The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1783-02-11 00:00:00, page 2

Presence of mind of a traveller.—Tn the reign of
queen Ann, a gentleman was driving post to London,
ov'r Hpunflow Heath, when his chaise was flopped
by two highwaymen who, with dreadful imprecations,
called rut to him to deliver his money. The gentle
man happened to have in the chaise at t^ time, cash,
&c. to a very great amount, the lo's of which would
have been his utter ruin. He- had not a minute to re
fled, and yet with aflonifhing composure and pre
sence of mind, he instantly hit upon an expedient,
which extricated him from his danger; he told the
robbers that ,his life was doubly in their hand as
they might take it them Selves or deliver him into'the
hands of juflicA out of which he could be releaf d but
by death, as he was the unfortunate general Macart
ney, for the apprehending of whom, on account of
the death of duke Hamilton, the queen had, by pro
carnation, offered so ereat a reward: he implored
therefore their compassion, and entreated them not to
take his money, as, by being deprived of the means of
escape, he mus funavoidably be apprehended. The
robbers confuted for a few minutes, and then inform
ed him, that they had agreed to grant part of his re
quest, namely, not to take his money from him ; but,
an the oth p r hand, as money was abfo utely nec ffary
to them, and as they could get more by apprehend
ing than by robbing him, they said he mus f fubmt
to be carried before some magistrate, as they were de
termined to deserve and claim the reward offer d for
his apprehension. The gentleman rejoiced at hearing
the intelligence, and having been carried before a jus
tice of the peace, who happened to know the person
of general Macartney, he was difeharged, not being
the person; but the two highwaymen were, on his
Rory, committed.
for the loy lids, if (he cannot make terms for them,
is to put them in a cooGtion to make terms for them
feints : if some Strong hold was put into their hands,
and a few vefftls given them to afl as privateers, there
is not a doubt but they would food bring congress to
reason. If, for inflance, whenever we abandon New
York, if we ever do abandon it,,we Should leave the ley.
alihs makers of it, togetl er with a Sufficient quantity
of arms artillery, ano ammunition to defend it, no
thing is more certain than that the Americans, wou'd
find it a moreeaSy, and a much more prudent measure,
to redore these men to the,r efiaies, than to keep an
army for the sole purpose bf befe ing New-Vork .•the
provinces do not seem at present v^y forward to pay
their contingents for the support of an army, that has
ft II to eflablifh, or at lead confirm the independence
bf the colonies ; there is consequently reason to pre
sume, that they would be rather backward in Support
ing a great military establishment f r the purpose of
recovering a finale town, after the great queflion of
independence Shall ha?e been determined. A large body
of det- rmined men, (hot up in a city, firong both from
nature and from art, are not to be Subdued, but with
infinite Ltieue, and at a great expence of blood and
neafure. The Americans, would of course, prefer
the easy mode of negociation, to a continuance of the
war ; the repeal of a few provincial afts, would reflore
New-York tothe congreb, the loyalifis to their eßates ;
and preserve Great Britain from the bitter reproach
of haying deserted men, who had abandoned all for
her fake
ORo 31. It was confidently said yeflerday morn
ing, that fir Guy Carteton's resignation had been -ac
cepted by his majefly, and that governor Da ling was
appointed to succeed him.
Lard Shelburne means to flick op in his coodwa to
that text wGch'he so emphatically delivered last feflion:
" The ton of Britain's glory will set, when the inde
pendence of America is acknowledged by England."
And the fnpprt he has given to tint opinion, was
the oniy Con est in the cabinet. The matter, howe
ver, is to be Submitted to parliament, where there
does not remain a doubt bat toe pr niter will carty the
day.
Their imperial highoeffes the Comte and comteffe
Do N<>rJ are in tire bed Rate of health, and will, we
hop , honour this capital with their presence for forc m
dt s more. On the 9th teir highnesses Talked tie
prater. The nextdy they honoured field marrfcbal
comte Lafcy with a visit at his superb feat of Dorn
bach; and y< fierday, being Friday, they were pre
fnt at an Italian opera, a&ed by ladies of the firfl
fafhion, in the palace of prince Adam D' Averfberg.
An' officer belonging to The ftaff in Galicia, writes
from that province, that a conflant tire has been 00
fervid to issue from a fen lituate near the town of
Lubaczow. His letter is dated Au.uft 22L
Foreign Intelligence.
FETERd BURGH, September 14.
rr\HEli< imperia! highnesses the grand duke and
4 duchess or Raffia are expelled to arrive here
the latter end of OHyber, on their return from
4'cir travels
Mr. Fox intends making use of the failure of the
county fubferiptions, which were much patronized by
lord S' eh urne, as a proof of that minister'swant of
t e public confidence and favour. He is to prove that
the Scheme was an exed'ent one, but thaf the people
detefledthe minifTr, and therefore would do nothing
that could be interpreted into Supporting his power.
This will introduce* the orator into some critical decla
rations from which he will be forced to wander, and
exhibit himfelf to little advantage.
The Dutch, from what Speculative opinion can col
ha, will be ready to fight, and make some warlike
appearance, in about five or fix year . As yet they
have not come to any martial ref.lutiou of confe
quence.
A Bon Mot. ——Mefficurs Miles, Reid, Craig and
Vaughan, being candidates for tie vacant treasury
ship, &c. advertised by t e commissioners for paving
WeAmindtr, be latt r gentleman being aiked by a
friend,.why he declined, pleasantly replied, because
there was on — Miles before h^m.
The least that this country coud or ought to do
VIENNA, October 12.
O N
O N.
St. PI E RRF, (Mrtiniqo) November 23.
They write from leeward, tint the lafi convoy
from S'. Domingo filled the 2d October, under the
convoy of the Palmier of 74 guns, and the Scipion,
which only accompanied the fleet part f their nay.
Tee mere ntfl n, confining of eleven mips, for Mar
filler, ,7 for B ulaux, 3 for St. Malo, 5 for
Rochelle, 1 for R-c^tort, 12 for Nantes, g of the
king's flutes for Ereft : in ad 54. They and, that
toe Scipion of 74 guns, commanded by tie brave
chevalier d Grimoart, n tier return t> the Cape,
was attacked, near Samans, by the Engiifh drip the
London of too guns. This ship however, although of
a very fupermr force, was so well receiv d, that he
loft part of her masts, and was soon rendered incapa
be<>f maneuvering. M. de Grimoart was preparing
to board, tier when another Engiifh ve el of bis own
force app ared in fight. He bore down upon this new
enemy, and engaged him within musket thot, the L°n
dol being so much disabled that (he could not give
any affidahce. The engagement continued near four
hours with great fury on both fids, but # he damage
which both (hips received not p emitting them to
manoeuvre, they were both carried away by the force
of the current, and ran on (hue upon the sands of
Sam Ana. They add to this rel tiom, the detail of
which is not very circumfiantial, that the Englidl
veff I had been got off by two nentr I vessels which
happened to phfs by when (he ran on Thore : the
Scipion had not as yet been got otf.
December 26. In times wnen intelligence from .the
Ea f llndies, is of the utmost importance, though tliefe
accounts fire often vague and contradictory, we are
happy to present our readers with the following,
which is free from all fufpici^n of uncertainty.
Extract of a letter from mopfieur the count de Sou
illac, governor of the Isle of France, to monsieur
Conway, mefire de camp, commander of the regi
ment of Pondicherry, and commander of the French
troops at the Cape of Good-Hope.
SIR,
I HAVE the honour of fending you, by a Dutch
vessel, the most interesting news in the East Indies,
this, a duplicate of my last, which I tra, fmit, lead the
fortune of war should have deprived you of the other.
The squadron and convoy which left our road the
7th December, 1781, have been very fuccefsful in their
cruize. They fell in with and captured the Enghth
man of %ar the Hannibal, of 54 runs; this is t e thip
which took our transports the Nechar and Severe.
On the 6th of February the squadron falling in with
the coast of Coremandel to the northward of Madras,
took, burnt or deflroyed, a fleet of 100 fail, which
were coming out of the Ganges, and bund for Mad
ras, laden with all kinds of flores. They arrived at
Madras the 14th, where they found the Engidh flee*,
confiftirg of nine line of battle ihips and two frigate ,
moored close under the forts. M. d'Orves, who had
been ill a long time, died a few days before at sea.
on this occasion the chi f command devolved on M.
de Suffrein. This brave officer intended to have at
tacked the en^my at anchor, but their Situation was
such as prevented the execution of hi difign. On th
15th, at 11 in the forenoon, he weighed, and ordering
the convoy to toe leeward o f the squadron, oiretied
the captain of the Pourvoyeufe frigate to flay by them
left they should want any affiance from the men of
war. The Eng ! ifh weighed at four in the afternoon.
In the night our convoy loft company, owing to the
signals being badly seen or badi underflood ; tne
Pourvoyeu'e, who w:s particularly charged with t'h m,
Peered with them for Pondic erry. On t e i6tn
she perceived some ships of war in the Horzion, which
the took for ours, and accordingly flood for them:
they proved to be the Enghfh fleet in chace of our con
voy ; the French commander soon found his error,
but loft only Livrefton transport, which failed very
heavy ; the loss of this ship is however to be regretted
as she had on board some pieces of artillery and some
troops of re legion of LauZun. An hofpitd thip
which had loft the fleet, not knowing the land about
Negapatam, ran into t at place and was taken. The
French fl, et appearing with all fail set, favoured the
escape of the convoy. M. de Suffrein kept the major
part, and the rest got into the Port de Gal es.
The general not being able to fall in with the Eng.
The extreme inferiority of our gunpowder to that
of the enemy, is an object that deServes the sincerest
and fulleft enquiry. In the late action between fir
Edward Hughes and the French fleet in the Ball In
dies, a letter received over I nd has the following re
mark : " The battle with the French muff have been
more decisive, though they certainly had enough of
it, had our ammunition been better ; will you believe
it, the French abfbutely flung their balls, 42 pound
ers,u2co yards farther than our 36 pounders, of
win h we rave a proof in the Monarca, of 70 guns,
captain Gill, out of whose fide two of that metal have
been taken "
Extract rs a letter from lord vifeoont Howe, admi
ral of the blue, &c. &c. &c. to Mr. Stepiens, da
ted on board tire Victory, off St. Helen's, the 14th
of November, 1782.
In addition to the contents of my last letter of the
24th, I am to inform you that as soon as the naafis of
tfie ftiips, damiged by the enemy s fire, were proper
ly Secured, the frft opportunity was taken (on a
light breeze from the N E. succeeding the calm which
intervened) to hand to the northward the 23d at night,
under all the fail poffibfe with requisite care for keep
ing the fleet duly conntfled, to get up again with the
enemy.
The wind continuing in the fame quarter, till the
25 h, arid more easterly tire tiree following days, the
fame pressed fail was carried as before; but as the ene
my, who had perilled to avoid a renewal of the aHi
on of toe lIP, could not (as the wind fatice,remained)
be forced thereto, ex ept by working in with the Bar
bary Ihor? for an uncertain time, which the Bate of
tie Ships in many refpeHs did not admit, I brought
the (hips to on tie 28th, to prepare toe detachments
directed by my infiruaions at that period.
Admiralty Office, November 20.
Lfo en the i&b, ^Hrtdfflvred foceffantty to eftft if ft
the 17th, but aid not succeed until 3 hours and a half
before night, the English carrying such a prefsof fail;
at this time the engagement began, but it was not de
cisive, several of our ships not being able to get into
aaion. M. de Suffreio did not judge i prudent to
continue the adion o r the chace for fear of falling to
leeway of the port where he intended to anchor, in
order to confer with Hyder Ally and disembark the
troops, he therefore gave over the perfuit in the night
and fleered for Pondicherry. When he arrived there
he learned that he was expelled at Porto Nova, where
the necessary depositions had been made for his arrival,
he accordingly failed and got there on the 21 ft without
the loss of a moment, Cent dispatches to the nabob, who
was at the distance of 25 leagues from Porto Nova Out
deputies returned the 9 rh of March, and ^very thing be.
tog fettled, our troops to the number of 2000 men were
disembarked. The comm nd er dispatched an express to
Galles (where there were several tranfport<) with orders
to execute the like debarkation. The 12th of March we
were busily employed and our troops likely to be in
readiness t 6 > march in a few days. I got the above
intelligence from M. Koche, commander of a pacqueT.
who was sent with difnatches by M. de Suffrein On
the 2 % d of March M. Roche fell in with a French cor
vette from t:us place, which chaced him under En lifh
co ours, and for want of Knowledge of the proper fig*
nals, was obliged to heave his dispatches over bo^d,the
corvette having fired many guns at him.
He gave me a verbal account of their contents, ad
ding, tnat I fhoull shortly receive a second account
from f orto Nova. M. de Suffrein meant to put to sea
as soon as the debarkation was effeßed, he had differ
ent intentions, amongst others that of intercepting a
convoy which he knew had left St. Helena shortly as.
ter the Hannibal.'
He was well informed that this fleet was convoyed
by two seventy fours and a fixty-Gur, and had on
boar^ 1000 regular troops. The capture of the above
flee, (it „ has taken place as we hope) is a most im
portant blow. All other matters here favour our
cause.
Hyder Ally, a man of aflivity and surprising geni
us, loves us as much as he detests our enem es • he
hath seen ^he arrival of ou r troops with joy and made
^7 r y poflible exertion to procure them necessaries.
e garrison of M dr-.s is composed of i 2 oo men a
mongst which are 400 Seapoys, „ h % on several occa
sions have fhowu now little they are attached to the
Enghlli.
Their troops are in general badly fed and worse
paid.
The men of war which left England with Commodore
hinoffi and which be feet to India when he return
^ ,, r °Pe, landed but 1300 men on the coast of
calabar, the r~flhaving gone home with the commo
trhre.e .°" ps ° n| y were (ent t 0 th p East Ind es.
whicn have joined fir Edward Hughes. 'Tis said that
in the action of the 16th of Feb. that officer was oblig
ed toanandon his own fhip,the Superb (she making so
much water, )and to ffiift his flag to another ship of
Lie fame force. Thus fir, you fee by thee accounts,
that our affairs in the Eafl ar e in a most prosperous slate,
and that we have every reason to entertain the most
Mattering hopes.
Here follows the supplement to the above letter,
written July j 5, 1 7 8 2 ."'
The masterly manoeuvres of monsieur de Suffrein
have been crowded with success. I n the cour ebf the
month of Jure, he intercepted two convoys of the e
nemy with troops, provisions and warlike Bores. He
for.ed the Engiifh fleet into Trinquemale bay, where
they are compleatly blocked up. Admiral Hughes
is in the most critical and difagreea^ le situation, the
land affording him no provisions, in a season when
his men cannot be long preserved ; tnus he will be
obliged to weigh with eight fail to engage a squadron
of eleven, much better equipped than his. Toe ad
vantageous situation of our naval forces, our combined
armies 011 shore, and the reinforcement we daly ex
pect, promise us a campaign which will most brilliant
ly finalize his majefly's arms, what inclines us to
tois belief is, that the Engiifh have very few friends
in his part of the world, so that they can obtain no
fuc our or refreshment but by force, their troops
, rr affed wrti ifatigue, and daily diminishing by epi
d meal disorders, and defert'on.
M. de Souillac transmits the following account of
the squadron which left the Isle of France Dec. 2, 1781,
under command of monf. de Orves 3 ships of 74
guns, i of 70, 6 of 64 2nd 1 of 50, total 11, their nam $
were formerly given in this peer.
' r , a:es 'a Fourvoyeufe, of 44 guns, commanded
by M de Galles, the Bellona 36, M. de Ci la r t, la
Fine 36, M. de Salvert, Corvettes, la Subtille of 20, M.
de Beaulieu, Sylph of 18, M. de Laming, the D.ligent
14, M. Maux, the Solomon fire ship of 18, 8 utes
of 800 tons, a private vessel, and two veff. Is of war of
24 guns, fitted by tie nabob Hyder Ally.
The ih;p.swhich left the Cape under M. de Peinier,
are L'llluflre, Le Fendant and L'Arronauteo r 74 ^uns,
the St. Michael, ! 'Alexandre and L'Hardi of 64, the
Cleopatre frigate of 36, the Naiade of 24 and a cor
vette of 14.
^ AN-AWAV on the 2 6th of last nionth, a N^ra
O& MAN, n med ISAAC, a (tout, like y young fel
b%, about 5 teet 10 in h, hub, stoops much in the
fhow< ers and is very, talkative : h*d on and took with
him a pair < f phdh and a p:i< of leather breeches, a
p.le b'ue con with a r.d velvet collar, a scarlet wa.ft
coat and another of calf. Skin dieffed with the b^ir on.
Whoever takes up and fecuiet said Negro, so that hie
m her may have him again, shall receive the above re
ward and rca onahle charges r^'d, by the ftibfcriber,
living in loners Neck, Kent county, in the Delaware
^ te > WILLIAM WHITE. Feb. 3.
Twenty Dollars Reward.