Latour, who commands the army of the Siege, formed three of these battalions which happened to be juft returning from work, and retook the village of Sundheim, which he maintained, though the enemy made great efforts to diflodge him. Lieute nant-general Staader (who commands the left wing) drove back the enemy, who had advanced against the right of the fecond line of it, and retook the redoubt on the left of Sundheim; and the prince of Orange, advancing between the two dykes, defeated the column with which he had been fo feverely engaged, and recovered the redoubts it had carried. The enemy then retired into his entrenched camp.

The lofs of the Auftrians amounted to forty officers and about 1300 men killed, wounded, and miffing, which, confidering that not more than half the left wing was engaged, is certainly confiderable; but that of the French must have been much greater. The ground round the works was in fome parts covered with their dead bodies, and I am very much within bounds in ftating their lofs at 2000 men. During the time the French were in poffeffion of the redoubts on the left, they found means to carry off five pieces of cannon. The others were all retaken.

It is impoffible to attempt to do juftice to the conduct of the archduke; he animated the troops in retaking Sundheim, directed the attacks on the work that had been loft to the left of it, and under the heaviest fire, gave his orders with the greatest coolness and the most perfect military knowledge.

Lieutenant Proby, of his majesty's 9th regiment of foot, (attached to lieutenantcolonel Craufurd's miffion) was wounded by a musket shot; but I feel great fatif faction in being able to add that the wound is of a very flight nature, and will have no other confequence whatever, than that of a very thort confinement.

I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) R. CRAUFURD. Head-quarters of his Royal Highnefs the Archduke Charles of Auftria, Offenburg, Nov. 23, 1796.

from general Alvinzy, the tenour of which is fuch as to confirm the hopes which his former difpatches infpired. This report, which is very fhort, is dared Calabro, November 13, and is as follows:

After the action of the 6th, near Ba fano, the enemy continued to retreat, abandoning even the ftrong pofition of Montabello without refiftance, and croffed the Adige at Verona.

On the 11th, general Alvinzy arrived near Villanovia, and the fame evening a confiderable part of the enemy's army, commanded by Buonaparte in perfos, advanced from Verona, and took poit in the neighbouring mountains.

Early on the 12th, Buonaparte commenced a general attack upon the whole line, which, though made with infinite violence, was refifted with the mott perfect fteadiness and bravery.

While Buonaparte was thus employed in repeated, though ineffectual eff its, to force the front of the position, general Alvinzy detached a column against each of his flanks. No fooner had these arrived at their point of attack, than the enemy retreated with precipitation; and a molt fevere and important affair was thus completely decided in favour of the Auftrians.

Two of the enemy's generals were known to have been wounded, and a third was among the number of prifoners already brought in.

I have the honour to be, &c.
ROB. CRAUFURD.

(Signed)

Head-quarters of his Royal Highness the Archduke Charles of Auftria, ` Offenburg, Nov. 28, 1795.

My Lord,

edly declared against Santhonax and the republic, and has caufed almost all the white people in his power to be massacred.

Sir,

Government Houfe, Jeremie,
Sept. 3, 1796.

From the intelligence you will probably have received from other quarters, you will not be furprised to hear of the pofts on the extremities of this dependency, both eaft and weft, being attacked in force on the fame day. On the 8th of Auguft, I crdered lieutenant Bradshaw, with 22 of the 13th light dragoons, mounted, to march for Du Centre; and captain Whit by, two fubalterns, and fixty privates of the 17th light dragoons, with non-commiffioned officers in proportion, embarked the fame evening for Caymites, whence they arrived, without any accident, at Du Centre and Raimond, which was a fortunate circumstance, as the next day, the 11th, the enemy appeared before Poft Raimond, and, after keeping a very heavy fire on the block-houfe, with little effect, they attempted to term it in confiderable force four different times, and were each time repulfed with great lofs, and their chief killed. In this bufinefs only one British and two chaffeurs were wounded. On captain Whitby's arrival at Du Centre, he detached lieut. Gilman, with 20 men, to Poft Raimond, who immediately placed himself in the block-houfe with his detachment and a larger party of chaffeurs. On the 12th, the enemy ftill continued before the block-houfe, which is fituate on a fmall height, about 100 yards from the fort, keeping up a fire with mufquetry with as little effect as before, when lieutenant Gilman made a fuccefsful fortie with the whole of the 17th, and fome chaffeurs, driving the enemy before him into the woods, who 'left 16 whites and 47 blacks dead on the fpot, and many dead and wounded were afterward found in the woods and road leading over the mountains to Aux Cayes. Some four pound fhot, a two pounder mounted, feveral firelocks, and other ar ticles, were left by the enemy in their retreat. I am happy to report, that in this gallant affair the 17th regiment had only two privates wounded. The chaffeurs had one officer, captain Dutoya, and three chaffeurs killed, and 14 wounded. It is fuppofed the lofs of the enemy muft have been very confiderable indeed, as from every account of fpies and defèrters, above 40 whites are among the killed and thofe dead of their wounds and found in the woods, which I can easily conceive, as the

affault of the block-houfe was made by about 200 whites, formerly foldiers in the regiment of Berwick, affifted by the bri. gands.

Captain Whitby reports, that the honour of the British fervice was never incre ably maintained than in the engagement at Poft Raimond, and expreffes himself highly grateful to lieutenant Gilman and the foldiers of the 17th, as well as thote of the colonial corps, for their active exertions in fo bravely checking the enemy in the attempt on this poft.

Indeed lieutenant Gilman's intrepidity and cool conduct on this occafion appear to me fo praiseworthy, that I fhould not do justice to him or my own feelings on this cccafion, if I did not trongly recommend him to you, fir, for promotion.

I am also happy to have it in my power to report that the enemy has been under the neceffity of railing the fiege of Irois, before which they lay eighteen days. On the 11th ultimo general Rigaud, with or 4000 brigands, appeared before it, and fent a fummons to captain Beamish to furrender the fort to the republic of France. Captain Beamish very properly answered, he should defend it to the laft extremity. The enemy had in the night landed a fixteen pounder and a mortar, which with incredible labour they got up and opened on the fort the next day, within about 450 yards. The moment I heard Irois was invefted I ordered 105 privates, officers and non-commiffioned officers in proportion, with lieutenant-colonel Hooke of the 17th, to embark for that place, where they arrived fafe. Lieutenant-col. Hooke took the command of the fort and troops, in which ftation he has rendered very' meritorious fervices.

Finding the enemy had advanced a confiderable force between Irois and L'Ance Eros, which hut up by land the comniu nication with Jeremie, I determined, with what force I could collect, to attack them on the Morne Gautier. On my arrival at L'Ance Eros, the 16th, a plan was agreed upon to march in three columns on the 19th, fo as to arrive before Morre Gautier at day break.-Obferving, on my approach, that a few men of the 17th dragoons were killed and wounded, and that firing at a distance anfwered no purpofe, I determined to attempt to carry the hill by affault, had formed the 17th dragoons for that purpose, ordered the 13th` to difmount, and was endeavouring to rally the negroes, who had been thrown into fome confufion, when I received a shot in

6d. per 1000 on bricks imported, and of Is. per 1000 on thofe made in this kingdom. This he reckoned at 36,000l.

The next was a duty on home-made and foreign ipirits. On the former he propofed that the tax fhould be id. per gallon on the wash, which would amount to 5d. per gallon on the fpirit. The new duty on rum and brandy to be 8d. per gallon on the former, and rod. per gallon on the latter. Over-proof Ipirits, as usual, to pay double price. The probable produce of thefe, he calculated at 220,000l.

He had now to offer a tax, the expected produce from which would at firt view appear aftonifhing, but which, he truffed, in the end, would be found both real and beneficial. He had received feveral communications from Scotland refpecting the immoderate ufe of fpirits in that country. The duty was there laid on the ftill, according to measurement. This was 91. per gallon. The tax had been doubled, and yet it was found that fpirits were too cheap. It was his intention to treble the latter duty, but without extending it to the Highlands. The estimated amount of this tax was no lefs than 300,000l. If it fell fhort of this fum, it would be by operating advantageoufly to the difufe of fpirits, and increafing thereby the duty on malt, &c. The total of these taxes collected under the excife he reckoned at 866,000l.

He next reforted to the cuftoms. The fift article which he there fuggefted as an object of taxation was that of fugar. This would fall but lightly on the individual. The duty he propofed was to be no more than 2s. 6d. per cwt. on fugars imported. The amount he calculated at 280,000l.

The next was an import duty of ro per cent. on brimstone, hemp, iron in bars, or unwrought, olive oil, and faves, with an additional duty of 5 per cent, op all other articles imported, prize goods, coals, and wines excepted. The produce of the former was rated at 43,000l. and of the latter at 110,000l; a duty on pepper, $1,000l. The total produce in the cuftoms he took at at 486,000l.

On the affeffed taxes, viz. thofe on horfes, dogs, fervants, the commutation tax, &c. he had to propose an addition, which he calculated to produce 140,000l. To the tax on houfes he had alfo to offer an addition, which, under certain regulations, he thought would be both productive and practicable. The regulation

was, that no man fhould pay for a large manfion-house, for inftance, if it did not appear that he kept an adequate number of fervants; and the tax, in that cafe, fhould be proportionably reduced. This addition to the affeffed taxes would produce 150,000l.

The next was a regulation of the duty on receipts, to be paid by the person receiving the money. This he rated at 30,cool.

The next head of taxation had its rife in a principle, the juftice of which must be allowed. The fubject profited much from the care of government in the conveyance of perfons, parcels, and letters. It was but equitable that he fhould be called on to repay fome part of this profit. On the fubject of letters, what he had to propole was chiefly a modification. At prefent they were rated by ftages, under the diftance of eighty miles, and from thence to 150 there was no interval. His object was to make them pay according to the distance reckoned by more minute lubdivifions. He alfo proposed to make an addition of one penny on every three-pence. payable on each letter put into any postoffice. This he calculated would bring in no less than 250,0col.

Under this head came an additional duty on ftage coaches, which being exempted from the horse duty, they could very well afford to pay. The duty he propofed was one penny per mile additional, and the produce he rated at 60,000l. Of a fimilar defcription was the impoft, which it was his intention to lay on the conveyance of parcels. He propofed to lay a two-penny ftamp on each receipt taken on booking a parcel. This receipt being admitted as evidence of the delivery, would be of fuch advantage to the fender as would fully compenfate the duty. This tax he alfo took at 60,000l. On the fame principle he would also propose a duty on the conveyance of goods by internal navigation. The great increafe of canals, and the profits derived from them, he was warranted to fay, would fully justify this impott, and particularly when it was undertood that the duty which he intended to lay would amount to no more than one-eighth of the toll. This tax he calculated at 126.cool. making 240,000l. on carriage of goods,

The total of thefe duties would amount to 2,131,000l. or 22,000l. above the 2,110,000l. at which he had reckoned the annual intereft required. This will ap pear from the following