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mand, with her prize, the French ship, General de Caen, of 26 guns and 200 men, which I captured between the Cocos and Andaman Isles, on the 4th inst. and before she had made a capture.”

Smart Engagement.

The Passepartout, a French chasse maree, is the vessel that has been taken by the boats of his majesty's ship St. Fiorenzo, off Mount Dilly, on the 14th ult. after a smart and gallant resistance, in which the first and second captains were dangerously wounded, the first supposed to be mortally; there were no casualties on our side either in killed or wounded.

The Passepartout mounted two brass guns, six pounders, and six brass swivels, with twenty-five men on board. We do not understand that they had made any captures during their cruise.

The Sea Otter.

Some days since, just after the report of the signal gun at Malabar point had reverberated from the surrounding rocks, a large animal, followed by three small ones, making a shrill cry, plunged from the rocks immediately beneath the point, swam to a considerable distance, and returned towards the place they issued from. The novelty of their appearance excited the curiosity of some persons who saw them, and a wish to have one of them. On their landing again, a shot was fired amongst them, and one evidently hit, but the old one instantly disappeared leaving two of the young ones in sight; these immediately swam off in the direction of Colaba, but after going about three or four hundred yards, returned to the shore; but the flowing of the tide covered their re

treat among the rocks, and they were not seen after the second landing: the dam appeared as large as a mastiff bitch, with a skin black, long, and glossy, and swam with great strength and quickness. After some search, a young one was found just dead from the shot it had received; it was of a dark mouse colour, about two feet in length. The skin is preserved by a gentleman in Bombay, and there was little hesitation in declaring it a Sea Otter. These animals, it was supposed, were inhabitants of the N. W. coast of America only, but referring to the Encyclopediacal Zoology, they are said to inhabit East Asia; but many natives who live near the point, nor any of the persons resident there, had ever seen these animals before, nor have they since been heard of.

The subjoined account fimits the young to one, which at first may seem to question the class here assigned the animal shot at Malabar point, but the description and character so correctly agree with the zoological classing, that this incident may prove corrective of the errors of perhaps untravelled writers, both as to the number of young and places of habitation assigned to these animals.

"The lutris, or sea otter, having hairy feet and a hairy tail. The length from nose to tail is about three feet long, and the tail is about thirteen inches; the body and limbs are black, except the fore part of the head, which is white or grey; the largest individual weighs from seventy to eighty pounds; the fur is very thick, long, black, and glossy, some times varying to silvery, with a soft down beneath. The sea otter inhabits the coast of northwest America, and eastern Asia, and the

intermediate islands. It lives mostly in the sea, and swims with great facility, frequenting shallows which abound in sea weeds, and feeding on lobsters, fish sepice or cuttle fish and shell fish. It is a harmless animal; very affectionate to its young, in so much that it will pine to death at the loss of them, and die on the very spot where they have been taken from it. Before the young can swim, the dams carry them in their paws, laying in water on their backs : they swim often on their back, their sides, and even in a perpendicular posture; are very sportive, and embrace and kiss each other: they breed but once a year, and have but one young at a time, suckle it for a year, and bring it on shore. They are dull sighted, but quick scented, and run very swiftly on land. They are hunted for their skins, which are of great value, being sold to the Chinese for 70 or 80 rubles a piece; each skin weighs three pounds and a half. The young are reckoned very delicate meat, scarcely to be distinguished from a sucking lamb. The cry of this creature is nearly similar to a young dog; and it is sometimes interrupted by another cry similar to that of the saki or fox-tailed monkey. It may be nourished with the flour of manioc, diluted in water."

MADRAS

Occurrences for Feb. 1804.

Admiral Linois' Squadron. On the 6th instant a small cutter arrived at Fort St. George from Bencoolen, which she left the beginning of January; and brought the distressing account of the arrival of the French squadron under

the command of admiral Linois; consisting of one 80 gun ship, two frigates, and a sloop of war, at Bencoolen the 1st of December; they had captured the Eliza Ann, of Madras, and the Countess of Sutherland, belonging to Calcutta ; and the ships Marlborough, Flora, and Ewer, had been burnt to prevent their falling into the enemy's hands: they had made a landing, and after destroying the Company's pepper godowns quitted the place on the 5th of Dec. and proceeded, it was supposed, for Batavia; as they were seen in the straits of Sunda, on the 15th of December, it was reported that they were to join the Dutch fleet at Batavia, with a view of cruising for our homeward bound China fleet: it was believed, at Madras, that the three seventy-fours, in these roads, were proceeding to the eastward in quest of the enemy.

Admiral Linois was seen in the straits of Sunda, December 15th. He more than probably was bound to Batavia. If he did not remain many days there, he might work up through the straits of Banca, though not in a very short space; nevertheless this might be done; but we think, in such case, he would find it difficult to weather Pedro Blanco, by the 15th of Jan. although we are not positive on this head; allowing our ships did not leave Maccao before the 1st of January they would, we trust, get into the straits of Sincapore before

he could be there; should they

however remain much longer, the risk of course increases; a very few days must settle this point, as some of our ships are bound to Madras. What Linois' object may be in taking this route can only be conjecture; but we would fain hope he has expected our Europe ships would

return

return by the straits of Sunda; and if he has conceived this idea we trust he will follow it up by cruising there until the middle or end of February,

At the same time, as he is an enterprising man, and his frigates fat sailors, their must remain ground for apprehensions.

It would be presumption to hazard a conjecture on the track our se ty-fours may pursue. But we may be warranted in supposing the straits of Malacca to be their first station; they being to windward, and the most probable course of our trade home, the protection of which must be deemed grand object at present.

Canine Madness.

the

There are a few instances of dogs running mad on this island; we have, however, accounts of one affected by this malady at Tanna, that has in the course of the preceding fortnight, bit a number of persons and produced the most melancholy consequences. On the 11th instant, there were seven children in the hospital, at Tanna, labouring under this misfortune; one of whom, who had been bit above the eye-brow, died on the evening of the following day, and on the sixteenth day after the bite, of hydrophobia; a short time before he expired he evinced the utmost dread of water, and made a noise similar to the snarling of an angry cur.

BOMBAY

companied by three bigarees, who were employed in carrying 2000 rupees to Panwell, to purchase cloth for the Tanna market; they had only proceeded a few miles when nine men rushed from behind some bushes and immediately attacked and robbed them; wounded one of the bigarees across the left shoulder and fingers, and murdered the taylor in a most inhuman manner; the former returned the same evening with the other bigarees, who, fearing they might share the same fate, had thrown down what money they had, and made their escape; the murderers have not yet been heard off.

Deliberate Suicide.

On Tuesday morning, between six and seven o'clock, a most shocking circumstance happened at Tanna garrison. A sepoy belonging to the Bengal volunteers put a period to his existence, while posted as the centinel at the northern gate of the Durbar, in a most determined and effectual manner, by shooting himself through the body with a loaded musket. A little more than a quarter of an hour could have elapsed after relieving the former centinel, when he retired into an adjoining apartment, with his musket; unfixed his bayonet, laid himself down upon his back in a hotizontal posture, supported behind by a deal board, his left leg drawn under the opposite knee, the right extended, with the toes in a line with the trigger; hethen must have

Occurrences for Feb. 1804. applied the inuzzle of the piece

Inhuman Murder.
On Saturday afternoon last, a
Hindu taylor crossed the ferry
at Taina, about two o'clock, ac-

close to his body below the pit of the stomach; the muscles were dreadfully torn and lacerated, and part of the intestines protruded from the wound; the ball took an oblique direction upwards, & passed

through

through the spine betwixt the shoulders. He was of a very high cast, and bore a most excellent character as a soldier: pecuniary embarrassment is said to have been the motive which led to this desperate act.

Extract of a Letter from an officer on board his Majesty's ship Caroline, dated Kedgeree, Feb. 14, 1804.

"As you may wish to know the particulars of our little captures, I beg leave to inform you that having convoyed the India ships into 11° 30′ north, and 89° 30′ east, we parted with them all well A. M. 4th of Jan. and stood to the eastward. Next morning we saw, chased, and in less than four hours captured, Les Freres Unis, French privateer brig, of 16 ports, eight, nine, and six-pounders, and 134 men on board; from Bourdeaux, last July, and Mauritius in November on a cruise, and for the Sandheads, but had taken nothing; she had made every attempt to get away, and give us her eight guns (as we were hailing them) which cut our boats, &c. but hurt only our geese, three of which they killed, and wounded two; her musquetry wounded one man badly, but the rest laid too flat down to be hurt. Though they meant to board us, and were well prepared to do so, the dawning day and our mamarines deterred them. She had fifteen officers and forty soldiers in her crew, and suffered much in her masts and rigging, or we might not have caught her.

"We got into Penang with her on the 20th of January, where she was sold as she stood, for a cruiser to the honorable Company, for Spanish dollars 5,500, on the 21st.

Our prisoners being equally distributed between the garrison and his majesty's ship Concord, Victor, and Caroline, we sailed on the 23d to look for more of these gentry; some of which are said, by our prisoners, to have sailed with Les Freres Unis. The Victor left the Belle, all well, on the 8th of January, and got to Penang on the 22d.”

The Order of Christ. Saturday, Feb. 11, 1804. His royal highness the prince regent of Portugal having, by a special letter, addressed by his highness's secretary of state to his excellency the governor, and captain general of Goa, been pleased to confer on Miguel de Lima e Souza, esq. of Bombay, the honor and distinction of the Order of Christ; and his excellency the governor and captain-general having thereon requested and commissioned the honorable Jonathan Duncan, governor of Bombay, to invest him with the same, the ceremony accordingly took place at the government-house in Town, on Monday the 6th inst. in presence of his excellency viceadmiral Peter Rainier, of Sir Benjamin Sulivan, knight, recorder, of the members of the government, of the commanding officer of the forces, and superintendant of the marine, and of the principal gentlemen of the settlement-the secretary to government, in the first instance, addressing Mr. de Souza, in the following terms: Declaration by the Secretary to the

Government of Bombay.

"His royal highness the most august prince regent of Portugal, having been pleased to reward your services, by conferring upon you the honor and distinction of the knighthood of the order of Christ, as communicated and certified to

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this government by his excellency Senhor Francisco Antonio da Veiga Cabral da Cantara Pimentel, Great Cross of the order of St. Bento de Avis, &c. &c. of the council of his royal highness the prince regent of Portugal, lient Aint-general of the army of Portugal, governor and captain-general of the Portuguese settlements in the East Indies: and his excellency having further been pleased to request and commission the honorable Jonathan Duncan, governor of Bombay, to invest you with the same, it is with much satisfaction that I have accordingly the honor, in the name and in behalf of the governor in council of this presidency, to comply with his excellency's application; offering to you, at the same time, the congratulations of this government on the present honorable mark and testimony of the prince of Portugal's acceptance and high sense of your services, in various instances of great political importance, wherea the interests of our united kingdam, and of Portugal, have been materially advanced."

The ceremonials of investiture having been thereon performed by the honorable the governor, Mr. de Souza returned his acknowledgments in the terms of the annexed address.

To the Honorable Jonathan Duncan, Esq. President and Governor in Council.

Bombay.

Honorable Sir, Although this is a distinction I did not look for, yet I must ever consider it as an highly honorable and flattering mark of approbation of my humble endeavours, which, I have the most heartfelt pleasure to find, are considered to have contributed so essentially toward advancing the mutual interests and VOL. 6.

good understanding between the
two courts. Permit me, Sir, to
return you my sincere acknow-
ledgments for the honor you have
done me, in conferring this distin-
guished favor, which you will con-
siderably enhance by communica
ting my grateful thanks to his ex-
cellency the governor, and captain
general of the Portuguese settle-
ments in the East Indies, for the
favorable report and notice which
his excellency has been pleased, on
this occasion, to manifest of my
zeal to promote the concurrent ser-
vice of the two kingdoms.

I have the honor to be,
Honorable Sir,
Your very obedient and most
Humble Servant,

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A Brief History of the Order of
Christ, conferred on Miguel d.
Lima e Souza, Esq.

The order of Christ, commonly
called of Christus, in Portugal, was
instituted by Deunis, the sixteenth
king of Portugal, in the year 1317;
in order to excite the nobility of
that kingdom to oppose the attempts
of the Moors; which institution
was confirmed by Pope John, the
14th of March, 1319. This order
had been under the controul of
twelve grand masters, when Pope
Adrian Oth, in the year 1522, con-
ferred the administration of it on
John 3d. In 1551, Pope Julus 3d
vested in the crown, a perpetual
right to the grand mastership; from
which time the kings of Por ugl have
taken the title of perpetual admi-
nistrators of the order, which con-
si,ted of 417 commanderies. Af-
ter the separation of thirty-seven,
which they possessed in Africa,
the Convent of Thomas became
the chief of the order. Before the
tc
grand

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