310 
N D O N. 
calamity. The St, Thomas’s Gazette, of the 9th of April, 
gave the following particularsMarch 26 lias been a day 
of woe and horror to the province of Venezuela. At four 
P. M. the city of Caraccas Hood in all its fplendour; a 
few minutes later, 4500 houfes, 19 churches and con¬ 
vents', with all the public buildings,monuments, &c. were 
crulhed to atoms by a l'udden ihock of an earthquake, 
which did not laft a minute, and buried thoulands of the 
inhabitants in ruins and defolation. That day happened 
to be Holy Thurlday; and at the preciie hour every place 
of worlhip was crowded to commemorate the commence- 
men of our Saviour’s paffion by a public proceffion, which 
was to proceed through the ftreets a few minutes after¬ 
wards, The number of haplefs fufferers was thus aug¬ 
mented to an incredible amount, as every church was le¬ 
velled with the ground before any perfon could be aware 
of danger. The number of fufferers taken oat of the 
churches (two days after this difafter) amounted alone to 
upwards of 300 corpfes. The extent of the number of 
dead is differently dated, from 4 to 6, and as far as 3 ,000. 
Horrible as this cataftropjie appears, it would be a matter 
of fome confolation to know that the vicinity of that city 
offered fome fupport or Iheiterto the furviving mourners ; 
but the next town and feaport thereto, viz. La Guayra, 
lias in proportion fufFered (till more, as well as its imme¬ 
diate coaft. The following cities and towns alfo fufFered : 
Cuinana, New Barcelona, Valencia, and Magueta, nearly de- 
ftroyedj Barquifimeto, Santa Rofa, and-Candace, totally 
deftroyed ; St. Charles and CaramaodFe, very much injured ; 
Arilaqua funk; and the inland town of St. Philip, with 
a population of 1200 perfons, entirely fwaliowed up.” 
The occurrences this year in the Eaft Indies were of no 
great importance.—The ftrong fortrefs of Kailinjur in Bun- 
dlecund fubniitted to the Britidi arms, after a refiftance 
which in the firft indance was unfuccefsful. Colonel 
Martindell, who commanded the force led againft it, or¬ 
dered an affault on the 2d of February. The troops ad¬ 
vanced in three columns to dorm a breach which had been 
made by the artillery; but, on arriving under the walls, 
they found a perpendicular precipice to be furmounted 
before it could be reached : ladders were applied, which 
were thrown down by the garrifon ; and in the mean time 
the aflailants were expofed to a very deftru£Hve fire 
of cannon and mufketry : they at length found it neceffary 
to retreat, with a fevere lofs of officers and men. The 
adfion, however, was not thrown away; for the difplay 
of courage and enterprife made fuch an impreffion on the 
commander of the fort, that he foon after furrendered by 
capitulation. 
An expedition fitted out at Batavia, under colonel Gil- 
lefpie, and captain Sayer of the Leda, againfl Palambang, 
was completely fuccefsful. On its return, the army was 
employed againft the rajah of Jacgocatra, who had fliowr 
fymptoms of difaffedfion. His fortrefs and town were 
iformed, and hiinfel.f taken prifoner, with the whole of his 
property. Though he had a force of 10,000 men, the lofs 
of the viclors was inconfiderable. The Dutch iflands of 
Macaffar and Timour were alfo captured by the fame ex¬ 
pedition ; and-the refources of Java were found 'fufficient, 
not only for its own fecurity, but fo; aiding in the gene¬ 
ral defence of the Britifli empire. The fort of Nowanug- 
gar, belonging to the Jam-rajah, fubmitted to the Britifli 
arms on February 24, juft as the troops brought againft 
it under lieutenant-colonel Lionel Smith Were on the point 
of ftorming. 
A dangerous confpiracy was detected among the native 
troops at Travancore, the objedt of which was to maffacre 
their European officers whilft affembled at an entertain¬ 
ment to be given by the Britifli refident at that court. It 
was difclofed by a confidential fepoy, and the ringleaders 
were feized upon; two of whom, native officers, were 
blown from a cannon in front of the line drawn up to wit- 
nefs their punifhment. Several nairs and faquirs, infti- 
gators of the mutiny, were afterwards hung, 
A fire broke out in the printing-office at the Million, 
heufe, Serampoar,' on the evening of the nth of March, 
which deftroyed 2000 reams of Englifh paper, worth 5000L 
and founts of type in fourteen languages, befides Englilh. 
The lofs could not be lefs than 1.2,000]. ancfall the literary- 
labours of the miffionaries were interrupted at once. 
Accounts were received from Perfia, that a definitive 
treaty of alliance between that government and Great Bri¬ 
tain had been concluded by fir Gore Oufeley, on terms 
highly advantageous to this country. 
If we come nearer home, we fliall find that the attention 
of the French emperor was, during this year, fo much en¬ 
gaged by his continental projects,- that the mighty pre¬ 
parations he Teemed to be making laft year for contend¬ 
ing with Great Britain on the ocean, produced no fenfi- 
ble. addition to the power and enterprife of his navy, 
which for the moft part lay quiet in port, and offered very 
few opportunities to the Britifli commanders ffationed in 
the European feas of gratifying that ardour for diftinguifli- 
ing themfelves in their country’s fervice by which they 
are fo honourably characterized. 
An account arrived at the admiralty, in February 1812, 
of the capture, on November 19, by the Eagle of 74 guns, 
captain Rowley, of the French frigate Corcyre, pierced 
for forty guns, but mounting only twenty-fix i8-pounder3 
on the main-deck, and two 6-pounders on the quarter- 
deck ; with a complement of 170 feainen and 130 fol- 
diers; laden with wheat and military ftores, and bound 
from Triefte to Corfu. She had two companions, which 
efcaped during the chafe, that began off Fano, and ter¬ 
minated near Brindifi. The action was fliort, as, indeed, 
the inequality of force would have rendered a protradted 
refiftance only a fruitlefs mile of lives. No one was hurt 
on-board the Eagle. 
In the fame lea, off Liffa, a very fevere adtion was fought 
between three Englifh and three French frigates, which did 
credit to the bravery and conduct of both parties; though 
fuccefs, as ufual, remained to the Englifh.—'The French 
fqnadron having been deferied to the fouth of Litfa oil 
November 28, the ftiips Alctfte, Adtive, and Unite, were 
warped out of the harbour of St. George; and on the 
morning of the 29th came in fight of the enemy off the 
ifland of Augufta. The French commodore formed in 
line, and for a fliort time flood towards his antagonifts ; but, 
finding tlie Englifh bearing upon him in cloie line under 
full fail, he bore away to the north-weft. His rear-fhip 
feparating, captain Murray Maxwell, the Britiih commo¬ 
dore, detached the Unite after her; and himfelf, in the 
Alcefte, commenced adtion with the other two. On pair¬ 
ing the rearmoft to get at the commodore, a fliot bring¬ 
ing down his main-topmaft, he dropt a little aftern, on 
which triumphant fhouts of Vive I'emptrenr re founded from 
the French fhips. Captain Gordon, however, in the Ac¬ 
tive, pufhed on, and brought the fternmoft to clofe adtion ; 
whilft the French commodore, fhortening fail, fairly en¬ 
gaged the Alcefte. After a warm conflict of two hours 
and twenty minutes, the French commodore, in the Pau¬ 
line, thought proper to bear away to the we ft ward, the 
crippled ftate of the Alcefte not buffering captain Maxwell 
to purfue. The other (hip then ftruck; and proved to 
be the Pomone, of 44 guns, and 322 men, commanded by 
captain Rofamel, whole fkill and courage are very ho¬ 
nourably recorded by the visitor. He had fifty men killed 
•and wounded; his antagonift, the Active, had thirty-two, 
among whom were captain Gordon, who loft a leg, and 
liis firft lieutenant, who had an arm carried away. In the 
mean time, captain Chamberlayne in the Unite had over¬ 
taken his chafe, which ftruck after a trifling refiftance; 
and to his mortification proved to be only a ftore-lhip of 
26 guns and 190 men, named La Perfanne. The Active 
was lent with the prizes and prifoners to Malta; and the 
two others were immediately refitted for fervice. 
A letter from captain Taylor, of the Apollo, dated 
Feb. 14, mentions, that on the preceding day, on round¬ 
ing 
