488 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



Scheld took place nearly at the 

 same lime, but the enemy's flotilla 

 moved up to Lillo with the same 

 tide that brought ours to Bathz, 

 one of which was handsomely 

 burned by the advanced gun-boats 

 almost amongst them. 



As the navigation of the west 

 Scheld is now open as far as it can 

 possibly be cleared by the navy, and 

 a flotilla force of upwards of fifty 

 sail in the east Scheld demand at- 

 tention, and I can at any time re- 

 turn in a few hours to this place, it 

 is my intention to repair in the 

 inorning to the Superb, where I 

 have ordered the boats of my divi- 

 sion. Sir Home Popham is exa- 

 mining the channels. 



Although we are now masters of 

 the navigation to Lillo, it may be 

 proper to observe, that it is in the 

 enemy's power, by sending a supe- 

 rior naval force to deprive us of it, 

 as far as Bathz (before some larger 

 ships ascend), wheneverhe pleased. 



I have, &c. R. G. Keats, 



Rear Admiral Sir Richard 



Strachan, Bart. K, B. 



Supplement to the London Gazette 

 of Saturday, Aug. 19. 

 Dotxming-street, August 20, 

 1809. 

 Dispatch from lieutenant-gen. 

 the earl of Chatham, K. G. dated 

 Head-quarters, Middleburgli,Aug. 

 11, 1809. 



Head-quarters, Middleburgh, 

 Aug. 1 1 . 

 My lord— I received yesterday 

 evening your lordship's dispatch of 

 the Stli inst. by the messenger 

 Mills, and I must intreat your 

 lordship to offer my most dutiful 

 acknowledgments to his majesty, 

 for the gracious approbation he 

 has been pleased to express of my 



humble endeavours in his service ; 

 and I shall feel the greatest satis- 

 faction in communicating to lieu- 

 tenant-general Sir Eyre Coote, and 

 the general and other officers, and 

 the troops employed here under 

 my command, the sense which his 

 majesty entertains of their meri- 

 torious conduct in the services in 

 which they have been engaged, as 

 well as the confidence his majesty 

 feels in their future good conduct, 

 and which, I trust, they will not 

 disappoint. 



The enemy has continued to give 

 what interruption he could to the 

 progress of our works ; but since 

 the date of my last letter, he has 

 attempted no sortie in any force. 

 He has endeavoured to cause us 

 some embarrassment by opening 

 the sluices at Flushing, and letting 

 in the salt water, but this has 

 been attended as yet with little 

 inconvenience, as the necessary 

 precautions for letting off the 

 water through the sluices in our 

 possession at this place and at 

 Veer, I have no doubt will be found 

 effectual. The several batteries 

 will probably be ready to open on 

 the place either the 12th or 13th, 

 and I shall look with great anxiety 

 to the result, as the speedy reduc- 

 tion of Flushing (particularly 

 under present appearances) is of 

 the last importance, as till then so 

 very large a portion of the force 

 under my command is unavoidably 

 detained before it. 



The divisions of lieut..gen. lord 

 Rosslyn and lieutenant-general 

 lord Huntly, were, according to 

 the intention I mentioned in my 

 last letter, landed in South Beve- 

 land, on the morning of the 9th in- 

 stant ; but I am sorry to say, that 

 the division of transports, with 

 the cavalry and artillery horses, the 



heavy 



