the 6th of November, at half past 6 P. M. anchored in Batavia Roads; found riding here 15 Dutch ships, three Dutch brigs, one American and one English ship. At 7 P. M. the guard boat, with an officer, came on board, and received every information respecting the ship; from whence she came, commander's name, number of guns, men, &c. Soon after he had left the ship, a Mr. Lubook came on board, who informed me, he was first officer of the English ship in the roads; that she was called the Prince of Wales, and belonged to a Mr. Elliott, of Prince of Wales Island; he then informed me of the war having taken place between England, France, and the Batavian republic; that the ship to which he belonged was detained, and in possession of the Dutch-that his sails and rudder were taken on shore; that he had permission to leave his ship on a pretence of going on board the American, when he came to give us this information: he informed us there was not any one ship in the roads that was of superior force to the Bridgewater, and that she was not within reach of the guns from the battery; that a Dutch frigate and a brig that were stationed there had sailed two days before for the straights of Sunda, to convoy to Batavia, a Sweed that was arrived from Europe, and was then at anchor in the straights; and which had brought late information respecting the war: this gentleman then left the ship, saying we might expect to be boarded as soon as the land wind came off. A consultation was held, and we at first determined to cut and run out with the land wind, which Mr. Lubook had informed us would commence about eleven o'clock, and continue till ten or eleven the next morning; the night was particularly dark, and from our anchoring so late in the evening, we had not the bearings of either of the beacons which are at the entrance of the roads; the chance of our avoiding these shoals was thought a hazard equal to that of remaining until day-light. I ordered the hands to be quietly turned up, when I informed them of the war, with the situation of the ship, and the determination to defend her against the enemy, for such we deemed them: they all to a man declared they would risk every thing in fighting their way out, prefering death to a prison at Batavia. With this resolution the hammocks were stowed in the nettings, and every thing in readiness to prevent being boarded; the powder designed as a compliment for our guns were all loaded, as we intended to salute the Fort at sunrise, was reserved for the preservation of the ship; the small arms all in readiness, and the men at their quarters during the night, with a good look out on deck. At eleven o'clock a boat came under the stern, but on being hailed instantly rowed off. We observed the ships near us were employed all night, and boats constantly passing from the shore to those ships. At 4 A. M. hove short; at day-light weighed and made sail out of the roads, with a light air of wind off the land; it was instantly observed we had weighed by those about us, when a signal was made, and two of the largest ships with two brigs slipt and made sail after us—at this time a boat with 12 men and an officer in her came within hail of the ship, when he was desired to keep off; he said he wished to see captain Palmer; on my requesting to know his business, he said the commodore wished much to see me on shore; my answer was I did not doubt it, but that I could not possibly wait on him that morning; made all sail. It now became a consideration how to avoid the frigate and brig which were in the straights of Sunda; we determined to push for the straights at once, and if possible pass them before they could receive information from Batavia of our having quitted the roads, and should they attempt to stop us, to resist while we had powder, and trust to our sailing and to chance for the rest.-Stood to the westward, with a fine breeze from the N. E. At half past 3, of the 7th, three sail in sight which had just hauled round St. Nicholas Point stood on our course; at 4 made them out to be the frigate, brig, and Sweed, which we had been informed of-cleared ship for action at half past 4 the frigate and brig hauled right up for us, the brig about a mile a head of the frigate; the brig stood on until within gun-shot, when she bore up and stood to the Eastward, the wind at this time from the N.N.W. -the frigate continued to stand towards us, until within the same distance, when she bore up; we continued our course, the Sweed right a-head. At sun-set the frigate and brig anchored, and at 8 P. M. it being calm, we anchored between St. Nicholas Point and Polo Babq. At 4 A. M. weighed at day-light; we observed the Sweed had stood to the northward and eastward during the night, and was nearly hull down upon us. The frigate and brig weighed and stood to the eastward; we observed prows passing from the frigate to the brig which we doubt not had been dispatched from Batavia on the 8th; we fell in with and brought too, in the straights of Sunda, the brig Lovely Lass, captain Mc Arthur, an American, from Philadelphia bound to Batavia, from whom we received a news-paper, in which was inserted the declaration of war between England, France, and the Batavian republic. Cleared the straights of Sunda this day. Longitude standing of the fin, or Cato's Reef, 1"55" 45. 30" E. lat. 23' 18" S. Longitude ditto, or Porpoise Reef, 155. 42'00 E. lat. 22. 20 S. Longitude Prinseps Island 156. 45 E. lat 9.5 S. Bridgewater's shoal 156 49 E. lat. 8. 54 S. The Pacha of Bagdad. By letters from Bagdad we learn, that on the 11th September last, a Tartar had arrived from Constantinople, charged with a dispatch to the resident at Bagdad, Harford Jones, Esq. accompanied by a letter in vellum from lord Castlereagh, as president of the board of controul, to the address of his highness the pacha, conveyed in a most elegant box, adorned with his majesty's arms, and inclosed in most superb bags of white satin and embroidery. This address was delivered to the pacha in the most public manner; and we are happy to hear that his highness expressed on this occasion, before all his council, officers and household, assembled to witness the ceremony, the obligations he considered himself under to the British government, and his fixed determination to cultivate at all times its good will and friendship. On this occasion the pacha was pleased, in consequence of the directions of his highness the grand vizier, to deliver to the resident the badge of the order of the crescent of the second class, the crescent and star in diamonds granted by the Ottoman emperor at his highness's the pacha's request made to the Porte in December, 1802. Mr. Jones's investing himself pubEdly with these distinguished insignia will, of course, depend upon the pleasure of his sovereign. The pacha was to have moved from Bagdad about the middle of last October; and it was confidently reported, that his highness would encamp between Hillat and Imaum Ally; whilst accounts from Bushire, of the 1st of September, state that the Imaum of Muscat was on the eve of proceeding from thence to the Zobara, with a fleet of eight large ships, and sixty dows, the latter serve principally as transports, to act offensively against the Wababy. BOMBAY sectary and his followers, in a quarter very far removed from the scene of their late desolating exploit near Kerbella-their career, however has been equally audacious and successful. The destruction of the magnificent sepulcre of Houssien, the Martyr, occurred in April 18C2. In tracing the subsequent progress of the Wahabees we find that in February last, their forces, under the command of the eldest son of Abdul Aziz,, the Wahabee Sheikh of Nagged, after several obstinate conflicts with those of the Jeriffe of Mecca, in which the former experienced considerable losses, invested Taif; the Jeriffe finding himself closely pressed, and that his mansions at Taif were a prey to the flames, retreated to Mecca, entrusting to his brother, Abdul Moien, the defence of the former place; faithless however to his trust Abdul Moien immediately deserted to the Wahabee, and decided their success against Taif. Exasperated at the resistance they had met with they ransacked this beautiful city, and putting its inhabitants to the sword, without respect to age or sex, reduced it to a Occurrences for Dec. 1803. heap of ruins, having recourse even Departure of Aka Hussen. On the 3d instant, Aka Hussen, the nephew of the late Persian ambassador, Hadjee Kaleel Khan, embarked on his return to Persia on the Faz Rebany, captain Henderson, under a salute of seventeen guns. Progress of the Wahabees in to manual labour to demolish what the flames could not consume ;not satisfied with this work of destruction, they next wrecked their vengeance on the celebrated gardens in the vicinity, and destroying every tree and shrub, converted this once fertile region into an absolute desart. Their booty here is reported to have been immense; a considerable portion of the Jeriffe's treasure falling into their hands. On the 28h of the same month, their army, accompanied by Abdul Moien, having advanced within a few miles of Mecca, the Jeriffe, in the course of the night, leaving † F 3 We have the pleasure of detailing the progress of this aspiring his his house in flames, fled to Judda; when on the following morning they entered the sacred city without opposition. Their approach to Mecca was so unexpected and sudden, that they intercepted a great number of pilgrims, who had not time to escape, all of whom were prohibited from leaving the place. The first object that now occupied the Wahabees was to extinguish the fire in the Jeriffe's house, which they soon accomplished. They next rewarded the treachery of Abdul Moien, placing the keys of the caaba and the sovereign power in his hands; having promised protection to the inhabitants in case of non-resistance, they proved themselves faithful to their pledge, except in a few instances; they however had no mercy on the tombs of the descendants of the prophets and other saints; all hands being compelled to assist in their destruction. In a short space of time, upwards of thirty of them, the proud ornaments of Mecca, became levelled to the ground; and so ardent was the zeal of the 'depredators, that many of them were buried in the ruins ;-several places within the railing, surrounding the caaba, met with the same fate; such as the places of the Hanafies, the Shafies, the Hambilies, and the Malikies; the tomb of Ismael was also stript of its cover of golden cloth, which was thrown on the top of caaba-every one was forced to deliver up his beads and to burn his hooka, but the metal of the latter was returned; coffee was prohibited, and all the coffee-houses pulled down. Having satiated their vengeance and arranged matters at Mecca, and leaving the Jeriffe's brother to rule in this city, the Wahabees, on the 15th of May, advanced to Jud da, with about 6000 men, on which they made a desperate attack; the Jeriffe, however, having been prepared for their reception, by landing cannon from the ships in the roads and burning the suburbs, that it might not afford them cover, they were here repulsed; not discouraged by one adverse event, their attack was persevered in, and frequently renewed for the space of nine days, and as frequently did it prove unsuccessful; they, however,reduced Judda to the greatest distress, from being in a great measure in command of all their supplies, and particularly that necessary one water. The Jeriffe and principal people of Judda despairing of repelling the invaders, had, as the last alternative, recourse to negotiation, and succeeded in purchasing a truce for the sum of one lac and thirty thousand dollars! when the Wahabees returned to Mecca. We shall have the pleasure of continuing this interesting account. G. O. By Government. Bombay Castle, 19th December, 1803. The honourable the governor in council, having, in view to the emergent calls of the public service, found it indispensible to convert immediately the fencible corps into a regiment of infantry, on the regular establishment, is confident, that the same zeal and patriotic spirit that have hitherto secured the voluntary services of the officers of that corps, will ensure their ready concurrence in this essential means of promoting the national objects now in issue, by parting for the present, with the men, who have under their command, just attained to a state of military knowledge and discipline, qualifying them them for the duties of the field, to which they are destined; government having, at the same time, given orders for the immediate recruiting of the fencible corps, to the end that it may again be as speedily as possible in a state, with respect to numbers and discipline, susceptible of taking an active share in the defence of this invaluable settlement; towards preparing it for which the governor in council relies on the zealous and cheerful co-operation of its volunteer officers, to whom, as well in his political as in his separate capacity of colonel of the corps, he takes this occasion to renew his acknowledgments for the constant attention and promptitude they have uniformly evinced in discharging the duties of the fencible regiment; a corps which he will have a particular satisfaction in seeing speedily restored to an efficient state. J. A. GRANT, New Launches. Lately, at Beypoor, a vessel under the name of the Duncan, in honour of the honourable the governor of Bombay, under whose patronage she was built.-She is a small ship of between 350 and 400 tons burden. This is the first English ship ever built on this side of India, perhaps in India in general, from teak timber entirely, the produce of the honourable company's territories. By far the greatest part of the timber hitherto used has been procured either from Bassein and other parts belonging to different Mahratta states, to the northward of Bombay, or from Cochin and Travencore to the southward of Malabar. But not only the whole of the timber of which this ship is constructed is the produce of the company's territories; considerable part of the iron, pitch, and tar, used in her construction, are the native produce of Malabar. The whole of the tar made use of was extracted from the chips and sawdust from the vessel herself, and no other tar whatever has been made use of than teak tar, which is allowed to be, by some, superior to the Norway or any other tar at present imported from the northern nations of Europe. This ship was completed at the expence of the honourable company, under the patronage abovementioned-and from the encouragement which will, no doubt, be given to naval architecture, and the arts dependent on it, it is confidently presumed, that Malabar may very soon be rendered to supply the whole wants of the royal navy, on the East India station at least, if not to a much greater extent; and thus turn the balance of trade with the northern nations of Europe in favor of Great Britain : an advantage which it would be difficult to overvalue at any time, but especially at the commencement of a war with an enemy as implacable as powerful. BENGAL |