The Royal South-Carolina gazette — Charles-Town, S.C., 1782-03-28 00:00:00, page 2

said our ships are built thus to prevent their
becoming hogged, which means rising in the mid
die ; for it is known that the decks of ships, if
built on a strait line, will fink at each end, after
having been beating about at sea, as they grow
bld, growing very much hogged. But it does not
appear to me that this is a disadvantage to be
dreaded ; for I believe, on enquiry, it will be
found that those which are considerably hogged
are dill exceedingly good failing vessels ; nay, per
haps, they fail the better if they are a little so,
than if quite strait.
I own that, perhaps, they may not be equally
good sea-boats ; but would not that be abundantly
compensated by fwiftnefs of failing?
Another cause I take to be, our ships carrying
too many guns in general for their size. We every
mow and then hear, when a ship is taken, that die
hiounted so many guns, but is capable of carrying
so many more; and, indeed, most of their ships
are much larger than ours of the fame number of
guns; a French sixty-sour being, I believe, in ge
neral, nearly as large as an English seventy-sour.
The guns being fewer, a ship is not so much
brought down into the water, consequently will
meet with less resistance. Besides, as in a dorm,
they are frequently obliged to throw guns over
board, that may be many times unnecessary by
having fewer on board, or at worst, it would not
be necessary to throw over so many.
It has likewise been observed by many with
whom I have converfe'd, that our ships are over
mafted, and that when they have been obliged to
cut away their masts in a dorm, they have after
wards failed as well with jury mads as with their
own proper masts. And here, too, we may ob
serve that in a storm, fufficient to make a ship part
with her masts, she has generally been lightened
by heaving some of her guns thrown overboard ;
which seems a corroborating proof of what I be
fore observed refpeding their carrying too great a
number of guns; for the weight of these being
lessened may be the cause why a ship has failed as
well when greatly undermaded, as when some
what overmaded.
From hence I would infer, that if our ships
decks were laid quite strait, if they did not carry
quite so many guns, and if their malts were pro
portioned somewhat less than the present dandard.
they would fail perhaps even taster than the
French, and prevent our old rival from being able
to dispute with us our favourite dominion of the
sea, and to render it, like our title to their coun
try, merely nominal, and ridiculed and laughed
at by all but ourselves.
If these few hints which I have throwa together
But it is with regret! have heard from many
officers in the navy, that the French ships are
much fafter failers than ours ; that from their su
periority in that point, they run round our ships,
and defy our fwifteft frigates. On enquiring into
the causes, they fay they cannot tell the reason,
since their ships are built on the fame plan as ours :
but this is evidently a mistake : for if they arc
built on the fame plan, why do they fail falter?
The make ofa flip's: hnttnm is perhaps one of the
chiefeft causes of fwift failing, for this is evident,
that the flip whole bottom meets with the leaf
resistance in the water will, ceteris paribus, fail
the fafteft. Whether the French ships differ from
ours in this refpeft I know not; But the French
ships decks we find are laid on a strait line ; whilst
those of the English have what I think they call
a rake fore and aft, that is, the deck makes a
feftion of a very large circle, it rising somewhat
higher at the head and at the ffern than in the
middle. Now we know that the Dutch vessels,
which are the flowed failers of any, have a fill
greater rising fore and aft. Perhaps it will be
said, their slowness of failing arises from the fliape
of their bottoms. Town that may be the chief
cause, but fill can it be proved that the rake of
their decks is not an additional one ? It will be
in general, that their ^governments are the most
severe in the world. And after all, it is not the
form of a government which at all times constitutes
the public happiness: for even where a latent evil
is found in the essence of the constitution, it may,
by moderate and prudent measures, be directed
to a beneficial end. Why then all this cry for
republicanism ? Why such an antipathy to the
regular form of our own government? I aufiver :
it arise, from avarice, and the thirst for power;
that a few demagogues may have it in their power
to domineer over the whole body of the people at
large ; but such is the genius df the British na
tion, that no form of government will suit it but
its own. It has been gradually rising up to a Rate
of perfection; and nothing can injure it while
bur ministers, and all entrusted with po^m, air
charge their duty with integrity, and the people
refrain from too violent opposition.
HISTO RICCS.
T^T^lrfoir^T.
THE navy of England being the chief fotrce
on which its power depends, too great care,
I think, cannot be taken to enable us to maintain
a superiority in that point, which has been long
acknowledged amongst us, and which, perhaps,,
no nation in Europe, is so well adapted to pre
serve.
ExtraEis from Rebw Papers.
PHILADELPHIA.
An ma for the defence of be frontiers of this fate,
find for other purfd" therein mentioned.
WHEREAS therepeated incursions and depre
dations of the fav^g e allies of the King of Great-
Britain in coniun&ion with his forces, have been
carried 'on"for ^ years pad on the frontiers of
this Rate, to the great injury of that part of North
ampton county .which lies beyond the mountains,
and also the counties of Bedford, Northumber
land, Weftmcreland, and Washington, and the
diftrid or townihip of Armagh, in Cumberland
county : For remedy whereof, Be it enacted, and
it is hereby enacted by the representatives of the
freemen of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in
general assembly met, and by the authority of the
fame, That one company in addition to the four
companies already ordered to be railed, by a re
solve of the House of Assembly of the 23d day of
December, 1780, be immediately raised, com
pleated and equipped, to serve during the present
war, or until discharged, each company to consist
of one Captain, one Lieutenant, one Ensign,
four ferjeants, four corporals, one drummer, one
fifer, and sixty privates; which five companies are
to be compleated, paid, eloathed, victualled, and
otherwise provided for, and rewarded with lands
at the vx m of the war, as the other troops in the
service of the United States, and belonging to
this State are ; and shall be under the direction
of the Supreme Executive Council of this State
for the time being, for the defence of the said
frontiers.
And be it further enabled by the authority
aforefaid, That the Supreme Executive Council
shall appoint and commiflion the additional officers
of said corps, to be taken from those of the Penn
sylvania line, who are now, or hereafter may be
on half-pay; and shall pay to the officers or any
other person inlifting any able-bodied recruit, the
sum of thirty Killings, as soon as he shall be at
tested and have paflhd matter ; and shall, over and
above the eloathing, rations, and other emolu
ments mentioned in the foregoing clause to be
given to each soldier, as therein dire&ed, pay the
sum of fix pounds bounty to each recruit, one third
part thereof at the time of inliftment, and the re
maining two thirds when they shall severally pass
mutter uc aforefaid.
And whereas such incursions and depredations
of the enemy are often so sadden and violent as
to require the immediate exertion of the inhabi
tants of the said counties and frontiers, in order
to put a flop to the enemy's penetrating into the
said counties and diftri&, and also to pursue,
overtake, way-lay, and difeover, and otherwise
annoy them in their retreat; Be it therefore fur
ther enaded by the authority aforefaid, That as
often as such incursions and depredations shall
happen to be made, or as often as there shall be
fufficient reason to apprehend such fhall.be the
design of the enemy, that then, and in such case
only, such of the inhabitants as will from time to
time go in pursuit of the enemy, in order to over
take and way lay them, or to difeover their tracks
and approaches, shall be entitled to militia pay
and rations of provisions, while it shall appear
they were neceflhrily employed in such service.
Provided always, That before such pay is or
dered to be made, the Lieutenant of the respec
tive county, on the oath or affirmation of one or
more of the party so serving, shall certify the time
and nature of the service in which he or they have
been so employed, and the necessity of a party or
parties going on such service; and the Supreme
Executive Council are hereby authorifed and em
powered to draw on the treasury of this date from
time to time, for such sum or funis as shall be ne
cessary for the purposes aforesaid.
And be it further enacted by the authority
aforefaid, That the forces railed, or to be raised,
under and by virtue of this ad, shall be fubjeft
to and bound by the fame rules and regulations as
the federal army of the United States.
And be it further enacted by the authority
aforefaid, That the Supreme Executive Council
pe empowered, and they are hereby empowered,
to order the whole or part of the said troops on any
expedition which they may deem necessary against
the savages, or other enemies bordering on the
frontiers of this State.
And whereas by such incursions and depreda
tions, a great part of the inhabitants of the said
frontiers have been driven from their habitations,
and otherwise much distressed, and thereby ren
dered unable to pay the public dues; Be it there
fore enaded by the authority aforefaid, That it
shall and may be lawful to and for the commiffion-'
ers of the said counties refpedively, or any two
of them, and they are hereby enjoined and re
quired, in all cases wherein the inhabitants have
been obliged by the enemy to abandon their ha
bi^atieus, so that no proper return cam be obtain
should induce any, yho have it in their power,
to make observations on them more minutely, so
as to be of any service, however fmdll, to my
country, it will afford the molt heart-felt fatisfac
tion to
S. M.
ed of their property, as pointed out by law, to
obtain such account by the books or rolls of the
lad valuation of property, or by such other ways
and mans as to them shall seem just and fatisfac
tory ; and shall thereupon proceed to value and
levy the fame, in just proportion to the other
parts of the counties refpe&ively, as nearly as 7
may be.
And be it farther enaded by the authority
aforefaid, That the said commissioners, or an
two of them, are hereby authorifed and required'
to exonerate and difeharge such of the taxable
inhabitants as shall make fufficient proofs, or for
and in behalf of whom fatisfa&ory evidence shall
appear to the said commissioners refpedively, of
their having been driven off and difpofieffed of
their settlements, or otherwise distressed by means
of the enemy, ' from the payment of all, or such
part as to them shall seem just and reasonable, as
well of the taxes already laid and assessed on the
said inhabitants, since the firft day of September
1780, as the taxes which may be laid as aforefaid
during the continuance of the present distressed
Rate of the counties aforefaid.
And whereas a considerable number of the said
inhabitants have with great courage and fortitude
flood their ground, on the verge of the frontiers,
at the hazard of their lives, and thereby formed
in some measure a barrier to the flying inhabi
tants, and eventually prevented the enemy from
penetrating into the interior parts of the State ;
Be it therefore enabled by the authority aforefaid.
That for the greater encouragement of such as
have stood, and will hereafter so day on their
plantations, at the verge of the frontiers, at the
hazard of their lives, that it shall and may be
lawful for the said commissioners, in like manner
as aforefaid, to exonerate and difeharge from the
payment of taxes, either in whole or in part, as
shall seem to them yuft and reasonable, all such
as have so stood, and will hereafter in like man
ner hand in defence of the frontiers.
And be it further enacted by the authority
aforefaid, That the said commissioners, or any
two of them, shall transmit without delay to the
General Assembly, a lift of the names of the per
sons so exonerated, dating the amount of the
sum or sums so remitted, that the deficiences which
may arise in rating the quotas of the said counties
may be made good, and provided for in levying
and railing the other taxes of the State.
Signed by Order of the House.
FREDERICK A. MUHLENBERG, Speaker.
Enabled into a law, at Philadelphia, the zzd of De
cember, 1781.
Peter Z. Lloyd, Cl. of the Gen. Affem.
SALES at AUCTION,
This Day at Teri o'Clock,
At No. 2, on the Bay,
By JOHN DENNISTON,
TWO Hogsheads Jamaica rum,
2 Ditto shrub,
Mufeovado and loaf sugar,
Genuine Holland geneva,
English and Philadelphia Flour,
New rice, soap and candles, &c.
ALS 0,
A variety of valuable
DRY GOOD S.
A compleat FRAME of a HOUSE,
20 feet long, and 15 wide, in Mazyck-ftreet.
✓fl T^wetwe u'Gt+l, vs& C. cc,rweoa"j Miu,/;
50 Barrels Tar, in excellent order,
10 Ditto Pitch ditto.
Likewise at the Exchange,
The beautiful fall-failing
Schooner P E R T H,
with all her tackle and apparel, as she now lays
at Greenwood's wharf, exceeding well calculated
for the river or coasting trade, and compleatly
found. Inventory to be seen at No. 2, on the
Bay, or on board the schooner.
N. B. Cash to be paid on delivery of the titled
SEVENDOLLARS Reward.
RU N away from the Subscriber on the 12th
instant, a Negro fellow named TOBY, be
longing to the e^ate of Mr. William Royall, de
ceased: he is about 5 feet 4 inches high, about
30 years of age, well made, of the Angola coun
try, has lately had the small-pox, is very black,
and very artful in framing a story ; the above re
ward will be given to any person who will appre
hend and deliver him fafe to me on, James-lfland,
or put him into the Sugar-house in town: he is
well known on James's-Ifland and in Charleftown.
All matters of vessels and others are hereby cau^
tinned from harbouring, entertaining, or conceal
ing the said Negro, as they may depend on being;
prosecuted to the utmost rigor of law.
JANET SMITH. ?
„ M^rch 26th, 1782.