after killed, by three grape shot he received in his body. I still ordered the fire to be kept up, until I found his Majesty's brig in a sinking condition, and struck. Whether from the confusion of the enemy, or from the situation she was then in, they, shortly after taking possession of his Majesty's brig, ran her on shore, and left her an entire wreck. She is the French national vessel Le Sards, mounting 22 guns and 1 swivel.-On her main deck, 16 32 pound carronades, and 4 long twelvepounder guns; on her quarter-deck, 2 nine-pounders. I am sorry to add the loss on board his Majesty's brig Maria was James Bennett, commander; Robert O'Donnell, midshipman; and four seamen killed, and nine wounded, now in Point a Petre hospital, in a fair way of recovery. It would have given pleasure to both officers and seamen to have captured her. From her superiority in force was compelled to strike. I have, &c. (Signed) JOSEPH DYASON, Master. To the Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane, K. B. &c. 9th.-BARBADOES, Oct. 22. This day, at noon, his Majesty's ship Pompee, 80 guns, Captain Cockburn, 42 days from Plymouth, arrived in Carlisle Bay, and brought in with her the French imperial brig of war Pylades, of 18 guns and 105 men, captured eight days after her having left Martinique, on a cruise to wind ward of this island. The French prize the schooner La Polly, from Martinique bound to Bourdeaux, with a valuable cargo of coffee, clayed sugars, cloves, tortoiseshell, &c., was captured on the 13th inst., to windward of Dominica, by his Majesty's brig Superior, Captain Ferrie. La Polly is a remarkably fine vessel, pierced for 18 guns, but had only four mounted, and commanded by M. Dessee. Oct. 23. His Majesty's brig Maria, the capture of which we formerly mentioned, encountered a corvette ship of 16 32-pound carronades, four long 12's, and two long 9's, and had on board 405 men; and notwithstanding such superiority, the Maria mounting only 14 6's, and 67 men, she held the unequal contest for one hour and a quarter; but at last, being driven on the rocks near Bay Mahaut, was completely lost. Lieut. Bennett, commander of the Maria, and Mr O'Donnel, midshipman, and four seamen were killed, and nine wounded. The master, surgeon, and three inferior officers arrived at Dominica on the 18th inst., from Guadaloupe, where the remainder of the crew were carried prisoners. By accounts from Dominica, from whence we received the above particulars, we also learn that the enemy at Guadaloupe, still indignant at our capture of Mariegalante, is forming a black corps, for the purpose of avenging himself on the defenceless island of Montserrat. Lord Gardner, who was justly considered as one of the ornaments of the British navy, died at Bath on Sunday, 1st inst. He was born at Uttoxeter, in Staffordshire, and was in his 66th year. His father was a lieutenantcolonel in the 11th regiment of dragoon guards, and a native of Coleraine, in the north of Ireland. Lord Gardner commenced his naval career on the 1st of May, 1755, on board the Medway, of 60 guns, commanded by Captain Peter Dennis. He was in that ship in 1757, when, in company with the Eagle, they took the Duc d'Aquitaine, of 60 guns. On the 7th of March, 1760, he was advanced to a lieutenant, and appointed to the Bellona, of 74 guns. He was after wards in nine glorious actions, in all of which he displayed courage, skill, and magnanimity. He married, in the year 1769, Miss Hyde, of Jamaiea, and has left, by her ladyship, who survives him, a very numerous family, including two sons in the navy. The following accident happened at Downham market, on Thursday se'nnight-As Mr Poll was attending his mill with his brother, a sudden squall of wind caused it to separate, and it fell to pieces in an instant. One of them was in the upper floor, in the act of putting wheat into the hopper; the other attending a different department. The stones, wheels, and about two score of wheat fell in confusion. Mr Poll had the presence of mind to leap from the upper stair, (it being a post wind-mill,) and escaped with a slight bruise on the hand his brother was precipitated to the ground in the midst of the ruins, with upwards of 29 sacks of wheat around him, one of which fell upon him; but wonderful to relate, he received not the least injury. On Friday last, as three keelmen were proceeding in a foy-boat to some ships off Sunderland harbour, the boat was upset by the violence of the surf, and we are sorry to add, that the whole were drowned. The bodies were all found, and interred on Sunday. BOXERS. A hard-pitched battle was fought on Monday, at Hensley Common, near Shaftesbury, for a subscription-purse of 50 guineas, between Wood, Captain Hardy's coachman, who lost a great provincial battle a month since, and James Ellis, from Kingsland, which place has produced Crib, and other boxers. The combatants contended for the purse 40 minutes, when Wood was declared the victor. He was the favourite throughout, but the fight was obstinately maintained to the last.* * In order to render our work a faithful mirror of the times, we have thought it our duty to insert in the text the paragraph respecting the pugilistic art, from which some idea will be formed of its popularity among the mobility, and, we are ashamed to add, some of the nobility in England. On the same account we may have occasion to record some of the bloody conflicts by which its professors and their admirers so frequently display their skill. That pugilism may innocently be taught as an art, and may be useful for the purposes of self-defence, it is readily admitted. But this certainly can form no apology for the battles fought in cold blood-fought in presence of multitudes, whose hearts are rendered more brutal than before, by this brutal spectacle ;-battles which, having their origin in avarice, often terminate in death. If the law would consider those as madmen or murderers who should fight with swords or with pistols, for amusement or for gain, in what other light ought it to regard the civilized savages who fight with their fists for the same purpose, or those who patronize and encourage them? Crimes are in general spoken of as crimes; and yet in such instances as those we have referred to, the most respectable London papers do not hesitate to enter into the subject as amateurs, and to debate upon it as if it were a harmless recreation. The admirers of Mr Windham may defend the practice, by telling us that such practices are necessary to keep alive the national courage. But we will not pay to Englishmen so poor a compliment, as to suppose that their courage requires such a stimulus, or that it is necessary to degrade them into brutes for the purpose of rendering them heroes. We do confess, however, that there is something less ferocious in this odious custom than in the practice of bull-baiting, which the wit and eloquence of the same statesman were employed too successfully to de ed, are detailed in the last chapter (23d) of the Historical department of the REGISTER 1808. We think it proper, however, to insert two imperial decrees which were now made public, because they tend to display Buonaparte's characteristic policy. IMPERIAL DECREES. A rencontre of a curious nature is about to take place between Richmond the black and a bear: The former is to be armed with a quarterstaff, and the latter, who has been for some time in training, to make him as savage as possible, is to meet his antagonist unmuzzled, and quite ad libitum. Three keepers are to be at hand, in case Bruin should hug too Dated from the Imperial Camp at closely. The match is for 500 guiBurgos, Nov. 12, 1808. neas; and considerable bets are al- "NAPOLEON, Emperor of the ready laid. The brown brute is the French, King of Italy, and Protector favourite of the two! of the Confederation of the Rhine, 10th. RECAPTURE OF MADRID BY "Considering that the troubles in BUONAPARTE. The important intel-Spain have been principally the effect ligence of the unexpected surrender of Madrid is received. On the 3d of Dec. last, it will be recollected Buonaparte had reached Bayonne, on his way from Paris to his army in Spain: on the 3d Nov., and on the 8th, he put himself at the head of his army in Vittoria. On the evening of the 2d Dec., as appears by the French bulletins, Buonaparte arrived on the heights which command the city, having been preceded by a force consisting of dragoons and imperial guards. In consequence of the treachery of Morla, to which the weakness of the councils of the Supreme Junta gave too much scope, the city, in spite of the noble enthusiasm of its inhabitants, was surrendered into the hands of the enemy, after a short and ineffectual resistance. The surrender took place on the 4th of Dec.; and at ten o'clock in the morning of the 5th, General Belliard entered Madrid, and took the command. The terms of capitulation, and the circumstances which follow of plots carried on by several individuals, and that the greater part of those who joined in them have been either misled or deceived; wishing to pardon these, and to grant an amnesty for the crimes which they have committed against us, our nation, and the king our brother; wishing also to mark those who, after having sworn fidelity to the king, have violated that oath who, after having accepted places, have only used the authority which was confided in them to betray their sovereign-and who, instead of employing their influence to enlighten the citizens, have only used it to mislead them; and wishing, lastly, that the punishment of great offenders may serve as an example in future. times to all those who, placed at the head of nations, instead of directing the people with wisdom and prudence, mislead them, and lead them into disorders and popular agitations, and precipitate them into misfortunes and war,― "We have decreed as follows: fend. Our countrymen of this northern part of the island are certainly not inferior in courage or in conduct; but their courage is unconnected with such a cause. And we mention it to the honour of Scotland, that neither of these practices exists, or could be tolerated within its bounds. "1st. The Dukes of Infantado, of Higar, of Medina Coeli, and of Ossuna, the Marquis of Santa Cruz, the Counts of Fernan, Nunez, and of Altamira, the Prince of Castel Franco, the Sieur Pierre Cevallos, exminister of state, and the Bishop of Santander, are declared traitors to France and Spain, and traitors to the two crowns. As such, their persons shall be seized, and brought be fore a military commission, and shot. Their property, moveable and immoveable, shall be confiscated in Spain, in France, in the kingdom of Italy, in the kingdom of Naples, in the Papal States, in the kingdom of Holland, and in all the countries occupied by the French arms, to defray the expences of the war." The 2d article renders null and void all sales, or other dispositions, of their property. The 31st grants, in the name of Joseph Buonaparte, "a pardon to all Spaniards who, within one month after the arrival of Buonaparte at Madrid, shall lay down their arms, and renounce all adhesion to and connection with England. "Neither the members of the juntas, nor general officers who have carried arms, are excepted from this pardon, provided they surrender as before mentioned." In our Imperial Camp of Madrid, Dec. 4, 1808. "Art. 1. The number of convents at present existing in Spain shall be reduced to a third. This reduction shall be produced by uniting the religious of several convents in one single house. 2. Dating from the publication of the present decree, no admission to the noviciate, no religious profession shall be permitted, until the number of the religious of each sex shall have been reduced to the third of the number of the said religious now existing. In consequence, and in the space of a fortnight, all the novices shall quit the convents into which they have been admitted. "3. All the regular ecclesiastics who wish to renounce their usual living, and to live as secular ecclesiastics, shall be free to quit their houses. "4. The religious who shall so renounce, conformably to the preceding article, shall be admitted to the enjoyment of a pension, whose amount shall be regulated by their age, but which shall not be less than 3000 reals, nor exceed the maximum of 4000. "5. Upon the amount of the property of the convents which shall be suppressed, in execution of the first article of the present decree, shall be raised the sum necessary to increase the proportion of the cures, so that the minimum of the salary of the curates shall be raised to 2400 reals. "6. The property of the suppressed convents, which shall be disposable after the raising of the sum ordered by the foregoing article, shall be united to the domain of Spain, and be employed as follows: "1. The half of the said property to guarantee the vales and other parts of the public debt. "2. The other half to reimburse the provinces and cities the expences oc casioned by supplying the French armies and the insurrectional armies, and to indemnify the cities and country for the damage, losses of houses, and other losses occasioned by the war. (Signed) NAPOLEON." The Spanish accounts of the surrender of Madrid are very confused. 11th. We received this morning Barbadoes accounts of the 12th of November. Martinique and Guadaloupe are so strictly blockaded, that they are in the greatest distress. A few days ago, the body of a man was discovered floating on the ice in the Tyne at Newburn. In consequence of this account reaching Haydon Bridge, (where a young man had been missing for some weeks past, but who was supposed to have gone to America,) a person came to Newcastle on Friday evening, to examine the body, and on Saturday it was taken from the grave at the Ballast Hills, where it had been interred, for his inspection. On seeing the body, he recognized it to be that of his nephew, Mr John Cook, and son of a respectable person at Haydon Bridge. He said that the deceased should have upwards of 501. on him; and on cutting up his waistcoat, which had not been removed, on account of the emaciated state of the body, a pocket-book was found, containing notes to the full amount expected. Last Friday, the body of a man was found within the sea-mark on the shore betwixt Leith and Portobello. Great marks of violence appeared, his head being much cut, and very bloody. Nothing was found in his pockets but a shirt. The corpse was brought to Leith, and decently interred. On Wednesday week, the sitting magistrate at Glasgow, upon com plaint of the procurator-fiscal, fined William Nisbet, driver of the Edinburgh mail, in three guineas, and William Barton, driver of the Greenock mail, in two guineas, for running a race with their respective coaches through the principal street of that town, on Saturday se'nnight. And they were farther obliged to give security, under a smart penalty, for their good behaviour and quiet driving for twelve months to come. One of them paid the money down, and the other went to jail, but has since paid the fine, and found caution. Providentially no person was hurt on occasion of the above outrage, though the street was full of passengers. A robber, of the name of George Ainslie, accused of a robbery at Edinburgh, and who fled from that city, and was traced and apprehended at London a few days ago, and had been in custody at the Brown Bear, Bow street, waiting the arrival of witnesses from Scotland, to identify him, made his escape, under the following circumstances:-On Friday morning, he said he wanted to go into the yard, when a man, the servant of Mr Hazard, the landlord, attended him as usual. When he was about to return into the house again, he suddenly knocked his attendant down, and, in consequence of some paling which separated that yard from the butcher's, the house adjoining, there was a free and uninterrupted access to a large piece of waste ground at the back of Russell-street, which leads into a narrow court, through which he made his escape. The hue and cry of "stop thief" was raised, and several men ran in all directions, but in vain. Just after his escape, an officer arrived from Edinburgh, for the purpose of iden |