miral, the fire was constant upon the
two French ships and frigate, as well as upon the seven Spanish
gun-boats, the batteries of the island, St. Garcia, St. Jago, La
Almiranta, and Almirante, which, as opportunity offered,
returned their fire.

The battle lasted from half-past eight o'clock in the morning,
when the fort of St. Garcia opened its fire, till two in the
afternoon, when the last shot was fired from the French ship
Indomptable. The persevering, active, and tremendous fire of the
enemy, and that of the two nations (French and Spanish), were
only distinguishable by the prudence, skill, and greatness of
soul with which the allied chiefs directed theirs, and the
audacity, temerity, and confusion which were shown in that of
the English. The idea of this kind of fighting, which we form
from the account of the battles of Alexandria and Copenhagen,
does not, in proportion to the numbers engaged, bear any
comparison with that of Algeziras, either in point of bloodiness
or obstinacy.

The English, after having left the glory and the field of battle
to the two nations, covered with shame, and taught by
dear-bought experience, have only given an unequivocal proof of
their inveterate hatred to France and Spain; since, not being
able to obtain any advantage over the French and Spanish forces,
they directed their fire against an inoffensive town, which
received no small injury in the buildings. This is the only
glory which the arms of Great Britain have to boast of.

The Pompee was towed out of the action by eight boats, who came
to her succour from the garrison of Gibraltar. She was kept
afloat by casks, or otherwise could not have been brought in.

The ships of the French Republic which sustained this attack
were the Formidable, 84, Citizen Linois; Dessaix, 74, Moncousu,
killed; L'Indomptable, 84, La Londe, killed; the frigate Muiron,
36, Martinencq; five Spanish gun-boats damaged, and two sunk. In
the French ships, three hundred and six killed; one hundred and
eighty-four wounded. We suppose in the English squadron above
five hundred are killed, and from two hundred and seventy to two
hundred and eighty wounded.

MADRID GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY.

Merida, 10 July 1801.

The general commandant of the camp at St. Roque, in a despatch
of the 6th instant, transmitted by a courier extraordinary,
c