1811.) 
struck the enemy fled behind the sand hills. 
At this critical momesat Lieut. Baker ane 
chored his vessel on their flank, and opened 
a well directed fire. The sand hills being n6 
longer a protection, and finding it impossible 
either to advance or retreat, the enemy hung 
out a flag of truce, and offered to surrender 
upon terms; but I would listen to nothing 
but an unconditional surrender, which, after 
gome deliberation, was complied with. 
In the mean time the gun-boats of the 
south side, which had been much galled by 
the fire of Fert Yorke and Massareene bat- 
‘tery, got under weigh, and stéod to the west- 
ward, and the column of the enemy which 
had advanced on the south side, finding their 
wetreat no longer covered by the flotilla, also 
hung out a flag of truce, I sent out an officer 
to meet it. I was asked to surrender; the re- 
ply that I returned it is unnecessary to men- 
tion. The enemy finding my determination, 
sought permission to embark without moles- 
tation; but I would listen to nothing but an 
unconditional submission, and I have the 
pleasure to inform you, that this corps also 
aid down their arms and surrendered them- 
selves prisoners of war. The prisoners which 
were now more’ numerous than my small 
garrison, were no sooner secured, than upe- 
rations were commenced against the reserve, 
which had been seen retreating to the west- 
ward of the island. I took the field with 
Major Torrens (who though wounded in- 
sisted un accompanying me) and Lieutenant 
and Adjutant Steele ; but, as our prisoners 
were so numerous, and as we had no place of 
security in which to place them, 1 could 
only employ on this occasion the brigade of 
howitzers. When we arrived at the west 
end of the island, we found that the enemy 
had formed on the beach,and were protected by 
fourteen gun-boats towed close to the shore ; 
to attack such a force, with four howitzers 
and 40 men, seemed a useless sacrifice of brave 
men’s lives; IJ, therefore, with the advice of 
Major Torrens halted on the hills, while I 
reluctantly saw the reserve etnbarked under 
the cover of the gun-boats, and the flotilla 
took a final leave of the island. Iam happy to 
say our loss has not been so considerable as 
might have been expected from fo’ desperate 
an attack, we having only two killed and 
‘ thirty wounded. The enemy have suffered 
severely. lam happy to add, the property 
belonging to the merchants has been’ fully 
protected, without meeting with the least loss, 
Thave the honour to be, &c. , 
i+ J. W. Maurice, Commandant, 
Killed.--Guesta Brachio, serjeant; Anthony 
Locke, private. 
~ oral killed and wounded— 32. 
J. W: Mavricr, 
State of Public Affairs in Apra. 
A London Gazette extraordinary of 
Sunday, April 7th, contains the particu- 
lars of the important retreat of Massena, 
in a letter from Lord WELLINGTON. 
Villa Seca, March 14,1811. 
The enemy retired from their position 
which they had occupied at Santarem and the 
neighbourhood, in the night of the Sth inst. 
I putahe British army in motion to-follow 
them on the morning of the 6th. Their first 
movements indicated an intention to collect. 
a force at Thomar, andI therefore marched 
upon that town, on the 8th, a considerable 
body of troops, formed of a part of Marshal Sir 
W. Beresford’s corps, under major-general the 
Hon. Wm. Stewart, which had crossed the 
Tagus at Abrantes, and afterwards the Ze- 
zere, and of the 4th and 6th and part of the 
1st divisions of infantry, and two brigades of 
Bywtish cavalry. The enemy however con- 
tinued his march towards the Mondego, hav- 
ing one corps, the 2d, on the road of Espin- 
hel ; General Loison’s division on the road of 
Anciao, and the remainder of the army to- 
wards Pombal. These last were followed and 
never lost sight of by the light division and 
the Royal Dragoons and the 1st Hussars, whe 
took from them about 200 prisoners. 
On the 9th the enemy collected in front of 
Pombal the 6th corps, with the exception of 
Gefreral Loison’s division, the 8th corss, and 
the 9th corps, and General Montbrun’s divi- 
sion of cavalry. The hussars, which, with 
the royal dragoons and light division, were 
immediately in front of the enemy’s army, 
distinguished themselves in a charge which 
they made on this occasion under the com- 
mand of Colonel Arenschidlt. A detachment 
of the 16th light dragoons under Lieut. Wey- 
land, which had been in observation of the 
enemy near Leyria, made prisoners a dee 
tachment, consisting of 50 dragoons, on that 
morning, and had followed the enemy from 
Leyria, and arrived on the ground just 
in time to assist their, friends the hussars 
in this charge. I could not collect a sufficient 
body of troops to commence an operation 
upon the enemy til] the i1th. On that day 
the Ist, 3d, 4th, 5:h, and 6th, and the light 
divisions of infantry, and General Pack’s bri-’ 
gade, andallthe British cavalry joined uponthe 
ground immediately in front of the enemyy 
who had commenced their retreat from theie’ 
position during the night. They were fol- 
lowed by the light division, the hussars and 
royals, and Brigadier General Pack’s brigade, 
under the command of Major General Sir 
Wm. Erskine, and Major General Slade, and 
made an attempt to hold the ancient castle of 
Pombal, from which they were driven; but the 
6th corps and General Montbrun’s ‘cayalry, 
which formed the rear guard, supported by 
the 8th cotps, held the ground on the other 
side of the town, the troops not having are 
rived in time to complete dispositions to 
attack them before it was dark, Upon this 
nh 4) by: ‘ eccasion 
