The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1783-01-28 00:00:00, page 2

While captain Wattles lay at the Fly, a principal
merchant in Amflerdam, wrote him as follows. " I
have the pleasure to inform, that Mr. Adams set off
yeflerday tor Paris, and that England consents to ac
knowledge the independence of your empire." His
letter is dated October i,th.
We learn by captain Wattles, that the fliip Cato, from
this port, arrived at the Fly the 15th September, and
that the next day, in a hard gale of wind, (he was
drove from her moorings by a heavy fliip running foul
of her; by which means the Cato was drove a shore
and bilged; the vessel was afterwards got off, but
mol of the cargo was loft.
Jan. 17. On the night after the Bth instant, between
midnight and 4 o'clock, Mr. Giles Sill and his wife
awaked from sleep, found their house in flames, the
fire having got to fach a head that it was with the
IN eonfequence of the late advices received (com A
ni*rica,a messenger was difpatchcd late on Monday
night from the secretary of Hate's office, with letters
to Mr F^zherbert, and to Mr. Ofwaid, the negocia
tor#to American affairs at Paris..
It now purify appears, that either the resources of
America must be nearly exhausted, or that the teal of
the people has confiderabty cooled. The deficiencies
of the taxes are atlonifhing: sixty thousand dollars on
ly have been received out of eight millions voted by
congress.
October 24. The lord advocate and Mr. Pitt are
the generals appointed to fight the battles of the
conftittition again* Mr. Fox and his ex-ministerial
brother. The man of the people may, indeed, make
some noise; but the unfortunate jrfuit of St. Omer's
is fail to be in a Bate of political melancholy.
A coquette, who had great vanity in ornamenting
her person, having one day (hewn her diamonds to a
nother lady, with the purpose of exciting her envy at
the abundance and brilliancy, at last begged that the
would be good enough to shew her bet's. The lady
took her into the nursery, and pointing to her little
family of children, in the cultivation of whom (he em
ployed all her time, " There, fays the, are my jewels,
and the only jewels that attract my care."
An elegant monument is now erecting in the south
east isle of Weftminfler abbey, in honourto the merits
of the brave major Andre, who was some time ago
hanged by the Americans, on account of his endea
vouring, with the a Alliance of general Arnold, to sur
round a rebel camp.
03. 25. Tiie evacuation of Charle flown, confider
ad in every point.of vi w, mus lhave proved equally in
jurious to its interests, as difhonourable to the arms
of Britain, and therefore it is with pleasure we de
clare, the odious measure lias been set afile.
The appointment of Mr. Wilmot and Mr. Coke, to
enquire into the claims of the American loyalists. pro
mises every thing that can be expelled from indepen
dent principles, pure integrity, and flrid impartiality ;
by the exertion of these qualities, the gentlemen ap
pointed will be able to do ju dice to the public and to
the claimants.
A correspondent at Peterfburgh, writesas follows:
" While Turkey is dwindling away in flrength, Ruf
fla is greatly encreafing in power, by granting great
encouragement to multitudes of chriftians, who on ac
count of the late conflagration at Constantinople, are
retiring from the Ottoman dominions, into those fub
jeft to the Czarina."
There is now living in a little cottage at North
Moor, near Oldham, two widows, mother and daugh
ter, whose ages together make 161 years; the mother
being 94. and the daughter 67.
Extras of a letter wrote by an American residing at
Paris, October 20.
" No individual was ever received in any country
with more distinguished marks of petfonal esteem, than
that Irish patriot, fir Edward Newenham experienced,
since his arrival in this city. The ambassadors from
united America, and the miniffers from Great Britain
have visited him; and he has paid frequent visits to
his excellency Dr. Franklin, and has dined with him
at Paffy; the marquis de la Fayette and other persons
of the highed diflindion have done him the fasne ho
nour. All these marks of efleem and regard have been
lavished on him, on account of the uprightness and
public virtue which have confiantly mark d his con
dud : he has often advised the English not to persist
in attacking the liberties of the united dates of Ame r
rica ; he has invariably shewn himfelf the modfiedfaft
friend to their liberties and to absolute independence.
It is some } ears since the British ministry deprived him
of an emyloyment that brought him in 10001. tlerlmg
a year, to punish him for having voted fur the greeted
interest of Ireland : the actual date of that kingdom
proves, that he is one of the firft patriots who have
laid the foundation of her prefect glory."
SALE M, January 2.
Last Tuesday the letter of marque Blip Julius Ctefar,
commanded by captain Ha/raden, arrived here in 43
days from Nantz. No late newspapers were broug 4
in this fliip; but we have the pleasure of receiving,
verbally, some agreeable intelligence.—Captain John
Buffiaton, in the letter of marque ship Ie marquis de la
Fayette, was arrived at Nantz in 28 days from this
port, and carried in with him a ship from New York
with 321 hogsheads of, tobacco on board.
N E W-L O NDO N, January 10.
Last Saturday arrived here from Holland, the brig
Thetis, captain William Wattles, after a tedious pas
sage of 70 days, laving met with repeated hard gales
of wind, in which he loft his bowsprit, and his vessel
otherwise much damaged. He left Amsterdam the 12th
of October, and failed from the Fly on the 20th. Ten
days before he left the Fly, 12 fail of Dutch (hips of
the line failed from the Texei, but their deflination
was a secret.
Captain Harraden, on his passage homeward, cap
tured a ship from Gibraltar, of 400 tons burthen, which
had been employed as a Hore fliip in lord Howe's fleet.
Q O NDO N October 2%
BALT IMO R E, January 21.
The short quotation from that immortal • oet, 3hake
fpear, which we applied, in our last, to the brave ve
terans that compose the Delaware flare battalion, was
meant to convey a refpeflful idea of their patience- for
titude and ptrfeverance, amid* " a choice of difficul
ties,"and not inhumanly to insult their distresses, or
lessen their merit, as some have erroneously imagined
and fuggefled. The exceptionable passage " with lank
lean cheeks anl war-worn costs,'' we flatter ourselves,
on due reflection, will be considered by our readers as a
concise panegyric, however inadequate, on the milita
ry virtues of a patriotic corps who have eminently dp
tinguifhed tliemfelves in the service of tier country-.
The schooner Nancy, captain Talbot, arrived ' a
few daysago, in James river, in &o days from St, Tho
mas's.
N E WY O R K, January 22.
Yefter lay the following account was brought to
town, that on rhe 7llinftant, that his majefly's fllips
Amphion, of 32 guns, captain Bazely, and the Cy
clops, of 28 guns, captain Chriflian, fell in with a fleet
of French and American ships and other vessels, took
five fail, and a French corvette, or (loop of war- the
prizes are come through the found, and were on Mon
day night at White Stone. These active sons of thun
dering Jove, on the 27th of December, defiroyed a
cutter, and on the 29th, annihilated a large ship near
Cape Charles. We are also informed, that the Sibyl
French frigate, commanded by captain Karg< ria, was
seen in action with a British frigate, and during the
engagement, a large fliip of war, supposed of two decks
hove in fight, and rapidly flood for the contending
champions, by way of dreifive eclairciffement. There
are from 250 to 270 French seamen, made prisoners by
the above frigates in this their fortunate cruize, ft
is supposed the count de Rochambeau, late commander
in chief of the French troops in America, embarked for
Europeon boardlire Sibyl; and it is conjectured that
4he above mentioned fhipibeariog up for the engaged fri
gates, was the Endymion, of 44 guns, captain Smith,
commander, who was bound for the Weft Indies, af
ter touching at St. Augufline,
greatefl •difficulty and danger they saved their small
children'from being fuffocated in the flames; one of his
final! children and two youag men, and a girl, leaped
from a chamber window about two minutes before the
roof fell in; but a brother of Mr. Sill not finding the
window was confuted nearly to ashes, and an appren
tice lad periled in the fame way, his head and limbs
were consumed, his bo y found in the coals, his back
and vitals remaining whole ; a girl who lodged in a
lower room was also found about half consumed. Had
the family tarried but two minutes longer in the house,
ten other persons mull have perished in the flames ; but
they escaped with nothing but their shirts on, to screen
them from a most severe cold snow florm and travelled
a quarter of a mile to a hospitable neighbour, who
gave them all the relief in his power. The unhappy
fuffertrs are persons of the greatest integrity and ho
nefty ; and by their more than common industry and
prudence, bad obtained a considerable interest ; Mr.
Sill being a mechanic, his interest was chiefly in his
house and shop, both which, with their contents were
consumed. Providence hereby speaks loudly to all,
and thews us the uncertainty of life as well as the un
certain nature of worldly interest.
RECEIPT of continental taxes from the Hate of
Connecticut. For the month of December 1782, re
ceived seventeen thousand and fix dollars.
HEZ. MERRILL, receiver
of taxes for Connecticut.
Jan.2l Monday niaht after the xith instant, a small
house, in which was an aged woman and her daughter,
whose name - were Thomas, in Middletown, took fire
and consumed the fame, with every thing in the house
the two women unhappily perilled in the flames.--'Tis
somewhat remarkable that a family in house nearly
opposite were all up, and never knew any thing of it
till too late to .afford any relief.
F I SH-K I L L, January 23.
THE fubfcr ; ber has received on account of ti e
united states, Two thousand two hundred and fifty
dollars, for the month of December.
THOMAS TILLO fSON, receiver.
Albany, January 1, 1783.
ANNAPOLIS, January 23.
On Monday morning last arrived here, on her way
to Baltimore, a small privateer from New-York, of
three guns and twenty or th rty men, prize to the let
ter of marque ichooner Antelope, captain Garden.
By the HOUSE of DELEGATES, Jan. rg, 1783.
Resolved, That ever collector in arre r to the
public for the assessment, or tax, or any public mo
nies in the years 1779, 1780. and 1781, be immedi
ately sued. By order,
w. harwood, clerk.
Veflerday arrived a (loop from the Cape, laden with
coffee and molasses, prize to the Cerberus frigate, fir
Jacob Wheate, bart. commander. It is said this ves
sel failed with a fleet for the rebel ports of this conti
nent.
It is said a letter is received from Silas Dean, esquire,
at Ghent, dated November 10, which intimates rhe
approach of peace; the principal terms of which re
fne^ing Great-Britain are, That Canada be reflerd
to France ; Gibraltar exchanged for the Spanish island
Porto Rico , and America return to her allegiance on
the old con flitution of 1763.
A person arrived in town a day or two ago asserts
that he read a paragraph in a late Antigua Gazett ,
affecting that a British, had fallen in with a French
fleet, taken of the latter one 74 gun fliip, and a pac
quet; and the former was seen in chafe of the main
body of the French squadron..
HARTFORD January 7.
The following is a particular Account of the Taking
of tiie English settlements at Hudson's Bay, by the
chevalier de la Peroufe, in August last, as commu
nicated in a letter from that officer to the marquis
de Castries, fecr<tary of Bate, and published in the
Paris Gazette.
Hudson's Streights, Sept. 6, 1782.
YOU have been informed of my failing from Cape-
Francois on die gift of May last, with his ma
, qi e 'y’ s °"? " :e : ' c p tre # of 74, atari the frigates
l'A%ie, and I'Engagtante, under the refpeßive com
mands of the c. evalier de Lungle, and the fieur de la
J^ille, lieutenant in the navy, for an expedition in
Hudson's Buy. I had taken on board at St Domin
go, the following land forces: 250 men, drafted from
the regiments of Armagnac and Auxerrois, and 4, ar
tillerifts, together wish two eight-inch mortars, 300
Ihells, aid four cannon. Tie above detachment was
under the command of the fieur de Roftaing, major of
Armagnac The tieur Ie Certain, captain of artille
ry, in the service of the colonies, had the detail of the
ordnance; the Iter Moreton, captain in the corps
of engineers, w^s to direct the operation of the sieges,
.while the fcur de M nfuy, captain engineer of the co
lonies, was appointed to take the drafts and charts of
the coafis and bays which we were to visit.
Nothing happened ro me remarkable during my na
vigation till July 17th, when I difeovered, about
twelve at night, the island Resolution. I had not fail
ed twenty leagues up Hudson's. Strtights, when I
found inyft If every instant surrounded with new obsta
cles of e<ry kind. The ships under my command re
mained entangled for several days among the ice, so far
indeed ti at our sailors could go on foot from fliip to
lhip. The frigates fuffered greatly, and were so da
maged in their Hems as to alarm me about their fafe
ty: tie Sceptre was in the mod imminent danger of
losing her rudder. Every thing was new to us in this
navigation, and that very circumflance occasioned my
neglecting to provide ice-anchors, which would have
proved of the utmof l utility : at last, on the 30th of Ju
ly, I came in fight of Cape Walfingham, the most west
erly part of the Strcig' r. I had hitherto bad do other
rule to Beer by than a few points determined geoma
trically |!inferted in the practical navigator, and by|tbe
means of wnjch M de Manfuy and myfelf h^d fetched
cut a chart, which we altered as the hazy weather per
miried us to descry land. - I now thought all difficulties
overcome, and was in the utmost impatience to reacli
torr Prince of Wales. This ,vus the place I had set down
for my firft attack. 1 bad not an instant to lose, as the
r gour of the feafito renders those seas impervious to
all (hipping about the beginning of September. But
I had to undergo a further tryal of patience. As I
wav failing in perfect Security in Hudfoa's-Bay, I found
nsyfi-lf, on t e ;d of August, involved in a thick mid.
I was fuon lurroundel witn pi ? ces of ice, a lituation
which compel d me to lie to. Two tours after the mist
disappeared, and ( perceived the three ships entangled
in tile ice, which extended out of fight: this gave birth
to a well grounded appre ^nfion, that I had miffed the
rieht time for my operations, and I was on the point
of (ending back my 0^ ship, and one of the frigates,
resolving to winter it there myfelf in the other, with
part of the troops under the command of major de
Rolling, in hopes of being able, at the beginning of
the next season, to destroy the English settlements :
but on the sth of August, the ice which surrounded
rcy (hip began to give way, and I resolved to cut a
passage through ft, by crouding fail, however dan
gerous the tryal might prove to my little Squadron. I
was so lucky as to succeed; and on the Bth of August,
at iSight, could perceive the English colours flying on
fort Prince of Wales. I approached, founding all the
way, within , league an a half, and dropped anchor
with my division in eighteen fathoms of water, muddy
bottom. An officer was inßantly dispatched by me,
for the purpof of founding, who assured me it was ve
ry practicable for our ships to draw very near the fort.
I was further informed, that if the enemy should offer to
oppose any resistance, the Sceptre Would be fufficient to
keep them under. Every thing was iqftantly prepared
for landing, but the night growing very dark, and the
tide beife again* us, it was two o'clock in the morn
ing before the boats were under way. We landed with
out the lead opposition, three quarters of a league dis
tant from the fort, which is built with free-done, and
seemed calculated to makeanobflinate refinance. Ma
jor de Roftaing advanced with his detachment within
Philadelphia; Jan. 28.
Since our last advices have been received from Bal
timore, which mention, that a vessel is arrived there,
after a passage of eleven days from St. Thomas's.
A gentleman in that island writes his friend in Balti
more, that London papers of a very late date had
been received there, from one of which he copied &
letter, dated November 29, from Mr. secretary
Towniheud to the diredors of the bank of England, in
forming them that the parliament was further proro
gued till the 4tn of December ; that he was directed to
inform them, the negotiations were flill going on at Pa
ris, but not in such a Bate that any thing decisive
could he said on the matter ; but that at the meeting of
parliament his majefiy would lay before that body the
proceedings of the negotiators, and finally decide, as
to peace or war.
Mention is made in our late papers of a fuccefsfulex*
pedifion against t he English (ettlements at Hudfons- bay.
We have now rhe pleasure of laying before our read
ers the particulars of that danger us enterprize.
On Wednesday last a small schooner arrived at
Baltimore,from Cape Francois; the captain of which
informs, that fir Samuel flood, with 13 fail of the line,
was cruising off that harbour, and that count d'Eflaing
was momently expected in the Weil-Indies, with a ve
ry formidable squadron from Old France.
We shall, probably, be soon enabled to give our
readers a copy of this letter.
This information was given to prevent any loss the
public credit might sustain. "