221. 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1S13. 



from lieut.-general Clinton, in 

 Catalonia, to the 3rd instant. The 

 general was still at Tarragona, and 

 the enemy were in their old posi- 

 tion on the Lobregat. 



Lieutenant-general lord William 

 Bentinck had embarked for Sicily 

 on the 22nd of September. 



I send this dispatch by my aide- 

 de-camp, captain thejearl of March, 

 whom I beg to recommend to your 

 lordship's protection. 



I have, &c. 

 (Signed) Wellington. 



Admiralty-oJJicet Jan, 8. 

 Copy of a letter Jrom captain Hoste, 

 of his majesty's ship Bacchante, 

 addressed to rear-admiral Free- 

 mantle, and transmitted to vice- 

 admiral sir Edward Pellcw, to 

 John Wilson Croker, Esq. 



Bacchante, off" Castel Nuova, 

 Oct. 16. 

 T Sir; — I arrived off Ragusa on 

 the 12th instant, and joined the 

 Saracen and three gun-boats, with 

 a detachment of the garrison of 

 Curzola on board, commanded by 

 captain Lowen, who had been 

 directed by colonel Robertson to 

 act on this coast. 



From the information I received 

 from captain Harper, of the Sara- 

 cen, together with the state of the 

 country about Cattaro, and the in- 

 surrection of the Bocchese, I lost 

 no time in proceeding to this place, 

 with the vessels under my orders. 

 On the 13th, in the morning, we 

 forced the passage between Castel 

 Nuova and the fort of Rosa, and 

 after some firing, secured a capital 

 anchorage for the squadron, about 

 three miles above Castel Nuova. 



In the evening, I detached the 



boats of this ship, with those of 

 the Saracen, anu the two Sicilian 

 gun-boats, under captain Harper's 

 orders, who very handsomely vo- 

 lunteered his services, to capture 

 the enemy's- armed naval force, 

 which I understood were lying be- 

 tween the Isle St. George, andihe 

 town of Cattaro. Captain Harper 

 completely succeeded ; the enemy 

 had destroyed their boats on his 

 approach, but having succeeded in 

 manning them with the armed 

 Bocchese in the neighbourhood, 

 he most gallantly attacked and 

 carried the Island St. George, the 

 commandant and his garrison sur- 

 rendering at discretion. I enclose 

 his report of the affair, with the 

 account of the guns, &c. captured. 

 This is a point of the utmost import- 

 ance to our future operations ; it 

 commands and fronts the narrow 

 channel to the narrow branch of 

 the river that leads up to Cattaro 

 itself; and, fortified as it is, it 

 would have been with difficulty, 

 if at all, the ships of war could 

 have passed it. The fort of Peroste 

 was taken by the Bocchese the 

 same night ; and I have now the 

 pleasure to acquaint you, that Cas- 

 tel Nuova, and Fort Espagnol, sur- 

 rendered by capi(i:lation to theBri- 

 tish force this morning, a copy of 

 which I enclose. The garrison re- 

 main prisoners of war tillexchanged; 

 the officers are allowed their parole. 

 There are several Croats among the 

 garrison, who are willing to enter 

 the Austrian service, and I intend 

 sending them to Fiume. I shall lose 

 no time in getting up to Cattaro. 

 Fort St. John is the only place the 

 enemy possess in the Bocco. The 

 French general Gauthier has re- 

 tired into the fort, with about 600 

 men, it is about fifteen miles up 



ll 



