The Rhode-Island American, and general advertiser — Providence [R.I.], 1810-10-02 00:00:00, page 2

K, Chief of Kiri, with orders to demand the
E ransom for himself and six of his com
panions. But previous to quitting the vo
;-racious party, anew incident of cruelty
* • Voccurted. One of the unfortunate inhabi
tants of Taffove had swam from hie dis
tressed the main, but was per-
C-Jsed as soon as he gained the short, and
was in consequence pursued by a multi
tude, armed with bows and arrows, spears
and clubs. The pursuit terminated with
the life of the wretched fugitive, whose
body presented a new source of exultation
and cannibal festivity.
On the 16th Mr. Smith was restored to
his overjoyed shipmaxes, with all his com
panions except two/ofarfof whom was Mr.
Lockerby, who were afterwards indebted
for their rescue to a determined perse
verance in the captain, his officers and
people, which was highly creditable and
meritorious. Mr. Smith, Mr. Lockerby,
aud all the others, Had been repeatedly on
the very po’nt of assassination, to which
these people seem to possess no kind of re
pugnance whatsoever, but on the contrary,
it appearing their chief object of delight.
Their determined obstinacy in effecting
every thing they attempt, can atone be
equalled by the extraordinary precision of
their arrangements, which are planned
methodically, and executed with an energy
and calmness that surprise even an Eu
ropean ; with a strength of body they pos
sess a thorough contempt of danger and a
herdlessnt ss of pain. Their present con
queror, Itallandain, has already become
terrible, fair to possess himself of
the sole sovereignty of the islands. But
though implacable and sanguinary in his
resentment, yet we that in his
disposition strong traces , e£. a kiiidness were
perceivable towards all except the enemies
of his arm*.
These ’ e pie are very avaricious, and
fiom the foregoing account must be con
sidered insatiably cruel. Their number*,
no less than the leading traits in their cha
racter, rendt r them formidable to an in
competent power of defence; so that in all
respects it becomes the duty of vessels
trading ihnher to be no less cautious than
at Tonga i a boo, the natives of which are
indeed the less dangerous, as they are less
powerful and numerous.
Smith declares it to be oue of the moat
beautiful places he had ever seen; the
houses, in number about a hundred, ranged
on the declivity of • hill, interspersed with
•ocoa-nut, bread fruit, and other trees, and
each house defended with a wall of piled
stones. The buildings, were, however,
•II set Are to by Bullandam's order; and
Mr. Smith becoming solicitous for his relief,
was informed by the chief, that as soon as
•II the victims were devoured, he should
be set at liberty with his companions.—
The dead bodies were got into the canoes,
/ and the whole fleet left Taffere on their
return to the main island, where many
others joined in the horrible festivity, which
was conducted with rude peals of acclama
tion. Mr. Smith was on this occasion also
taken on shore by the great chief, and herd
hatWgain to experience a detestable spec
tacle. The bodies had been dismembered
of their limbs, which were suspended on
the boughs of trees in readiness for cook
ery ; and afterward* part of, a human leg
was offered to Mr. Smith, who had never
broke his fsgt for Ave days. The offer he
rejected with abhorrence ; and, upon his
captors appearing astonished nt’ the re
fusal, he gave them to understand, that if
he ate of human flesh he would instantly
die. They were satisfied with this excuse,
and continued their abominable festivity
the u(hole night.
Ou the 13th, the chief in the canoe that
captured Mr. Smith’s boat applied to Bul
landam for the prisoners, and the long
. bapt, in order to return them to their ship,
declaring his intention to demand 3 whale
tyeth and IS hatchets for their ransom;
but this proposal was not then attended to.
Twenty or thirty men then arrived at the
place of rendezvous each bringing a bas
ket of human flesh half roasted, which
mode Mr Smith learnt they took to pre
serve it. The day of deliverance at length
approached from captivity the most afflict
ing, from diversity of causes, that a man
could be exposed to; and, after enduring
a. it nine days, and totally fasting, ha was at
M length turned over to the charge of the
desired that hl* second in wmmand would
have k laid by for themselves.
The. Tafferians being wholly defeated
and dts|»erstd, was tdcen pos
session of by Bullandam’s forces, which
were vdf*numerous. The principal chief
. invited Mr. Smith on shore, as he seemed
inclined to shew him favour; and Mr.
Th it publick will recollect the statement
gWen in the papers of an
American seaman being forced the
Bri i.h brig Netley, by n patriotic k mob in
Baltimore. We did not copy the statement,
for tbuugh we have not a very exalted opin*
k>n of the sovereign people in that city, yet
we did not believe they had'descended quite
so low as their friends represented. The
democratick editors, complain of usforalls
g acetng the C'ontry, when we state disa
greeable truths ; but what do they think of
their own conduct, when they propagate
FROM THE NEW YORK HER A?D.
Who Diogracto the Country ?
On the morning of the 6th instant, I re
ceived a note from James H. M’Culloch,
Esq. Collector of the port of Baltimore, ad
dressed to my brother, Mr. Joseph Biays,
William Jackson and myself, stating that
an impressed American seaman was on
board the brig Netley, and requesting our
interference with the people in the neigh
bourhood of the Point, if necessary, to pre
vent disturbance or any violence offered to
any of the crew of said brig. This note
was the first intimation I had of the exist
ence of the fact. Mr. Jackson and myself
accompanied by two persons who knew the
man in question, went on board the Netley
the commander of which was on shore,
and leaving the note received from Mr.
M’Culloch, to be delivered to him, with
our compliments, that we w<uld be glad to
have an interview with him about the busi
ness, we left the vessel. At about three
o’clock in the afternoon, the commander of
the Netley; called upon me at my wharf,
and while we were conversing on the sub
ject in a friendly and polite manner, the
note which’had been left on board for him
by me, together with one on the subject
from the British Consul, was delivered to
him ; he then declared that it always had
been his intention to liberate the roan, as
he knew him to be an American and had
been impressed; he immediately went on
board and sent the man on shore without
delay. In our conversation there was no
acrimony or ill temper, and the officer ap
peared to be well disposed; thus ended all
my interference in this matter. I knew not,
nor do I know now, that there was any mani
festations of a riotous disposition on the
point, nor that I had any reason to suppose,
that any thing of a serious hostility was in- 1
CHARLESTON, September 14.
A sTomm of wind and rain ha* been ex
perienced in thia city since Tuesday even
ing last. The wind, which had been fresh
at N. E. all day, on Tuesday increased to
wards the evening of that day, and at dark
some rain fell; there was but little, how
ever, in the course of the night. On Wed
nesday the wind was very high through
the day, with an almost incessant fall of
rain; the wind increased in the evening to
a complete gale. In the course of the
night it hauled round from N. E. toS. E.
and blew with increased violence; but to
wards morning it lulled considerably, the
rain ceased to fall, and in the course of
yesterday the wind having got round to the
southward and westward, cessed to blow
with violence. In the course of Wednes
day and Wednesday night some damage
was done by the sea to several of the
wharves, but we believe that all the ves
sels in port rode out the gale with little or
no damage, excepting some small wood
sloops, two or three of which sunk at the
wharves. The street on South Bay, be
tween Meeting and King-Streets, wns com
pletely washed away by the violence of the
waves. Several trees were blown down in
the street*. Although the ]>cople on Sulli
van's Island must have been much alarmed
by the appearance of the weather, we have
not heard that any injury was done by the
gate to thg houses on that totend. We fear
that some ydamage may have been expe
rienced by the vessel* on our coast; and
the planting interest will undoubtedly re
ceive much injury from the effect* of the
•lor at.
On Saturday afternoon, a boy of Mr.
Holland's, in running from some boys who
were in pursuit of him, and endeavouring
to conceal himself under the palmetto logs
at the head of Mr. Craft’s wharf, slipped
off, the tide running strong was swept
awaybefore a boat could be got to his as*
sista nee, and dragged down by a shark.
The shark was caught yesterday morning,
with part of the boy’s coat and bis arm in
his maw.
tended, as no communication of such an in
tent was made to me, nor did I hear one
angry word from any individual.
The editors of the New*York Gazette
have been furnished with the following
curious decisions, by Captain Balch, of tbq
ship Mars, from Copenhagen.
. The ship Franklin, Adams, was taken
ou a voyage from AJucantjo Stockholm
Mich falsehoods as that respecting con
quest of the mob over the Netley ? Hf hey
cannot be satisfled with the improprieties
which daily occur, but they must conjure
up stories of disgraceful mobs which never
existed. The following account of the re
lease of the American seaman from the
Netley, is given by Mr. James Biays, • de
mocrat ; it has been published in the de
mocratick papers in which the account ap
peared, making these candid editors give
the lie direct to their own statement, and
shows that no mob ever interfered or was
thought of until the man was released by
the regular course of proceeding. The
people, were they left to their own judge
ment, would be in general correct; but it
is these violent fellows xho have obtained
possession of the American press, that in
flame the minds of the people, and stimu
late them to acts which disgrace the coun
try.
■' 25j> tfje mail*.
NEW-YORK, September 27.
September 17.
From the Liverpool Courier of Auguet 22.
FRANCE.
We have inserted in another place, the
new commercial decree of Bonaparte, by
which colonial and other produce, hereto
fore prohibited, are, under certain restric
tions, permitted to be imported into France.
On the constructions, intent, and motives
of this decree, we perceive our contempora
ries to be much at variancesome consider
it as a tacit abandonment of the restrictive
system of Bonaparte, others as leaving that
system in full force, and as amounting to
just nothing. We have given the subject
some consideration, but we cannot fully ac
quiesce in either of these opinions. That it
will go to relieve our intercourse with the
continent can be but partially admitted af
ter the scale of duties has been minutely
examined. The wants of the continent,
say some, will create a demand, and the
tariff is rated so high to supply the demand
of the French treasury, That the wants
of the continent are pressing enough we
doubt not; but it to also to be remembered,
/hat the continent is sunk in that
.industry Cannot have been so long impeded,
tsources of national wealth so seriously
impaired, but that the power of obtaining
luxuries must be lessened in proportion
Consequently, we do not consider Cap
tain Frazier entitled to obtain any indem
nification for the capture, whereas, on the
contrary, the expenses before the Court of
Justice are tn be defrayed out of the ship.
The expenses of the unloading of the car
go (for which there existed no degree of
probability tending to the illustration of the
case) are, on the contrary, to be paid by
the captors; consequently we judge to be
right, the ship in question, the Unicorn,
Captain Frazier, with her cargo, is hereby
released, save, however, that the expenses
before the Court of Justice are to be de
frayed out of the ship, (the expenses on
the contrary, attending the unloading of
the cargo to be exempted,) further is to be
paid to R. Ronne, Corfix, Neitenn, Ander
son, Bodfner and Larson, 300 rix dollar* ;
whereas, on the contrary, the said priva
teers, within the space of 14 days after the
lawful annunciation of this sentence, are
to have shipped the said goods into the said
ship, forfeiting a penalty of 200 rix dollars
to the poor of this city, with an equal sum
to Captain Frazier for every day the or
ders of this sentence be not complied with.”
"The ship Unicom, Captain Frazier,
belonging to Baltimore, and on her first
voyage was taken by four privateers, after
she had paid her sound (fees. This ship
was laden with cotton and nee, on account
of her owner, resident merchant of that
place; whence she was direct and bound
for Kiel. In removing the sails, after cap
ture, ONE grain of coffee wns found, which
to these honest privateers, was confirma
tion strong, that part of the cargo consisted
of that article, and of consequence estab
lished this important fact upon oath, and
petitioned the Court for an order to haul
the ship intodockforexamination. A sin
gular coincidence of their honours brought
forth the order; the ship was discharged,
and her ballast carefully overhauled ; but
to their mortification, no coffee was found.
Whereupon the followingsentence was pro
nounced on the 29th July, the formal part
as in the Franklin's.
Roknk, Matter of a Privateer, and other
persons, vs. Captain of the
ship Unicorn. c
SENTENCE.
“ We cannot but pronounce the release
of the ship, the Unicorn, and her cargo;
but not being provided with the necessary
documents, we cannot at the tame time
grant any indemnification for her capture.
" With regard to the supercargo who
was on board, no proper document* were
alleged, nor does the receipt for the cus
toms paid, mention wherein the cargo con
sist*.
laden with salt, cn account of her owner,
residing in Portland. Tie following to the
sentence of the.Priae Court.
‘•\Tho records of sentences pronounced
in the Prise Court, at Copenhagen, estab
lished by Royal Authority, on the 20th July,
in the year of our Lord 1810, the Prise
Court was set and held in the usual place
in this city-”
The following was the case laid before
the court, vis.
Heorth, Matter a Privateer, vs. Cafit.
Caleb .Adams, qf the thifi< Franklin.
The following is the sentence pronounced:
t‘ In this present case, it is fully proved,
that the ship in question, the Franklin, is
employed in an expedition for, and con*
nected with the enemy, in a manner totally
forbidden by that government, under whose
protection she now seeks shelter.
“ She is consequently to be condemned,
and the sentence to be pronounced io favour
of Heorth and Jensen; as to the deposi
tions of both, it must be allowed that the
ship struck to them both; the circumstance
of Heorth's boarding ber a few minutes
earlier, cannot be reflected upon, conse
quently we judge to be right, that the ship
in gnestion, the Franklin, Captain Caleb
Adorns, together wi|h her cargo, Is hereby
sentenced as a good and J«wfol price, to,
belong to the captors, Heorth and Jensen;
the expenses before the Court of Justice
to be defrayed out of the ship and ber
cargo.”
dieted French vessels from entering tlfo
harboursoOhe United States, and his ae- 1 *
questrati|Mk American property is justi
fied as a sßaure of reprisal—a matter of
right. Well but this act is revoked, and
the ports of America are opened to French
commerce, and therefore " in this new
state of things," says the French Minister*
“ I am authorized to declare to you, Sir,
that the decrees of Berlin and Milan are
revoked, and that from the Ist of Novem
ber they will cease to be in force, it being
understood that in consequence'mf this de
claration the English shall revoke their
Orders in Council, and renounce their new
principles of blockade, or that the United
States, conformably to the act you have
just communicated, shall cause their rights
to be respected by the English." Then fol
lows a fulsome declaration how much the
Emperour “ loves the Americans, and that
their prosperity and their commerce enter
into views of his policy." A style so dif
ferent from that he usually assumes, so
opposite to true dignity, that it betrays the
true object of the letter, which is to spirit
up the French party in America. This is
the true intent of his fawning professions.
He confesses his inability to effedl the ruin
of England, even with the aid of the whole
continent, and now in fact supplicates the
assistance of America, and changes the
growl of the tyger into the obsequtaus grin
ning of the ape.
Let us now connect this letter de
cree. Suppose the Milan dKnHfo de
crees, and the British Govern of
fear lest the American non-intercourse acts
should be revived against this country, re
scind their Orders in Council, France
gains this advantage, that she enjoys the
commerce of America. The American
staples are brought into France, and a part
at least of the produce and industry of
France to go to America. Thus France
will partially relieve herself from her pre
sent pressures, and we accordingly find
that the American staples are almost en
tirely left out of the list of imports, and
no doubt designedly. They will not be sad
dled with those exorbitant duties. The ar?
tides specified are the produce chiefly of the
British colonies or her allies.
By this scheme, too, the ground of the
quarrel between this country and America
will be changed and become more com
plex. France will evade the charge of
violating the rights of neutrals, by effect
ing her purpose by a municipal regulation.
The British Orders in Council will lose
their justification as being measures of ne
cessity founded upon the unjust decrees of
France. America will tell us that we have
nothing to do with the municipal acts of
France, and thus it is attempted fierhafit
by a concert between both thete powers to
reduce us to this dilemma, either to main
tain our Orders la Council when the show
of justice is taken them, or to
suffer the commerce of tWenemy to be re
lieved, and to give up the power of retali
ating on him the evils of the war. The ar
tifice is deep but it may be met and turned.
Nothing is said fa this decree or letter
respecting the release of American ships
and cargoes under sequestration. Perhaps
the sequestration is held over the heads of
the Americans in terrorem. We are cu
rious to learn how the French party in
America will manage that masterly piece
of logick in the letter to General Arm
strong, when it is argued that because Ame
rica, by her non-intercourse act, forbade
the entry of French vessels into her har
bours, the confiscation of all .American ves
sels already in the harbours of France or
her allies was a juot reprisal—•* a matter
of right.* 1
(nd that when the produce of the Mnd Is
rotting on the hands of the holders, and
When consequently the value of land and
the price of labour has rapidly diminished,
there is no such superfluity of means as to
enable the people very extensively to pur
chase the articles specified in the decree.
Nor yet is this decree to he considered as
amounting to nothing. XM* *• not ***• chiM u
racter of French precuMmgs. They fire II
never neutral, , they produce either much
good or much mischief; they either alm
directly at some great object, or insidiously
adapt themselves to effect some great latent
intention. Of the latter character we con.
ceive this new decree will be found, and
connected as it is with the letter to General
Armstrong, bearing date on the very same
day, it is surprising that the whole has not
been to raw
bonds iffla France closer,
to to declare against
Let at the contents
of this is praised,
and the is condemned. It
was offensive to France because it inter
dicted French vessels from enterinr the
" Levant cotton, imported by sea, 400
fr.-—The same imported by land, through
the offices at Cologne, Coblentz, Mentz
and Strasburgh, 200 fr.”
September 28.
A gentleman, who was on the spot the
day after the violent TORNADO, which
An errour of the press fa the decree of
the sth instant, must be corrected as fol
lows
Paris, August 12.
IMPERIAL CUSTOMS.
•* * ( * , . a
happened at BradfoM* on Friday night the *
14 th instant, states, that the effects are >
greater than ever wye before witnessed in •
this country from the like phenomenon.
AH are asfopished who behold the ruinU<t?« .
Where poor Hatto's J>ou^eMfeMMOto
not apjpMMMUty, but even description -
I Evefwlhtag I* laM waste, as though the
Mftpwjf destruction had fessed over that
' habitattai. The house and barn
weTe torn, the into.
atoms; thgtaflßws and broken fwgments
are ecattflf in the direction of the blast
four The whirlwind commenced
about 100 rods to the West of this unfortu
nate map's dwelljog, and passed ■Rhe
uorth-ea*, carrying complete destruction
in p frightful train. It was short in its
duration, and happily in width it did not
exceed five rods. It was accompanied with
torrents W rain pnd thunder and light
ning. The midnight noise, the tumult and
CMlvulsioospf the were so tre-
the afrightud." neighbours
thought the day of judgement had arrived.'*
The sill! ugAmii the house lemain. At.
the West eooTthe sieepera, as well as the
floor are gams; the chimney is nearly
levelleu with the surface of the earth,. **"
Every article of household stuff Is demoi- hj,
ished, eithe? frittered to pieces, or blown f
way and lost. The very stone walls, near
where the house stood, are blown down;
some large rocks near the foundation are
removed, that require the strength of two
men to roll them oack again. The family
Were in bed when the sqrm commenced, <
and it appearsmiraculoulftet a single life
was spared. The children were asleep in
the western room, of which there remained
not a single vestige >the next morning, ex
cept the sills. The infant which was kilted
was found fifteen rods off, beyond a stone *’
wall, under a large beam. The others
were picked up among the shattered ruins
within the inclosure, and not much hurt.
The husband and wife found themselves at
the opposite end of the house, ujxm the floor
among the bricks. The wife (enceinte J
was very much bruised, but is rapidly, on
the recovery.
This scene presents objects to the philo
sopher curious and instructive—to the phi- ’
lanthropist distressing—and te all, awful
and impressive.
BOSTON, September 2®.
Since our last, the impKtant news we
announced has been confirmed, by the re.
ceipt of the official letter from the Duke of
Cadore to General Armstrong, informing
him, that after the first of November, the
Berlin and Milan decrees wotpd be repeal-
rhe publick will observe, however, that f
this repeal is not absolute. It contains
conditions of so vague a nature, that the
fate of American property,Ahich niay be
sent to France, may be determined by the
will of the Emperour, as may best suit his
purpose*. One condition to, that the re
peal of the British Orrteit in Council should
immediately follow. Of this we have not
the sipallest doubt, if Bonaparte, ia fact
as well as in form, repeals his Octrees—
But it is likewise made a conditiqii that the
United State* efficiently resist the British
newsystem of blockade. ’ ’ *
The British never availed themselves of '
any principle of blockade, which the gov
ernment of the United States have not
practised upon, as well a* other maritime
nations, until the orders retaliating upon
Bonaparte's recent edicts. But it is possible
and probable, Bonaparte moans to hold to
his once proclaimed definition of legal
blockade—an investment of a place by
land as well as by sea. If we must adopt »
this rule, and contend against our own
practice ;—if actual investment by sea is
blockading a place on the new principle,
alluded to-then the condition of the repeal
of the decrees is a proposition to us to make
war upon Great-Britain-lor never will
she submit to such a privation of acknow -
ledged rights.
Though we cannot predict what evils
Bonaparte contemplates, with respect to
us, we can easily discover what benefits
he anticipates for himself. His suffering
empire will be relieved from the miseries'
resulting from his rash and ill-judged in
terdiction of commerce with the rest of the
world. The monstrous dfities which he
has imposed, and which the want of the
supplies that will now be furnished, will
induce his subjects to pay, will replenish
his exhausted coffers.
These two advantages he will certainly
gain. He probably expects likewise tore
gain that partiality among n f
the United States, which he waaJErWng;
and dispose them to adopt his vih&e, as to
the restrictions he could prescmße to the
belligerent rights of his enemy.
October 1. Btivr
latest from
Letters from Lisbon, were yesterday re*
ceived in town, as late as the 18th of Au
gust, from a gentleman of intelligence and
information, who states, thkt the desertions
from the French army are numerous, and
daily increasing; that they have a sicklist
of 23,000 men, and are distressed with a
great scarcity of provisions Since the cap
ture of Cuidad Rodrigo, they have only
pushed a small body as far as Piuhel; who