The National Intelligencer And Washington Advertiser

TUNIS.

Leissegues, Rear-Admiral, to the Minister of Marine and the Colonies.

Toulon, Sept. 26.

"Citizen Minister,

"I had the honor to transmit to you the result of my operations at Algiers. This letter contains my operations at Tunis."

The admiral proceeds to give an account of his voyage to Tunis, where he arrived on the 26th of August, and went ashore on the 29th. On the next day he was introduced to the Bey. The following is the account of his interview:

"At nine in the morning, accompanied by the commissary-general, the captains, my officers, and the French merchants, I went in ceremony to Bardo (the place of the Bey's residence, about a league from Tunis). As soon as I was introduced to the Bey with my suite, I advanced to him and took him by the hand, which he pressed very affectionately.

"Having taken a place by his side, I said to him, that the First Consul had ordered me to anchor in the harbor of Tunis, in order that I might make known to him, that he had been informed that the Christian slaves who were in the galleys were ill-treated; that several had perished with misery and by the blows they had received; that he would have me acquaint him that, being at peace with the Neapolitan and other powers of the Mediterranean, he desired that, if he continued to make Christian slaves, he would ensure subsistence to them, that they should be treated as prisoners of war, and that care should be taken not to use them ill; that several slaves had been made by his corsairs four years ago, in a descent upon Isle St. Pierre; that these unhappy Sardinians had been taken in the house of the agent of the French Republic; that he expected him to release them immediately; that, for the rest, he desired the ancient commercial relations to be renewed between Africa and the French coast, and that he hoped he would protect our commerce, and prohibit its corsairs from insulting the French flag and the flag of the Italian Republic."

"The Bey replied that he was much flattered by the desire the First Consul had to live upon amicable terms with the Regency; that it was his own greatest desire to do the same, and that what the First Consul wished being just and reasonable, he adhered to it with great willingness; that, for the rest, he was going to send to Paris an envoy which should be charged to treat with him, and to compliment him on his prosperity.

"He then ordered coffee to be served, and took it with us (which is the mark of the greatest distinction and politeness that the prince can show in audience.)

"A few moments after I quitted the Bey, and went with my suite to the prime minister's, who had requested me to do him that honor. He received us in a very friendly manner, had coffee served, and ordering some arms to be brought which he used, he presented me with a very fine cimeter, mounted with gold, which he requested me to accept as a mark of friendship.

"Upon my return to the commissary general's, I received a visit from the charges d'Affaires of England, Holland, Spain, Denmark, Sweden and the United States.

"On the next day, accompanied by citizen Devoiré, I returned the different charges d'affaires, as well as to the French merchants, the visit they had paid me."

The admiral proceeds to give an account of his having visited and dined with the prime minister, to whom he gave in return a splendid dinner on board his ship, and whom he presented some brocades of the manufacture of Lyons.

On the 11th of September he had another interview with the Bey.

"As soon as I arrived at the Bey's I renewed the demand I had made in our former interview. I demanded the release of twenty-two individuals, whose mothers were born in Corsica, and which he granted with some difficulty, making complaints with respect to the slaves, whose escape our sailors had occasioned. I made no difficulty in proposing to him the payment of the ransom of all the individuals whose escape had been produced by our sailors.

"It was in this audience that the Bey told me that meaning to send an ambassador to congratulate the First Consul on his appointment to the consulship for life, he desired I would give him a passage on board my ship. He added, that he should be much flattered by my doing him the honor to accompany him to Paris. I acquiesced in the demand, and promised to do every thing to his satisfaction that depended upon me. We separated very well contented with each other.

"On the 15th of Sept. I went to Bardo to take leave of the Bey. After some compliments on his part, he renewed his entreaty with respect to his ambassador, and I took leave, loaded with marks of friendship and esteem."

The admiral, after mentioning the arrival of the released slaves, the presents destined for the First Consul, and of the Tunisian ambassador, says, that he set sail on the 20th September, and arrived on the 27th at Toulon. He adds, that there were not at Tunis, nor in the environs, any symptoms of the plague, nor any contagious disorder, and that he had not lost a man.

He annexes to his letter a list of the slaves released by the Dey of Algiers, and on board of his division; and of the slaves who had taken refuge in his ships at Algiers and Tunis. He annexes also a list of the Tunisian ambassador's suite, and of the presents destined for the First Consul. [These presents were enumerated in yesterday's Gazette.]