PRINCIPAL OCCURRENCES In the Year 1812. JANUARY. Jan. 1, 1812. account, devoted, by immemorial usage and the custom of the place, to innocent festivity, the streets of Edinburgh were disgraced by a series of riots, outrages, and robberies, hitherto, we may truly say, without any example. During almost the whole of the night, after 11 o'clock, a gang of ferocious banditti, armed with bludgeons and other weapons, infested some of the leading streets, and knocked down and robbed, and otherwise most wantonly abused, almost every person who had the misfortune to fall in their way. After they had fairly succeeded in knocking down those of whom they were in pursuit, they proceeded immediately to rifle them of their money and watches; and the least symptom, on their part, of anxiety to save their property, was a provocation to new outrages, which were persevered in until their lives were endangered. These outrages, it is said, were chiefly committed by a band of idle apprentice boys, regularly organized for the purpose, and lurking in stairs and closes, from whence they issued, on signal given, in large bands, and surrounded and overwhelmed those who were passing by. By the a vigilance of the magistrates, who were in the streets, or otherwise actively engaged in the duties of their office, until about five o'clock these rioters were apprehended on the spot, some of them with the stolen articles in their possession; and the most vigilant inquiries are going on, with a view to root out this nefarious combination against the peace of society, by bringing to justice the perpetrators of these outrages. A reward of 100 guineas has been offered for the discovery of the offenders. At Perth, in the last week, so intense was the cold, that in a few hours the ice was nearly two inches in thickness. A number of fine free-stones from Kingoody quarry were split to pieces at the depôt, and the contractors sustained a very severe loss. The stones having imbibed sufficiently of rain water at their pores, are immediately encrusted with frost; the water is forced into the centre, and, instantly confined, breaks forth with a loud explosion. Two pints Scottish of water had been taken from their centre previous to their breaking. LONDON GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY. Downing-street, Jan. 2. Capt. Harris, commanding his majesty's ship Sir Francis Drake, arrived at lord Liverpool's office (A 2) with with a dispatch, in which the following were inclosures, addressed to his lordship by governor Farquhar, dated Port Louis, Isle of France, Oct. 22, 1811. Sir, Batavia, Sept. 29. I had the honour to acquaint you in my dispatch of the 1st inst. that the conquest of Java was at that time substantially accomplished by the glorious and decisive victory of the 20th of August*. I am happy to announce to your excel lency the realization of those views, by the actual surrender of the island and its dependencies by a capitulation concluded between their excellencies lieut.-gen, sir S, Auchmuty and gen. Jansens, on the 18th September. I have the honour to inclose a report which the commander-in-chief has addressed to me of the proceedings of the army subsequent to the 26th August, with its inclosures. Your excellency will observe with satis faction, from these documents, that the final pacification of the island has been hastened by fresh examples of the same spirit, decision, and judgement, which have marked the measures of his excellency the commander-in-chief, and of the same gallantry which has characterized the troops since the hour of their disembarkation on this coast. The commander-in-chief will sail in a few days for India; and I flatter myself that I shall be able to embark on board his majesty's ship Modeste, for Bengal, about the middle of October, MINTO. To his excellency R. T. Farquhar, esq. &c. Ile of France. Modeste, of Samarang, Sept. 21. My lord, I have the honour to submit to your lordship a continuation of the report, which it is my duty to lay before you, of the proceedings of the army under my command. Immediately on receiving the intelligence of general Jansens's retreat from Bugtenzorg by an eastern route, and the occupation of that post by our troops, I placed a force consisting of the 3d battalion of Bengal volunteers, and a detachment of artillery with two guns, under the order of colonel Wood, and directed his embarkation, in communication with rear-admiral Stopford, who ordered three frigates on this service, for the purpose of occupying the fort of Cheribon. Transports were at the same time put in a state of preparation for a force, consisting of the detachment of the royal, and a company of Bengal artillery, a troop of his majesty's 22d dragoons, his majes ty's 14th and 78th regiments of foot, the 4th battalion of Bengal volunteer sepoys, the Madras pioneers, and a small ordnance equipment, with which it was my intention to embark, and accompany rear-admiral Stopford with the squadron, for the attack of Sourabaya and Fort Louis, towards which place it was supposed the enemy had retired. A large part of his majesty's 14th regiment, the royal artillery, and six field-pieces, were, by the kindness of rear-admiral Stopford, received on board his majesty's ships of war, and they, with the transports, sailed as they could be got ready for sea, with orders to rendezvous off the point of Sidayo, near the western entrance of the harbour of Sourabaya, I embarked on the 4th of September; and early in the morning of the 5th sailed to join the troops in his ma See preceding volume, p. (162.) jesty's jesty's ship Modeste, which the admiral, in attention to my convenience, had allotted for my accommodation. On the 6th of September, when on the point of Indermayo, I learned from an express-boat which had been boarded by commodore Broughton, that Cheribon was in possession of the frigates detached on that service, having separated from the transport on board of. which all their troops but the commodore had embarked. Captain Beaver, the senior officer of the squadron, had landed the seamen and marines, and occupied the fort, which surrendered to his summons in time to make a prisoner of brigadier Jamelle, while passing on his route from Bugtenzorg, with many other officers and troops. Letters intercepted on this occasion from general Jansens announced his intention to collect his remaining force near Samarang, and to retire on Solo. This intelligence determined me to sail for Cheribon, where I arrived on the evening of the 7th of September; and finding that no troops had yet arrived, that a detachment of seamen and marines had marched inland on the Bugtenzorg road, and been successful in securing great numbers of the fugitives from thence, and gaining possession, on terms of capitulation, of the post of Carong Sambong on that route, I sent immediate orders for the march of reinforcements from the district of Batavia. The cavalry, half of the horse artillery, and the detachment of his majesty's 89th regiment from Bugtenzorg, were desired to join me at Sama rang, by the route of Cheribon, and the light infantry volunteer battalion was ordered to embark at Batavia for the same place. I obtained from captain Beaver, of his majesty's ship Nisus, the dis patch of vessels in every direction, to meet the straggling transports on their route to Sourabaya, and direct them all to rendezvous at Samarang; addressing a letter to the honourable admiral Stopford, to commodore Broughton, and all the captains of his majesty's ships, re questing them to give similar orders. I sailed the same evening in the Modeste, and, after meeting the Windham transport, and ordering her with the 3d volunteer battalion to Cheribon, directed my course to Samarang. I arrived there on the 9th, and was shortly afterwards joined by rear-admiral Stopford, the commodore, and a few transports, having on board a part of his majesty's 14th regiment, half the 78th, the artillery detachments, six field-pieces, and the detachment of pioneers. To ascertain the fact of general Jansens's presence, and feel how far the capture of general Jamelle and the troops from Bugtenzorg might have changed his plan, I repeated to him on the 10th, in concert with the admiral, an invitation to surrender the island on terms of capitulation; and captain Elliott and colonel Agnew were charged with the communication. They saw the general,-received his reply, ascertained that he had still with him at least a numerous staff,-and that he professed a determinatian to persevere in the contest. The small force with me did not admit of my attempting to assault the place, while it was supposed to be thus occupied; but an attack was made that night by the boats of the squadron on several gun-vessels of the enemy moored across the entrance of the rivers leading to the town end: the precipitation with which they were (A 3) aban |