Gazette Of The United States And Daily Evening Advertiser

LONDON.

THE FRENCH FLEET.

The following particulars are in one of the Paris papers about the French fleet; they are translated from a letter from Brest, dated the end of December.

" Three weeks ago the naval armament had orders to put to sea. Eight ships viz. one of 80 guns, and 7 of 74, were victualled for six months; the remainder were only victualled for 2 months. The fleet was composed of 65 ships of war, of which 36 were of the line, 15 frigates, and 14 sloops or cutters, the whole under the orders of the following Admirals:

1. Villaret, vice-admiral, chief commander.

2. Bouvet, rear-admiral of the second squadron.

3. Nielly, rear-admiral of the third squadron.

4. Renaudin, chief commander of the division victualled for six months. (He was Captain of Le Vengeur, sunk the 1st of June, and prisoner in England.)

5. Trinquelon, commander of the light squadron.

Vautier, rear-admiral commander of the rear guard.

" The Representative Faures and Treilhound, were on board the admiral. The wind being fair for two days, the fleet set sail; but a very small part of it was out of the harbour, when the wind became contrary, and it was obliged to put back. Some days after the contrariety was experienced. On the 24th of December, we had so violent and so sudden a hurricane from the north east, that the cables of many vessels gave way; others drove on their anchors, and fell aboard of one another, but without very material damages. The three decker the Republican of 110 guns having at once snapped her cables was driven on the rocks of the Goulet, with her stern on. In that perilous situation she used many exertions to set sail, but she could not wear, and the violence of the wind drove her on the rock of Mingant, in the middle of the Goulet; her whole stem was broke to pieces, and went down forward. In that situation her guns were thrown over board; and from 11 o'clock at night till four in the morning, when the boats came from the harbour, to her assistance, the crew, which consisted of one thousand two hundred men were crowded upon the stern, in the tops, on the yards and masts. The boats succeeded in saving all the crew, eighty men excepted; but the fine vessel was totally lost. The Captain and officers whose inexperience was the occasion of the disaster, have been sent to the castle, to undergo a naval court martial.

" The same gale of wind was productive of great damage in Cherbourg harbour to many trading vessels. Fifteen were cast on shore, and two sunk with men and cargoes. A great quantity of wrecks covered the coast.

The following is the statement of the ships of war now building, and of the whole of the French navy:

At L'Orient, a ship of 80 guns, two of 74, and 4 frigates.

At Rochfort, a three decker, one of 80 one of 74, and some frigates.

Total. 11 vessels of the line, which being joined to the 35 now at sea, will form a naval force of 46 ships of the line, and the number of frigates is reckoned at 75.

Toulon will have 21 vessels of the line.

Total general, 67 sail of the line.

In the Brest fleet sailed the 31st December, the Fogueux, a 74 arrived from Rochfort, replaced the Republican. Admiral Vantable, who commanded the Navy at Ostend, and conveyed last year the fleet from America, commands a division."