The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1783-03-20 00:00:00, page 2

Foreign Intelligence.
BRUSSELS, December 17.
The Dates of Frife'and have written to the Dates ge
neral met at the Hague, to ask a dimunition of the
contingent, which they furnish to the expences of the
republic. This letter has been transmitted by the ge
nerality to each province. The Dates of Holland have
answered, instantly, that the prefect hour was not the
time to think of a new repartition, as the republic
was taken up with war without, and ' troubles within;
but as the repr flotations of Frifelacd seemed to be rea
fonabb, they would undertake to furnifh half a milli
on of florins, to make up the deficiency of that pro
vince, like as they had already done for Zealand, till
a new repartition could be agreed on. The scale of
quota, at present made use of, may give an idea of
the refpe&ive importance of the seven united provin
ces, viz.
Guilders, 5 florins, 12. 13
Holland, 58 6. 4 34
Zealand, 9 3*B
Utrecht 4 16. 7 12
* Frifeland, 11 3-5
Outriful, 3 11. 5 1-4
Groninguen, 5 15. 7 1-2
100 florins.
LON DO N.
Dec. 3. We recollect that in the circular letter from
the Secretary of state, to the lord mayor and direfl
orsof the bank. Government declared to both, that
they should receive an immediate communication of
the answer, which France should make to the last ul
timatum of the British cabinet, as no such commu
nication has been made, it is natural enough to think,
that the answer is not come; but the demon of flock
jobbing on the failure of proper means, finds so man)
resources in fiction and credulity, that yeflerday from
nine o'clock there was done q^on change, more than
150 millions Herling. 'The 3 per cents, consolidated
were fold as high as 65, and fell not through the day,
above three-quarters, insomuch, that at closing the
exchange, they were at 64 1 4th. They had made
to arrive, a mouHeur Garnier; to return a monsieur
de Rayneval, a great French nobleman, who was on
the road to perform the duties of embaffador to our
court. Some crefus, by the Broke of yeflerday, has
made many dupes; and what is the most astonishing,
it was not generally believed that peace was at hand.
Dec. 5. A enrref pondent acquaints us, that last
night, when the letter which informed the public that
provisional articles for a treaty of peace was figged
between the commissioners of the king of Great-Bri
tain and the commissioners of the united ftaets of
America, was read aloud in a large and refpeHable
company, an high mettled genius arose from his feat,
threw Ins pipe rather angrily into the fire, and with
great folemoity filled the glass of every gentleman
present, and then gave the following roast : " Thir
teen times thirteen hripes to the king of France, and
the axe or the halter to the ministry who occasioned
the loss of the American colonies to Great Britain !''
and which was unanimoufl, drank with three cheers,
and inflantly followed witn a second toad, " That the
laid Hripe; be effectually laid on, and the fad xe or
baiter speedily employed in such good and salutary
purposes, by the much injured people of poor Oid
England," and which was crowned by all the compa
ny with thr £ e times three.
Dec. 14. It is really surprising to hear the' I reports
drily circulated at the bank, flock exchange, &c. to
Frve the purposes of the propagators. One lay, that
a meffeuger is just arrived from Paris, and brings the
important news that articles of peace between Great
Britain and France are aHually signed, upon which
Docks rife rapidly ; next, that the negociations for
prace are quite bro<e off: and bcaufr parliament will
not consent to give up Gibraltar, that the war will
be continued with redoubled vigour. By such schemes
do the knowing ones of the aley continually dupe
the credulous public, to fettle tueir several accounts to
advantage.
Extract of a letter from Mr. William Digpes Latouch,
at Buffora, dated 8 h October, 1782.
" The 3d infant [ received a private letter from
one of the council at Surat dated 261 b April, where
in he gives a moH dreadful account of the effeßs of a
florm wh ; ch happened there the 21st of that month.
He informs m~, that half the houses in the city were
blown down, and thousands buried in the ruins ; that
the I r^eft tr es, for some miles round, were torn up
from the roots ; and that every shrub was bluffed.
Thar the gale set in at S. E. and fterwards fhifted to
N. IV. being equally violent in both diref l ons. That
providentialy none Of the English gentlemen received
any material hurt in their ptrfons ; but every one had
fuffered in their property, and molt very considerably.
1 hat the merchants had received a severe shock ; and,
it was imagined, most of them must be entirely ruined.
That Laila Chellaby, a principal Moorish merchant,
had loft three ships ; two of which were richly laden
for Biflora, ano the other lately imported from Chi
na. That an Arab ship had elfo been loft. Thatyour
honour's loss was also very great; that almoH all your
buildings 'were little better than an heap of ruins; and
that most of your vt ffels - nd boats on th t Ration had
gone to bottom. That the commodore (Robinfoo) left
Eroach with the convoy, in the morning of the Form,
and had not since been heard of. That the Swift gal.
hot overfet near Swaney, and every foul perilled, ex
cept two Lafcars, and as many Sepoys. That lieu
tenant Sutherland, who commanded her, was fortu
ately up at Surat. That upwards of three thousand
poor people, who had fled with their families and es
fe3s to a (mail island, half way between Surat and
Domus, to avoid the Pindarees, were swept away in the
storm, and not one tfcap d. And that, in short, it
was impossible to describe 4e havock the florm had
made ; the miserable condition to which it had reduced
that city, and all ranks of people; and the dreadful
confenuence that would in all probability; attend it,
" This is the only intel igence that has been receiv
ed from India since :^ arrival of the Nerbudda."
Admiralty Office, November 30, 1782.
Lieutenant Alexander Alien (commander of his ma
jesty's armed transport the Royal Charlotte) arrived
at this office yesterday, with dispatches from vice
admiral Hughes, knight of the bath, and commander
in chief of his majefly's Blips in the East Indies, of
which the follow ng are extracts.
Extract of a letter from fir Edward Hughes to Mr.
Stephens, dated on board his ma jelly's Chip Superbe,
at sea, Aoril 4, 1782.
I SAILED on the gift of January from Trincamale,
for Madrafs roid, in order to get a Supply of provisions
and (lores, of both which the (hips were then in want.
On the 28th of February, I anchored in Madrafs
road, and the fame day received advice from lord Ma
cartney, the governor of that place, that a French
squadron, confiding of thirty fail of ships and vessels,
was at anchor abouttwenty leagues to the northward
of that por'. In the afternoon of the 9th, captain
Aims in his majefly's (hip Monmouth, with the He
ro, Isis, and the arm d transport Manila, joined me
in the road. I continued to use all possible ddigente
in getting the necessary stores and provisions on board
the several drips until the 15th of February, when the
enemy's squadron, confiding o' 12 line of battle fllips,
fix frigates, eight large transports, and fix captured
vessels, came in fight to the northward, standing for
Madrafs road, and about noon, the fame day anchor
ed about four miles within the road. In the mean time
I placed hismajefty's thips in the mod advantageous
manner to defend fiemfelves, and the other ships in the
road, with (prints on their cables, that they might
bring their broadsides to bear mere effectually on the
enemy, should they attempt an attack.
At four in the afternoon the enemy weighed and
flood to the southward, when I immediately made the
figual to wrig-, and flood after them, having received
on board a detachment of 300 officers and men of his
majefty', 98th regiment, who were distributed to the
ships of the (qudron that were the word manned I
flood with the squadron, to the southward
all that night, under an easy fail, and in the
morning, at day light, found the enemy's flips
had separated in the night; their twelve I ne of bat
tle ships and a frigate bearing east ofme, distant about
four leagues, and sixteen fail of their frigates and
tranfpo ts bearing S. W. distant about three leagues,
and fleering a direct course for Pondicherry ; 011 which
I instantly made the signal tor a general chace to the
S. W. in order, if possible to come up with and take
their transport,, well knowing the enemy's line ®f
battle fliips would follow to protect them, all in their
power. In the course of the chafe our copper bottom
ed ships came up with and captured fix fail of ships
and vessels; five of which were English, taken by the
enemy when to the northward of Mtdr s, out of which
I ordered the Frenchmen to be taken, and the vessels
to proceed with their own crews to Negapatam: the
sixth was the Laurifton, a transport, having on board
many French officers, geo men of the regiment of
Lausanne, and laden with gun , (hot, powder and 0-
ther military stores ; this ship, so valuable to us, and
of so much consequence to the enemy, was taken by
Captain Lumley, of his majefly's ship Isis.
So soon as the enemy's squadron difeovered my in
tention to chafe their transports, they put before the
wind, and made all the fail they could after me ; and,
by three o'clock in the afternoon, four of their bed
failing line of battle flips wt r e got within two or three
miles of our fternmoH ships, and the ships in chafe
were very much spread by the enemy's ships they
were chafing, fleering different courses. some to the
S. E. others to tee (outh and several to the S. W. I
therefore judged it necessary to make the signal for the
chafing ships to join me, which they all did about se
ven o'clock in the evening, and I continued Handing
to the S E. under an easy fail all that night, the ene
my's squadron in fight, and making many f gnals.
At day-light in the morning of the 17th, the body
of the enemy's squadron bore N- by E. of onr's, di(
taut about three leagues, the weather very hazy, with
light winds and frequent squall% of short duration,
from the N. N. E. the enemy crouding all the fol
they could towards 0 r squadron.
At fix in the morning, 1 made the signal for our
squadron to form the line of battle a-head; at 25 mi
nutes pad eight, our line a-head being formed with
great difficulty, from tie want of wind and frequent
intervals of calms, I made the signal for the leading
ships to m<ke the fame fail as the admiral, and
made fail, formed in the line a head, intending to
weather the enemy, that I might engage them elofely
At ten the enemy's squadron having the advantage of
the squalls from the N. N. E. (which always reached
them fird, and in consequence continued longefl rith
tnem) neared us very fa ft, and I made the signal for
our line to alter tne course two points to leew f rd the
enemy then fleering down on the rear of the line, in
an irregular double lin^ a-breast. A h/f p a H noon
I made the signal for our squadron to form tie line of
battle a bread in order to draw the rear of our line
closer to rhe center, and prevent the enemy from break
ing in on it, and attacking it when separated. At ;
in the afternoon, the enemy flill pushing on to our rear
in a double line a-breafl, I again altered my course
in the line, in order todraw our rear ships Hi I closer
to the center; and, at forty minutes after three, find
ing it impossible to av id the enemy's attack, under
all the disadvantages of little or no wind to work our
fhip c , and of being to leewird of them, I made the sic
nal for our squadron to form at once into the line of
batte a head. At four the Exeter (which was the
fkrnmofi ship in our rear when formed in line of bat
tle a-head on the larboard tick) not being qu-te do
fed to her second a\,ead. Three of the en-my's (tips
in their firfl I ne bore right down upon her, whilst four
more of their second line, headed by the Hero, in
which ship monsieur Soudfein had his Bag hauled a
long the outside of the firft line toward, our center. At
5 minutes past four, the enemy', three thips began
their fire on the Exeter, which was returned by her,
and her second a head. At ten minutes past four, I
made the signal for battle, and at twelve minutes p"ft,
the a&ion became general from our rear to our center,
the commanding ship of the enemy, with three others
of their second line, leading down on our center, yet
never at any time, advancing farther than opposite
to the Superbe, our center ship, with little or no wind,
and some heavy rain during the engagement.
Under these circumflances the enemy brought eight
of their beH ships to the attack of five ofour's, as the
van of our line, confiding of the Monmouth, Eagle,
Burford, and Worcester, could not be brought into
action, without tacking on the enemy ; and although
the signal for that purpose was at the mast head ready
for hoifling, there was neither wind fufficient to en
able them to tack, nor for the five ships of our center
and rear, then engaged with the enemy, hard pressed,
and much disabled in their masts, yards, fails, and
ringing, to follow them, without an almost certainty
of separating our van from our rear.
At fix in the afternoon, a squall of wind from the
S. E. took our ships and paid them round head on to
the enemy to the north eastward, when the engage
ment was renewed by our five ships ,with great spirit
and alacrity, from our starboard guns ; and at twen
ty-five minutes past fix just before dark, the enemy's
fliips engaged with our's, having visibly fuffeled se
verely, the whole of them hauled their wind, and
flood to N. E.
I am much concerned to inform their lordships, that
his majefly's Hoop the Chafer commanded by caprain
Parr, was captured by the enemy's frigate Bellona,
in her way to Madras road, from a cruize on the
northern part of th s coast. April 4, 1782.
A lift of the names, force and commanders of the
French squadron now on the Coromandel coast, and
of the I nd forces embanked on them and transports
at the Mauritius, the 7th of December last, and now
landed to join Hyder Aly.
Ships. Guns. Commanders. Men.
r( Mon s .du Souffiein, \ ,
L r ( chef d'Efcarde, ) 625
I 'Orient 74 capt. du Pallaire, 624
L'Anmbal 74 Tromelia 624
Le Bri bant 64 St. Felix
L'Ajax 64 Bouvet r,6
La S-vt 64 Sultier
Le Sphynx 64 Duchaleau
Le Geffen 64 L'Alaiidrois
L'Vengeur 64 Forbin
La Fla nand 50 ae Queberville
Eng. Hannibal 50
Frigates.
la Purvoyeufe 40 capt. du Galle 400
La Fine 40 Perier de Salve.it 400
La he'd na 36 Rovardift officer 350
La Subtile 22 de Reaulieu 240
La Silpbide 18 too
La Diligence 8 g o
Flute and Transports.
Lauri Hon, Bon Ami, Maurepas, Brifon, Deyx Amis,
Fide Unique, St. Ann. Duc de Tuscany.
I.and Forces,
Regiment D'Auftrafie 659 Men
De L Ide de France Soo
De Legion duiaufane
Volontiers de Bourbon ^o
De Regiment D'ArtiTerie ^0
Caffres of the Iflahds 1157
Seapoys 47
3457
Abftrad of the Killed and Wounded on board his
jelly's ships.
Fhips, Killed. Wounded, Total
Supr.be, „ 25
B^^^ . IC 45
Monarca, r
: ^
3 ^ 95 lay
It is with particular phafure I have to acquaint their
lordships, that the officers and men of the five ships,
engaged again fl so superior a force of the enemy, be
haved through the whole aßion with the greatest flea
dinefs and bravery.
A'ter the action I flood to the southward under lit
tle fa I all night; and in the morning, at day light,
found the Superbt's mainmafl, foreman, and bowsprit
so much wounded, as 10 render it exceeding dangerous
to carry fail on them; the Exeter's masts were also
much damaged, and the shot-holes, in all the ships
that had been engaged, so far under water, as to ren
der it impossible to Hop them, but by giving the ships
deep heels in smooth water; all which, and the wind
continningto blow from the northward, determin'd me
to proceed to rincamal-, as the only proper place to
refit t'e disabled ships and I accordingly arrived there
on the 24th ; and having done, with the utmost expe
rt tion, what repairs were absolutely necessary to put
the disabled (hips in<o a condition for service, I failed
from that place wirh he squadron on the 4th of last
mouth. On the 12th I arrived at Madras with the
squadron, having seen nothing of the enemy's squadron
on my passage from Tincamale. The accompanying
inclofure contains an exaf llift of their squadron, and
the number of troops embarked on it at the Mauritius.
This squadron was commanded by M. de Orve when
it left the islands ; but he dying a few days after its
arrrival on this coast, the command devolved on monf.
Suffrein. On their passage from the islands to this coast,
ti ey fII in with his majefly's ship the Hannibal, capt.
Christie, off the weft coast o' Sumatra, and took her.
This ship railed the number of their line of battle ships
to twelve, against nine under my command ; had the
joined me, our di(parity both in number and force
would not have been so great.
At this time the Superbe had loft her main yard
(hot into two pieces in the flings, had five feet water
in her hold, and continued for some time to gain on
all her pumps, until several of the largest (hot holes
under water were plugged up, and neither brace nor
bowline left entire; and the Exeter, reduced almost
to the Hate of a wreck, had made a signal of distress.
Tie other three fllips in our rear, the Monarca, Isis,
and Hero, had fuffered less, as the enemy's fire appear
ed plainly to be direded principally against the Superbe
and Exeter.