3809. 
eontemplation, was a menace upon the king- 
@om and capital of Naples, and the army, 28 
within detailed, beiog embarked, we sailed 
under convoy of his Majesty’s ships Canopus, 
Spartiate, Warrior, and some frigates, and 
smaller vessels, on the rith of last month, 
leaving orders to the division of his Sicilian 
Majesty’s troops, which had been placed un- 
der my conduct, and were waiting my in- 
structions at Palermo, under the command of 
Lieut.-General de Bourcaid to proceed to a 
given rendezvous. His Royal Highness Prince 
Leopold, I found at our subsequent junction, 
had embarked with this division. Our ap- 
pearance on the coast of Calabria, which we 
reached on the morning of the r5th, bad the 
effect of inducing the body of the enemy 
stationed in tha province, .to abandon, for 
the purposes of immediate concentration, the 
greater part of their posts along the shore, 
when those upon the line opposite Messina 
were seized and disarmed by a corps under 
Lieut.-Colone! Smith, who had been detach- 
ed from the fleet immediately after our sail- 
ing from Milazzo, with provisionary orders 
for that purpose. 
Major-General Mackenzie, who had sailed 
with me, as designed to bear a part in this 
expedition, returned also at my request about 
this period, for the general superintendance 
of these services, as well as to hold the ge- 
neral command in Sicily, which becomes a 
charge so important during the term of our 
present operations. On the 24th ult. the 
advanced position of the British and Sicilian 
fleet, namely, that which conteined the 
British troops, anchored off Cape Miseno, in 
the vicinity of Baia, when our preparations 
were immediately made for a debarkation 
upon the island of ischia; and the necessary 
arrangements and dispositions of boats being 
entrusted by the Admiral to Sir Francis La- 
forey, a descent was ferced on the following 
morning by the rst battalion of infantry, 
a battalion of light infantry (foreign), 81st 
regiment of Corsican Rangers, detachment 
Calabrian free corps, artillery, staff cores. &c. 
Total number, 2380, four 6 pounders, 2 
howitzers, commanded by Major-Gen, Vlac- 
_Farlane, under the immediate fire of his Ma- 
jesty’s Ships Warrior and Success, aided by 
the British and Sicilian gun-boats, in the face 
of a formidable chain of batteries, with-which 
every accessible part of the shore was perfect- 
ly fortified. ‘These were turned and succes- 
Sively abandoned as our trocps gained their 
foeting. About 250 or 300 men of the rst 
legere, in the first instance, fell into our 
hands. General Colonna, who commanded, 
_Yetired with his principal force into the cas- 
tle, where he rejected a summons from Ma-- 
jor-General Mac-Farlane,and held out until 
the 30th uit. when a breaching battery hav. 
jing been erected against his works, be sur- 
gendered upon terms of capitulation. 
_ .Ais it was conjectured by the admisal and 
2 
a 
~ and Sicilian gun-boats. 
State of Public Affairs in September. Sot 
myself, that the success and promptitude 
with which the landing upon Ischia was ef- 
‘fected, might probably operate an infuence 
upon tne adjacent garrison of Procida,'a sum-~ 
mons was immediately sent to the command. 
ant thereof, who, in the course of the day, 
submitted to our proposed terms; an event 
which contributed, most fortunately, to the 
almost entire capture or destruction of a largs 
flotilia of about forty heavy-gun-boats, which 
attempted their passage during the night, and 
following morning, to Naples from Gaeta, 
and expected to find protection, as well as co- 
opetation, undex the artillery of the fortress, 
in their passage through the narrow streight 
that separates the island from the main, 
Phbis important service was executed by Cap- 
tain Staines, of his Majesty’s ship Cyane, 
assisted by the Espoir sloop, and the British 
It is with regret ¥ 
add, that in a subsequent intrepid attack upon 
the frigate and corvette of the enemy in the 
bay, the abuve gallant officer has received a 
wound, which myst for some time deprive 
the service of his assistance. 
The amount of prisoners who have fallea 
into our hands, already exceeds 1500 rezular 
troops, exclusive of their killed and wounded, 
both ef military and marine, in different Dar- 
tial encounters, whic we have reason to 
think are considerable. Amonz the pri- 
soners are a general of brigade, 2 colonels, and 
upwards of 70 officers of progressive ranks, 
Nearly 190 pieces of ordnance, with their 
corresponding stores, have aiso become our 
capture. 
{t is with much- greater satisfiction, how- 
ever, my lord, than any that can be derived 
from these local, or momentary, advantages, 
that i contemplate our success in the materia} 
and important object of diversion for which 
this expedition was designed. A consider- 
able body of troops which had been recently 
detached from Naples, as a reinforcement to 
the army in Upper Italy, as well as almost 
the whoie.of the troops which had been senr 
into the Koman states, to aid the late usure 
pation of the papal dominions, were preci- 
pitarely recalled on our first appearance on 
the coast; and I venture to hope, that the 
check which has been operated, and which [ 
shali endeavour to preserve, will have al- 
ready, though remoteiy, contributed to sup- 
port the efforts of our brave allies. The pre- 
ponderating regular forcewhich the enemy has, 
now assembied in the coutiguity of Naples, 
aided by a large body of national guards, pre. 
clude the hope, at this moment, of any at- 
tack upon tate capital. But our footing upon 
these hes{thy islands (which were essentialiy 
necessary to us, eS a temporary lodgment, 
.as well as cepot,) in affording us the earliese 
means Of information, is also a position from 
which we can profit from circumstasce, or 
can move with facility and promptitude to 
ulterior objects; while our enemy, who are 
Es * observing 
(lip 
=— 
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