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

Wr berets, by taking as many ^hips belonging to
France, rh'fe very electors talk, and loudly too, of re
turning another m mber at the next general election.
Sine of our politicians Gate the recal of the brave
Rodney, after this manner. They suppose that it was
prattle bl p , that upon feeing the French and Spanish
feet fudged at Cape Francois, where they suppose they
will conduce, tl^t fir George after convoying the
trade northwards mig'^t touch at New-York, and em
bark hehud forces: that with t' i efe he might recover
nor left poffrfGms in the Well Indies, &c. " but to
rm^ to their words:" to fulfil so difficult a talk, a
mo ! afire offi ei is necefTary ; one whole fate of health
may be equa to fitch an undertaking. But fir George
has not a drone coohitution, or one Commensurate to
lis courage. It is not therefore aflonithing that our
r.dniG-r- hare c # G their eyes on admiral Pigot to ac
complish with certainty these grand o'y^s. Besides,
howe'er brilliant the viflory lately gained by Rodney
mav lave been, it ftpu'd not dazzle us so far as to
f >rget tha* his condoA at St. Euflatius mad* him so
unpopular in the Weft-Indies, thatthe clamours he ex
cit d there fill resound; if we coufult the merchants,
vho trade thither: if we read the letters which cone
from cur remaining blinds, 'e (hall find that the mini
fGy cou„ not w th ut imprudence leave admiral Rod
i:v in the.command in that part of the world. Tuis
t ^ h wr< so generally acknowledged, that tho' his re
<ad was publicly known, no otie found fault with it,
r! the news of Ifo glorious victory arrived. Certaio
|v j : the mmifry con d have f^refeen this, they would
have Gen wrong, but the orders were iCu'd .prior to
is, and were grounded on the reasons above mrnti
red. Titis recall is not a disgrace. The admiral is
c-signed for another important command; w y then
do our prints mafr so much flir on this recall?
There are some circumflances mentioned in the fol
bwing letters, which indue us to jnfert them, tho'
later accounts have appeared in the Gazette.
M, A D R A S, December io
<< Cur affairs have take, a very favourable turn.
The vifiory o' F^rto Novo has had important confe
cuences. Hyder A'Ey was eager at sirs l to gain Ar
(te, and fir Eyre Coote marched to Madras, to join
tr detachment from Bengal. This desired event was
eTfrd about the beginning of Aueuft; and the uni
ted ft rce< amounting to igcoo efft Rive men, marched
towards Arc te t' emi 'd^ of that month. After tak
ing, as t ey Raffed, the fort of Tripafour, fir Eyre,
met the eremy flrongly intrenched the 27th of Augufi,
near Fotoore ; but after a brilk cannonade be defeated
them. Want of provisions prevented a purfujt. Sir
Fyre was forced to return to Tripafour. Frovilions
v^re sent to him there from Madras, as mush as the
v. ant of draught cattle would admit. However before
September 15th, the army was again enabled to march
with a flock of rice for to days. Str Eyre Coote, up
on this marched by a detour for Arcate, hoping to find
grain there. On the 25th he came io fight of the camp
of the enemy near Churlengar, and, attacked it wi/h
so much vivacity andaddrefs, that Hyder was obliged
to expose his people to an unusual degree, to save his
artillery. Yet one bra's gun with many ftand^rds fell
into our hands, and 5000 of our enemies were left on
the field, besides tiro e carried off by their comerades.
This viflofy was perhaps the mod signal that we have
obtained. When fir Eyre obtains rice he will march I
expea to reduce Arcate. In the mean time, the fitge
of Negapatam is formed by fir Edward Hughs, and the
southern army. We are not forty that the expedition
againf lthe Cape of Good Hope, failed, as we now ex
pea colonel Meadows with 4000 men, and 3 ships of
the line, part of commodore Johnson's squadron, to
reinforce us."
Extraß of a letter from False-Bay, (near Cape of Good
Hope,) February 10, 1782.
" The squadron which failed from the isle of France
for India on the 7th of December lafl, was the mod for
midable that France has ever had in that country. It
is compleatly fitted, superior in number and size of
ships to that of England, and we are warranted to ex
pert the most .decided success from it. As to the af
fairs of India, Hyder Ally had been repulsed trice ;
but in all these battles he had loft only one piece of
artillery, and in the lafl bad Gain many of his enemies.
These "reinforced by the troops from Bengal, were en
camped near to Arcate. Tuofe under general Mea
dows, who left Johnftoq, had not arrived the latter end
of Odober last, when the English troops (Europeans)
on the coast of Coromandel did not exceed 1300 men.
Hyder was flill mafler of Porto-Novo, where the forces
of France might easily land. General Munro was
then carrying on the siege of Negapatam, the chief
fadory of the Low-Dutch on the coast of Coromandel,
while admiral Hughes blocked it up by sea. The ad
miral complained that colonel Braithwaite, had not
marched with proper celerity with the troops of Tan
four, which ob'iged hip to lie before Negapatam at a
dangerous season, in which his fleet might be destroy
ed or difper'ed in a sudden floim of wind. He had dis
patched a frigate to meet commodore Johnston. The
fame admiral informed colonel Colby, who is here at
present, that he might exped a visit very soon from
Mr. SufFrin, who he tonfidered as commanding our
fleet, and that he should be prepared to receive him.
Sir Edward intended after the surrender of Negapatam
to proceed to the bay of Trincomale to refrefh, and to
come to meet our squadron when it should appear. It
is presumed, that the two fleets may meet about the
end of this month. In this case, you will perhaps hear
the firft news of it in Europe, by way of England, or
by some Danish ship from Tranguebar."
The Cape of Good-Hope begins to make a refpeda
ble figure from the works which have been erected
there. Eighty men labour daily at the fortifications,
batteries and other erections necessary to defend the
place. We have already closed it on the left, and are
building some redoubts. The recruits whom we brought
here at firft, and those since received were very ordina
ry ; but by discipline we have made somewhat of them,
and they are not now afraid of fire.
May 27. Letters from Spain, received yesterday,
advffe that count Guichen had returned to Cadiz, with
9 thips of the line, and that joined by 24 Spanish ships,
he is shortly to put to sea again. His orders 'tis said,
are to proceed towards Brest, and after chafing away
Kempetifeit, to pefs up the channel and open the ports
of Holland from whence joined by the Dutch he will
be able to drive the English ships into port, and scour
tne fliores of Norway, Germany, Holland, France,
Spain and Portugal.
Weare assured, that towards the end of June, a con
voy will leave Portsmouth for the Weft India iflends,
and that the victuallers and store ships, who now lie at
Spithead, are ordered to repair immediately to Cork,
and put themselves under the care of some ships of war,
which are to proceed from that port early next month.
If Europe could forget how re-lets our British heads
are, every thing that passes daily, all that is said in
public places ; the contents of our one thousand and
one news-papers must recall the idea to their remem
brance. We have obtained an administration the other
day, which when if wa- forming, one would have
thought, especially from the congratulatory addre'ffes
which it received, fhouid have gratified the wish of the
public, and fatisfied the whole nation. Nofuch thing;
it is evident to any one who can form a judgment, that
it will soon be opposed from all quarters ; an opposition
fcarc ly declared above 24 hours since is already nruch
more numerous; much more formidable than was
collected in 14 years againfl the late cabinet !
We shall have a thousand occafionsof remarking how
the good fortune (as it should (eem at present) of the
conqu ror of St. Euflatius, has given rife to animosi
ty. H-re follows some of the matter which our public
prints afford to feed this flame.
" Mr- secretary Fox, pretends that the recall of fir
George Rodney is not a disgrace. He is right. It is
no difhonour to the brave admiral; but it is certainly
a dishonour to those who advised it. Are we condemn
ed to feel for ever the fatal consequences of the mourn
ful fight off Ufhant?"
" Letters from the Weft Indies declare, that the
brave Rodney had taken it in his head, not to fuffer
the French fleet to gain any port without another fight,
but that probably admiral Pigot, will arrive in time
to fruftrate his bloody design.”
" This country must rejoice to find that the firft
measure of conseq uence adopted by the newly created
peer, was not exe uted earlier. That Rodney did not
receive his recall before the 12th of April iad, was a
ver, providential interposition."
Asin the address of felicitation that lord Loughbo
rough, proposed to makeio the king, the words power
ful Wed-India fleet were used inf eaking of the Eng-
I ih naval armament under admiral Rodney, the duke
of Richmond, who as well as the Keppelite and mihifte
rial party in general did not &sh to do honour to the
late minifir} by a tributing to them the honour of
having fitted out a powerful fleet, moved as an amend
ment, that these words should be left out of theaddrefs.
Hereupon lord Kepple, rising, expressed the like appre
hensions. “ The French said he," have still 28 fail of
the line, the Spaniards igfrefh ships. Thefetw pow
ers may adually recover their fuperiorty amon^ the
islands by a junction, which we cannot hinder. We
fliould be cautious therefore of confeq tieoce. Thi- un
happy war with Holland, by employing a considerable
part of our ships, deran es every ooffible plan, and
our enemies may perform at pleasure, many things
wuich are not in our power to do"
They write from Paris, that all the vessels which es
caped from Barrington, were ordered to fail fcr India.
To this convoy wifibe added the veffel* affembkd at
the isle of Aix, bound for Asia.
May 30. Yesterday afternoon difpache s arrived,t
the East-India hotofe, whch had not been opened yet
this morning; all that was known of the purport was
from the meffenge , who said they contained good
news; however, in waiting till the dispatches are pub
lithed, we will give the reports of their contents . ft is
said fir Eyre Coote has gained a great vißo r y over Hy
der Ally ; that the battle was preceded by a ikirm dh,
in which the English had made 400 prisoners, which
bringing on a general engagement, Hyder Adv's army
was totally defeated and put to flight, leaving 1500 dead
and 4000 prisoners in the hands of the English, toge
ther with all his artillery and baggage ; and that the re
duftion of two considerable posts had been the conse
quence as this defeat.
It is the sloop Swallow that has brought these ad
vices, the fame vessel that carried lord Macartney to
India: (he left Bengal the 3d January ; Madrafs tlie
29th, and arrived at St. Helena th# 3d April, widen
the left on the Bth ; and tne captain adds to these ad
vice^, that the fleet of transports with troops and stores,
which failed under convoy of commodore Johnston,
had arrived at Bombay the beginning of January , that
the men of war, viz. the Hero of 74, the Monmouth
of 64, thrifts of 50, and two frigates had arrived at
Madras the 10th February, and that immediately after
they failed to join fir Edward Hughes in the port of
Trincamale.
May 31, It is absolutely determined, that admiral
Pigot will fupercede admiral Rodney, now lord Rod
ney. The ministers were yesterday forced to own it in
the house of commons. We have neither time nor room
now to give the particulars of what passed on this oc
casion: we fliall give them in our next.
The following letter from the secretary of slate for
Ireland, addressed to meffrs. Comuierford and O'Brien,
was (hewn at the Royal Exchange the 27th instant.—
Gentlemen, Castle of Dublin, May 20, 1782.
MY lord lieutenant has ordered me to inform you,
that by a private letter from Lisbon, of the 25th of last
month, his grace has the fatisfadion of learning, that
a few days before the custom house of that city had
published a general order for the admission to an er^ry
of all the merchandizes of Ireland, heretofore imported;
and that some parcels already cooffcated and fold have
been restored in money, but at the current prices only
of fucb goods.
I have to request, that you will communicate this
information to all other persons, whole merchandizes
may be in like circumdances, as the goods sent by
your house. I have the honour to be, &c.
R. FITZPATRICK.
[To understand this last paragraph, it should be
known, that after lord North, about the beginning of
Extras of a letter from lieutenant Don, of the Nimefis,
„ T dated ba y of Dublin, May 20.
The 17th, at half an hour after five in the eve
n ng, being about 6 leagues weft of Holyhead, I dis
covered a fail chafing one of our packet boats ; I made
T, , her in flant| y, and at half an hour after eight
r°°b i ' ', he P r °ved to be the Renard (Fox) of
Dunkirk, of 12 fix pounders and 51 men, commanded
by Luke Corwell, an Irishman, but who fays he is an
American. He had 6 hostages on board."—Here ends
the G zette..
The I foll °wing is taken from Gazettes of Holland.
Vve /earn from India, that a memorial has appear
e tere, which may bring about a great revolution.
mi 3 writing the people of that country are invited
to Ihake off all foreign domination ; and they are, for
tins purpose, offered great help from Europe. All that
is aiked of them is, that hereafter they live according
to their own laws, and under their native princes; and
^at they (hall grant to no Europeans any thing but
factories, without partiality, where they may trade
^': the inhabitants. According to this idea, nd Eu
ronean power is to exercise fovereigoty in Asia, nor
' r " ^a^y privilege prejudicial to others. This would
" r °('' serve I dia and Europe."
G.t senate of Venice, not doing justice to two merch
ants o' Amflerdam, meffrs. Chomel and Jordan, whose
{? '' ~ S t>;/v ^ been clearly and properly set forth by
T.-r resident of the states-general, at Venice, their
hign n ?ht ooFes, on be 13th inflant, resolved to re
refident, and to fend orders to the count de
Waffaaucr, miniver from the flares at Vienna, to con
fer wrfh the Venetian mini fter at the fame court on this
fubjea. It is feid, in the letter of their high might:--
neffes to Mr. Tor, that if at the time he receives if,
the senate shall at length have done juflice, he may de
fer his departure till further orders; but, as we find
by letters from Trieste, of the 26th ,of April last, th^t
the tenate of Venice were levying troops with diligence,
and equipping ships of war, it is scarcely probable they
have ary design to flay Mr. Tor, by any procedure
that will be conformable to the demands made, so ma
ny eolith since, by their high mightinesses.—Thus far
Holland Gazettes.
Eng and had no ally under the late administration.
Possibly (he may acquire a powerful one under the pre
sent. The success of negociations is apt to attend on
the success of arms. Who knows but haughty Venice,
with 25 fail of the line, may difeover that the queen of
the ocean is her natural ally, and co operate with us
against Holland, thus enabling us to convince the house
of Bourbon, that in vain is the sovereignty of the seas
deputed with England.
The admiralty has played a trick upon the fea-far
ing people, and succeeded admirably. All preffy-gangs
w+re drawvn in, and ideas of peace designedly exagge
rated, getting abroad, the tars at length came forth,
foppofing th, were not wanted by government . When
they were lulled in 0 perfed security, behold 100 prefs
gangs issued from their lurking places in an instant,
and on one day secured, unon the river, wharfs, &c.
1300 seamen: the famedevice was fallen upon through
out the kingdom; and dhubthfs, of nine which lie rea
dy fitted without a hand, five or fix may be now man
ned immediately.
It is confirmed, that lord Howe is to attack the
Dutch fleet in the Texel; some letters are spoken of,
which arrived this morning, and which fay, that th,
attack was to have been made at the close of last week.
It is conducted by an English officer, fay they, who iq
on board of lord Howe, and who has long been in the
Dutch marine, and is perfeHly acquainted with the
navigation of the whole coast of the Low Countries. He
is the fame, who, as we recoltea, at the time when the
celebrated Paul Jones anchored in the Texet, offered
lord Sandwich, if he would trust him with three frig
ates and two (loops of war, to bring him off; an offer
which was commended, but negleded.
F/iday last great part of the crews of two smuggling
privateers landed near Sherries (3 leagues north of
Dublin bay) and immediately defiroyed the house of
a cufiom-houfe officer in that village, who had been a
principal witness against Luke Ryan, who was taken and
condemned for anting as captain of a French privateer;.
After this they re embarked in haste, carrying away
with them two (mall ships, which anchored in the road,
1780, granted a free trade to Ir^od for her woollen
cloths, &c. difficulties arose at Lisbon, and other fort^
of Portugal, about Irish manufactures. These difficul
ties have been attributed to a collusive understanding
between the late English ministry and the court o'A
Portugal. Thus the liberty to import the produds of
the Weft-Indies into Ireland dire&ly, was undermined
and retrac'd, in fad, by another Machivialeam
trick. This duplicity and dishonesty of the English
cabinet, together with a most scandalous feene of bri
bery, rs the Irfh members of the legislature, conduct
ed by Mr. Secretary Eden, are the main springs from
whence the last and decided demand of the full riahtr
of Ireland has arifen.]
We have already mentioned a disorder of the epide
mical kind, by which above three-quarters of London
and Westminster have, for some days past, been con
fined to their beds. The name of influenza, by
which the faculty distinguish it, imports something
contagious in the air ; aud such an effect might hava
have been expected : for the oldest man ameng us has
not seen such a season. Ever since Febauary, which
was fine, scarcely have we seen the fun through the
gloomy clouds which have hidden it ; rains without
ceasing or thick fogs; quick transitions from warm to
co'd. These have produced fwe|led legs, covered with
a fort of erefipelas, throat and eyes puffed up, violent
aching of the head and flomach, (hiverings and fevers,
such are the symptoms of this distemper, which as yet
has carried off but few persons. The play house and
opera house are fhuf for want of persons to fill then):
In a word, the prince of Wales, duke of Cumberland,
and divers others of the royal family, with most of the
persons about the court, labour under the diftrefsful
effeds of this influenza.
From the LONDON GAZETTE, May 28.
Admiralty Office.