Mr. J. Orr, assistant surgeon of the Bengal artillery, for the signal service rendered by him, in taking charge of the lascars whom we recovered from the enemy. His excellency further desires captain Pollock to assure the noncommissioned officers and privates of his high approbation of their spirited and exemplary conduct. Copy of a Letter from capt. Wm. I have the honor to report, for the information of major general Macdowall, that I marched yesterday morning with the detachment under my command for Rowanelle. I found the enemy posted at all the passes on the road and very strong batteries erected for their defence, from which they were driven with considerable slaughter; and I am happy to say with only the loss of one gun lascar tindal wounded on our side. On arriving at Rowanelle river we found the opposite bank lined with batteries and several pieces of cannon, from which the enemy kept up a heavy fire of round and grape shot, and a constant fire of musquetry: not being sufficiently acquainted with the state of the river to attempt fording it immediately, the detachment was here obliged to halt a few minutes: when a ford was discovered, capt. Hankey and lieutenant Mercer, with the advance, instantly pushed over, and capt. Buchan, with his detachment, appearing at this momeat on the enemy's right flank, they fled in all directions. I have the honor to inclose a re turn of ordnance and stores captured I shall proceed to-morrow to Sir, your obed ent servant, return of the Ordnance Stores ta ken at Rowanelle. Three light 6 pounders mounted on travelling carriages; one light 3 pounder ditto, ditto. Two inch mortars with beds. Seventy-six 6 pounder flannel car tridges, with round shot fixed to Fifty 4 inch mortar shells. Fifty-seve n Fifty-seven 6 pounder tubes. Eighty-six portfires. Seventy hand grenades. (Signed) J. WORSLEY. lieut. Royal regt. art. and com. art. Some camp equipage and an elephant were also taken. Accounts received from major Evans and captain Blackall, inform us, that the districts of Putlang and Chilaw are restored to perfect tranquillity. The Candians have also entirely evacuated the district of Galle, and the inhabitants of the villages lately occcupied by them have returned so effectually to their duty, that they have invited the renters to come back among them and continue collecting their rents. The first Adigaar has retreated from the district of Matura, which is nearly reduced to obedience; and the regular communication is again established with Tangalle. Hambangtotte it is supposed has not been evacuated. No mails have arrived from Manar since the 28th ult. but measures have been taken to open the communication, and re-establish the Tappal stations. The consequences of the glorious defence of Hangwelle on the 6th of this month, have been still more important than we had reason to expect. The king of Candy was there in person, but retreated with precipitation as soon as the firing begun. In his flight he was eve taken by Leuke Ralehamy, dessave of the four Corles, and the Maha Mohotiar or chief secretary of state, both of whose heads, in the violence of his indignation, he ordered to be immediately struck off, and left their dead bodies unburied a ravine near the Royberg. Nor did his cruelty stop here, for a number of carcases which passed down the river, by Hangwelle, and since, to the great pass near this place, prove that the execution ot his own subjects has been considerable and indiscriminate. The slaughter made of them by our troops was great indeed, as all the roads near Hangwelle are represented as being strewed with the slain, and our coolies were employed in burying them, during the two days subsequent to the battle. On the ninth, in the morning, capt. Pollock marched forward, accompanied by captain Hankey, lieuts. Mercer and M' Veagh, of the infantry, and Worsley of the royal artillery, with a detachment of 80 rank and file, Europeans, and 70 rank and file, sepoys, with two small cohorns, and a party of Bengal gunlascars; and having driven the enemy from the strong post of Kalloagille, where they were stationed in considerable force, under the command of the new dessave of the four Corles, (lately of Oova) passed Royberg without opposition, and halted for the night at Aloet Ambulum, about 16 English miles from Hangwelle. On the tenth, captain Pollock proceeded by the very strong post Pooa juttia (which the enemy had abandoned) to Avisavella, and passing the river, entered the Candian territory at Sitawaka. About three miles beyond the last mentioned place, he drove the Candians from a strong battery at Apoola Pitty, where he passed that night and the next day, to give time to captain John Buchan, of his Majesty's Ceylon native infantry, who had passed with a detachment from Negumbo through the Aloetcoer, Happittigam, and Hina Corles, to arrive at Menegodde on the opposite side of the Calany Gunga. Captain Buchan had performed his march with considerable difficulty from the roads, (which he overcome with great judgment and perseverence) but with little opposition from the enemy or the rebels; near Moogorampilly he had been attacked, but repulsed the assailants, killed three of them, and took one prisoner. While he was on his march a party of thirty-six Malays (of those taken at Candy) came into him from the army of the second Adiwho, and was proceeding from the seven Corles to join the king of Rowanelle. On the morning of the 12th, both detachments marched forward, and that of capt. Pollock, at a place called Organda, about 5 miles from Apoola Pitty, fell in with the remains of the grand army of the Candians which had been defeated at Hangwelle, reinforced by that which the second Adigaar had brought from the seven Corles. They seemed determined to make an obstinate resistance, so much so that six and twenty of their men, including two Mohattiars, were slain in the battery; their whole army then fled, and captain Pollock proceeded, with little more opposition, to Rowanelle, where he was joined by captain Buchan. That village, the most commercial and populous in the kingdom of Candy, then fell into our hands, together with magazines and stores of artillery, ammunition, and provisions, which the king of Candy had been long preparing for his late unfortunate expedition, and a palace which he had caused to be erected there in a very elegant and sumptuous style, according to the Cingalese taste. This palace, together with eleven hundred houses, has been burned, The troops returned yesterday morning (13th) to Sitawaka. Our loss in all these affairs has been exceedingly trifling, viz. at Hangwelle, on the 6th, one private of the 65th wounded; at Kalovagille, on the 9th, 2 Luropean soldiers wounded; at Organda, on the 12th, one gun lascar wounded; in captain Buchan's detachment, one lascar wounded. We have recovered sixty-two malays and a hundred and fifty gun lascars, Bengal and Madras. Artillery taken at Hangwelle. Two 6 pounders, one 3 pounder, 120 English firelocks, the Candian royal standard, a number of Chingalese guns. The hopes expressed in our last, of Hambagtotte being still in our possession have been realized.— Ensign Riddle was ordered to march there from Tangalle on the 10th, and arrived on the 11th without opposition. The garrison, consisting of about sixty invalid malays, under the command of ensign Pendergrast, had been in a state of blockade, since the 23d ult. upon the land side, although a vessel,› moored in the harbour, afforded a secure retreat by sea in case of ne cessity. During the blockade, ensign Pendergrast made several sorties which were attended with uniform success; drove the enemy from their advanced batteries, and took from them seven Cingalese guns without any loss on our side. Upon the 9th inst. he received a reinforcement of a corporal and eight men of the royal artillery, from his Majesty's frigate Wilhelmina, bound for Galle and CoD 4 lumbo, lumbo, but which had put into Hambangtotte road. On the 19th inst. the cutter Swallow arrived at Point de Galle, bringing mails from Madras from the 23d ult. to the 4th inst. These packets had been forwarded from Manaar to Ramnad,and from thence to Tutocoreen where they were embarked on board the Swallow. BENGAL Occurrences for OCTOBER, 1803. Royal Visit. Fort William, Oct. 1, 1803. A dispatch, of which the following is an extract, was yesterday received by his excellency the most noble the governor general, from his excellency the commander in chief. To his excellency the most noble marquis Wellesley, governorgeneral, c. My Lord, I have the honour to inform your lordship, that in consequence of the hour fixed upon by his majesty, I yesterday, attended by the chief officers of the army, waited on his majesty at his palace in the fort. Akber Shah, his majesty's eldest son,came to my camp to conduct me. His majesty received me seated on this throne, when the presents were delivered, and the forms usual on those occasions were observed. His majesty, and his whole court, were unanimous in testifying their joy at the change that has taken place in their fortunes. I have the honor to be, Your lordship's most faithful, Humble servant, (Signed) G. LAKE. Head-Quarters, Camp, Delhi, Sept. 17, 1803. Account of a Wreck discovered at sea. The following are the particulars respecting the wreck of a vessel burnt at sea, which the Active fell in with a few days before getting her pilate. The conjecture of her having been timber laden, and consequently from Ragoon, seems plausible; but we understand by the arrival of the Gilmore, that no vessel had sailed from that place previous to her departure, but what had arrived here. Whatever ves sel, however, it may ultimately prove to be, the fate of her crew is a subject which must interest the feelings of the public; but it is to be hoped they may have escaped in their boats, and reached some place in safety, in which case it cannot be long ere the unfortunate vessel will be identified. "The Active, captain Stone, sailed from Pinang on the 3d of September, and touched on the different ports of the coast of Pedier; saw a ship of a suspicious nature off Acheen, which pursued the Active for some time without nearing her. "The Active, on the 7th inst. in lat. 21 6, about six leagues to the eastward of the eastern edge of the Swash, fell in with a vessel that appeared to be burnt to the water's edge, which they supposed to be timber laden, by her floating: no appearance of any thing above water but that of a stump of a burnt mast; and as the sea at different times broke upon the wreck, it was perceived she must have been a vessel of large burthen. When When the Active saw the wreck, she was steering a direct course for her, and had it been at night, must have gone upon it; and to clear which she was obliged to haul up from her course about three points: she was going at the rate of eight knots, with a fresh breeze of wind and squally weather, at the time, which prevented those on board from sending a boat to examine more particularly into the state of the wreck." Remarkable Occurrence. The officers of the shipping at Saugor were a few days since presented with a novel spectacle.-A brig was observed floating with the tide in such a manner as clearly to indicate that she was either destitute of people, or that she had no sailors on board.-In consequence of which an officer of the Davaynes, as we have been given to understand, went on board, and was confirmed in the opinion which had, on the vessel's first appearance, been entertained, no human creature living to be found.-It is said on some parts of her deck, the marks of blood were strikingly apparent, and that in her cabin were found the blood-stained clothes of an European. As the vessel's cargo consists of salt, it is probable she is last from some place on the coast of Coromandel, in which case we may expect soon to be informed of the persons names who composed the crew, if nothing further should transpire respecting this extraordinary affair. The vessel is at present in a place of safety, to which she was convey ed by captain Green, of the Mermaid, who took her in tow. Dreadful Earthquake. Extract:-" Matura, Sept. 24, 1803. "On the night between the 31st August, and the 1st of September, at half an hour after midnight, a severe shock of an earthquake was felt at this place, which lasted for many minutes, and was violent beyond the memory of man. Probably not a living creature in the place, but was roused from his slumbers by the alarm, and felt its effects. Many of the Pucka buildings were cast down, and Zenanes, hitherto unassailed by violence, were deserted, and their fair inhabitants took refuge in the streets. and in the fields, in dishabilles which had no effect to conceal, and in an affright which elevated their charmis, seeking protection with men, whose visages it would otherwise have disgraced them to behold.-The night was calm, and enjoyed the full influence of a bright moon; and when the alarm was over, the blushes and modesty of the fair deserters of their consecrated |