The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1780-02-19 00:00:00, page 2

^nitha ANNUAL REGISTER foe the Year i,^
We do flat know whaf degree of credit the following ac.
count may deserve, nor" how the extraordinary fa&a
exit lined in it are authenticated ; bat the narrative,
though in appearance somewhat romantic, is extremely
curious; ^as the character tiefcri^ is fi , ^ u "~
comu)^ mixture' of philosophy and enthuhafta, we
think it well worthy a place in our collection.
Ur HII.ST thebraveaod worthy General Oglethorpe
commanded in Georgia, and, by his exteuHva
Influence over the Indian nations around that colony, kept
them id 'riendfhip and (objection to this crown ; and in
Mwi, 1,43, wh;hl he, with a detachment of his indefa
ti.;ible raiment, and a large body of Indians, was ma
kin~ in i%nrfio* to the very gates of St. Auguthne, one
p)eh&, a German Jesuit, as he afterwards appeared to be,
w:i sent priGner to Frederica, by Capt. Kent, who,com~
' mailed at Fort Anpifta, on the main. Capt. Kent had,
for some time before, perceived a remarkable jairaaabi
!,,, in the Creek In bmv, in matters of trade, and a fol
kill's in that generous nation that betokened no good to
the E»fkih. Aft r a wife'and ferret enquiry, and from
proper intelligence, be had great reafeb to imagine some
hi humors were Hired up in these people, by a Whiteman,
^ho had redded the time in the upper towns; after having
been many years among,fl the Cherokees, who always
frwed him the utmoil deference. Upon these advices
he got him privately seized, and conveyed (without
noise or baClefo Frederica, as aforriaid, little imagining
the importance of his capture ; though the Indians, miffing
hh'n, mail i<: ^ r > apparent, by their clamours, that they
were not a little intereded in his fafety. The General,
at bh return, was farprized, upon examination, to find
in thla prisoner, who 'appeared in his dress a perfeft Indi
an, a man of podtenefs and gentility, who fooke Latin,
French, Soin flu rod German fluently, and English bro*
keoly. What patted at his fevered examinations, it is not
in my power to determine ; but the conference was, that
he was' detained a prison r, and so remained when I left
the colour, at the beginning of the year 1,44, which was
after his Excellency'returned to England.
Ppeber, as to hisperfon, was adhort dapper man, wjth
a plenfi .% cnen count^n e, and a most penetrating look.
Misdrofs was a deer fl<in jacket, a flap before and behind
life privities, with morgdtons, or deer fk in pumps, or
sandals, which were laced, in the Indian manner, on his
feat and ancles. The place of his confinement was the
barracks, where be had a room, and reentry at his door,
day and night. The pbilofophical ease, with which he
bore his confinement, the communicative difpofitio^ he
seemed possessed of, and his pohfenefs, which dress or im
prifonmeot could not difouife, attracted the notice of every
fedeman at Frederica, end gained him the favour of
many vifrs and cenverfations.
His (economy was admirable; from his allowance of
fifh, fleih, and bread, heal ways fared, till he had by him
a quantity on which he could regale, even with gluttony,
wh^n he allowed himfelf that liberty. “It is folly" he
would fay, “to repine at one's let in life :—My mini fears
above misfortune ; —in this cell I can enjoy more real
happiness, than it is poffibie to do in the hu
ffy feenes of li'e. Reflexions upon past events,
Piffling former Audies, keep me fully employed, whilst
health and abundant (pets allow me no anxious, no
uneirfy moments ; —I fuffer, —though a friend to the na
tural rights of mankind,—though an enemy to tyranny,
uforp^jon and pppreflfon ; —and what is more, —I can
forgive and pray for those that injure me ;—I am a Chris
tian, —andchriflian principles always promote internal fe
licity."
Sentiments like th^fe, often expressed, nitrated my
particular notice and 1 -nd?avoured to cultivate a confi
dendebe seemed to repose in m% more ^Specially, by eve
ry kind officein my power. Indeed, had nothing else
b,en my reward, the pleafhig entertainment his conver
fetion imparted, would have been a fufficiebt recompense.
He had read raush, was converf&nt in aloft arts and fci
enges ' but in all greatly wedded to system and hypothe
tic."
After some months in/ermurfe, I had, from bis own
m ret,, a confeffion of ftisdehgns in America, which were
neither more net iris, than to bring about a confederati
on amon^ft all tie Southern fudiins, to inspire them with
in luftry, to iaftrua t^c-m in the arts necefkry to tne
commodity of life, and in Ihort, ? o engage them to throw
off the yoke of thrir European skies, of,all nations. For
this purpofm he had, for many years, accommodated
himElf^ their opinions, prejudices and practices, had
been their leader in war, and their priest and legislator in
pens interlarding (like hid brethren in China) some of
the moil alluring Romifh rres with their own foperftiti
ous, a\:d Inculcating fetch it .xims of policy, as were not
utterly repugnant t'o their own, and yet were admirably
calculated to fubferve the views heozd open them. Hence
they x:ran, already, to be m.g? acutein their dealings
with thi English and French, and to look down upen
those nations as interlopers, and invaders of their full
rights. The Spaniards, I found, he looked upon with a
more favourable eye: “ They, fays he, are goad chrifli 1
an-, that is (with a foiling faetr) such fubje&sas may be
worked upon to do any thing for thefakeof converting
their nciJiboars ;—-with them my people would incorpo
rate and become one nation; —a bull, a difpen&tioo, or
4 brief, will bring them to any thing." When I hinted,
though at a dißroce, the bloo&fhed his scheme would pro
duce, the difficulties he had to encounter, and the many
years it would require to effablhh his government over
the Indians, he suffered in this remarkable manner:
" Proceeding properly, many of these evils may be avoi
ded, and, as tplength of time, —we have a fbeceffon of
Agents to take up the work as faft as others leave it. We
never lobfe fight of a favourite point, nor are we borad
by the firiX rules of morality, in the means, whew the
end we purfae is laudable. If we err, oar General is to
blame, and have a merciful God to pardon us. But, be
lieve me, before this century is pari, the Europeans will
have a very (mall footing on this continent" Thus, the
father, or nearly in these words, expressed himfelf, and
often hinted that there were many more of his brethren,
that wereyet labouring amongst the Indians for the fame
purposes. The adveuftfres of this remarkable man, which
he imparted t) me, are so extraordinary, that! fha.ll, the
firft opportunity, configs them to your bands for publi
cation, ifyou will accept of them ; and, at prefect, (hall
eonetede this letter with one fhiking inftanct ol his pre*
fence of mind arid fortitude.
On the tod of March, 1744, the large magazine ot
bombs, and a small magazine of powder, at Frederica,
by some accident were set on fire and blew up with a dread
ful explosion. In a moment the town were all the appear
ance of a bombardment, the inhabitants left their heufes,
and fled with the utmoA confletustion igto the adjacent
woods and (avannths, whilst the f,linters of the burftnig
fielhfciv in the air to an amazing diftan€e,confiderfcg they
were not proj^ed from the ufaal inkrumentsof deftruru
on. The worthy an 4 humane Capt Mackey, who then
commanded in the garrifen, immediately opened the doors
of the prisons to all the captive Spaniards and Indians, and
bid them ihift for themselves. A message was sent to Pre
ber to the fame purpose, which he politely retard to com
ply with, and in the hurry he was soon forgotten- 'I he
bombs were well bedded as it providentially happened,
and, at intervals, were forae hours in difeharging thern
felves. When the exjgpfian began to laogmOt, some of
us thought of the jefetit, mid went to his apartment, which
by the bye, was not twenty paces from the bomb hople :
After calling force time, he put forth his head from un
der his feather-bed, with which he had prudently cover
ed himftdf, and cried, “Gentlemen, I suppose all s over;
—for my party I reafoaed thus : The bombs will rife per
pendicularly, and, if the fufee fails, fail again in the&n:e
dire&feh, but the splinters will Ay off horizontally ; there
fore, with this trufly Covering, 1 thought I had better
ft^nd the fttym here, than, hazard a knock in the pate by
flying further." This was said with the fame ease that
he wunld have exfreffed himfelf at a banquet, and he con
tinued the conversation, with his usual vein of pleafan.,,
to the end of an explosion, that was enough to strike
terror tithe firmeft breast. I am Sir, your coaftaut read
er and humble servant,
AMERICUS.
Bristol, @ept. ig, 1760.
L ONDO N, Sept.u.
Extract of a letter from the Hague, Sept. 10.
" HE Bmprefs of Ruffiaisfaid to have feut a letter
A to the States of Rolland, in which her Imperial
Majesty faye, that struck with motives ofcompaffion for the
calimltfc3 wnich war inevitably brings along with it, and
having been so happy as to have affixed is bringing about
a peace between the Empress Queen and King of Fruffia ;
her Maj,ft, oath also undertaken to use her mediatiQD to
bring about an amicable accommodation between France
and Great Britain but feeing fiace, that Spain had med
dled io affairs cf France, and joined thdt power against
Great. Britain, the could no longer look with an eye of
indifference on fwch unjust attacks upon England, parti,
cularly as the motives alleged by the court of Spain d
gainft that of London are Y=ty ill-founded and trivial ;
taat to effeX an accommodation her Imperial Mijefty had
made overtures to the court of Versailles, containing pro
posals which were in her opinion, ver, proper and ac
ceptable, and the hoped would be approved cf, but that
her Majesty could not help declaring chat if from motives
ofill-timed obfl/nacy, and contrary to h^r expeaaticn,
France and Spain should be unwilling to listen to them,
Hie Should And herfelf obliged to ule ail the term which.
Providence had put into her hands to assist Great-Brimia
againf! its enemies, to prevent that country from being
crufned, and by that meant terkeep up that balance of,
power to conducive to the welfare a t Europe. Her impe
rial Majeftyfarther desires th^rHigh MightinMles tocon
fider what must be the couf&juences to the navigation cf
all the powers of these parts of the world, and particu
larly that bf^e United Provinces, as being the most ex
tensive, ihoulJ France and Spain gain the empire of the
sea, acd by that means be enabled to preterite what arbi
trary laws they pleafc. lu Ihort, fe heartily invites the
States to jotn her in afiag their utmost endeavours to
establish a peace between the three belligerent powers "
" This letter is said to have made such aa impre^on
upon their High Mightinesses, that they immediately re
folded to oftr their mediation for the happy purpose in*
tended, and that they had ev&n appointed the Ambassa
dors they intend to fead to the three courts, who Pre,
td thatof Virfailles, Cowpt do Outlam, a member of the
corps of uoblefa of Holland; to the court of London,
M. de Brantzon, member of the Assembly of the States
General; apd to that of Madrid, the Boron de Eynden
a Hemmen, also a member of that Assembly : These gen
tlemen will, it is said, set out immediately ; and it the
King of Prufo, asit is reported he wpl, join his media
tion to that of the States General and the Empress of
Russia, there is scarce any doubt of a peace being brought
about, notwithflandiag all the difficulties which now (eem
to be in the way."
It is a positive fa% that Sir Charles Hardy is ordered
out, with the whole of his fleet to sea again, but not to
give battleon any account to the enem,. The Ministry
know that they would be obliged to far# ^ in case of a
defeat, and they will footer fuffer the honor of their coun
try to dwindle away, than ran the least hazard of feting
their places.
Advice is received from Petersburg, that another rup
ture between the Ruffians and Turks was spoken of at
that court with much certainty ; an event which the ma
chinariorr of the court of Versailles has been the chief in
in firumem of.
WILLIAMSBURG, February ft
BY His EXCELLENCY
THOMAS JEFFERSON, Esq ; "
Governor or Chief Magiflrate of the Commonwealth of
Virginia.
A PROCLAMATION.
WH BRE AS the General Assembly, by an A&
passed at their session in October 1779, intitu
led “ An Act for more eHe&uMly fettering to
the officers and Soldiers of the Virginia line the lauds re
served to them, for discouraging prefect fettlefywa on
the north weft fideofthe Ohio river, and for puniihing
perfous attempting to prevent the execution of Land
Office warrants," reciting that " although no lands were
" allowed by law t@ be entered, or warrants to be Lo
" cated on the, north weft f^eef the Ohio river until
" the farther order @f th^ General Assembly, several per
" fonA are Wwhhftanditig removing MieiHfelvfe so, ^
" make new ferriemems on the lands upon the north
" weft fide of the feid river, which may probably bring
" on an Indian war with some tribes Hill in amity wify the
“ United American States, and hereby involve the Com
" monwealth in great expence and bring diftre.6 on the
“ inhabitants of our western frontiers , did declare and
enaft " that no person so removing to, and fettling cn
“ the said lands, faould be entitled to or allowed any
" right of pre-emption er other benefit whatever from
" fueb (ettlement or occupancy ; and authorised the
“ Governor, with the advice of the Council of S^ate, to
“ remove with armed force all such letters and occu
'' pants, with an exception, and saving vs to all French
" Canadian, and other families or perfuns heretofore
" aauaUy fettled is or about the village near or anja
" cent to the posts reduced by the forces of this State:''
I have therefore thought fit, by and with the advice
of the Council of State, to issue this my pro;hmatiom
hereby requiring ,jl perfomsfettied on any lands on the
Ecrth-weft fide of the Ohio within the chartered limit©
of this Commou wealth, and not d&ribed in Qe excepti
on or laving before reeled, immediately to remove
thfrfrom, and do Itriftiy n^bH andfibid ail others to fet
tle thermo in feture until they ^|l be ft/tyred by Aft of
the General Assembly ; and I do moreover make known
that military pitroles will be ordered from time to time,
and muxe,fpecially atrhofe times when the labours of thi
year mafle destroyed to the field, to wafteall settlements
which may be found within the lindu before described,
and to retneve the fetters by forceef arms.
GIVEN under my Hand arid the Seal of the Com
;rfrioaweahh this ttyemy-tomth day of January, so the
year of cur Lord 1780, gad fourth of the Common
wealth.
THOMAS JEFFERSON.
B O S T O N, January 7.
According to the lift news from Europe, which we
have feed m the paper# cf the Bri:ifh iflamh, the grind fleet
of our enemies is cow commanded by Lord Howe ; the
fecund diyifion by Admiral Barrington, who went from
St. Kitts for England in the Ariidue frigate ; and the
third by Str Lockard Ross. The Eu^li@ news papers
are too full of abfurdittes and centra^CTiros, to allow us
to draw any char anl certain fate of affairs &om them.
Their grand fleet, which they fay amounts to 52 fail of
the line, is to be reinforced by tie Eleiuhem, of 90 guns,
the Ocean, of 90, the Dublin of 70, the Isis, of go, fix
frigates, and irmee fireships. The approach of the Count
d'Orviliiers appears to have spread driuroa and conftrna
hoß through their co; ft, particularly in Plymouth. The
Lord Lieutenant 0; Irehud dispatched an ex;xHs to Lord
Sandwich, to acquaint him that the co^Wbed fleets had
been seen otfgih^le. The,En^& papers do not fad to
give the mag l&Vuußbld colouring to the capture of the
Ardent. According to their accounts, the cor^mandprof
tills ihip defended himfelf a long time agahm three 74gua
mips. It feints that the Enjilh nation criminates 3*r
C .arks H rdy for the lof^of the Ardrn, who, it is laid,
needed to give the signals which might have saved that
flup.
This morafog about 5 o'clock a fire broke out at the
weft end of the goal, but being timely aifcovered wag ex
tinguished without much damage. It is not jet known by
what means it took place.
CHATHA M, (New Jersey) February 9.
The Magistrates of the county of Essex, abhorriug the
fc.vc.ge and detefi^!e plaice of plundering, refolded u
nanimously, at a meeting held the 23d uh. at Newark,
to exert Heir influence and authority tndete& and cou
vi& all the i&abjpptj of the county of kffex, who were
guilty of so much bafeue& in the late iucurfion. upon
Staten Iflaod, contrary ta the previous general orders oi
Major General Lord Stirling, and contrary, to every feel
ing of humanity, and to affiil in coUe&hig and fending
back every thing they pcffibly can which was floleoUrom
the inhabitants of Statea.lfland, abatable to the general
order of Lord Stirling, issued upon iris return, and pub
lifted in this paper.
Lust Saturday night a few of the inhabitants of Rahway
madean excurhoo to Scaten-Ifland, and brought off &
militia Captain and fovea loyal inhabitants.
PHILADELPHIA.
In GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
February 17, 1780.
The Bill intfded ''Au Aft to alter and amend an A&
of Aff@rly, intitled, An AB fur the efß&ual foppr&f
fion of Public Anatolis aad Vendues, tyd to prohibit male
Persons, capable of bearing arms, from being Hawker#
and Pedlars, fc far as to allow the sale by public avaion
of goons damaged er fhipwreck&i; " was read a fecund
time, and being.debated by paragraphs, was ordered to
bi tranferibed for a third reading, and in the mean time
printed for cenfidtration.
Exhaft from the Minutes,
THOMAS PAINE,
Clerk of the General Assembly.
An A C T to alter and amend an Aft of Assembly, in
tided " An Aft forthe tfftftual fuppreffon of Pub
lic Auctions and Vendues, and to prohibit male Fer*
foes, terete °f bearing arms, from being Hawkers
and Pedlars," so far as to allow the sale by public auc
tion of goods damaged or shipwrecked.
★X/HEREAS in the Aft of Assembly, intitled
V " An Aft for the effectual fuppseffiori of Fublic
" Ariaions andVeudues, and to prohibit male Perlons,
“ capable of bearing arms, from being Hawkers end Ped
" iars," passed on the 25th day of November last, n®
provision was made for the sale by public audion of da
mired gdods, or goods fared out cf mips or vessels wreck
ed,~or which for the fatisfa&ior of Inf' r<rs and others it
may be proper and reasonable Should be fold after that
manner :
Be it therefore en^fted, and it is hereby ena&ed b,
the Reptefentatvies of the Freemen of the Commonwealth
of Pedufyivania, in General Assembly met, and by ths
autnority of the fame, That from and after the publica
tion cf this Aft, all goods and merchandizes which fhaUl
really and bona fide be damaged, and in a perifhabie tofei