Additional Articles to the Convention of the 30th Aug. 1808. Art. I. The individuals in the civil employment of the army made prisoners, either by the British troops, or by the Portuguese in any part of Portugal, will be restored, as is customary, without exchange. Art. II. The French army shall be subsisted from its own mazagines up to the day of embarkation; the garrisons up to the day of the evacuation of the fortresses. The remainder of the magazines shall be delivered over in the usual form to the British go. vernment, which charges itself with the subsistence of the men and horses of the army from the above

mentioned periods till their arrival in France, under the condition of their being re-imbursed by the French government for the excess of the expences beyond the estima tion, to be made by both parties, of § the value of the magazines delivered up to the British army. The provisions on-board the ships of war, in possession of the French army, will be taken on account by the British government, in like manner with the magazines in the fortresses. Art. III. The general commanding the British troops will take the necessary measures for re-establishing the free circulation of the means of subsistence between the country and the capital,

Done and concluded at Lisbon this 30th day of August, 1808. (Signed)

GEO. MURRAY, quar.-mas.-gen. KELLERMANN, le gén. de division.

Nous duc d'Abrantes, général en chef de l'armée Française, avons ratifié et ratifions les articles additionels à la convention et contre, pour être exécutés suivant leur forme et teneur.

LE DUC D'ABRANTES.
A.J. DALRYMPLE, cap. milit. sec.

Admiralty-office, Sept. 16.

Captain Halsted, first captain to the squadron under the command of sir C. Cotton, bart., commanderin-chief of his majesty's ships and vessels on the coast of Portugal, arrived yesterday with dispatches to the hon. W. W. Pole. Hibernia, off the Tagus, Sept. 3. Sir Enclosed herewith, for the information of the lords commissioners of the admiralty, is a copy of a convention*, entered into by

lieut..

lient,.col. Murray and gen. Keller. mann, for the evacuation of Portu. gal by the French army; such convention having been ratified by lieut.-gen. sir Hew Dalrymple, myself, and the French commander-in-chief. British troops, con. sisting of the 30 and 42d regiments, were on the 2d iust, landed, to occupy the forts of Cascais, St. An. tonio, St. Julien, and the Bugio; and no time shall be lost to embark the French troops, agreeably to the said convention.-Capt. Halsted, first captain of this ship, and captain of the fleet, who is the bearer of these dispatches to their lordships, respecting the Russian squa. dron in the Tagus, is in full possession of my confidence, and will be able to explain to their lordships the motives inducing me to ratify the convention in question, as well as give any further information that may be thought necessary.

C. COTTON.

Hibernia, off the Tagus, Sept. 4. Sir-Herewith I have the honour to enclose to you, for the informa. tion of the lords commissioners of the admiralty, a copy of a convention entered into by me with vice, admiral Seniaviu, commanding the Russian fleet in the Tagus; by which it will appear to their lord. ships that such fleet has been sur. rendered to me, to be held by his majesty as a deposit, until six months after the conclusion of peace between Russia and England. I have charged capt. Halsted, first captain of the Hibernia, and captain of the fleet, with the delivery of this dispafch to their lordships; he was sent by me to negociate the convention with vice. admiral Seniavin, and will be able

to explain every particular. To capt. Halsted I feel greatly indebt ed for his able advice and assist ance upon all points of service; his zeal and diligence have been exemplary, and entitle him to my highest commendation. Rear.ad mirai Tyler has been directed to superintend the first division of the Russian flect, which I purpose ordering under his protection, imme. diately to Spithead ; to him (since with me) I have been indebted for every assistance, and to the captains, officers, and crews, of those ships that have been employed throughout a tediously protracted blockade (by whom every exertion has been made with a degree of cheerfulness, doing them infinite honour). I feel extremely grate ful, and deem it my duty to offer every possible testimony of my ap probation in their favour.

C. COTTON.

Articles of a convention entered into between vice-admiral Seniavin, knight of the order of St. Alexander, and other Russian orders, and admiral sir Charles Cotton, bart., for the surrender of the Russian fleet, now anchored in the river Tagus.

Art. I. The ships of war of the emperor of Russia, now in the Tagus, as specified in the annexed list, shall be delivered up to admiral Cotton immediately, with all their stores as they now are, to be sent to England, and there held as a de. posit by his Britannic majesty, to be restored to his imperial majesty within six months after the conclu sion of a peace between his Britan nic majesty and his imperial ma jesty the emperor of all the Rus sias,

Art.

Art. II. Vice-admiral Seniavin, with the officers, sailors, and marines, under his command, to return to Russia without any condi. tion or stipulation respecting their future services; to be conveyed there in men.of-war, or proper vessels, at the expense of his Britannic majesty.

Done and concluded on-board the ship Twerday, in the Tagus, and on-board his Britannic majesty's ship Hibernia; off the mouth of that river, the 3d day of Sept. 1808. DE SENIAVIN, CHARLES COTTON,

Report of the Board of Inquiry. May it please your Majesty,

arms, and convention—and to report to your majesty a statement thereof, as it shall appear, together with our opinion thereon, and also our opinion, whether any, and what, further proceedings should be had thereupon.

We have, at several meetings, perused and considered your ma. jesty's orders and instructions, as transmitted to us by the right hon. lord Castlereagh, your majesty's principal secretary of state, toge ther with sundry letters, and other papers, therewith transmittedAnd have heard and examined lieutenant-general sir Hew Dalrymple, sir Harry Burrard, and sir Arthur Wellesley, and other principal offi cers employed on the said expedi tion, with such witnesses as any of

cers of the army, in obedience to your majesty's warrant, which bears date the 1st day of November, 1808, commanding us strictly to enquire into the conditions of a suspension of arms, concluded on the 22d of August, 1808, between your majesty's army in Portugal, and the French force in that coun. try-and also into a definitive convention, concluded with the French general commanding on the 31st August following-also into all the causes and circumstances (whether arising from the previous operations of the British army, or otherwise, which led to them)-and into the conduct, behaviour, and proceed. ings of lieutenant-general sir Hew Dalrymple, and such other commander or commanders of your majesty's forces in Portugal, and of any other person or persons, as far as the same were connected with the said armistice, suspension of

persons as seemed to ns most likely to give any material information.And in order that your majesty may be fully possessed of every cir cumstance which has appeared in the course of this enquiry, we beg leave to lay before your majesty the whole of our examinations and proceedings to this our report an nexed. And upon the most diligent and careful review of the whole matter, we do, in further obedience to your royal command, most humbly report to your majesty, that it appears, &c. &c.

[Here follows a statement of facts relative to the arrival in Portugal of sir Arthur Wellesley's ex. pedition from Cork-to the appearance of general Spencer off the Tagus, his return to Cadiz, and his arrival again in Portugal-to the operations of the army up to the battles of the 17th and 21st-to the junction of genera! Auckland

and general Anstruther's brigades to the arrival of sir Harry Burrard and sir Hew Dalrymple-to the arrival and landing of sir John Moore; all of which have already been given in the official dispatches published in the Gazette, in the narratives of sir A. Wellesley, sir H. Burrard, and sir Hew Dalrym. ple, and in the evidence which was detailed during the sitting of the Board of Enquiry.]

After a description of the battle of Vimeira, the report proceeds thus:-Soon after twelve, the firing had ceased, and the enemy's cavalry were seen from our left, in bodies of about 200, by general Ferguson; and about the same time general Spencer saw a line formed, about three miles in front of our centre. About half past twelve, sir Arthur Wellesley proposed to sir Harry Burrard to advance from his right, with three brigades, upon Torres Vedras, and with the other five brigades to follow the enemy, who had been defeated by our left.

It appears that the situation of the army at this moment was-on the right, major-general Hill's brigade, which had not been engaged, was on the height behind Vimeira, and at a distance of above three miles from those of generals Fergu. son and Nightingale on the left. In front of Vimeira and in the centre, were the brigades of Anstruther and Fane, which had been warmly engaged. Brigadier-general Bowes's and Ackland's brigades were advanced on the heights, towards the left, in support of generals Ferguson and Nightingale. Brigadiergeneral Craufurd's brigade was detached rather to the rear of the left, about half a mile from major-general Ferguson, to support the Por. VOL. L.

tuguese troops, making front in that direction. It appears, that although the enemy was completely repulsed, the degree of expedition with which a pursuit could be com menced, considering the extended position of the army at that time, and the precaution to be taken against the superior cavalry of the enemy, must have depended on various local circumstances only to be calculated by those on the spot.

This very circumstance of a superior cavalry retarding our advance, would allow the enemy's infantry, without any degree of risk, to continue their retreat in the most rapid manner, till they should arrive at any given and advantageous point of rallying and formation; nor did sir A. Wellesley, on the 17th August, when the enemy had not half the cavalry as on the 21st, pursue a more inconsiderable and beaten army with any marked advantage. (Here passages are quoted from sir A. Wellesley's dispatches in the Gazette, in support of this statement.) It may also be considered, that as the attack on our centre had been repulsed long before that on our left. had, the attacking corps, which, as had been observed, was not pur. sued (but by the 20th dragoons, not exceeding 150), had time (above an hour) to re-assemble, and to occupy such ground as might afterwards facilitate the retreat of their right, and that the enemy were actually and visibly formed in one or more lines, at about three miles in front of the centre.

From these and other fair military grounds, as allowed by sir A. Wellesley; from those that occurred in sir H. Burrard's first interview with sir A. Wellesley; from the S

utmost

utmost certainty of the immediate arrival of sir John Moore's corps, which, if they had not stopped at Mondego Bay, would have been at Maceira on the 21st; sir H. Bur. rard declined making any further pursuit that day, or ordering the army to march next morning early. In this opinion sir H. Burrard states, brigadier-general Clinton and colonel Murray concurred)

[Here follows an account of the appointment of sir Hew Dalrymple; his assuming the command; the ne gociation of the armistice; objections of sir C. Cotton, and final conclusion of the armistice; all the particulars of which have already been laid before the public.]

It appears that when the proposed treaty (ratified by general Junot) of the 28th August, was brought by captain Dalrymple on the 29th to head-quarters at Ramalhal, all the lieutenant-generals (Burrard, Moore, Hope, Fraser, Wellesley) were present, lord Paget excepted, because not long previously summoned. The proposed treaty was, however, formally discussed. Minutes of proposed alterations were taken by sir A. Wellesley, as laid before the Board, and the commander of the forces has no reason to believe that sir J. Moore, or any of the lieutenantgenerals that came with him, expressed any disapprobation of the state and terms of the negociation.. The treaty with the alterations proposed were re-transmitted to lieutenant-colonel Murray. It appears when the treaty concluded by lieutenant-colonel Murray on the 30th, was brought by him to Torres Vedras on the 31st for ratification, the lieutenant-generals present were convened, and sir A.

Wellesley was sent for. Lord Paget, who was at a distance, did not come, nor did sir A. Wellesley, his corps having marched that morning. The other lieutenant-gene. rals met, (Burrard, Moore, Fraser, Hope) the alterations made by lieutenant-colonel Murray were approved, and the treaty then ra tified by the commander of the forces (sir H. Dalrymple) with the approbation of the lieutenant-generals present. Some of the articles of the treaty of the 28th, before objected to by the lieutenantgenerais, were altered in that of the SOth, and some other good alterations had been inserted, not before suggested, A comparison of the treaty of the 28th, and that ratified, will shew the alterations. The meetings of the lieutenant-generals, the commander of the forces did not call, or consider as regular councils of war. He sought to benefit from their talents and experience, by consulting them on exigent cases, and by pursuing the measure he might himself deem most for the good of your majesty's service, after availing himself of the advantage he might draw from their reasonings, and he does not recollect there was any dissentient opi. nion on the 31st, as to the ratification of the convention. It appears that sir J. Moore's corps having ar rived at Mondego Bay on the 20th of August, began to disembark ; that they re-imbarked, and arrived off Maceira Bay on the 24th; that from the 25th to the 29th, they landed under considerable difficul ties, and successively joined the army at Torres Vedras. It appears that some of the principal advantages to arise from the convention were in the contemplation

of