( 172 :) 



STATE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, 



In Augtift, 1805. 



[Sept. Ip 



BRITFSH EMPIRE. 



SINCE our la ft we have to record an 

 advantage obtained over the combined 

 fleets of France and Spain by AHmiral Sir 

 Robert Calder, with an in'Vrlor force. 

 The fleet under the Britifii Aditiiral con- 

 fined of fifteen fail of the line, two fri- 

 gates, a cuiter of eight gunj!, and a lug- 

 ger of fourteen; but in the enemy's fleets 

 were nineteen lail of the line, three fifty- 

 gun ihips, four frigates, and three fmaller 

 veflels, carrying each twenty-eight guns. 

 For the account of the eng'igenient, we 

 fliall give Sir Robert Caldcr's own letter, 

 from the London Gazette Extra- 



ORDIMaRY. 



Prhict of IVales, July 23, 1805. 

 Sir, 

 Ycfterdiiy at noon, lat. 43 deg. .10 min. 

 N. long. 11 deg. 17 min. \V. I was favour- 

 ed with a view of the Combined Squadrons 

 of France and Spain, confiCing of twenty 

 .fail of the, line, alfn three large Ihips, armed 

 en flute, of about 50 -guns each, with five 

 iri;>ates and Ihiee brigs ;tbe force under my 

 direction at this time confuting of /ilteen fail 

 of the I me, two friaates, a cutter, and a 

 lugger ; I immediately ftood towards the 

 enemy w:ih the I'quadron, makint; the need- 

 ful fignals for battle iji.tlie doled order ; 

 and, on clofiug with them, I made the (ig- 

 Eal.for attacking their centre. When I had 

 leached their rear, Itaeked th^ fquadron in 

 fucielTion j this brought us clofe up under 

 their lee; and when our headmoft Ihips 

 reached their centre :tNe enemy were tack- 

 ing in fucceflion. This obliged lue to make 

 again the iame tnaniTuvrc, by which I 

 brough'-on an ai^bion which lafteti upwards of 

 four hours, when 'I found it neceilury to 

 bring-to the fquadron, .to cover ■the two cap- 

 tured Ihips whole name? .pre in the niargin.* 

 I have to obferve, the enemy had fivery ad- 

 vantage of wind and weather the whole^day. 

 The weather had been, foggy, at tinies, 'a 

 great |)art of the r.iorning ; ai.d very loon 

 after we had brought tliem to a<5iioii, the fog 

 ■was fo very thick at intervals, .thijt we could 

 with great difliculty fee .the fhip a-head or 

 a-fternof us. This rendered it impoflible to 

 take the advantaties olthc enemy by frpnals 

 I could have wiihed to have done ; had the 

 ■weather been more favourable, lam led to 

 believe the viftory would have been more 

 complete. 



I have very great pleafuvc^n-fajiiig, every 

 •ihipvvijt conducted in the nioft mafterly ftyle; 

 and I beg leave here j'ublicly to return every 



■' tJau RaiaeJ, Ji'A.^'iiis. JTinB, 74 guns. 



■Captain, Officer, and Man, whomlhadth* 

 honour to command on that day, my moft 

 grateful thanks tor their conl'picuoully gal- 

 lant and very judicious good ronduiSl. 



The Hon. Captain Gardner, of the Hero, 

 • led the van fquadron in a moft mafterly and 

 ofiicer-iike maimer, to whom I feel luyfclf 

 particularly indebted ; as alfo to Captain 

 Ciiminfr, lor his afliftance during the aftion. 



Inclofed is a lift of the killed and wound- 

 ed on board the different frips. If I may 

 judge from the great llaughter on board the 

 captured ihips, the enemy tnul have fuffer- 

 ed greatly. They are now in fight to wind- 

 ■ wa'd ; and when I have fecurcd the captur- 

 ed fhips, and put the fquadron to rights, J 

 ftiall endeavour to avail myfelf of any op- 

 portunity that may oti'er to give you fome fur- 

 ther account of thefe Combined Squadrons. 

 1 have the honour to be, &c. 



K. Caldeh. 

 •Honourable Admiral CornivalUs. 



.Lijl of Ship! of the Sj-Mtdron under the Orders of 

 {■'ice jidmiral Sir Robci t Calder f Bart, on the 

 ^2id of July, 180.5. 



•Hero, Hon. A. H. Gardner — 1 killed, 4 

 wounded. 



Ajax, William Brown — 2 killed, 16 wound- 

 ed. 



Triumph, Henry Ininan — 5 killed, 6 wound- 

 ed ' 



Barfieur, George Martin ■;— 3 killed, 7 

 w ounded. 



Aeamemnon, John Harvciy — 3 wounded. 



W'indlbr CafVIe, Charles Bovie — 10 killed, 

 ;i5 w.junded. 



Defiance, C.P Durham — 1 killed, 7 wound- 

 ed. 



Prince of Wnles, Vice-Admiral Sir Robei$ 

 Calder and Captain W. Cuming — 3 killed, 

 20 wounded. 



■]Re|)iilfe, Hon. A K. Legge — 4 wounded. 



Raifynable, Jofias Rowley— 1 killed, 1 



wounded. 

 'Dragon, Edward Griffiths — None. 



Glory, I{ear Admiral Sir Charles Stirling 

 ■<(nd Captain Samuel Warren — ;i 'killed, 1 

 wounded. 



Warrior, S. Hood Xinzee— -None. 



Thunderer, W. Lechraere — 7 killed, 11 

 wounded. 



Malta, Edward Buller — 5 killed, 40 wound- 

 ed. 



FRIC; ATI'S. 



■jZgyptienne, Hon. C. E. Fleming — No res 



turn. 

 Syriiis, W. Prowfe — 2 killed, 3 wounded. 

 Frifk cutter. Lieutenant J. Nicollbn-^Nonc, 

 NileJjggPi, Lieutenant G. Fenne — ^.'onc 

 Ipla!— 41 killed, 158 wounded. 



:j[Si^ned^ Jl. Ci^itrzn, 



