Intelligence Of Importance From The London Gazettes.

of sight of the spot where we knew the Spanish Fleet to have been cruizing only iwo days before ;• and , in fact , we had . stood on to look for them , with ' a view of--ascertaining their movements . A small Spanish vessel which we conjectured to be a sort oi Tender , was passing us , steering towards Carthagena , so that I could hardly flatter myself with being able to bring the Frigate off in the event of a v / crory , or of even escaping myself , if disabled . On the other hand , it evidently appeared that nothing but a slight and superior sailing could enable me to avoid an action and to do that fro Fri not much to

; m a gate apparently superior us , except in point of ball ; , would , have been committing the character of one of his Majesty ' s Ships more than I could bring myself to icsolve on . I therefore continued standing on without any alteration of ' course . t ' Having , with infinite satisfaction and comfort to myself , commanded the Terpsichore's Crew for two years and a half , through a preltv considerable variety of services , I wetpknew the vceran stuff which I had still left in health to depend upon , for upholding the character of British Seamen ; am ! I fed my mind at to the

ease as termination of any action with the Frigate in shjht chlv . ' ¦ ' At half past nine she came within hail , and hauled her wind on our weather boom ; and as I conceived she only waited to place herself to advantage , and to point her guns with exactness , and ' being myself unwilling to lose the position we -were then in , I ordered oiie gun to be fired , as a trier of her intention . It was so instantaneously returned , and followed up by her whole broadside , that r am coiilidt-iil they must have done it at the siht of ' flashThe action of

g our . course went on , and we soon discovered that her people would not , or could not , resist our lire . At the end of about an hour and forty minutes , during which time we nad twice wore , and employed about twenty of the last minutes in chace , she surrendered . At this period she appeared almost entirely disabled , and ami we had drawn up close alongside , with every gun well charged and well pointed . It was , nevertheless , with extreme difficulty that I prevailed on the Spanish Commander to decline the receiving of such a broadside bv submitting ; and from

every thing which I have since learned , the personal courage , conduct ; and zeal of that Officer , whose name is Don Thomas . Avalde , -was such , during the action ,-notwithstanding the event of it , as reflects on him the greatest ho- , nour , and irresistibly impresses on my mind lhe highest admiration of his character After ( from the eil ' cct of our fire ) all his booms had tumbled down , and rendered his guns unserviceable , all the standing rigging of his lower masts shot away , and I halieve nearly every running rope cut through , and a great number of his people killed - ami wounded , he still persevered ( though he could rally but few of his men ) lo defend his Ship , almost longer than defence was justifiable . Had there been the smallest motion in the sea , every mast must inevitably have gone by the board .

* Our less ( which will appear by the enclosed list ) , has been less than could have been expected ; but our masts , sails , and rigging , were found to be " pretty much cut up , - The spirited exerilons of every officer , man , and boy , belonging lo the SJiiu I ommand , as well in the action as in the securing two disabled Ships , and bringing them instantl y off from a critical situation , by taking the prize in tow , and by their 'incessant labour ever since , will , I trust , when their small number is consideredlace ( hem in a liht superior to praise which I could bestow

, p g any . _ ' The name of the Prize is the Mahonesa , carrying on lhe main deck twdilys ; x Spanish twelves ( wei ghing eighteen ounces niore than ours ) eight Spanish sixes on the quarter deck , and a number of brass cohorns , swivel ? , & c . had oil board two hundred and seventy-live men , besides six pilots , qualified for the . Mediterranean , as high as Leghorn , and to be put " on board Admiral Langara's Heel , which she had been sen : from Carthagena to look for . She was built in 17 S 0 at Millionis of largdimensionsmeasuring eleven hundred and four

, very e , - teen tons and a half Spanish , was , before the action , in complete geed condition , and t . s considered by the Spanish Officers the fastest sailer , one of lhe best constructed , and , what thsy attach considerable importance to , the handsomest Frigate . in their Navy . Both Frigates have this moment anchored in safelv . I am , & c . it . BOWE . S-: '