The Patowmac Guardian, And Berkeley Advertiser

FURTHER PARTICULARS OF THE BURNING THE SHIPS AND ARSENAL AT TOULON.

Extract from the Madrid Gazette, of January 7.

A Letter from his excellency Don John de Langara, commander general of the Spanish king's Squadron in the Mediterranean, to his excellency Baylio Don Antonio de Baldes, on the subject of burning the Arsenal and the Ships at Toulon.

“I am anxious to give your excellency notice of the setting on fire of the arsenal and the French ships of Toulon, on the 18th of the present month (December) 1793, according to the account given by the lieutenant of the ship Don Pedro Cotiella and Don Francisco Riquelme, whom I have commissioned for this object.

At 9 o'clock in the morning, captain Sydney Smith, of an English ship, informed me, that admiral Hood had commissioned him for setting on fire the arsenal and the French ships, and that he came to join the officers whom I should elect on my part, to proceed, without delay, to this operation, and that he had two boats, with guns, to place in the arsenal, and ours were destined to fire at Malaga.

I disposed, that the adjutant Don Francis Riquelme, should carry those which he should find necessary; in the mean time I sent lieutenant Don Cotiella, with Smith and Riquelme, to put tarred shirts on board the ships of line: the first going to the arsenal and a little afterwards the second where they thought best, to give orders to the commandants of the boats of the Spanish forts, that they should put themselves in safety with diligence; they fixed two of the English and the gun-boat commanded by the lieutenant of a frigate, Don Francisco Truxillo, in the mouth of the arsenal, to defend the entry from the enemy; then posted a strong army by the door of the arsenal, reinforced with a violent gun, to prevent the coming of the common people who were already in insurrection.

The object was, to augment the numbers of the tarred shirts, and to introduce the arsenal, our fire-ship, St. Louis Goulaga. To give account of the dispositions which were made, and of the fire of the bombs of the enemy, which incommoded the arsenal, the adjutant Riquelme returned back again to the squadron; and in the mean time Cotiella and Smith, his officers, and Truxillo, extended barrels of pitch and tar thro' the arsenal and the Pillau—setting two English boats to defend the galleys, should they be attacked.

At half past seven in the evening, Riquelme came back with a great number of combustibles, entered the arsenal with a fire-ship of the English, passing before many ships which he boarded, and put to shirts in each, setting them all on fire.

At half past nine, the whole arsenal was in flames.”

Account of the Frenchmen of war and other vessels which were burnt in the port Toulon, on the 18th December, 1793.

Ships—The Royal Dolphin of 118 guns; Tenare, 80; Crown, 80; Languedoc, 80; Triumphant, 74; Hero, 74; Fortunate, 74; Destin, 74; Suffisant, 74; Generaux, 74; Duguay Trouin, 74; Incorruptible, 74; Dictator, 74; Censeur, 74; Warrior, 74; Sovereign, 74; Mercure, 74; Conqueror, 74; and one ready to launch, 74.

Frigates—Arethusa, 40 18 pounders; --- 34 12 pounders; Iris, ditto; Iphigenia, ditto; Sirta, ditto; Alceste, ditto; Sultane, ditto; and the Montreal, ditto.

Sloop of war—Sardine.

Armed transports—Caroline, Auguste, Sincere, Reine, Lampry, Moselle, Forward.

Brigantines—Preparer, Little Sans Culottes, Little Boston; Society of Augeau, Vigilance and the Liberty.

Several small vessels, John Var, ---, and several boats in the harbour.

Don Raphael Valdes, commandant general of the Spanish troops, with adjutant and the major of the fleet Don Ignacio Oliva, protected the troops on their embarkation. The Spaniards covered the advance ground, and avoided, by this means, all confusion this night, being assured of the promptitude of succour from the Spanish and English navy, which in effect, was so prompt, that it was obtained without those embarrassments which might have taken place. The greatest evil which was experienced, was, that they had no anchors nor other conveniences for the shallops; but the serenity of the commandant and major-general facilitated the embarkation, in a very short time, of 12,000 troops, 100 sick, royalists, all in sight of the enemy, who were not less than 4500 strong, and according to the declarations of the deserters, surmounted 62,000, the place being now in their possession; for the French who had remained in Toulon declared themselves patriots, which effect the orders of general Valdes to embark, had procured, and which expected by his rigorous observation, and the courage with which it was executed.

[Here follows a general order and some remarks, which it was not possible for us to get translated in season. By these we find, that Toulon was entirely destroyed.]

Ships,	22
Frigates,	8
Sloops of war,	1
Armed transport,	3
Brigantines,	7
Latine vefels,	2
Boats,	7
Total	50