The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1781-09-11 00:00:00, page 2

“ We are informed, that yesterday captain M'Bride
.of his majesty's Clip Artois, recalled all the signals and
failing inftrudions with which he had formerly furnifh
ed the merchantmen bound for the Baltic. 1 his mea
sure, it is said, has been adopted in consequence of in
formation of a fleet of Dutch men of war being on the
coast. Several of the Baltic fllips have come into Leith,
and other harbours; and the whole, in case of any at
tempt being made, will proceed up the Firth."
We learn from Barcelona, that on the 4th ult. a ter
rible fire happened in that city, which began at a capi
tal chymift's, and burned for near three hours, in which
time upwards of 80 houses, &c. were destroyed. The
rich magazine of stores, &c. belonging to Sai, Van
Deil and Co. is destroyed, but most of the merchandize
is saved.
Ex'raa of a letter from Edenburgh, June 4.
« Yesterday arrived here the Princess Royal Reve-
AU# cutter, captain Brown, from Shetland, and brought
Thursday orders were given to all the officers who
are in town, belonging to the grand fleet, to repair im
mediately on board their refpeHive mips at Portsmouth,
as they are expected to receive orders for failing in a
few days.
AD. the private letters from Barbados, give & deplor
able account of the ftateef that island : the dryness of
the season has destroyed great part of the present crops,
and burnt up the young canes, so that the wretched
inhabitants, planters, mud be reduced to the greatest
distress. Plantations which used to make 3000 pots of
sugar in a season, have not made 300. This calamity
following so close upon the heel of their former mif
'fortunes, renders their situations truly miserable.
A private fetter from Faris, fays, " Eight ships of
the line, the largest and best failing vessels, are order
ed immediately to Cadiz. M. D'Eftaing goes with them,
and it is very strongly reported he is to command the
Spanish squadron, as well as our own, and take upon
him the principal management of the siege of Gibraltar
by sea.
Extract of a letter from Dublin, June 2.
,The Susannah, late captain Ballantyne, from Lon
dun for Jamaica, is arrived at Barbados; on her pif
iage the sailors mutined and murdered the captain.
The doctor, and several others who were not concern
ed in this diabolical allion, were obliged to pronhfe
neverto reveal the affair, and accordingly the oath of
ficrecy was adminifired to them, which they imme^i
ately took for the preservation of themfelvet ; but in
flandy cm their arrival they had the perpetrators deli
vered up to justice, in order that they might be fuf
fer condign punifliment for so horrid a deed; they are
in irons on board the Fox frigate.
Extract ot a letter from Cork, May 27.
'' This morning arrived here the brig Martha. James
Forfall, master, with provisions from Waterford, which
place the left yefterd y morning about eight o'clock ;
at twelve file was taken betweeen Tramore and Dun
garv.au, within a quarter of a mile from the shore, by
the French cutter Franklin, of Dunkirk, commanded
by Bennet Negus, of 18 nine pounders, and 200 men,
who ransomed her for 1000 guineas. The Franklin af
terwards chafed a brig in ballast from Dublin to Youg
hall; the captain and crew of which quitted her by
the help of heir boat, leaving behind them three men
and three women, who were this morning landed at
Monks Town."
The merchants at Kinfale have opened a fubferipti
bn, and are fitting out several privateers, in order
to keep their coast clear of French privateers, which
have so long infefted it, and almofl put a flop to their
trade.
Extract of a letter from Sheerness, June 4.
" Last week a court martial was held here on the cap
tains of the Ariadne, Fury sloop, and London armed
fliip, on a charge of not bearing 'down and engaging
three French privateers, which they fell in with last
fumnier, and which, in consequence, escaped. Captain
Squires, of the Ariadne, was honourably acquitted;
but captarß Agnew, of the Fury, and captain Rains,
of the london, were sentenced to be broke."
Extra& of a letter from Lifoon, May 29.
" At length a sentence hath been pronounced on ac
count of the assassination of the late king of Portugal,
in the following words:
" The council of slate, and the judges deputed for
the examination, being aflembled on the 7th of this
month, April, for the last time, and having difeuffed
this affair most seriously, till three o'clock in the morn
ing, have decided unanimoufiy, and do deciare, that
the parties, as well living as dead, who have been con
demned, banished, or imprisoned, by virtue of the fen
tetwe of the 12th of January, 1759, were all and each
of them innocent of the crime ot which they had been
accused.
June 9. On Wednesday afternoon life royal high
nets prince William Henry arrived at Windsor, in perfect
health, from Portsmouth.
A letter from an officer under the command of lord
Cornwallis, in Carolina, fays, " We have paid very
dear for the advantage lately gained over the rebels, as
we have loft many of our best officers, and a great
number of men; several of those that were wounded
die daily, so that cur army is much reduced. It was
the most bloody battle that has been foughttince the A
merican war firft broke out. Poor colonel O'Hara was
flatbed in many parts, of his body by bayonets, by
which you may suppose the action was very close and ob
filtrate. Our general on hismeeting with success at firft,
thought he Ihould soon have brought the rebels to fub
rait, but he is now convinced that he was mistaken, and
that an entire conquest will be a very difficult matter."
Great-Britam in ail the extent of her services pays
for above 400,000 meß,ft)ut it is strongly fufpe&ed, that
(he has not in the world 300,000 ; so much is the pub
lic imposed upon.
It is reported, that the hereditary prince of BrunT
wick, with 20,000 additional forcess will be sent to
North America.
« We are informed that a number of French, Spa
nish, and American privateers have formed a league to
jnfeft the coafls of Ireland and Scotland, and to plun
der such defencclefs inhabitants as live near the shore."
Extract of a letter from Edinburgh, June 4.
along with her a privateer of New Caflle, which vetci,
about ten days ago, was seized by the Berwick mm
of war off Shetland, on account of their having on
board two bags of dollars, to the amount of about
4001. flerling, which it was supposed they had robbed
some neutral ve^el of, they not being able to give a pro
per account how they came by them. There were
likewise on board some prohibited goods, which were
seized by the officers of the revenueat Shetland. The
crew were impressed on board the Berwick, and the firfl
lieutenant was put on board the Princess Royal, under
whose charge the privateer has also arrived. The pri
vateer mounts ten guns, and had about 40 men on board
when taken.
" Captain M'Bride has given orders to the maflers
of fllips under his convoy to proceed to Inverkeithing
Bay, or above the High-L-nd, that, in case of his be
ing attacked by a superior force, they may have time
to fhift for themselves. In consequence of winch some
of the ships have come into harbour.
An expedition was op foot at the Havannah, so long
ago as toe month of March last, to go against New-
Providence, the principal of the Bahama islands; one
thousand land forces and several ships of war were des
tined for that expedition. Government's next dis
patches from Fenfacola and the Bahamas; it is expect
ed, will bring very bad news from both places.
Colonel O'Hara, of the guards, who was k lied in
the engagement under lord Cornwallis, had sixteen
wounds in his body given by bayonets.
The distant situation of the ftveral towns and villa
ges in North Carolina, divide I too, by fords and rivers,
will make the conquest of that province a work of more
time than that of South-Carolina In the latter,
Charleftown was the key of the whole country ; but
North Carolina, has, in fad, no capital, it confining
of small towns detached at considerable difiances from
eac 1 other.
A few days since, as Mrs. Gouch wasriding on horse
back, the was thrown off, broke her neck, and died ; so
that heaven granted that favour to Mr. Gouch, which
the lord Chancellor, some little time ago, prevented him
from receiving at the hands of parliament.
The following is he copy of an express received yef
terd<y from Liverpool, dated the sth of June: The
Rawiinfon, Daggers; and Molly, Woods, arrived here
from Jamaica, came with the fleet, and faded from Ja
maica the 17th of March, under convoy of four line of
battle ships, a 50 and 44; they parted with the fleet
the 23d ult. in lat. 52.20. long. 18. 30. This fleet was
convoyed through the windward passage by admiral
Rowley, with four other fllips, who parted with the
fleet off Bermudas, and returned to Jamaica. The
reason of coming through the windward passage, arose
from information received of Seventeen or twenty line
of battle French and Spanish ships waiting off the Ha
vannah to intercept them. Theconvoy home confided
of the Egmont, Suffolk, Trident, Grafton, Bristol, and
Endymion. On their passage they captured an old
French 64 gun (hip, armed en fiute, from France for
North-America, ano was left with the fleet. Her load
ing consisted of 80 pieces of brass cannon, eloathing for
10 regiments, stores of all kinds for two line of battle
ships, with about two millions of livres in specie. They
also recaptured the James and Rebecca, of this town,
taken by an American privateer, but could not come
up with the privateer, who mounted eighteen guns,
and was with her prizes- The whole convoy was about
feveaty fail, thirty of which were light transports, and
had kept tolerably well together during the pas
sage, and are hourly expelled in port.
Extract of a letter from Cork, May 26.
" Last night arrived here the Commerce, Langmure,
in a shattered condition, having between Dungarven
and Youghall fallen in with a French privateer of 22
guns, engaged her two glasses, and beat her off."
" The above order has given rife to a report that the
Dutch fleet was approaching the Frith ; but we do not
hear that there is any foundation for such a ru
mour."
From Rivington's ROYAL GAZ ETT F, dated
N EW-Y 0 R K, September 5.
By accounts from the Chefapeak, dated the 31st
ult. the arrival of a French fleet or squadrons, con
fiding of 23 fail, including frigates and inferior vessels,
were arrived at Lyn-Haven Bay, in Virginia, from
whence a 64 and two frigates were dispatched up York
river, and had taken a station off York Town. Eve
ry preparation was making by our noble general to
to defend the important polls his lordship there foffef
fes; and as a very formidable and truly well appoint
ed squadron of the British line, comm aided by admi
ral Graves, is, through much exertion, supposed to
be now in the vicinity of our combined enemies, we
may conclude the present to be most inte efting and cri
tical zra since the commencement of the American re
bellion ; for an expeded action at sea, is likely to be
come decisive of the inadmiflible idol, independence.
We have, at 'prefent, the fatisfaaion to perceive a
great part of the French navy in a more peculiar, and
perhaps a more dangerous position, than they were
ever yet reduced to. Granting that the French Weft-
India and Rhode Island fleets should have both reached
the Chefapeak before admiral Graves, we trust the fol
lowing state, as accurate as we can present it, of the
British navy, when arrived in the B y, may inspire
every true Briton with a firm confidence in its fair
pretentious to brilliant success.
A LIST of the British fleet, commanded by Thomas
Graves, esquire, rear-admiral of the red.
London 98 R.ad. Graves, c. D. Grazes.
Barfleur 90 R.ad. Hood, capt Hood.
Frinceffa 70 R.ad Drake, c. Knatchbull.
Bedford 74 Captain Thomas Graves.
Royal Oak 74 Ardefoif.
Invincible 74 S xton.
Alcide ,4 Thomson.
Aired 74 Bayne.
Ajax 74. Chirrington.
Resolution 74 Lord Robert Manners.
Centaur 74 Inglefield.
Montague 74 Bowen.
Terrible 74 Hon. capt. Finch.
But as the enemy's fr gites in bearing down upon
us in the morning, had fallen to leeward of the harbour,
I had hopes ot coming up with them, and determined
to attend to nothing but attacking the vessels of war,
t which had been joined by three others from their fleet,
upon a signal given by the frigate as their commodore,
all of which waited in a line to receive me. Having not
a moment to loft, f flood for the enemy with all fails
set; but notwithflanding the extreme desire I had to
begin the engagement as soon as possible, it was seven
o'clock in the evening before the firft gun was difeharg
ed. I ordered M. de la Touche to follow me within
the distance of half a musket Ihot, and we both advan
ced along the line of the enemy to leeward, in order to
cut them off from all hope of escaping by fleeing before
the wind. As we advanced, the small squadron of the e
nemy fell in disorder. The Vulture crowded fail to
get off from us, after a combat of about ten minutes;
soon after the Jack flruck her colours :at a quarter af
ter eight the Charleftown, having loft her main top mast
followed the example of the Jack, and I gave orders
to cease firing upon her. The other vessels which had
been very roughly handled, fled from us, with all the
fail they could spread. The night come on, and had
every appearance of being an extremely dark one ; I
thought proper to put about, in order to take care of
the vessels that had flruck which were a little a-stern of
me ; for which purpose I hoifled out my boat, and
had scarcely done this, before I thought I saw the
Charleftown with her fore-fail set, and making an ef
fort to escape. It was now quite dark; I hailed M. de
la Touche, to tack again for the Charleftown, and en
deavour to keep fight of her, by the help of his night
glasses: I added, that I had just sent my boat on board
the Jack, and would not wait for its return; that I
might a& witli him in pursuit of the enemy. M. de la
Touche obeyed my orders with his ufuai zeal; per
suaded, as well as myfelf, that the captain of the
Charleftown had aded contrary to the laws of war, a
little resentment might perhaps accompany the desire
we both had, of compleating the vidory, by the taking
of the commodore's frigate ; but the ikies opposed our
views; the darkness encreafed, and it was soon impos
sible to fee any thing around us, at the distance of half
a musket Ihot. I continued to chace till eleven o'clock
at night, and then loosing al hopes of coming up with
the en my, whose course I was ignorant of, and who
had taken particular care to conceal their lights, I
layed by to take care of our prize, which flih having
her crew on board, would have given me much unea
siness, had I nt been assured of the firmnefs of M.
Dacandes, an auxiliary officer, to whom I had given
the command of her. He came up with us at two
o'clock in the morning; and we lay too until day
light.
At fun rife nothing was to be seen: soon after there
came on a very thick fog, which continued all day, and
greatly facilitated the etcape of the enemy.
^.^- ^~a/ ,4 M. Pobinfon.
Monarch 74 Reynolds.
Europe 64 Child,
America 64 Thomson.
Belliqueax 64 Brine.
Intrepid 64 Molloy.
Adamant 50 Johnston.
Chatham 50 Douglass.
Assurance 44 Swinney.
La Nymphe, x 8 ) o .
pound, on one deck) 44 Ford.
La Fortunee, 12 ) ~
pound, on one deck) 44 Chrifaan.
Richmond 32 Hudson.
Orpheus 32 Colpoys.
Iris 32 Dawson. f
Sybil 28 Rodney.
Pegalus 28 Stanhope.
Carysfoot 28 Peacock.
Solebay 28 Everett.
Medea 28 Duncan.
Amphitrite 2$ Biggs.
Sal unander sire-ship 8 Bowater.
Jane sloop Knight.
All the above line cf batt'e mips, except the Europe
are coppered.,' ' '
Extract of a letter from Virginia, dated York, Aug. 31.
" I now inform you, that we are blocked up by a
French fleet of 23 fail ; one 64 and 3 frigates lay in fight
of us. We are making all the preparations we canto
give them a warm reception."
Yesterday came up two viduallsrs, part of the fleet
committed to the protection of his majesty's frigate
Pegasus, and dispatched by rear-admiral rr Samuel
Hood, to New-York. The Pegasus and her convoy,
on the passage fell in with a French squadron of eight
line of battle ships, supposed to be M. Barras. It
was apprehended the whole, confining of fix victual
lers and a vessel with the 40th regiment's eloathing,
had fallen into the hands of the enemy; until happily
these two effected a fafe arrival in our harbour.
B O ST O N, August 27.
From the following, our readers may form a clear idea
of tlx frefh services rendered the united dates, and
to these coifts in particular, by th®fe active and gal
lant commanders, M. de la Peroufe, of the Adrea
in company with M. de la Touche, of the Hermoine,
and by the brave officers end men under their orders.
Extract of a letter from M. de la Peroufe, to M. de
Barras, dated July 23, 1781.
" On the 21st, at ten o'clock in the morning, we fa#
a feet five leagues to windward; I made the signal for
the Hermoire to chafe, and we crouded fail to come up
with it. Scon after we perceived two frigates bearing
down upon us, and clued up our courses to wait for
them. They then hauled close upon the wind, and
made some signals, of wh ch we took no notice. We saw
a third vessel join the frigates of the en^my, which ap
peared to be only a sloop of war. Notwithftandiog
this junction, the enemy still keeping close to tiie wind,
I again set my courses, and gave them chafe in my
turn, Handing directly for their fleet, which was four
1c agues distance from me- -still to the windward,and un
happily too near the harbour to render it poflible for
me to prevent their gaining it.