The Atalanta. The French frigate Atalanta, now in these seas, is commanded by an officer who was our prisoner during the greatest part of the last war. This frigate is said to be distinguished by the close similiarity of her general appearance and manoeuvres to our own ships and discipline; she has on board the guns of the Jason frigate, 18-pounders, which our readers may recollect was lost on the coast of France in 1798-We have little doubt but the commander of the Atalanta will soon again experience the hos pitality of a generous enemy. Dreadful Storm. The following is an account of a shoal which some of Admiral Rainier's squadron passed over, and of the storm which the whole squadron afterwards encountered in their passage to this port. On the 27th of September last, at noon, the Centurion, on sounding, found only 17 fathoms water, shortly after 21 fathoms, and then no ground with 35 fathons. The Lancaster, being about a mile to the southward of the Centurian, sounded at the time, and had only 10 fathoms water, two rocks being then in sight, one on each side of the ship, which appeared to have much less water upon them; after passing by those rocks, the water deepened gradually to 17 fathoms, and then no bottom could be found at 35 fathoms. The Tremendous was about three miles to the N.W. of the Lancaster, and on sounding found no ground at 50 fathoms. The result of the observations made in the ships, at noon, determines the latitude of this shoal to be 7° 41′ south. And its longitude, by the mean of several lunar observations made about the time, and by three excellent time keepers of Captain Heywood's, is 72° 52′ E. It bears from the south part of Diego Garcia S. 82° W. distant 100 miles. On the 4th inst. the weather, which had been gloomy all the foregoing day, became still more so, and the wind, which was easterly, freshened till evening, when it blew so hard that no ship of the squadron could carry more sail than the courses and close-reefed main topsail. In the night the gale increased so much as to oblige the ships to lye to under storm staysails or close-reefed main-top sails. On the morning of the 5th, at half past two in a violent squall of wind accompanied with lightning, but no thunder, the Tremendous lost her main and mizen masts; at four o'clock the gale blew with great violence, after which it abated gradually till near noon, when the wind changed to N. W. and the weather cleared up. On the 16th the ships that were separated during the storm, joined the admiral, one of which, the Albatross, had lost her topmasts, but the rest (the Tremendous excepted) had fortunately suffered little danger. The clouds which had been lowering for the whole of the current week, yesterday portended a renewal of the desolating gale, which occurred this day four years; the wind, however, subsided towards the evening, and we sincerely trust that a day, the disasters of which this island has had severe occasion to lament more than once, may transpire more seasonably this year. been experienced down below, during the past week, from the effects of which, we are concerned to enumerate the following disas ters. A large ship, named the Fatty Romania, under Arab colours, dismasted, and at anchor between the points in fourteen fathoms water, when the ship Peace, from Ganjam, passed her. The Henry Addington, captain Robertson, bound to Madras, put back with the loss of three anchors and cables. The honourable company's cruizer, Teignmouth, captain Edward from the top of a tree, and on his calling out, general Bellasis had a full view of the hyæna from the terrace, galloping down the hill towards his house, till he came within forty yards of him, when he turned away into an adjacent wood.-His shoulders appeared to be full three feet high, and all the fore part of his body was striped with black, as distinctly as the royal tyger-the animal was in high sleek condition, and affords a fine subject for a hunt to the sporting gentlemen of the island. Lowes, sprung her bowsprit; her Nesbitt and others, versus the Hon. boat washed overboard, with other damage. The Popham, captain Reid, from the coast, after encountering the gale, arrived at Kedjeree, with the loss of her rudder. The Haldane pilot, when at anchor near the Beef Buoy, shipped at a very heavy and tremendous sea, which stove her companion to pieces, and severely wounded a number of people on board. The Hyana. On Tuesday evening, at about sun-set, general Bellasis servants were greatly alarmed by the appearance of an animal that had encroached upon his premises, and which proved to be one of the largest Hyæna's he had ever seenThe alarm was first given by a Bandaree who described the animal Company. On Tuesday, the Sth instant, the honourable the recorder's court gave judgment in the important cause at the instance of W. A. Nesbitt, Esq. and others, complainants, against the honourable company defendants, a hearing in which took place at great length on the second day of term, unanimously dismissing the complainants' bill. By this decision the mode of payment adopted by the company towards the six per cent. creditors at this and the other presidencies, is, after the fullest consideration, completely sanctioned and confirmed. Counsel for the complainants, Mr. Dowdeswell, and Mr. Morley; solicitor, Mr. Anderson. For the honourable company, Mr. Thriepland; solicitor, Mr. Hall. BENGAL BENGAL Occurrences for DECEMBER, 1803. The following are the particulars of the Bridgewater's voyage from New Holland, and of the loss of her consorts the Cato and Porpoise, as detailed by her commander. Captain Flinders in his majesty's ship Investigator having discovered a passage in the strait which divides New Holland and New Guinea, which he thought both safe and expeditious, was thereby induced to point it out to me and the commander of the Cato, a ship on the eve of leaving Port Jackson, for Bombay. In consequence of this recommendation I determined to pass through it, accompanied by the Cato; this was settled in June, but before any arrival from Europe, the Investigator was condemned, and captain Flinders, his officers and crew ordered home in his Majesty's ship Porpoise.-Captai Flinders determined to pass through this strait on his way to Europe, and as he was to sail in a few days after the day we had proposed sailing, it was agreed to wait and sail in company. The three ships sailed on the 10th of August, steering our course to the northward, along the coast of New South Wales, which we kept in sight; until the 14th we had the winds strong from the southward and eastward; nothing unusual except that we experienced a set of 33 miles to the eastward, on the 14th-occurred till the 18th-on that day, at two P. M. the Cato made the signal of seeing land, which was instantly recognised by us to be a reef of Coral, small in extent, and on which the sea broke very high at times. At the time the signal was made, it bore from us S. S. W. and was distant from three to four miles. The Porpoise hauled up to examine it, at the same time made the signal for us to continue our course, which we did under easy sail. In the evening, having examined the reef, the Porpoise was again up with us, and made the signal to keep under an easy sail and working during the night. At seven P. M. she had got into her station, which was a quarter of a mile a-head; and at half past nine she might be about two cables length a-head, and the Cato, at the same time, about one mile a-stern of us. The night was dark and cloudy, the the wind was fresh; we were running before it under our three-double reefed top-sails and fore-sail, at the rate of seven and a half knots per hour. About this time, the fifth officer, who had the look out on the forecastle, came aft to say, the Porpoise had hove her broadside to the wind, and immediately there was a general cry from the forecastle,breakers a-head:' I was most fortunately at this time on deck, having just come out from supper, and had, on the officer's report of the Porpoise having hove too, instantly ordered the helm to be put a-port, and the hands to be turned up, it having been my intention to have hauled off to the eastward: the wind at this time was at S. S. E. but before our sails were trimmed she was in the wind. We then laid our after yards square,and the head-sails a-box: this had the desired effect, when the ship fell round off, but not before she was in the surf: got our larboard tacks on board, and set the main-topgallant sails and stay-sails, and stood to the S.W. She was just beginning to draw off when the Porpoise was scarcely the ship's length from us to leeward, settling with her head towards us, and her broadside upon the reef; her fore-mast gone, and the sea breaking over her. At this moment we perceived the Cato within half a cable's length, standing stern on for us. (It is thought that at this time no one on board the Cato had seen the reef.) I hailed to put their helm a starboard, by which means she just cleared us, and luffed up under our stern. Had she fell on board of us the consequence must have been dreadful indeed-we must both have gone on shore. We now in a few minutes perceived we had cleared the reef, but our congra VOL. 6. tulations were mixed with the most painful reflections on the sufferings of the crew wrecked: nor were we without the most serious apprehensions that the patch or reef we had seen in the day, might be connected with this by intermediate patches, or by a continued chain, in either case forming a frightful danger, every risk of which we should have had to encounter, as it was very unsettled weather, and uncertain whether we should be able to weather the first reef, nor could we judge how far to the eastward the latter might extend. We held an early consultation on the possibility of sending assistance to the crew of the Porpoise, when all agreed that, from the state of the weather which was now much aggravated by the increasing of wind; as also the surf upon and near the reef, which a boat could not approach without certain destruction. All these taken into consideration, it was concluded impossible to yield any assistance that night; but it was determined, if possible, to be with them by break of day. We had not long stood off the reef before we saw a light on board the Cato; we at this time shewed three lights, and continued lights all night at the mizen top-mast head. At one A. M. wore ship and stood for the reef: at two A.M. the reef in sight, at the distance of about half a mile, the sea breaking very high; wore ship and stood off to the southward. At day break wore ship and stood for the reef, and when the day was broke, we had the mortification to perceive the Cato had shared the fate of the Porpoise; the bow and bowsprit of the latter only, at intervals, appeared through the surf: the for+F mer mer lay with bottom exposed to the sea, which broke with tremendous fury over her; not a mast standing. Finding we could not weather the reef, and that it was now too late, had it been in our power, to give them any assistance, and still fearing that we might be embayed or entangled by the supposed chain or patches; all therefore that remained for us to do was, either by dint of carrying sail to weather the reef to the southward, or, if failing in that, to push to leeward and endeavour to find a passage between the patches of the reef to the northward. At ten A. M. we found by chronometers we had got considerably to the westward, and that it would be impossible,with the wind, as it then was, blowing strong from the S. E. with a heavy sea, to weather the southern reef, we therefore determined, while we had the day before us, to run to the westward of the northern reef. At two P. M. of the 19th, we got sight of the reef,bearing N.N.E. -at five P. M. we could perceive the wrecks, and ascertained the westernmost extent of the reef, long. per chronometers E. 1'55: "42"30 S. (it shewed three patches laying N. N. E. & S. S. W. in length about eight or ten miles; we past the patch to the southward and westward within from two to three miles at this time) six P. M. very little of the wrecks to be seen, the wind still blowing fresh with intervening rain. After passing the reef we lay too for the night; and in the morning we had lost sight of it, having drifted to the northward. We was now in a track of the sea unknown, and too far to the leeward to fetch into the track that has been run, by shipsi n general, from PortJackson to India: the idea of going through the passage between New Holland & NewGuinea, I gave up, and shaped a course to pass between New Guinea and New Georgia. We continued to have the winds strong from the southward, and on the 25th of August we made Cape Deception, on the west end of the island of New Georgia, bearing north eight leagues; stood to the westward under easy sail, during the night, with unsettled weather; at seven A. M. land seen from the mast head at S. S. W. As no land was laid down in any of my charts in that direction, we hauled to the S. S. W. to examine it; at half past eleven, A. M. the ship was within from two to three miles of a dry patch of sand, on which the sea did not break. This patch lay about three or four leagues to the northward of an island, which we believe has not been seen before; I have therefore called it Princeps Island, and the dry patch of sand the Bridgewater's shoal. At noon we hauled to the northward and westward; at five P. M. the 26th, close in with the island of New Georgia, many canoes, with natives, came off, who brought a few cocoa-nuts and fish, to exchange for iron, &c. On the 28th we passed through Shortlands Straits, and continued to have fine weather until the 8th of September; we were this day in longitude 1'44: 43 E. and latitude 0′′ 29′′ South 28 days from Port Jackson; from this day we had light winds and calms until the 29th of September with strong currents against us; on the 6th of October passed through Dampiers Straits, and on the 19th cleared Pitts passage-on the 27th passed through the Straights of Salleyer, and on the |