The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1782-11-05 00:00:00, page 2

L O N DO N.
Auguff 20. It is said, that on Friday the merchants
trading to New-York and Charleftown, waited on lord
Shelburne for information, whether either of th fe pla
ces were to be evacuated, that they might be able to
judge whether it would be prudent to execute the or
ders °?™ '° to ™ n ' His lordship rec ived them very po
litely, but defined giving any dire& answer, as it would
NEW-Y 0 R K, oadber 30.
The evening before last arrived the brig Knyphaufen,
Captain Brayne, of this port, in thirty nine days from
Oporto. Caprain Rrayne brings intelligence, that a
few days before he failed, a report prevailed and was
universally credited in Portugal, that the combined ar
mies of Spain and France, under the command of the
duke de Crillon, had made an unfuccefsful assault upon
the fortrefs of Gibraltar, and that they loft on the tre
menduous enterprize upwards of ten thousand men. It
was added that although a most terrific and incessant
fire from a great number of ships of war, gun boats,
floating batteries and bomb ketches, was made from
sea upon the garrison during the attack, the reply made
to their thunder from tie batteries of the fortrefs,
which had been judiciously prepared by the gallant ge
neral Ellrot, for the reception of these nautic heroes,
soon gave an effectual check to their temerity ; nor ws
the fire fr m the batteries of the garri on on the land
fide let- efficacious; the impression they made upon the
works in the Spanish li es, which were of enormous
magnitude, and raised by most laborious exertions,
under the direßion of the most famed engineers in the
service of the Bourbon princes, were soon visible, their
appalled defendants deferred them in crowds, and a sal
ly made by the British compleated their demolition, and
buried all the deftruaLe implements, which French
and Spanish ingenuity had been racked to fabricate, in
the ruins./
Three days after captain Brayne left Oporto,he fell
in with five Ruffian ships and a lugger, the officers of
which said, that the French and Spaniards had made an
attempt to Form Gibraltar, and been repulsed with
great loss.
Extras of a letter from Oporto to a gentleman in this
city, dated the 19th ult.
" We received very favourable information by the
last post from Lisbon, concerning Gibraltar: an officer
had arrived there and lias since taken his passage for
England, who declared that the Spaniards had raif d
an immense bank before the fortification, but when they
were hard at work, general Elliot opened fev'ral batte
ries that effidualiy deflroyed their works, and had
such uccefs that 3000 Spaniards loft their lives, this
seems to be the sum of all the latest intelligence."
On Sunday the cutter general Carleton, captain Gil
lard, arrived here from London ; the failed the 4th ul
timo.
Yesterday the Virginia flip of war, belonging to
meffrs. Shedden and Goodrich, came off the Hook ;
file has taken a cutter from Oftend bound to Virginia ;
her cargo, from best information, cost 20 000 l sterling
at Offend.—And what is very singular in this capture,
meffrs. Shedden and Goodrich had intelligence from
London, by a late packet, of this vessel's failing, and
their friends mentioning a hope of the Virginia's fall
ing in with her, which has happened as they wished.
Last evening the brig Betsey, captain James Darrel,
arrived from Bermuda : he brings advice of a number
of valuable prizes being carried in there lately by the
cruizers of rreffrs. Goodrich Flour was so plenty
in the iflana as to lower the price to 4 and a half dol
lars per hundred.
Extract of a letter from a gentleman in England, ex
tremely well informed, dated Sept. 1, 1782.
'' Lord is firengthening his adminifiration, and
if he can secure a majority in the house of commons,
will carry on the war with more vigour than has been
done hitiierto, against all the enemies of this country.
I am assured by a friend of his lordihip's, that there
was no profpea of peace, neither would the mirifter
agree to any un.il our enemies were humbled. He is
endeavouring to form some alliances on the continent,
and I hope he wil be success ul.—No idea of leaving
New York ; and 1 still flatter myfelf with the expecta
tion of feting the war renewed on your continent the
next campaign."
Further advices by the Duke of Cumber
land Packet.
HAGU E, Auguff 20.
IN a conference which the duke de la Vauguyon,
ambaflador from France, had on the 16th with the
president of the states general, he did not present any
memorial, but only verbally desired to know, “ whe
ther, confidcring the uncertainty of the success which
might result from the negotiations for peace, it would
not be proper to concert a new pla f of operations for
next year, in o der to be ready to aft without delay
in the spring, in case a peace should not be concluded
during the winter." In the mean time the negotiati
ons are carried on more ferirufly than they have
hitherto been ; and Mr. Brantfon, wo has been no
minated to a& as minifler plenipotentiary from the re
public io the court oi France, will immediately set out
for Paris, after his return from Guelders, whither he
went a few days on his own private affairs.
CONSTANTINOPLE, July 10.
According to letters from Aleppo, dated June 11,
the French squadron in the East Indies is at Cochin,
and occasions great uneasiness at Bombay. These let
ters mention, that Hyder Ally, so far from having re
turned, had on the contrary advanced to the environs
es Madras, and that the principal settlements of the
Dutch are in fafety.
Notwithstanding all the precautions of the Porte
against the motions of the Alban ans, a body of 4000
men of that nation, advancing from the coast o f the
Adriatic sea to make an incursion into the Morea, had
spread frefh alarms in the territories under the domi
nions of the grand seignior ; but they have been re
pulsed and beaten in such a manner, that we have great
hopes they will not be desirous of returning ; it is said
however, that 10,000 janissaries will be sent into Alba
nia.
It is said that the new ship of 110 guns, now building
at Plymouth, and nearly fi nfhed, will be named the
Royal George, inftcad of the Roy.ll Sovereign which
was at firft intended.
It is currently reported that the brave earl Cornwal
lis is to go to the East-Indies o faceted fir Eyre Coote,
and it mud giv great pleasure to all who know the
noble difintere fled zeal of that worthy peei and excel
lent officer, to think that no man is so likely to restore
the name of his country to credit in tie east, and to
put an end to that oppression and peculation, which
has brought the name of Britain to disgrace all over
India.
A letter from Paris mentions, that count de Graffe
fpeiks very highly of the conduct of lord Hood, and
of the great delicacy with which he was treated by
governor Campbell while he remained in the iflind of
Jamaica, of whom he talks in language of great esteem
and refpeft.
This day both hou'es of parliament met, pursuant
to their las tprorogation, and were further prorogued
by the lord chancellor to Thursday the 10th of Octo
ber.
Letters received yesterday from Portsmouth fay,
that orders were come down for 500 troops to he em
barked on board some merchantmen which are laying
be making public his majesty's councils, which it is for
the good of the nation should be kept secret.
This morning two thousand barrels of porter were
Dipped on board the transports in the river for Gib
raltar.
According to letters from Holland, they are in the
greatest consternation for fear of their dykes giving
way : the heavy rains and excessive high winds having
raised the navigable rivers three feet above their usual
heighth, even in winter seasons. At many farm hous
es in Norh Holland, they pass to and fro in small
fchuits.
Numbers of the dead bodies were seen floating about
the ships at Spithead soon after the Royal George went
down, which exhibited a feene to blocking for descrip
tion.
The Royal George, of 100 guns, having on her last
Cruize made more Water than usual, w°ich had not
decreased when file came into harbour, an order was
given on Saturday fe'nnight for her to go into dock ;
but the carpenter and 6th; r ,erfons,on a firiH survey,
finding the leak was not more tan two feet below the
water mark and supposed to be occasioned by the rub
bing off the copper fheatuing. in consequence of this
it was refolded in order to f^e time, to heave her
down at Spiticao According,y, on Thursday mor
ning at fix o'clock, oe weartier being moderate, this
business was commenced, and the ship. by ten, was
got to a proper fire etc or difeo e r ing the leak ; but
in order to take oh tome further sheets of copper, to
caulk the seams proper, he was ordered to be low
ered another streak. Dur eg this business a great part
or the cr w were at dinner, the neffes having been just
(erven up, hen the ship, by a sudden gull of wind,
fell on one fide, and the lower deck ports being open,
in order 0 run out the gun, she filed in about eight
minutes, and went to the bottom before any signal of
dill refs could be made.
The Royal George was the oldest firft rate in the fer
vice; she was built at Woolwicu, tr keel was laid
down in 1751, and she was haul d out of dock in July
1755) it being unusual to build fuc. large ships on flips
to launch ; the was pierced for 100 guns, but having
lately had two additional ports, including the carro
nades, mounted 108 guns ; the was rattier ihort and
high as all tneold firftrates are, but so good a faker,
that she has had more flags on board her than any vtffel
in the service. Lord Anf^n, ad. Bofcawen, lord Hawke,
lord Rodney, lord H >we, and fveral other principal
officers have repeatedly commanded in her. Lord
Hawke commanded tee squadron in tier which fought
the French under Conflans, when the Superbe, of 70
guns, was funk by her cannon, and the Soleil Royal,
of 84, burnt on shore ; she carried the tall-fl malts,
and squarest canvas of any English built ship in the
n vy, and originally the heavier metal, viz. 52, 40,
and 28 pounders, but they were lately changed, on ac
count f her age, to 40, 32 and 18 pounders.
Many years ago the Edgar, of 74 guns, was loft, 1 y
an accident, withna few yards of the fame place, where
the wreck now remains, and a buy fixed upon it com
monly diffinguifhed by the name of Edgar's buoy.
We can allure the pubic, upon refpe&abl- authority,
that there is a very cordial under flandiog between his
grace the duke of Richmond and the firft lord of the
treasury ; both co operating in all the great plans of
government with that attention and perseverance which
so peculiarly mark both their characters as men of
bufin fs.
At this dreadful moment there were upwards of
1200 perons on board, including about 250 women
and fever I children, chiefly belonging to the seamen,
who h^d been permitted to go on bo rd when the ships
c?ft anchora: Spithead, and to remain there till the
order for failing arrive. The people who were on
the wa'ch upon deck, to the number of 230, we e most
ly saved by the boats that went out to their assistance•
but these were delayed for some little time by the /well
occasioned by the finking of so large a body, which
made a momentary whirlpool in the water. About 70
more of the people, who rose after tiefh p disappear
ed, were «lfo picked up; among whom it is said were
four lieutenants, eleven women and the rest seamen.
Upon the whole it is supposed that 900 people have fuf
fered by this accident
The loss of the Royal George is the greatest misfor
tune this country has experienced since the loss of the
Victory, on bo-rd of which most of the firft families in
the kingdom had relations. When brave men die in
battle, the ardor which accompanies the misfortune, as
it impels them to glory, so it makes them inlenfible of
their danger, and leaves a brilli ncy behind, wnich, in
a great mea ure mitigates tn-grief of friends and rela
tions. But nothing surely can be more dittreffing, than
for a number cf brave fellows, in a moment of inacti
vity, anchored on their own coast, and riding in fmootb
water, to be plunged into an abyss, perhaps in the
midst of amusements ana height of enjoyment.
there for the Weft-Indies, tind that they are expeded
to fail from thence in the course of a few days, under
convoy of the Prof erpine frigate, captain Taylor, and
two sloops.
Extract of a letter from Paris, August 27.
" The count d'Eflaing and the due de Chartres, who
have not been employed since the engagement of the
summer 1778, are certainly going out to the Weft-In
dies, to take the command of the fleet ; two ships are
preparing at Brest for their accommodation, La Po
mone, a new ship of 80, and La Suffifant, of 74 guns,
also new. Wnat other ships they will take with them
are not mentioned ; but it is generally said the rein
forcement will be a large one, as it is intended to Com
mence a vigourous campaign again when the hurrican
months are over. The negotiation goes on but slow
ly, though the court of London is said to have remov
ed some obflacles; and his majefly has power with his
allies to manage the out lines for them peremptorily.
September 5. One hundred of the eight barrel mus
kets, weighing each only between thirteen and four
teen pounds, were a few days since sent from the Tow
ler, to be embarked on board the fleet under lord Howe,
I who, immediately on their arrival, caused them to be
difeharged at some empty barrels, swung at the dis
tance of near 300 yards, and from the havock they
made, his lordship, said, greatly surpassed the expec
tation he had formed of them.
Sept. 6. A letter from Paris, received on Tuesday,
has the following article: “ The enemies of comte de
Graffe aie greatly disappointed ; they expected as soon
as he .arrived, he would have been immediately thrown
into prison, and, brought to trial, instead of which he
was well received at court. It is certain he is to be tried,
but it is only a matter of form. Those whom the
comte has charged with a neglect of duty, on the 12th
of April, are to undergo a Arid trial; and it is not
doubted but they will meet with their just punishment,
not only for their cowardice, but also for their trea
chery to the comte."
Extract of a letter from Fa 0, Aug. 15.
“ The frigate, El Sybillade, of 28 guns, arrived here
with a convoy from Smyrna, advises, that she passed
Gibraltar on the 12th, at which period she saw plainly
25 pendants flying off that place, of which she counted
18 Spanish and 7 French ; some of them appeared large
ships, and wereat anchor, the others cruising to and fro,
at the mouth of the bay. There were two flags amone
them."
Extrad of a letter from Toulon, Aug. it.
“ Tiie corvette la balette commanded by M. d'Or
fin, is failed lately for an unknown destination.
“ The railing of sixty volunteers out of every bat
talion of the regiments tnat form our garrison, to fend
them to America, is just compleated: the regiment
of burgundy, in garrison at Nefmes, and that of
Guye ne, which is at Antibes and Monaco, have al
ready sent here the men they a e to furnifh ; the ren
dezvous of these troops is in this port ; the orders late
ly arrived to distribute them on board the transports
laden with ammunition and provision, and which oply
wait for their last orders to put to sea, all tend to per
suade us that the destination of these transports is for the
Weft-Indies."
Government have received certain advice of the ar
rival of the combined fleet at Cadiz, where they went
to water and victual. It is supposed, that most of them
are by this time before Gibraltar. How ridiculous
will our boafiing foes appear, in the eyes of all Eu
rope, if they permit lord Howe to relieve the garrison
with an inferior force ; and should they think proper
to dispute it, most people entertain very flattering and
fanguioe hopes of the event, ,for a better equipped fleet
never put to sea than that appointed for this service.
hept. 7. A gentleman who arrived in town yesterday
from Portsmouth reports, that as he left the place, great
preparations were making for railing the Royal George,
and that it was the general opinion among the most
accomplished engineers, and naval officers, that the
deferable end would be effeded, and that the opposing
difficulties were less insurmountable than at firft re
presented.
It appears from the report of an officer who arrived
in town, from Portsmouth, yesterday, that the Royal
George cannot be raised to the waters edge, by any
powers wh ^fover, in a perpendicular direction, but
that the design is to drag her into thallow water: that
a machine capable of holding four men, was formed,
to enable them to fix hooks to her beams, which, when
effected, they were in the hopes to draw her, by the
assistance of four ships appointed for that purpose ;
that very few bodies had as yet been driven on fhore',
on account that the crew were chiefly below in their
births, cabins, and quarters; that a nephew, not a
son of captain Waghorn, was unfortunately loft in the
ship, and that the total number of fouls loft on this
melancholy occasion, including men, women and chil
dren, did not exceed five hundred.
Toe mail-heads of the Royal George may be seen
from the land, and it is assigned as the principal cause
of her going down with that sudden and violent rapi
dity, that as she lay on her fide, gave way, and gave
her the unfortunate overbalance so much lamented,
and which dos not appear to be chargeable to the ac
count of any negleO of human forefight.
Extract of a letter from Paris, August 29.
' Last Sunday the marquis de Bouille and the count
de Lavaro, colonel of the regiment of Armagnac, took
leave of the king in order to go to Rochfort, to em
bark there with 1000 volunteers taken from different
regiments.
" It appears decided, that the count d'Eflaign and
the marquis de Bouille, will ad in concert in the An
tilles. The firft will go immediately to Brest. Eight
regiments, and three thousand volunteers will follow
him to the Weft Indies, to undertake some frefli con
quers.
“ The transports lying off the Isle of Aix have, ac
cording to letters from Rochfort, of the 23d instant,
hoisted fail, under convoy of four fail of the line, and
under the protection of the combined fleet, which was
c ruising thereabouts It is said they amount to near
co fail, part destined for Boston, part for the Antilles,
'nd the rest for the East-Indies."