In my letter of the 12th inftant, I had the honour to acquaint you, that from the 30th of November to that time no particular event had taken place, and that the fire of the enemy was lefs frequent. During this period they were daily receiving reinforcements from every quarter, and both fides were bufily employed, we in strengthening our pofts, and the enemy in eftablihing new batteries against Cape Brun and Malbouquet, but principally against fort Mulgrave, on the heights of Balaguier. From all concurring accounts of deferters, and others, the enemy's army was now between 30,000 and 40,000 men, and an attack upon our pofts was to be daily expected. Thefe, from their effential though detached fituations, had been feverally ftrengthened in the proportion their circumftances required, having fuch central force in the town as was deemed neceffary for its immediate guard, and for affording a degree of fuccour to any point that might be more particularly attacked.

For the complete defence of the town and its extenfive harbour, we had long been obliged to occupy a circumference of at Leatt fifteen miles, by eight principal pofts, with their feveral intermediate dependent ones; the greater part of these were merely of a temporary nature, fuch as our means allowed us to conftru&t; and, of our force, which never exceeded 12,000 men bearing firelocks, and composed of five different nations and languages: near 9000 were placed in fupporting thofe pofts, and about 5000 remained in the town.

On the 16th, at half past two o'clock in the morning, the enemy, who had before fired from three batteries on fort Mulgrave, now opened two new ones, and continued a very heavy cannonade and bombardment on that poft till morning. The works fuffered much. The number of men killed and difabled was confiderable. The weather was rainy, and the confequent fatigue great.

At two o'clock of the morning of the 17th, the enemy, who had every advantage in affembling and fuddenly advancing, at tacked the fort in great force. Although no part of this temporary poft was fuch as Could well refift determined troops, yet, for a confiderable time, it was defended; but, on the enemy entering on the Spanish fide, the Britif quarter, commanded by captain Conolly, of the 18th regiment, could not be much longer maintained, notwithfanding

feveral gallant efforts were made for the purpose. It was, therefore, at last carried, and the remains of the garrifon of 700 men retired towards the fhore of Balaguier, under the protection of the other pofts established on thofe heights, and which continued to be faintly attacked by the enemy. As this pofition of Balaguier was a moft effential one for the prefervation of the harbour; and, as we had no communication with it but by water, 2,200 men had been placed there for fome time patt. On the night preceding the attack 300 more men had been fent over, and on the morning of the 17th 400 were embarked till farther to support

it.

When the firing at Balaguier ceafed, we remained in anxious fufpence as to the event till a little before day-light, when a new fcene opened, by an attack on all our posts, on the mountain of Pharon. The enemy were repulfed on the eaft fide, where was our principal force of about 700 men, commanded by a moft diftinguished officer, the Piedmonteie. Colonel de Jermagan, whofe lofs we deeply lament; but on the back of the mountain, near 1800 feet high, steep, rocky, deemed almoft inacceffible, and which we had laboured much to make fo, they found means once more to penetrate between our pofts, which occupied an extent of above two miles, guarded by about 450 men, and in a very thort fpace of time, we faw that, with a very great number of men, they crowded all that fide of the mountain which overlooks Toulon. of this event I am not yet enabled to ascertain, but I have every reason to think, that they did not enter at a British post.

The particulars

Our line of defence, which, as I have mentioned, occupied a circumference of at least 15 miles; and with points of which we had only a water communication, being thus broke in upon, in its two most eflential pofts, it became neceffary to adopt decifive meatures, arifing from the knowledge of the whole of our actual fituation. A council of the flag ani general officers affembled. They determined on the impracticability of reftoring the poits we had loft, and on the confequent propriety of the speedieft evacuation of the town, evidently, and by the report of the engineers and artillery officers, declared untenable. Measures of execution were taken from that moment. The troops were withdrawn from the heights of Balaguier without much interruption from the enemy; and in the evening, fuch posts as neceffarily depended on the poffeffion of Pharon were fucceffively evacuated, and the troops drawn towards Toulon. The forts D'Artigues and St. Catherine ftill remained,

together

together with the pofts of Sablattes, Cape Brun, and Malboufquet, from which laft the Spaniards withdrew in the night, in confequence of the fupporting poft of Neapolitans, at Miciffey, having left the battery there established, and abandoned it without orders. Every attention was alfo given to infure the tranquillity of the town. In the night the combined fleets took a new ftation iu the outer road.

Early in the morning of the 18th, the fick and wounded, and the British artillery,' were fent off. In the course of the day the poft of Cape Brun was withdrawn into La Malgue; the post of Sablettes was alfo retired, and the men were put on board.Measures were arranged for the final embarkation, during the night, of the British, Piedmontese, and Spaniards, who occupied the town, and the troops of the fame nations who were now at La Malgue, amounting in all to about 7000 men, for the Neapolitans had, by mid-day, embarked.

Having determined, with lieutenant Gra vina, commanding the Spanish troops, that, inftead of embarking at the quays and in the arfenal of the town, our whole force fhould affemble near fort La Malgue, and form on the peninfula which from thence extends into their harbour, every previous difpofition was made, and every care taken to conceal our intention. The arfenal and the dock-yard were strictly guarded, The troops were ranged accordingly on the ram parts, and the tranquillity of the town was much enfured from the time the enemy began to throw fhells and hot into it; which they did from our late batteries at Miciffey and Malboufquet.

About ten o'clock at night fire was fet to the hips and arsenal. We immediately began our march, and the evacuation of the town, which it was neceffary fhould be made with fecrecy and expedition, the fort of St. Catherine having, without order, been quitted in the courfe of the day, and poffeffed by the enemy. The confequent early knowledge of our march, had we taken the common route, through the gate of Italy, and within mufquet-fhot of that fort, might have produced great inconvenience, we therefore, by a fally poft, gained an advanced part of the road, and without accident were enabled to quit the town, arrive at fort La Malgue, and form on the rifing ground immediately above the fhore. The boats were ready, the weather and the fea in the highest degree favourable. The embarkation began about eleven o'clock, and by day-break on rhe 19th the whole, without interruption, or the lofs of a man, were en board ship.

The great fire in the arfenal, the blowing up of the powder-fhips, and other fimilar events which took place in the night, certainly tended to keep the enemy in a state of fufpenfe and uncertainty.

As the fecurity of this operation depended much on the protection afforded from the happy fituation of fort La Malgue, which fo effectually commands the neck of the pe'ninfula, and the judicious ufe that should be made of its artillery, this important fervice was allotted to major Koehler, with 200 men, who after feeing the last man off the shore, and spiking all the guns, effected, from his activity and intelligence, his own retreat without lofs.

Captains Elphinstone, Hollwell, and Mathews fuperintended the embarkation; and to their indefatigable attention aud good difpofition we are indebted for the happy fuccefs of fo important an operation. Capt. Elphinstone, as governor of Fort la Malgue, has ably afforded me the most essential affiftance, in his command and arrangement of the feveral important pofts included in that diftrict.

It is impoffible for me to exprefs, but in general terms, the approbation that is due to the conduct and merits of the feveral commanding officers, and indeed of every officer, in every rank and fituation. Troops have feldom experienced, for fo long a time, a fervice more harraffing, diftreffing, and fevere; and the officers and men of the regiments of marines have gone through it with that exertion, fpirit, and good-will which peculiarly diftinguish the British foldier. At Fort Mulgrave, lieutenant Duncan, fen. of the royal artillery was so esfentially useful, that to his exertions and abilities that poft was much indebted for its prefervation for fo long a time,

The general fervice has been carried on with the most perfect harmony and zeal of the navy and army. From our deficiency in artillery men, many of our batteries wel a worked by feamen; they, in part, guarded fome of our pofts, and their aid was peculiarly useful in duties of fatigue and labour. In all these we found the influence of the fuperior activity and extitions of the British jailors.

It was the constant attention of lord Hood to relieve our wants and alleviate our difficulties.

The Sardinian troops we have always confidered as a part of ourfelves. We have experienced their attachment and good behaviour, and I have found much affistance from the ability and conduct of the chevalier de Revel, and from brigadier-general Richler, who commands them.

Notwithstanding the undefined fituation of command, I found every difpofition and acquiefence in lieutenant-general Gravina, commanding the Spanish troops, to execute every propofed meafure which the common caufe required.

The lofs of the British on the 17th at Fort Mulgrave, and on the heights of Pharon, amount to about 300 men, of which, during the last four days, no exact account could be procured: and as the troops, embarking, were put on board the nearest and moft convenient ships, till they are again

united in corps.

in

I cannot have the honour of tranfmiting particular returns, nor even knowing the detail of circumstances that attended the attack of thofe pofts.

It is now about three weeks that, from the unfortunate accident of General O'Hara being made prifoner, the government of Toulon devolved on me; my best exertions have not beeh wanting in that fituation, and I humbly hope that his majefty may be pleafed to look upon them in a favourable light.

I beg leave to add, that the battalion of Royal Louis, and two independent companies of French chaffeurs, raised at Toulon, have behaved, on every occafion, with fidelity and fpirit. They embarked at La Malgue, to the number of about 600 men, and are now with us.

18th, or Royal Irish Regiment-1 enfign, 2 rank and file and feamen.

30th Regiment-1 ċaptain, 1 lieutenant, 5 ferjeants, 3 drummers, 140 rank and file and feamen.

Marines -2 lieutenants, 2 ferjeants, 24 drummers, 56 rank and file and feamen. Royal Navy-1 midshipman, 28 feamen.

Attack of the Heights of Pharon. 11th Regiment-1 lieutenant, I ferjeant, 15 rank and file and feamen.

18th, or Royal Regiment- ferjeant, s rank and file and feamen. Marines- lieutenant, 15 rank and file, and feamen.

Officers names missing.

11th Regiment lieutenant Knight. 18th, or Royal Irish-enfign Minchin. 30th Regiment-captain De Vaumorelt, lieutenant Cuyler.

Marines lieutenants Williams, Barry, and Lynn.

Royal Navy-Mr. Alexander Wilkie, midshipman.

Officers names wounded and present.

Royal Artillery-Lieutenant Duncan, fen.

Royal Navy-lieutenant Goddark, Mr. J. W. Loring, midshipman.

(Signed) THO. HISLOP, D. A. G.

The fate of the above officers and men, returned miffing, is not, nor cannot be known; but, from all the intelligence that can be gained, it is much to be apprehended, that they fell before day break, gallantly defending the poft they were intrufted with, when abandoned by other troops.

D. DUNDAS, Lieut. Gen.

Right Hon. Henry Dundas.

PARIS DEC. 30, 1794.

Anacharfis Cloots and Thomas Paine, deprived by a decree of the Convention of their feats, have been arrested, and feals put upon their papers. Total of prisoners, 4621.

GREAT