144 
eivil and eriminal tribunal to hold their 
fittings there. About this time iffued an 
arreié, relative to the commander of the 
frigate La Senfible, taken by the English, 
purporting, ‘ That the executive direc- 
tory informed of the conduct of Captain 
Bourpe, and that this officer furrender- 
ed to the enemy after the firit broadfide 
had been fired, refolve, that he be imme- 
diately difcontinued from all his func- 
tions.”” 
BuonaparteE failed for Malta* about 
the 21ft of June, direCting his courte to- 
wards Alexandria, in Egypt, at whicn 
place the greater part, if not the whole 
of his forces, have arrived. Whether he 
attempts the corquett of Egypt, or merely 
retains Alexendria to affift his fuppofed 

* Malta, placed between Europe, Afia, 
and Africa, appears by its military ftrength, 
by its commercial pofition, by the beauty 
and excellence of its harbours, as defigned to 
render its pofleffors the mafters of the Medi- 
terranean. This ifland, known by the anci- 
ents under the name of Melita, belonged fuc- 
ceflively to the Qarthaginians, the Romans, 
the Saracens, and to the king of Naples. 
When the knights of Rhodes faw their owa 
ifland burnt by the Turks; and Lille-Adam, 
the new Eneas, was compelled to wander, 
with the wreck of his fleet and his houfhold 
goods, in fearch of ftrange lands, Malta was 
ceded by Charles the fifth to the knights of 
Rhodes. This ifland, which, at the tire 
fzoken of, was a rock covered only in certain 
places with a few inches in depth of vege- 
table earth, foon changed its face under the 
dominion of its new fovereigns. A city was 
built in one of the mof pi€turefque and happy 
fpots of the gicbe. ‘A neck of land, ftretch- 
ing out into the fea, ferved as a feparation to 
two very commodious harbours, one of which 
is cfteemed the moft beautiful in the Medi- 
terranean fea. It is upon this peninfula, that 
the Javalette was conttruéted and fortified for 
the prote€tion at once of the two harbours, 
which, in a manner, lave its walls. Thefe 
fortifications, the chef d’ovwres of art and of 
nature, enabled the Maltefe to refift two hun- 
dred thoufand foldiers of Soliman; and it was 
generally confidered as the Gibraltar of the 
Archipelago. The whole ifland is covered 
with forts and redoubts, and lined with bat- 
eries. In thofe places where the rocky chi¥ 
which fkirts the coafts, is not perpendicular, 
foffes are cut in the folid ftone, to render all 
debarkation highly dangerous, and almoit 
impoffible, whatever might be the force and 
the refources of the enemy. The ifland of 
Gozo is fituated at the diftance of five killo- 
meters, of their new meafure, from the 
ifland of Malta. -Gozo is the ancient ifland of 
Calypfo, which the pencil of Homer and of 
Fenzlon, has rendered fo famous. 
State of Public Affairs. 
[ Aue. 
defigns upon the Britith fettlements in 
India, cannot yet be afcertained. 
BAILEUL, in the council of five hun- 
dred, made areport on the 8th of Auguft, 
upon a mefiage of tae directory relative 
to’ the means of providing for the expences 
of the enfuing, or feventh year of the re- 
public. He complained of the embarraffed 
{tate of the finances. He confidered the 
bafis on which national credit ought te 
repofe. The principles he laid down were 
evidently drawn from Dr. Adam Smith’s 
‘< Wealth of Nations.’ He fpoke of fim- 
plifying the transfer of the public funds, 
of converting the fhares of the public 
debts into notes payable to the bearer, 
and fecuring the payments due to the cre- 
ditors of the ftate. 
On the next day, VILLIERS made an- 
other report on the fame fubjeét. He 
brought forward an eftimate of the fupply 
neceflary for defraying the expence of the 
feventh year, which he calculated could 
not be lefs than 600 millions of livres. 
The report was ordered to be printed. 
SARDINIA. 
Great differences having broken out 
between the fubjeéts of the Cifalpine and 
Ligurian republics, and thofe of the king _ 
of Sardinia, general Brune on the part of 
the French republic, and the Marquis 
Marfan on the part of his Sardinian ma- 
jefty, in order to prevent hoftilities be- 
tween the two republics above mentioned, 
and his Sardinian majefty and for the fafe- 
ty of Piedmont, agreed on the provifional 
occupation of the citadel of Turin by the 
French troops: the French army to keep 
poffeffion of the fortrefs for two months 
unlefs otherwife ordered by the French 
direftory and his Sardinian majefty. Af- 
ter this tranfaction, general Brune pub- 
lithed a proclamation relative to the in- 
furgents, and ufed all his endeavours to 
reftore order and facilitate the return of 
tranquillity. The French ftill retain pof- 
feffion of the citadel according to agree- 
ment. His Sardinian majefty, m order to 
evince his friendfhip for the French re- 
public, ordered 2 manifefto to be publified 
on the 22d of July, in which is fignified 
his difapprobation of fome infidious at- 
tempts which had been made to create 2 
{pirit of animofity and hatred again{t the 
French ; and that fuch agitators will be 
confidered as difturbers of the peace and 
punifhed accordingly. , 
AMERICA. 
The prefident of the United States, om 
the 21 of June, fent a meflage to Con- 
grefs with the laft communications from 
the minifters at Pari$, brought by Mr. 
MarsHAil, 
