare war against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. We do therefore graciously order and enjoin, that all navigation, trade, and intercourse by the mail, and by all other correspondence by letter, under what name soever it may be, from and to all the ports, cities, and places, situate in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,

and the dependencies thereof, shall, under penalty, according to the laws and decrees in that behalf made, entirely cease from this day. Accordingly, our gracious will and pleasure is, that our field-marshals, lord-governors, commanding-generals, admirals, lords-lieutenants, and all other of our commanders by land and sea, shall each in their several districts and departments, together with the officers under their command, not only adopt measures for the due and prompt publication of this our gracious order, for the information of the public, but also for the due and strict adherence thereto. And all those concerned are obediently to regulate themselves accordingly.

In further testimony whereof we have personally signed these presents, and caused the same to be affirmed by our royal scal.-The Palace of Stockholm, the 17th Nov. 1840. (Signed)

CHARLES (L. s.) J. A. BORTZELL. PROCLAMATION.

We Charles the XIII. &c. &c. &c. make known; whereas in order to maintain our relations with his Majesty the Emperor of the French, &c. &c. we have been induced to declare war, and to break off all commerce and other communication between our kingdom and the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ire land; we have accordingly ordered, as we do hereby order and enjoin, that in case, contrary to our expec tation, any English vessel or vessels should be at present in any of the ports of our kingdom, such vessel or vessels shall immediately be de tained. And, with a due observance of whatever has been enacted in the decrees already issued in this respect we do order, that no English ships of war, merchant ships, and, with out exception, all vessels coming from Great Britain, her colonies, and the states under her immediate government, or carrying goods being

of the produce or manufacture of, or belonging to, the crown of Great Britain and her subjects, shall not, under the severest responsibility, be permitted to enter any Swedish port.

And conformable to the measures adopted in other states on the continent against the importation of English colonial goods, we are graciously pleased to order, that such goods must not, from any town or place in our kingdom, after this our gracious decree shall have been duly made known there, be exported to foreign places on the continent.

Accordingly, and as the stock of colonial goods in the kingdom is sufficient for some time for the want. of our subjects, we have thought it necessary to prohibit all importation into the kingdom of such goods, or colonial goods of whatever origin the same may be, or under whatever flag they may arrive.

And, therefore, after the publication of this decree, no vessel whatever, laden with colonial goods, shall be permitted to put into any Swedish harbour. For the rest we

shall separately order a due and careful investigation to be made, in order to ascertain whether, and to what extent, English or colonial goods, after the 23d of April, have, under any flag whatever, been illegally imported into the kingdom; and we will then order how, and in what manner, the said goods shall be legally disposed of. And the concerned high and low officers and servants are to pay due attention, that what has thus been ordered with respect to the first and second article be carried into execution,

Given in the Palace of Stockholm, the 19th day of November, 1810. (Signed) CHARLES.

A severe hail-storm took place in Bengal on the 16th of March. At Garden Reach, near Calcutta many of the hailstones were of an enormous size, one in particular measured 64 inches in circumference; and at Burdwan one was weighed of 20 ounces. One of these enormous pieces of ice fell on a man's head, and killed him on the spot. Numbers of cattle aud birds alsó perished.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, on Wednesday the 19th, addressed a respectful letter to the Prince of Wales, inclosing for his royal highness' consideration, the plan of the proceeding for a regency, with certain limitations, which it was his intention to submit to the house of Commons; and expressing a hope that he might be honoured with his royal highness' command to wait on him to know his pleasure on the subject.

The Prince of Wales signified to Mr. Perceval, that as no step had yet been taken on the subject in the two houses of parliament, he did not think it consistent with his respect for the two houses to give any

VOL. VIII.

opinion on the course of proceeding which had been submitted to him. On a former occasion it was not until after resolutions had been come to by both houses, that the matter was submitted to him; and then he had felt it to be his duty to express his opinion distinctly on the subject; and to that opinion he had ever since invariably adhered; and the answer of his royal highness concludes with expressing his most carnest wishes, that the speedy re-establishment of his Majesty's health would make any measure of the kind unnecessary.

This answer was sent to Mr. Perceval on Wednesday evening; and of course no interview took place.

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