A difpatch, of which the following is an extract, dated Tournay, May 30, 1794, was yesterday received from his Royal Highness the Duke of York, by the Right Honourable Henry Dundas, his Majefty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department. An officer arrived this evening, from field-marfhal Molendorf, with the news, that on the 23d, he completely furprifed and furrounded the French camp at Kayfers Lautern, killed above one thousand men, and took two thoufand prifoners, befides eighteen pieces of cannon, and ell the camp equipage.

Mayence, May 26,

Marechall Mollendorff, on the 24th inftant, furprized the French in their entrenchments in the neighbourhood of Kaiferflautern, and defeated them with great lofs. The force of the French confifted of about twelve thoufand men. They were pofted behind the defiles of Otterbach, Hagelfbach, and the Lauter. The whole of this country was covered with redoubts and entrenchments; feveral dykes had been cut, and the bridges were every where deftroyed; while three strong pofitions were prepared, to faciliate their retreat in cafe of accidents. The lofs of the French amounts to one thousand killed, more than two thoufand prifoners, eighteen pieces of cannon, and two howitzers. After the engagement, Marechall Mollendorff established his head quarters at Winnweiller, and the Prince of Hohenloe Ingelfingen took poffeffion of Nieuftadt. The advanced pofts of the Pruffian ar my extend as far as Deux Ponts and Carlsberg.

Admiralty Office, Feb. 18, 1794.

A letter, of which the following is a copy, from the Right Honour able Lord Hood, vice-admiral of the red, and commander in chief of his Majesty's fhips in the Mediterranean, was this day received at this office.

Sir,

Victory, Hieries Bay, Jan. 22, 1794.

I herewith have the honour to tranfmit you, for the information of the lords commiffioners of the Admiralty, a narrative of the fortunate prefervation of his Majefty's fhip Juno, owing to the prefence of mind and zealous exertion of captain Hood, his officers, and fhip's company. I am, Sir,

Philip Stephens, Efq.

My Lord,

Your moft obedient humble fervant,

HOOD.

Juno, in Hieries Bay, Jan. 12, 1794. I beg leave to inclofe your lordship a narrative of the fortunate efcape of his Majesty's fhip Juno under my command, from the port of Toulon, after having run the ship afhore in the inner harbour on the night of the 11th inftant.

The firm, fteady, and quiet manner my orders were carried into execution by lieutenant Turner, fupported by the able affiftance of lieutenants Mafon and Welby, in their respective stations; the attention of Mr. Kidd, the mafter, to the fteerage, &c. with the very good conduct of every officer and man, were the means of the fhip's pre

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fervation

fervation from the enemy, and for which I mat request permillion to give them my ftrongest recommendation. I have the honour to be, &c.

To the Right Hon. Lord Hood, commander in' chief, &c. &c. &c.

SAM. HOOD.

Juno, Hieries Bay, Jan. 13, 1794.

On the 34 inftant, I left the ifland of Malta, having on board 150 fupernumeraries, 46 of whom are the officers and private marines of his Majefty's fhip Romney, the remainder Maltese, intended for the fleet. On the night of the 7th, paffed the S. W. point of Sardinia, and fteered a courfe for Toulon. On the 9th, about eleven A. M. made Cape Sicia, but found a current had fet us fome leagues to the weftward of our expectation: hauled our wind; but it blowing hard from the eastward, with a ftrong lee current, we could but just fetch to the westward of the above Cape. The wind and current continuing, we could not, till the evening of the 11th, get as far to windward as Cape Sepet; having that evening, a little before ten o'clock, found the ship would be able to fetch into Toulon if I wished it, I did. not like to wait till morning, as we had been thrown to leeward, and having fo many men on board, I thought it my indifpenfible duty to get in as faft as poffible. At ten I ordered the hands to be turned up to bring the fhip to anchor, being then abreft of Cape Sepet, entering the outer harbour. Not having a pilot on board, or any perfon ac quainted with the port, I placed two midshipmen to look out with night glaffes for the fleet; but not difcovering any fhips until we got near the entrance of the inner harbour, I fuppofed they had moored up there in the eaftern gale; at the fame time feeing one veffel, with feveral other lights, which I imagined to be the fleets, I entered the inner harbour under the topfails only; but finding I could not weather a brig, which lay a little way above the point called the Grand Tour, I ordered the forefail and driver to be fet, to be ready to tack when we were the other fide the brig. Soon after the brig hailed us, but I could not make out in what language: I fuppofed they wanted to know what ship it was. I told them it was an English frigate called the Juno.

They answered, Viva; and after afking, in English and French, for fome time, what brig fhe was, and where the British admiral lay, they appeared not to understand me, but called out, as we paffed under their ftern, luff, which made me fuppofe there was fhoal water near. The helm was inftantly put a lee, but we found the fhip on fhore, before The got head to wind. There being very little wind, and perfectly fmooth, I ordered the fails to be clewed up and handed: At this time a boat went from the brig towards the town. Before the people were all off the yards, we found the fhip went a ftern very faft, by a flaw of wind that came down the harbour: We hoifted the driver and mizen fay-fail, keeping the sheets to windward to give her stern way as long

as poffible, that she might get further from the fhoal. The inftant the loft her way, we let go the best bower anchor, when she tended head to wind, the after part of the keel was aground, and we could not move the rudder. I ordered the launch and cutter to be hoifted out, and to put the ketch anchor, with two hawfers in them, to warp the fhip further off. By the time the boats were out, a boat came along fide, after having been hailed, and we thought answered as if an officer had been in her: the people were all anxious to get out of her, two of which appeared to be the officers: One of them faid, he came to inform me, it was the regulation of the port, and the commanding officer's orders, that I must go into another branch of the harbour, to perform ten days quarantine. I kept afking him where lord Hood's fhip lay; but his not giving me any fatisfactory anfwer, and one of the midshipmen having at the fame inftant faid, "They wear national cockades," I looked at one of their hats more fteadfastly, and by the moonlight, clearly diftinguished the three colours. Perceiving they were fufpected, and on my queftioning them again about lord Hood, one of them replied, "Soyez tranquille, les Anglois font des braves Gens, nous les traitons bien; l'admiral Anglois eft forti il y a quelque Tems." It may be more easily conceived than any words can exprefs what I felt at the moment. The circumftance of our fituation, of course, was known throughout the ship in an inftant, and, faying we were all prifoners, the officers foon got near me, to know our fituation. At the fame time a flaw of wind coming down the harbour, lieutenant Webly, the third lieutenant of the hip, faid to me, "I believe, Sir, we fhall be able to fetch out, if we can get her under fail." I immediately perceived we fhould have a chance of faving the fhip; at least, if we did not, we ought not to lose his Majefty's fhip without fome contention. I ordered every perfon to their refpective ftations, and the Frenchmen to be fent below: They perceiving fome buftle, two or three of them began to draw their fabres; on which I ordered fome of the marines to take the half-pikes, and force them below, which was foon done: I ordered all the Maltese between decks, that we might not have confufion with too many men I believe in an inftant fuch a change in people was never feen; every officer and man was at his duty, and I do believe, within three minutes, every fail in the fhip was fet, and the yards braced ready for cafting.

The steady and active affiftance of lieutenant Turner, and all the officers, prevented any confufion from arifing in our critical fituation. As foon as the cable was tort, I ordered it to be cut, and had the good fortune to fee the ship start from the fhore; the head fails were filled: A favourable flaw of wind coming at the fame time, got good way on her, and we had then every profpect of getting out, if the forts did not difable us. To prevent our being retarded by the boats, I ordered them to be cut adrift, as also the French boat. The moment the brig faw us begin to loofe fails, we could plainly perceive fhe was getting her guns ready, and we alfo faw lights on all the batteries. When we had fhot far enough for the brig's guns to bear on us, which was not more than three ship's lengths, the began to fire, also a fort a little VOL. Ih

K

on the ftarboard bow, and foon after all of them, on both fides, as they could bring their guns to bear. As foon as the fails were well brimmed, I beat to quarters, to get our guns ready, but not with an intention of firing till we were fure of getting out. When we got abreast of the centre part of the land of Cape Sepet, I was afraid we should have been obliged to make a tack, but as we drew near the fhore, and were ready, the came up two points, and juft weathered the Cape. As we paffed very close along that fhore the batteries kept up as brisk a fire as the wetnefs of the weather would admit. When I could afford to keep the thip a little from the wind, I ordered fome guns to be fired at a battery that had just opened abreast of us, which quieted them a little. We then ftopped firing till we could keep her away, with the wind abaft the beam, when for a few minutes we kept up a very brifk fire on the laft battery we had to pafs, and which I believe muft otherwife have done us great damage. At half past twelve, being out of reach of their fhot, the firing ceafed: Fortunately we had no perfon hurt. Some fhot paffed through the fails, part of the ftanding and running rigging fhot away, and 2 French 36 pound fhot, that ftruck the hull, was all the damage we received.

SAM. HOOD.

From the LONDON GAZETTE, March 11, 1794.

Whitehall, March 11.

It appears by difpatches which were received yeflerday by the Right Hon. Henry Dundas, his Majefty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department, from Vice-Admiral Lord Hood, and LieutenantGeneral David Dundas, dated St. Fiorenzo in the Island of Corfica, the 21ft and 2 2d of February, 1794, that the town and garrifon of Mortella furrendered on the 10th of that month; that the ftrong redoubt and batteries of the Convention were taken by ftorm on the 17th, after a fevere cannonading of two days; that the fame night the enemy abandoned the tower of Forneli and two confiderable fea batteries dependent upon it; that on the 19th they retreated from St. Fiorenzo to Baftia; that previous to their retreat one of their frigates was funk, and another burnt in the gulph; and that the town, forts, and port, were taken poffeffion of the fame day by his Majesty's land and fea forces.

The lofs of the British confifts of thirteen killed and thirty-nine wounded, befides fix failors of the Fortitude killed, and fifty-fix wounded, from the fire of the Fort of Mortella.

Copies of the difpatches will be published in the Gazette of Saturday next.

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