Whitehall, July 23. 1696.  
This Evening arrived here an Express from my Lord Berkeley, with Letters dated the 20th of this Month, off Vshant, which bring the Account that follows.  
Published by Authority.  

A Relation of the Bombarding of St. Martin's and Ollone.  
THE whole Fleet, under the Command of the Right Honourable the Lord Berkeley, sailed the 3d instant from Ushant towards Bel-Isle, and in the Afternoon, upon a Signal from the Admiral, Sir Martin Beckman, with the Bomb-Vessels, separated from the Fleet, with a Convoy of ten Men of War and five Fireships, commanded by Capt. Mees. On the 5th we arrived, between 3 and 4 a Clock in the Afternoon, before St. Martin's, where the Men of War came to an Anchor; but the Bomb Vessels went in as far as they could go, which was about three quarters of a Mile from the Town; where, about six they all sat fast on a soft Ground; notwithstanding which, they began to bombard the Town about 9 at Night, and continued it till 3 the next Morning. After one hours bombing, there appeared five several Fires in the middle of the Town, some were put out, but two continued with great and lofty Flames; At 3 in the Morning the Bomb-Vessels hawled off to refresh the Men, and to be recruited with all Necessaries. About 3 a Clock in the Afternoon, when the Tide served, Sir Martin Beckman stood in again, but more to the Eastward, about the same distance as before from the Town, and so bombarded it till 4 in the Morning: The Town was all the while on Fire in many places; and the two Fires first mentioned continued, with considerable Augmentation, insomuch, that we all judge the greatest and richest part of the Town was destroyed by Fire, or shattered in pieces by the Bombs, of which we fired Iwo thousand two hundred and thirty, including in that Number Two hundred and sixty Carcesses. They fired from the Town with 18 pieces of Cannon and 4 Mortars, but without doing us any damage. The 7th in the Morning we gave over bombing of St. Martin's, having left one of their Ships on Fire in the Road, and brought away a Danish Flyboat laden with Brandy and Salt, upon suspicion of being French; we took also a Ship going in, besides several Boats laden with Provisions, etc. The Town is well fortified, and, as the Prisoners informed us, there was a Garrison in it of 1200 Men. From thence we sailed directly to Ollone, situated on the Main, where we arrived about 8 in the Evening; We began immediately to bombard that place, and after a little while, some of the Houses, which stand scattering, took fire, and were burnt to the Ground; About 12 a Clock at Night, it growing Foggy, we left off bombing, and began again about 2 in the Morning, when perceiving there were two several Towns, divided by a River or Harbour, half a quarter of a Mile broad, Sir Martin placed 7 Bomb Ships against the North Town, and three against the South Town, and so bombarded them till half an hour past 5 in the Evening; during this time the two Towns took fire in fifteen several Places, and after some burning were put out, except 3 in the Town on the North-side, which continued burning when we left it, and lasted all the Night, after we were under sail, perceived by those that had the Watch on Board the Ships, which is to be imputed to the Violence of the increasing Flames, or to the blowing up of Houses to avoid the spreading thereof. The North-side suffered most by reason of its being more closely built, and the best Houses were there: The Enemy had planted four pieces of Cannon upon the Point going into the Harbour, from whence, at our coming to Anchor, the Commander of the Society Bomb-Ship, Captain Jeninfer, was killed: We fired here 1996 Bombs and Carcases, with very good effect. The fairness of the Wether, and the light Moon, very much facilitated this short and successful Expedition; To which Sir Martin Beckman and Capt. Mees contributed very much by their extraordinary Care and Diligence, being present both Night and Day in the hottest of the Action, to direct and encourage the Service; which having thus performed, the Men of War and Bomb-Vessels rejoined the Fleet.  
This Evening came in also a Mail from Holland with Letters of the 16th Instant from His Majesty's Camp at Nivelle; they inform us, that the Army was come to that place in two days march from Gemblours, and was to march again the 17th towards Soignies. The Marshal de Boufflers decamped the 15th from St. Gerard, and was marching likewise on the other side of the Sambre towards Flanders. Part of our Heavy Baggage was sent to Hall; and our Parties had cut off and taken several small Parties of the French on their march the 16th. The Landtgrave of Hesse was with the Germane Forces at Namur, where they were to Encamp till farther Order.  
They writ from Piedmont, That the French Army continued at Volvera; and the Allies at Moncalier; And that the Generals of the latter had refused to sign the Cessation of Arms. On the Upper Rhine the Confederate Army continued at Zeiteren; And the French at Ostofen: Two Regiments of Horse and three of Dragoons, of the Troops of the Elector Palatin, were come into the Neighbourhood of Francfort, in their march to join the Germans. The Letters from Vienna of the 14th tell us, they had Advice from Hungary, that the additional Troops of Saxony, being 4000 Men, had joined the Imperial Army, which had thereupon passed the River Marosh, and advanced towards Temeswaer.    

Printed by Edw. Jones in the Savoy, 1696.