The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1783-03-29 00:00:00, page 2

HAGU E, November 20.
^s, H E duke deli Vauguyon, ambassador from
1 France, returned here,the 18th in the evening
from a tone which that niinißcr made to Amsterdam,
to put (arit is thougiit) the finifhing hand to a loan of
five millions; which is to be done here on account of
his moR cfriftian majesty, under the guarantee of the
flakes general
By letters patent, under the great seal of Great Bri
tain, bis Britannic majeßy has conflituted Richard
• Ofwdd. Squire, his minister plenipotentiary, to treat
with tiie minißers of the united dates of America. Who
would have thought that Great Britain would be the
th rd power in Europe to acknowledge the American
independence?
From the London Gazette, November 30.
WHITE HAL L, November 30.
Copy ®f a letter from Archibald Campbell, esquire,
governor of Jamaica, dated ORober 10, 17.82; re
ceived at the office of the right honorable Thomas
Townfhend, hit inajefly's principal secretary of
Rate for the home department, November 29.
Jamaica, October, 10, 1782.
0 Mr Lord,
I HAVE the pleasure to inform your lordship, that
the plan which I projected for defeating the Spani
ards in their attack upon the British fettle rs and Muf
quito Indians at Cape Gracias a Dios, has succeeded
equal to my moR sanguine expectations.
Captain John Campbell, of the Wanks river diff ria,
who had colleßed 150 able negroes for the purpose of
barraffing tie Spanish garrison Rationed at Black ri
ver. continued with unremitting a ffiduity, from the
14m Joy, to annoy the enemy, and narrow the limits
of their polls to the eastward, 'till, by a judicious
movem nt of his whole corps to the westward, he passed
their ceotinels unnoticed, got close, on the night of
the 23d of Auguß, to Cape river fort (lately fort
Dulling ) and, by a very gallant assault, carried it
with the loss of two men -only. Sixty-five Spaniards
were killed on the spot, nine taken prisoners, mostly
wounded, and about forty escaped by flight. Three
field pieces brass, three- field pieces iron, one cohort,
and one garrison piece, with a quantity of ammunition,
and one Band of colours, fell into the hands of the
assailants, who defiroyed the works, and retreated to
their former ground.
This success, together with repeated skirmishes, in
which the enemy met with considerable loss, contri
buted to render the Spaniards at Black river an easy
conquest to the force t en in motion against them.
On the 28th of Auguß the little army formed at
Cape Gratias a Dios, confining of eighty American
rangers under major Campbell, five hundred (hodmen,
free people of colour, and negroes, and 6 hundred Muf
quito Indians, under their refpeßive chiefs, who had
elected for their leader lieutenant-colonel Defpard,
(captain in the 79th regiment) reached the mouth of
Plantain river, about (even leagues to the eastward of
the enemy.
Cn the 30th the troops arrived at Black river Bluff,
opposite to the eafbrn block house, when the enemy
dhpatched a flag to enquire who they were, and what
they wanted. A summons to surrender the Spanish
pods, troops and artillery, to his Britannic majesty's
f rces, was sent to the commandant in reply ; and af
ter some altercation, the garrison, consisting 'of twen
ty-seven officers and seven hundred and fifteen rank
and file, chiefly of the regiment of Guatimala, thought
fit to lay down their arms as prisoners of war, stipu
lating to be conducted to Omoa in the mofi conveni
ent and expeditious manner. With this detachment
were taken 1 Band of colours, 2 twelve pounders, 7
fix pounders, 11 four pounders iron, 4 four pounders
brass, i eight inch howitzer, and 1000 frelecks,
which, together with the artillery in fort Dalling, a
mount to 31 pieces of cannon, 1 cohorn, 1 howitzer,
loco firelocks, a quantity of ammunition, and two
Bands of Colours.
I have likewise the pleasure to inform your lordship,
that the day after the 'Spanilh troops laid down their
arms at Black river, a polacre of 16 guns, loaded with
provisions for the Spanish garrison at that post, was
taken by one cf captain Parry's squadron. This po
lacre has also some money on board, and 100 soldiers
as a teinforcement for Truxilla.
I think it my duty to inform your lordship, that co
onel Defpard has expressed to me his obligations to
aptain Parry, commanding his majefly's ships of
M A D RI D, November 15.
The king of Spain, to recompence the bravery of the
prince de Nassau during the attack of the floating bat
series againrt Gibraltar, has granted him the privilege
to fit out five regifler ihips annually, with which he may
trade to any part of the kings dominions in Mexico
and Peru. It is said the king of France has railed the
prince dr Nassau to the degree of captainrin the navy,
ani that count D'ERaing wifh's him to have a com
mand in his fleet; but many people assert thathe is gc
ihg back to the camp of St. Roch, where he will hold a
very briliant situation, circumstances obliging the
Spaniards to continue the siege of that fortreb.
P A R I S, November 28.
We are assured that the court of Spain are going to
pubbfh a manifefloagainft the illegal proceeding of
lord Howe, who in the aHion of the 20th of October
made use of incendiary bullets ; they were globes of iron,
highly policed, and containing phof phoretick matters,
which were alighted b, the air, and set fire to the tim
ber and fails.
'FordpTi Intelligence.
Edw. Marcus Defpard,
(Signed) Don Thomas Julia,
James Lawrie.
Camp, Black River, Augufl 31, 1782.
LONDO N.
. Dec. 3 . When admirals Pigot and Hughes form a
Junction, their force will consist of 27 line of battle
ships, exclusive of lord Hood's squadron, and the
French have not yet one single line of battle ship in the
Weft-Indies. r
On Tuesday last, at a numerous and most refpeHable
meeting of noblemen and gentlemen, commissioners
from the different counties of Scotland, appointed to
confider of a plan for an internal conflitutional defence,
held at Fortune's in Edinburgh, they came to the fol
lowing resolution :
Resolved unanimously, That it is the opinion of this
meeting, that an internal constitutional defence is ne
cessary, for the fafety and dignity of this part of Great-
Britain called Scotland, and should be insisted on.
The meeting then went into the confederation of some
different neads of the bill, that ought to be generally
underflood before a committee was appointed to draw
w^r on that expedition, for his ready co operation
and assistance ; and I think it kifo a justice due to
lieutenant-colonel Defpard, to express my acknowledg
ments to him, for having chearfully, at the request
of the Foremen and Indians, taken the command of
the land forces, when he was merely on that coast with
a view to recover part of his baggage, which had escap
ed the enemy's hands at Rattan.
The zeal of the gentlemen and settlers on the shore,
the forward spirit of the Rangers, and the chearful ala
crity of the Mufquito chiefs and Indians, merit every
commendation.
The business of the shore being over, I have directed
Odell's rangers to return immediately to Jamaica ; and
I can assure your lordship, that the British settlers and
friendly Indians on that coast have, for this season, a
fair profped of enjoying their plantations in tranquil
lity; while the Spaniards, who have been at an im
mense ex pence and fatigue, have loft the fruits cf their
costly and laborious exertions.
Captain Thomas, of his majefly's ship Rsfource,
who can inform your lordship of the date of matters
in this quarter, will have the honour of presenting to
you the Spanish colours taken at Cape river fort, and
the works of Black river, which 1 beg may be laid at
his majesty's feet.
I have the honour to be,
With great refpeH,
My lord, &c.
ARCH. CAMPBELL.
To the earl of Shelburne, &c. &c. &c.
Articles of Capitulation proposed by Don Thomas Ju
lia, Lieutenant-Colonel, Captain of the Kingdom of
Guatimala, Governor and Commander in Chief of
Black River, to Lieutenant-Colonel Defpard, Com
manding the Expedition against Black River, and
Major James Lawrie, his Majesty's Superintendant
of the Indians and Mufquito Shore.
Article i.
THAT the sacred vessels, and other ornaments be
longing to Divine worship, should be left untouched.
Ans. Granted.
Art, 2. That the officers, troops and seamen of the
garrison shall go forth with arms shouldered, drums
beating, four field pieces, lighted match, ballin mouth,
and twenty one rounds per man.
Ans. The garrison of Black river shall surrender
themselves prisoners of war.
Art. 3. The garrison shall be conducted in the ves
sels of his Britainnic majesty to the port of St. Fernan
dez de Omoa.
Ans. The garrison of Black river shall be conduct
ed to Sr. Fernandez de Omoa, in the most convenient
and expeditious manner.
Art. 4. That the officers shall be allowed their side
arms and baggage ; and that their servants ihall be
conduced with them; and that the troops shall not be
plundered.
Ans. The officers to be allowed one servant each ;
the rest of the article granted.
Art. 5. All that belongs to the king shall be carri
ed off without moleflation.
Ans. Every thing belonging to the king, compre
hending cannon, arms, ammunition, military chest,
provisions, and in general every thing under the de
fcription of king's stores, shall be delivered up to a
commissary appointed for that purpose.
Art. 6. It shall be permitted that a pettyager may
be (ent to the port of Truxillo, with a fufficient pass
port from the commander of his Britannic majesty's
squadron.
Ans. A pettyager shall be permitted to go from
thence on the Bth day of September, furnifhed with a
proper passport.
(Proposed by lieutenant-colonel Defpard, as a supple
ment to the above Articles.)
Art. 8. The British flag shall be hoisted on the east
ern block-house, at fix o'clock in the evening of this
day, when the garrison shall march out and pile up
their arms before the governor's house. The cannon,
stores, &c. forts, posts, &c. belonging to that place,
shall be delivered up at the fame time to officers ap
pointed for that purpose.
Art. 9. The officers and soldiers belonging to the
garrison shall not serve against his Britannic majesty un
til regularly exchanged, or against any part of the
Mufquito shore during the war.
Art. 7. All property found at Black river, includ
ing slaves, &c. taken from the English inhabitants, on
the cap ure of that place, shall be delivered up, that
they may be restored to the proper owners. In the a
bove article, pet tyagers. craft, dories, &c. falling
under the description of English property, are meant
to be included.
( Extract of a letter from Dover, November 29.
7 ^a^ren", after having been here three days,
failed for Calais on Wednesday morning at ten o'clock
with a fa:r wind, and arrived there in four hours and
a half ; he did not flay there even for refrefhment,
but went forward direßly for Paris."
Extract of a letter from Con flantinople, ORo. 25.
They talk here about a conference that was to take
place the 21st of this month, between the ministers of
the Sublime Porte and M. Buljackof, the Ruffian mi
nifler, on the affairs of Crimea. They have not yet
received here the answer to the declaration of the di
van, sent by an express to Feterfburgh. It contained
their intentions refpe&mg the revolution in that penin
sula, and set forth in fubflance, that the Tartars hav
ing been declared independent, ought to be considered
as maflers to depose and eleft their sovereign, and that
the neighbouring powers have no right to interpose
therein. It is said here publicly, that the Ruffians
are marching from all sides into Crimea: but they
add, that the Porte, in making their utmost efforts to
avoid a rupture, ' make no preparation for any arma
ment by land ; they only observe, that something is
'" " e ar / e ° a ^> where there are already about
30 ships of different rates ready to put to sea, and
that others are equipping, one of which is a frigate
4° or 5° guns. The captain Bafhaw visits by turns
the forts and other posts in the vicinity of this capital
but in general we fee that all these dispositions do not
yet tend to an open rupture."
Extract of a letter from the Hague, November 24.
The French party speak in a very menacing man
ner of the prince of Orange ; some people have gone so
far as to declare publicly, that the republic has bem
betrayed; and so very little are they guarded in their
mfinuations, that it is apparent to every one, that the
Pr :? C T 15 she P erson to whom they impute the treason.
Two members of the Bates of Holland have pledg
ed themselves to move in that assembly, that, in fu
ture, the ftadtholder shall not have the patronage of
the navy and army, which gives him too £re tan
afc ,den c y in the councils of the provinces: it is pro
posed that he shall remain admiral and captain gene
ral, but without having the right of appointing the
officers or the navy and army. It is well known how
far the province of Holland carried its dislike to an he
reditary placeholder, when the father of William the
third died; the Bates of that province, not fatisfied
with having abolished the Badtholderfhip, imposed an
oath on William 111. afterwards king of England, that
if the people should ever desire to revive the office, and
press him to accept of it, he would pertinaciously op
pose their solicitations, and decline the office.
" A he afcendency of the house of Orange at length
pre ^'r d ; ' be " a ^ tho 'derfhip was revived, and offered
to William, who, that he might accept of it, had a
dispensation from the oath that had been imposed up
on him ; since that time the fladfholder has had the no
mination not only of all naval and military officers,
but also of a great number of the magiß r ates in all
the towns. This gives him such influence in all the af
fembiies, that, he runs no risk of feeing his power cur
^ed, though he has not fufficient weight to preserve
' r °. m .'he affront of having a proposition to that
' ma ° e '" 'he assembly of the provincial Bates.''
Dec. §4. Inftruaions are sent out by the Swallow
sloop to America, and the Weft Indies, very particu
larly addrrffed to the commanders, naval and military,
on those Rations. As far as can be collected in matters
where such extreme secrecy is ufeef; we only hear that
in the military line hostilities are to cease entirely. In
the naval department, war is also to cease as fa r as re
spects commerce, in which America is only affeded -
but the king's cruisers are Bill to block up the Ame
rican harbours, where no ships that are not really A
merican (the neutrals excepted) are to be permitted to
trade. And in order that the French, Dutch, or Spa
niards may by no means receive a benefit to the de
triment of this country during the war, all ships what
ever are to be considered as lawful capture if taken go
ing into the harbours of either of those powers, laden
with provisions, stores, ammunition, timber, &c. of
any kind whatever.
A letter from Cadiz fa ys , that a fleet of ships is or
dered to be got ready to (cour the Mediterranean or the
barbary corsairs ; they have taken several Spanish
transports during the siege of Gibraltar. Tney are
to cruize of the Barbary coast so long as the weather
will permit them to keep the sea.
hxtraa of a letter from Fluffing, Nov. 20.
“ The fleet are laid up here for the winter ; it confifis
of 11 men of war ; as many more are at Helvoetßuy s
many of them of the line."
Extract of a letter from the Hague, Nov. 20.
" The Rates of Holland and Weft Frifelaud have
opened their session this day, which will be very in
teresting on account of the multitude of important ofr
A correspondent recommends it to our ministers, to
lay a heavy proportional tax on monuments and tomb
hones, from the highest to the lowed degree; and he
thinks it would meet with general approbation, being
only a tax on vanity, and what would be little felt by
the living, and not at all perceived by the dead.
The committee at Aberdeen, for procuring an effec
tual supply of grain and meal, have resolved to pay a
premium of two (hillings on each boll of eight thousand
bolls, either of oatmeal, or of fufficient merchantable
barley, oats, peafe or rye, to be made into meal, that
shall be earliest imported into the harbour of Aberdeen,
from any foreign country, Ireland included, betwixt
this and the firfl of April next. Also a premium of one
(hilling per boll for four thousand bolls, brought from
England.
Extract of a letter from Paris, November 24.
" What we had announced is now realized. Dispo
sitions are making to open a new loan of a hundred
millions, on these advantageous conations : that the
lenders will enjoy 15 per cent, during ten years, or ten
per cent, during 15 years. That term expired, as these
annuities are perpetual, they will receive 5 per cent,
without any ded^^tion."
it cut in form.—This occasioned a warm and animated
debate on several points, but ended in several unani
mous resolutions.