The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1782-06-08 00:00:00, page 2

LONDO N, January ifc
THE circumfiances attending the tenth article of
lord Cornwallis's capitulation, caving been fom'e
what imperfectly reprefente , we have the pleasure 6f
submitting to our readers the whole of die information
upon this inter ftiog fubje&, which has been hitherto
received by govTomtot. Lord Cornwallis, finding
Mr. Washington so peremptorily implacable with re
sp a to the unfortunate loyalists in hisarmy, humane
ly introduced tee request of having the B netta (loop
affigled to his own private purples, iofinuuiog. that
he intend d it only for conveying his private letters,
papers, &c. to New-York. The moment ne found this
request acceded to by the French and Americans, he
gave the unfortunate men an immediate intimation of
his design refpeamg them, and the whole b dy took in
stantly to their boats, and with the expedition that na
turally actuates men endeavouring to avoid certain
death, got row d the sloop io less than a quarter of an
hour, and Supplicated admission —Toe firft boat that
Arrived with eleven men on board, was civilly received,
and the men were admitted. As food as the captain
underflood the reason of their coining, he positively and
peremptorily refufed to receive one more, and notwith
standing the pathetic supplications of a large number
of men, pleading- for t e preservation of them Elves
and families, he perfvered in hi, refufal to the remaind
er, who were obliged ^return to abide by the effects
of the capitulation —The accounts to government add,
that what is most Angular in the whole tranfaaion,
the commander of toe Bonetta treated toe poor solitary
eleven, which he had been betrayed into admitting un
der his proteaion, wiih the utmost feverty, in their
passage to New-York. The above representation,
which has been officially received, has been submitted
to the infpeaion fa great p-rfonage, who sent imme
diate orders to the board of admiralty, to make the
moil diligent enquiry into the circumstances of tnis
tranf^aion, with an injunction, if the allegations should
be found to turn out in any refped materially true,
to bring the delinquent to a court martial.—The Bo
netta sloop carries 14 guns, and is commanded by R.
Dundas, captain and commander. The point upon
which the exculpation of captain Dundas principally
turns is this, that he certainly had not received 'any
regular order from captin Symmonds, the command
ing officer of his majelly's (hips and vessels, at the time
of lord Cornwallis's surrender, to take these unfortun
ate people on board, which, in the great confulion of
things, at that melancholy period, had escaped capt.
Symmonds, and therefore, as a matter of profeilional
duty, he was not bound to take them, and of course
cannot be punished for the omission. It is extremely
possible, however, that Mr- Dundas may have some o
ther reasons for his conduct, which have not been made
known to government, and there is certainly that de
gree of fandity about the reputation of a profeffional
man, that nothing short of regular conviction can au
thorife a dire& imputation againftit. If nothing bet
ter can be laid for him, than that he preferred the rigid
minutiae of exaft duty, to the most powerful appeal
that was ever adJreffed co the feelings of a man ; we sin
cerely hope the profeffional fubterfuge may prove in
adequate to his protection, and that others may be
taugnt, by his example, that humanity is not one of
the lead virtues which is expeded in a British sailor.
Jan. 27. They write Dublin, that the volunteers
of Ireland are going to take the field, but not with
any hoflile view, but merely to make themfelveg ac
quainted with the the discipline and practice of camps.
For this purpose there are to be four Provincial en
campments, each to consist of about 15 or 16,000 men.
The different corps are providing themselves with
camp equipage, and it is laid that early in the spring
they will begin to march to the ground marked out
for their refpedive encampments.
Feb. 7. We are aut # orifed by persons well acquaint
ed with the fads, to assure the public, that the com
plaints which have been urged against the captain of
the Bonetta, either by letters from America or other
wise, will turn out to be premature, inapplicable and
unjufl. Various reasons might be adduced to prove
the utter impossibility of the captain's having aded, as
has been rdhly asserted, upon the prima facie sugges
tions of uninformed murmerers, exclusive of the strong
improbability of a man of captain Dunlas's high cha
raAer in his profeffion, (the excellence of which de
pends scarcely more on his bravery and good conduct,
than on his active humanity and benevolence) swerving
from the didates of propriety in so violent a manner,
and on an occasion where there was the most obvious
call upon the captain's humane feelings. In proof of
this, it is fufficient to inform our readers, that the
whole number of civil Inyalifls with ! ord Cornwallis,
at the time of his surrender on capitulation, were six
teen ; that fourteen were received on board the Bonet
ta, and the other two, (both clergymen,) being most
obnoxious were particularly refufed that indulgence
by the express interposition of the American general.
When the Bonetta, therefore left the Chefapeak, it was
imagined tuat the two unfortunate boyalifts would be
facrificed to American vengeance, but happily a dis
ferent passion prevai ed, and both the clergymen have
since arrived at New-York, What, perhaps, gave rife
to the clamour that has been artfully raised against the
captain, was his not consenting to take any of the
provincial corps on board his sloop, which he could
not have done without a violat on of his orders, and
an infringement of the articles of capitulation.
Our prefect d # fenfive war in America costs the na
tion a third more of money, than the 40,000 men un
der fir William Howe. Gentlemen in office in Ameri
ca have grown more expert in their business ; and new
The following ^urbp&an and Weft-India
News is raken from late Antigua Papers.
COPENHAGEN; December 27-
THE American privateer, taken by captain count
de Moltke, dear Chriftiauf nd, for having "fir
ed' a cAnnoh (hot into a-n English fllip, is re
le fed: ft was proved tha r the firing was occafiont d
merely by die imprudence of a sailor. The American
ship has also 'taker. 'oree English privateers; concern
ing the legality of which capture, a suit at law is in-
Hituted.
Extract of a letter from Plymouth, Jan. 27.
" Attwo P. M. the cartel whic arrived here from York
Town with English prisoners, about fix weeks ago, and
haa taken on board 300 French prisoners, part of the
regiment d'Acquitaiue and Soiffous, which were taken
by admiral Kempenfelt, got under weigh with a fair
wind in Catwater ; but in clearing Mount Hatton, file
fell to leeWarci, miffed flays, and drove immediately
on the reef of rocks at the ead end of it, called the Cob
ler's Reach. The poor unfortunate paffengerr, who,
but a minute before, were huzzaingin the highest spi
rits, at the idea of visiting their native country, ap
peared to be, from Victualling Office-Point, in the deep
est distress, many of them wringing ttieir hands, as if
they were afraid the (hip would go to pieces: a few
jumped overboard, and swam to tome boats which were
rowing to their assistance. Six bays got i^to a boat,
and attemped to row towards the shore : but, though
the weather was fine, yet the ground (well occasioned (0
great a furf, that the was dashed to pieces in an inflantj
against a ledge of ro ks; the fame wave drove the poor
creatures on shore, and they crawled up on the rocks.
Another jumped from the fiern of the veifrl, and was
nearly exhausted, when a violent furf cast him in be
tween two rocks; almofl spent with fatigue, he narrow
ly escaped with his life. A cutter which attended the
cartel got out all her boats, and fired several guns of
distress, and hoisted a signal for help; which was re
peated by the Lenox, and another thrown out for all
the boats of the men of war in the Sound to go to their
affiflance. The great activity shewn by every boat, in
rendering these unfortunate people every service in their
power, redounds to their honour as Englishmen ; and
though the hurry and confefon attendant on so me
lancholy an oceafion as a shipwreck, muff be necessarily
great, we believe there are not above three or four men
miffing, supposed to be those who in the hurry of get
ting into the boats, flipped between them and the (hip.
Had the wind been to the southward, and with the
usual tea, every foul must have perished."
An evening paper of Saturday night, erroneously ob
serves, "that the Jafoa left commodore Johndone —
" with his whole fleet a few days since off the Lizard;
" and that he had four prizes with him, and seven
" Eafl-Indiamen, which he convoyed during the great
" est part of their passage." The fad is, commodore
Johnftone is gone in the Diana, a single ship, to Lisbon ;
and the greatest part of his fleet left behind under the
command of fir Edward Hughes. The Jason and Rom
ney, a part only of his squadron, had charge of the
convoy from St. Helena, which consisted of five prizes
and only two Eaft-Indiamen, and they were separated
from each other tn longitude 18 : & : weft, above twelve
sources of wealth have been opened. We have already
had home several cargoes of men fully gorged and sati
ated with national money; and the hungry harpies,
who have replaced them, are cramming their pockets
with wealth, in order likewise to bring home their share.
However the money is of little consideration, v&hen we
refled on the brave men we have loft.
I he ekpeftations of the public are very great from
papers which are now in the press; some in favour of
fir Henry Clinton, and others in favour of lord Corn
wallis.
Feb. 8. The affairs of Ireland have engrossed a great
part of the attention of several late cabinet councils.
The extraordinary and spirited resolutions of a brigade
of Northern volunteers, has flruck such a panic in the
breasts of out undetermined miniflers, as to induce
them to difpaHch several extraordinary messengers to
the court of Portugal and to Ireland, within the
course of a few days past.
Bon Mot of Charles Fox. A friend of the orator,
who had not teen him since the sale of his houfhold fur
niture by virtue of a fieri facias, accosted him a few
mornings ago, with a " how do you do, my dear
Charles ?'' " Remarkably well," answered the patriot,
" considering I have not had a stool these three
weeks."
The prince of Orange has put theDutch ships in com
mission this year much earlier than the last ; and pri
vate letters fay, his highness has issued the most pofitjve
orders, as admiral general, that all the captains who
had bee^ appointed to the command of ships this year,
(hall take care to 3 e ready by the firft of April, to
fill at a minute's warning. Admiral Zoutman is a
gain appointed to the command ; and his flag flying
on board the Union of 64 guns.
In captain M'Bride's late aftion with the Dutch
frigates, he loaded the carronades on his quarter deck
with grape shot; the immense quantity of balls dis
charged from guns of so large a bore, made a dread
ful carnage among the crews of the Dutch ships with
out damaging the vessels, and obliging the command
ers to strike their flags with very little r finance.
A number of brass carronages, 84 pounders, are now
calling at Woolwich Warren for the Atlas and Blen
heim men of war, which will be fitted for sea at Chat
ham in March; the firfl is a new ship, which will be
launched next month ; the other has had a complete re
pair, and will come out of dock much about the fame
time!
We are assured, that the hopes of peace are all blown
over, and the negotiation which was begun with the
Rates general is most certainly at a Hand, if not en
tirely broke off.
It is pretty remarkable that during the present war,
thrv( hwe have loft Several ships of the line, yet only one
fell into the hands of the French ; and on the other hand,
during the whole course of the war, we have taken only
one ship of te line blonging to the royal navy of France;
these two ships were the Ardent, of 64 guns, taken by
the combined fleets in the channel, under Comte de'Or
veliers ; and the Prothee also, of 64 guns, taken by
admiral Digby's fleet, on his return from Gibraltar.
Feb. 12. One reason of lord George Sackville's re
signation of his post of American secretary, arose from
a declaration of lord Cornwallis, to this purpose,
" that the conquest of America by fire and sword is not
to be accomplished, let your numbers be what they
may."
Tne oldest mariners never rethember such continued
gales of wind as have blown ever since the commence
ment of the present year ; most of the European coasts
are covered ^ith ship-wrecked veiTels.
St. JOHN'S (Antigua) March 30, 1782.
It is with great pleasure we find ourselves authorifed
to assert from the very best information, that the mar
quis de Bouille has exhibited a frefh proof of his clem
ency an'd generosity (qualities which so flrongly mark
the charader of this gallant enemy to our country) by
his recent condud toward our unfortunate brothers of
Montserrat. Of the two thousand joes which were fet
tled as the annual tax of that iffand by the 9th article
of the capitulation, the marquis has been pleated en
tirely to remit 200 ; and further to grant, that in
stead of the whole of the sirs lyear's payment being
made in advance, it shall be divided into four inftal
ments, the firft to be paid on the 15th of April; and
thenceforward one quarter's proportion always to be
deposited in advance. The gent lemen who went from
Montserrat to Martinico as hohage«, have been treat
ed like princes, and were very speedily after their ar
rival there informed that they were at perfect liberty
either to depart or not, as they might judge proper.
April 2. We are sorry to (ay that there no longer
remains any doubt of the arrival of the French convoy
mentioned in our last. They came round, it is said, by
Guadaloupe, and thereby Heaped fir George Rodney's
fleet.
Matrimon y.
A GENTLEMAN under thirty years of age, and
who measures fix feet two inches in height, will
think himfelf compleatly happy to engagein the holy
connexion ofmatrimony with a lady possessing an am
p!e fortune at her own disposal ; he cannot boast of ac-
, uire . d Parts, y et he Matters bimfelf nature has done
him juttice in a great degree, and no other accomplish
ment will be thought necessary in the lady.—-The ad
vertiser being anxious that the consummation should
take place on or before the 10th day of March next
earnestly requests any lady who withes to enjoy a per
fect union, will honour him by addressing a line as foots
as possible, to L. P. Percy Coffee-Houfe, Rathbone
Place. She may depend on the flrilteft secrecy being!
observed.
Since our last arrived here the brigantine Congress,
a prize taken by his majefly's ship Prothee, captain
Buckner. She was bound from Guadalou pe to New
bury Port in America, with a cargo confiding of 154
hhds. and 11 tierces of molasses it hhds. and 36 bar
rels of sugar, and 3000 weight of coffee.
Also arri # ed the Revenge, captain Brown, from
Georgia,, loaded with haves and heading, intended
originally for St. Christopher's. The captain relates
that when he est Savannah (which is about 5 weeks a
go) general L-flie was encamped about 6 miles distant
from CharlHlowa—that- ' : nforcement of 590 men had
" The small boat was forced to keep right before the
wind, which then blew from N. N. E. Next morning
at ten o clock, after running about eight miles to the
southward, the weather became temperate, and they
were taken up by a Swedish brig, bound to Leghorn
who was prevailed upon by a premium given by a bill'
to run off the bar of Lisbon, and to fend them into the
Tagus by a fishing-boat, where we all endeavoured to
communicate such comforts as so g reat misfortunes,
and such manly perseverance, have a right to com
rcand."
. From the Samd.
SCANDALOUS CHRONICLE.
IT is whispered round the very politest circled, that
Magaret, otherwise know by the title of Sifter Peg.
intends to have her brother Bull, esquire, cognofeed for
an idiot, and to take upon hcrfelf,-as nearest of kin, the
administration of his estate, before the unhappy man
casts it all away at the cocks. -Witness me, at Edin
burgh, this 10th November 1781.
Candour.
'I have the honour to acquaint you of my arrival
at Spithead in his majefty'sfrigate Diana, after a
sage of eight days from Lisbon. a P "°
“ We have brought lieutenant Reid of the Romnev
who commanded the Dankbaarkeyt prize taken in
danha, together with Mr. Virgin, a Swedish officer (mid"
shipman and volunteer in the Jupiter) who was likewise
saved from the said prize, together with John Doit
^an, John Belfour, Philip Hodge, George
Thomas Roe, William Richardson, William Boyer and
David Fell. They report that the Dankbaarkeyt
ter losing all her masts on the 28th of January, nea^ the
channel, had the pumps choaked on the 29th. Thar
she gradually filled with water to the upper deck and
was on the point of finking on the 30th, at dark, 'when
they left her, in a small boat, during a hard gale of
wind. That the crew had prepared a raft, and taken eve
ry precaution with coolness and aflive intrepidity . but
from all circumflances, f can entertain little hopes'that
so many worthy men would furvive.'
Extract of a letter from lerd Charles Fitzgerald
commander of his majesty's ship La Prudente, to
Mr. Stephens, dated at sea, February 10, 1782.
" The 16th of this month, we took the Eagle French
ftorefhip, bound to the Eaft.lndies, laden with naval
and notary stores : the mafler of her informs me, that
he failed the nth inflant, from Bred, in company with
monsieur de Guichen."
degrees diftane from the Lizard, as Rated in the above
account on that head.
Fr, m the CALEDONIAN Mercury
intelligence extraordinary.
D c°P a r tner ,, well known by the firm of John
A r i c ? hav "^ of late fuffered heavy losses.
° nder the dlreai °n of John Bull, esquire
P artner ; this s e r v es to inf rm the public,
said copartnery is dissolved with mutual content.
I he reminder of the flock is invefled in tru flees, for be
hoof of creditors; and Sifter Peg, late one of the un
fortunate partners, takes this opportunity of inform
ing the public, that she has resumed the trade of her
fathers, and hopes to have the contenance of the friends
of the family, at home and abroad.
Thistle-Field, Nov. 9; (781.
Admiralty-office, March 2, 1782.
Extras of a letter from commodore Johnftone, to Mr
Stephens, dated on board the Diana, at Spithead'
February 28, 1782. W^ead,