The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-12-16 00:00:00, page 5

POSTSCRIPT to the PENNSYLVANIA PACKET.
.4 A Boston built frigate with forty guns upon one deck,
(Jones's (hip),
-A French fliip (an old Indiaman) of 44 guns.
Tv 0 American frigates of 32 guns each, new.
One twenty gun ditto.
Iwo brigatines of 18 guns, and
Two small tenders.
Some of this squadron conducted the prizes they had
made to the coast of France, and returned to Hull the Fri
day noon, attended by other Dunkirk privateers.
•n Saturday night another express arrived at the Ad
:miralfy from Hull, (which set out art! ree in the morning)
with the further difagree^ble intelligence, that Paul Jones's
squadron, after having done more mifehief in the (hipping'
on Friday, had fell in with the Baltic fleet (for which pur
pose he principally ventured to cruizein the North Chan
nel) and had taken their convoy, the Serapis man of war
of 44 guns Capt. Pearson, and the armed (hip hired to
government by a gentleman of Hull, called the Coantefs
of Scarborough, Capt Piercy, of 24 guns. This action
was seen by thousands of fpe&ators, and the last express
was dispatched in consequence of it, and feeing the other
ships of Jones's squadron making havock among the fleet;
inoft of which however, had taken shelter near Flambo
rough and the Herd.
From the four capture d Americans it was difcovfred, that
this fleet failed (with stores for three months) from Brest
the beginning of August; and that two other fmal squad
rons were to fail soon after them for the coasts of Ireland
and Wales. They were all ih ihe service of the Congress,
and few, or no, French seamen on board.
Their plan generally was to alarm the coasts of Wales,
Jreland, the Western parts of Scotland, and the North
Channel, while the combined fleets k;pt Sir Charles Har
dy at bay to the Wtflward. Jones took several prizes on
the coast of Ireland, (particularly two armed transports
with stores for New-York) in the North seas, and near
the Firth of Forth, and had it in his power to have burnt
Leith ; but bis orders are only to destroy (hipping. His
squadron is now but weakly m nned, owing to the great
number of prizes he has taken, and it will likely fall an
easy conquest to the sixteen fail of men of war who have
orders to go after him.
The Serapis man of war loh her main mast, bowsprit,
and mizen top-mafl before (he flruck; and the Countess
of S arborough made an exceeding good defence against
one of the 32 gun frigates. The enemy's 44. gun flip was
not in the action, and the Serapis struck to Jones's ship and
the other 32 gun frigate. &
Expresses a lfo arrived on Saturday from Sunderland,
Bating that Paul Jones had taken fifteen fail of colli
er.
In consequence of the capture cf so many colliers, and
the interception of the trade, the price of coals will be
enormous,
loftrad of having the dominion of the sea, it is now
evident that we are not able to defend our own coast from
depredations.
Extract ofa letter from Oflend, September 16.
'' The packet with the mail from England of the 14th
was chaced in here by a French cutter privateer ; happily
it whs near, high water, by which means she got in, had
the title been cut she would most certainly have been tak
en??
The Hopewell, Bed, from Drontheim to Dublin, taken
by the Black Prince privateer, is retaken by the Brilliant
privateer of 'Jerfey, and carried into that island.
We hear from Liverpool, that the Mansfield armed ship
has taken off the file of Man, the TEfopus privateer of 10
guns, and carried her into Ramsay Bay.
Extract of a letter from Scarbro, Sept. 21.
" T 7 ESTERDA Y a ship (atwodecker) a frigate,
Y a floap, and a cutter, appeared about a mile off
the Pier, foppofed to be French , they fired at several (hips,
took two, and obliged two others to run into the harbour,
damaging their ringing and fails by keeping a continual *
ffreafter theroj they then fleered their course to the north
ward."
A letter from Sunderland, dated the 20th of September
fays, that an express arrived there the 18th from Ay
mouth, with information that Paul Jones was off there,
with five fail, of ships of war and 2000 troops on bo^rd;
that on the 19th they appeared offSunderland, and came up
within two miles, which put the inhabitants into great
confuficn, as they expected them to land,every hour, or
dehroy the ships in the harbour. The inhabitants and
soldiers got immediately under arms, and continued so at
the writing of the letter, as they were still in fight."
''Extras of a letter from Stockton, Sept. 21.
" Copy of an express which arrived here this d j from
Sundert rid, dated Sept. 21.
" The under mentioned (hips having appeared off this
place, under the command of Paul Jones, we have f nt
the bearers to inform all light colliers they may meet with,
to take harbour as soon as possible, and there to remain
till they receive dvice of thei- Leifig off the coast ; the
bearers are to proceed to Bridlington withall fpeet. Two
sh ps, appearing to be 50 guns each; one frigate about 40
guns; one brig like a collier; two (loops; one snow, and
one brig, botn armed.
E. Linfhall, J. Young,
J. Marlhall, 1. Smith."
J. Wall,
.On Saturday noon two gentlemen of the corporation of
^ullarrived express at the Admiralty, with the alarming
account, that the celebrated American corsair, Paul Jones,
had entered the river Humber on Thursday last, and rha
fed a vessel to within a mile of the Pier, where he funk,
burnt, a nd destroyed sixteen fail of valuable vessels, which
threw the whole town and neighbourhood into the utmost
coofterpation; as a very few men in armed boats, might have
laid the town in ashes. He had taken nine or ten colliers
and other vessels a day or two before lie appeared at Hull ;
one of which, being left ^0 the charge of only four men,
her former crew rose upon them, and carried the vessel in
to,a port near Hull; and which men slate the strength of
bis squadron be as follows ;
LONDO N, Septemberz/.
THURSDAY, December 16, 1779.
The Speranza, of 24 guns, a Spanish ship lately taken
and put into Fowey, is not a King's frigate, but a priva
teer fitted out by feme merchants of Bilboa. She is en
tirely a new flop, built mostly of mahogany, and was on
her firft cruize.
As soon as the grand flet are laid up for the winter, the
embargo will be taken off from the (hipping in the mer
chant service, as the reason for laying it on will then not
exit?
The land forces of Great- Britain (included those riifed
in America) will next year exceed the prefect eftabliih
ment by 50,000 men.
The amazing efforts made by France for t'^e re eftab
lifhmeut of her marine, will appear from hence, that
D'Orvilliers has of ships of the line -3:
D'Eftaing - - - 26
The Peroulelle, at Mauritius - - 3
Fitting cut as Toulon . „ 6
Ditto at Rochfort - - 4
71
E.-sides others Hut are on the flocks, but will not be
ready for sea till 1,80 arm they have no leis than 20 -fri
gates, each of 36 gnus, now building io Corsica.
' The pay and eloathing cl the new corps raised since the
breaking up of Parliament, which is unprovided for, will
make an addition to tee army expences of next year, of
upwards of half a million.
The H ufh Jo and Civil Lift are, it is said, in future,
to be paid with Exchequer bibs, to carry four and a half
per cent, till payment, ft is to be hoped Madders, and
men in every office and department under government,
will be paid in like manner.
Exirad of a letter from Newcaflle, Sept. 25, 1779.
'' The little squadron commanded by Paul Jones, after
leaving the Firth of Forth, directed its course along rhe
coast foutuward, and excited no small tears in the inhabi
tants along ashore asthey puffed About five on Sunday
afternoon they appeared off Tynmouth, and at;er parading
a while in the offing, proceeded onwards to Sunderland
and so much alarmed toe inhabitants of that place, that'
many of them immediately had their valuable effeds bu
ried in the earth, or conveyedup the country. The mi
litia there beat 10 arms, and, with many of the town's
people, lined the (here until the next morning : But no
descent was attempted, the enemy continued their course
to toe southward.
" The Emerald frigate of 32 guns appeared off Sunder
land on Monday morning, when four fly-boat men were
sent off to her, to give information of the above squadron ;
the sea running exceeding high at the time, made the
fpedators on (tore tear much for their fafety ; but hap
pily they effected their errand, and were kindly received
on board.
" Monday the Content failed from Shields and join
ed the Emerald frigate, to go in quest of the above iqua
drove
" The following particulars are from the information of
the matter of the Speedwell (loop, of Hull, which was
taken and ransomed, by the said squadron, and who made
oath to the fad thereof before the Mayor of this town on
Wednesday.
'' Sunday last, about four leagues of Tynmouth bar,
the Speedwell hoop of Hull, and the Union brig, of
Chatham, were t ken by the P Jias, an American fri
gate or barque, of 34 nine plunders, in company with a
two decked ship of forty-tour eighteen pounuers (Baine
not known) commanded by Paul Jones, and a mow of
fourteen nine pounders, called tne "Vengeance (matter's
name not known). Aft&r taking them, Jones and the
matter of the Pallas disagreed concerning tne captures §
Jones proposed to turn the brig into a fire ship, and to
fend her into Shields harbour, to which the matier o the
Pallas would not confeut ; the matter of the Palias pro
posed to ransom the sloop, as the had a woman with child
011 board, to which Junes would not confect; however
the next day, about twelve leagues off the land, between
Scarborough and Filay Buy, the orig was plundered and
funk, end the sloop ransomed for ;001. the mate taken
hostage. Jones had one or two, and the Pallas three or
four Englilh masters, and a number of other prisoners 011
board, belonging to fllips that had been taken and destroy
ed.—The master of the sloop said, he was informed t at
Jones had 200 marines on board. Jones declared that dis
orders were to ransom none, but to burn, fink or destroy
all.—The metier of the Pallas, in the rar,font bill, sides
himfelf thus .• " Denis Nicolas Cotioeau, of Kelo^uen
Captain of a man of war in the ferviceof the United States
of America, and commander of the American frigatetae
Pallas."—They honied En & lilh colours, but the Capt,in
of the sloop saw that tn&y had also American and Sweddh
colours "
Extract of a letter from Yarmouth, Sept. 24.
" Last night we had a great deal oi damage done in
our roads ainongft the flupprug, by the violent storm of
wind, thunder, lightning, and rain. A great many
pieces of wrecks were brought on Ihore the next morning.
Two colliers are driven &n ihore just oelow this town, and
it is feared will be loft. Some vessels were driven out to
sea. By some of the pieces of wreck there appears to be
part ofa French vessel, so that we imagine that one or
both of the Frencn privateers are loft which have for
some time been cruizing in these seas, and nave taken se
veral prizes, and lent them lor France,"
Friday morning the principal inhabitants of Yarmouth
met, and agreed to petition the Lords of the Admiralty
fora number of ships to be sent down for the better pro
tedion of thattown and trade.
The Fly sloop of war that beat off the two privateers
who engaged him in hopes of capturing the packets, al
lured by the expectation of a large ransom for the noble
paffeogers is got fafe into tne Elbe. The Fly carried on
ly 14 guns, and was scanty ripowder. The privateers,
were stoutly manned, and one of them carried 20 guns,
and the other 18.
Extract of a letter from Hull, Sept. 25.
" On examination of one of tne thip's crew retaken from
Paul Jones, we learn, that he had pilots on board for e
very part cf this coast, from Edinburgh to Harwich, and
th?t he had taken fifteen fail of vessels; f<me hehad ran.
footed, add others sent to France—that he had five hun
dred men on board his own thip when he left Brest; and
that the compliments of the whole fi^t were above two
thousand; that they had provisions for three menrs, and
an am zing quantity of military stores, ?s flint and gun
powder ; that the seamen were exercised daily-wth small
arms, in case of their going on (here, as a debarkation
was intended wh^n a convenient place and opportunity of
fered ; that the major part of the crews were Eughlh and
Irish, many of them taken our of the prisons at Eteri and
Sr. Maloes, where any prisoner war offered his liberty to
(erv? on b ard his fleet—there weie very few Americans,
bet more French, and some neutrals, as Dutch and Ger
rn ins —they gave but small bounties at firft for the mes to
enter, as the promres that were made hem that the, would
all return with fortunes, had a great effect ; tout men grow
ing fear e they were obliged to pay very haodfcmely for
them, and some of the ships were obliged to come away
v.i hout the compliment intended, as they all brought
more away than tney had need to work the ihipand fi f ht
t,e guns, in order ig be the bet er enabled to man the
priz.es.they ihrnld take, and not reduce their prop / com
priment in c,fe of meeting with a powerful tQim;."
The matter of a sloop from Harwich, who arrive!
yesterday in the Pool, saw on Saturday last, 00 I^ than
eleven fail of men or war going in fearih of Paul Jones,
and among them was the Edgar of 74 guns.
By the examination of the four men, belonging t^ one
of Paul Jones's squadron, before the Mayor and Magis
trates of Hull, it appears, that Jones's order were not to
burn any houses or towns. What an example of honour
and greatcefs does America thus (hew to us I while our
troops are running about from town to town oii their
coast, and burning every thing, with a wanton, wicked,
and deliberate barbarity, Dodor Franklin gives no orders
to retaliate. He is ab^ve it Anu there was a time w^en
an English Mmilier was above it: when an Eogifh Mi
nister would have difuained to make war in so villainous
a mode. It is a disgrace to the nation. But nrtwithftdnd.
ing the moderation nitherto fliewn by the Americans up
on our coast, it is to be teared that moderation will cease
ina hide time.
Paul Jones could have burned Leith the other day
wl ti.e grtateft ease, and another little town near it,
but his orders were peremptory net to burn any towns.
Bate and Knox mud whuewath Lord George Germain,
and fay, tuat the burning the towns lately in America,
was not done by his urd rs, FalfeoooJ agrees with ail
their characters.
Many of the pdrticu%s, of the Burning the two towns
in Conn.dint, viz Fairfield and NorwaiK, i^ve been
received; but they are too (hocking to relates The bru
tality, and cruelty of the soldiers, in several instances,
are too dreadful, as well as unfit to be printed. THefe
horrid (cents are an indelible scandal o our arms And
tht Mmifters and officers, who can order, and execute
fuci iproceedings, mult be det: fted by all ra akind.
Extract of a letter from a gentleman in Smeids, to his
friend in E lifaburgh, Sept 20
' Yefterdxy this pia e was very much at irmed by the
appearance o; several large French privateers upon the
coasts. I counted fix. two of which did not carry less
than 40 guns exh. They capturda brig and afl ^ p
within tight, and chafed a fleet of loaded colliers, which
luckily efraped them by running into Stc ; kton.—T^ey
approached 10 near the harbour that it was fufpefivd they
intended to land ; tne farmers drove their cattle off toe
coati, and several people fled from tueir houses."
Yesterday Lord Sandwich informed some Russia merch
ants who waited on him, that twenty of his Mijehy's
ships were lent in quest of Paul Jones.
From the LONDON EVENING POST,
of September 28, 1770.
To the PRI^TER.
SIR,
[ ri ° MA N nature is pretty much alike in all countries
[ 4 and at all times. The infolene of .prosperity is of
ten succeeded by tne most abje& Imodify. When Alex
ander nad'co querei Darius, his great and aftenrthmg
success transported him fofar, that he fli hted an 1 contem
ed the worihip of the Gods. He would n@t facnfice to
them, because truly he thought oimieb their equal. His
member truly I y with Jove, and he was now, instead of
Alexander t ^ son of Philip King of Macedon, the cff
frrmg of Jupner Ammon. But r e'new made God, upon
receiving intelligence of t e revolt of the Scythians, was
so frightened turn he forOoK his own ?Ears, and facrifi
ced to those Deities wnom he bad despised and forfaken.
So our Minihers, in the insolence of their power, when
they had in contemplation the conquef tof America; when
every hungry wretch had portioned out to himfelf as much
land and property of the Coioaifts as would fatisfy his ra
pacity ; when a large revenue was to ease the country gen
t emen of their taxes ; I (ay, when the Minifiers were per
te&ly sure of making Raves of us and the inhabitants on
the other fide of the Atlantic, it is inconceivable with what
iniolence they presumed to treat the free people of this na
tion in all their difeourfes,public and priv te! Nay, the
King himfelf, whole speeches are always composed by the
Miuifters, or at leaf? that part of them which makes up
what Lord Mansfield terms ths effic ent Cabinet, was dila
ted in such language, as was fit only to be Ipoken to a par
cel of (laves by an Asiatic despot.
One speech began I tnink with " The disease amongst
the corned cattle." This every tody underflood to be a
ridicule upon the city of London, or at bast a cqptemptu
ous sneer upon the people in general, as unworthy to have
any better information given them than taat waicu may 1^
communicat'd by a news paper.
But, good Heaven ! how has the language of the Court
and Ministry altered since the unfortunate turn of our af
fairs in America I What tegur'd Speeches from tee Crown,
w^at humble addrelics, what cajoling language from the
Miniftpy. Misfortunes will humbe the prou .est ; the day
of afibaion is the time to ac@uiieftlf knowledge ! -Would
his Maj- fly be gracioufl ' ple ifea to know his true friends
his enemies would fren fly iroin him like chaff before the
wind. Jam. S.r, MERIONES.