The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1783-02-05 00:00:00, page 2

could not get on board. I improved, next day, the
opportunity of a Ihort interval, and reached the
ships one hour before another gale sprang up. The
Sieur Carbonneau, who had set out with me, had
his boat wrecked, but was so lucky as to escape
with his crew. They returned on board three days
after, having, during that time, subsisted on roots
and wild fruit. The Engageante loft two anchors
in the lecond squall, as did also the Aftree. Ifthe
storm had lasted a few hours longer, the latter must
hare been loft, with its crew, confiding of 300 men.
The wind having abated on the 26th, I was in
formed that our land forces had arrived before the
fort on the morning of the 24th, and that, on the
firtt summons sent in by Major Roftaing, the gates
were opened, not however before a capitulation had
been afleed, and granted. I sent word to the Ma
jor to destroy every thing by fire, and instantly re
embark. This he did with all possible dispatch.
However, once more I saw my plan overturned
by a frefh hurricane, in which the Engageante was
again in the utmost danger; her third anchor broke;
as did also the bar of the rudder, besides her pin
nace being loft: At last the fine weather returned,
and I had the fatisfadion, on the 31st of August,
to fee Fort York on fire, and Major Roftaing, with
all his men, making towards us in a large vessel be
longing to the Hudson's Bay Company, and taken
by me in the river. At night he came to an an
chor, about a league distant from the Sceptre, on
board of which 1 received him next morning. I
weighed anchor without lets of time, having on
board the three Governors of the Forts Prince of
Wales, lork and Severn: The latter is a small
settlement within York diftrid. I did not think it
worth while to destroy it, being of no kind of im
portance, but especially because my ships having loft
both their boats and anchors, and about 300 of our
people being ill, we could do nothing tetter than
leave those seas, which from August twenty-fifth,
are more tempestuous than the English channel in
January.
I compute the loss of the Hudson's Bay Company,
upse an average, at ten or twelve millions of livres.
I took care, when Fort York was ordered to be
burnt, to spare a considerable magazine, lituate be
yond the reach of the flames, where I caused to be
deposited, provisions, gunpowder, lead, firelocks,
and a certain quantity of European goods, the pro
perest for exchange among the lavages, that several
English inhabitants, who 1 know have fled to dif
ferent parts, may, on their return, find in that ma
gazine, the means of procuring subsistence, till the
Court of London shall be informed of their situa
tion. lam well assured, this part of my conduft
will meet with his Majesty's approbation ; and that
by making provision for those unfortunates, I have
only anticipated the King's benevolent intentions.
LONDON, October 30.
THE address of the refugees seem to have been
drawn up by Sir William Pepperel, or his
friend at New-York.
How impertinent is it in these men, to talk of
their numbers, when it is well known they could
never bring into the field three thousand men in a
body !—What proof do they give that the Ameri
cans are tired with independence, but their own ly
ing and impudent assertions?
Did not these very men transmit to this coun
try, a most notorious falfehood refpeding Washing
ton's army? Did they not aver that his utmost
force was 4000 men, and these half-armed, half
fed, and half-clothed? These fools did not confi
der what praise they were heaping upon such mise
rable scarecrows, as they described them to be, who
could withstand a large and well disciplined army of
veterans, and at last defeat them !
But these refugees were the fellows to whom
North and Germaine lent a willing ear, and for
whose fugitive relations they procured pensions and
places. The speaking smooth matter to thele des
picable Ministers was all their merit.
It can be well attested that several Americans,
men of honour and credit, would have opened the
eyes of our Minilteis, would have endeavoured to
convince them of the utter impracticability of sub
jugating America; but to such men they turned a
deaf ear—they would listen to nothing but what
gratified their passions.
The fate of our war against America, will, in all
probability, afford a very wholesome lesson to fu
ture . It is neither numbers nor talents, that
can succeed, at least for any time, in a bad cause.
Hence the expence and courage of all our Generals
employed in that wretched business, have proved
alike abortive.
It is whispered that an express is sent to Ireland,
to pur a flop to the fencible regiments now railing
in that kingdom, on account of the heart-burnings
that step occasions.
November 23, 1782.
This day the Governors and Direflors of the bank
of England, received the following letter from
the Honourable T. Townsend, Secretary for the
home department.
Whitehall, Nov. 22, 1782.
Gentlemen,
HIS Majesty's Ministers, anxious to prevent,
as early as possible, the mifehiefs too common
ly resulting from speculations in the funds, during
the uncertain state of negociations of peace, be
tween the powers at war, which it is the general
interest of all great powers to avoid, have thought
it their duty to ask his Majesty's permission to com
municate to you, that the negociations now carry
ing on at Paris, are thought so near a crisis, as to
promise a decisive conclusion, either for peace or
war, before the meeting of Parliament, which will
therefore be prorogued from Tuesday the 26th in
stant, to Thursday the sth of December, and I
have his Majesty's commands to assure you that you
will receive immediate notice of the fame.
(Signed.) T. TOWNSEND.
Extras of a letter from Naples, September 24.
66 The audience which our sovereign, seated on
his throne, and surrounded by all his nobles, gave,
a few days ago, to his ambassador from Morocco,
was truly brilliant and august. His Moorish Ex
cellency delivered his credentials, of which the fol
lowing is a literal translation:
" Let us return thanks to the only God—No
thing can come to pass in this world without the
will of God, who is exalted above all things.
" The servant of God, Mahomet, son of Abila, a
fervantof the Lord, and who will be so forever : To
his Nepolitan Majesty, Sovereign of the two Sici
lies, and all the dominions thereunto belonging,
Ferdinand IV. fendeth greeting; as he is united
with us in the service of the Lord.
N E W-LONDO N, Jan. 17.
The publick are cautioned to beware of Coun
terfeit French Guineas, some of which have been
brought from Long-lfland and passed here; they
are much larger and lighter than the true guineas,
" We have sent unto you, as our Minister,
learned, good, faithful and noble Mahomet, son of
Ottoman, for the purpose of cementing peace and
good understanding with your Majesty, as they
both already subsisted with the father of your Ma
jesty, Charles 111. our friend. Whatever you may
agree to with the above Minister, I shall confirm
and ratify, as what he shall do will be according to
our will and pleasure, since we have, for that pur
pose, invested him with plenary and absolute power.
“ Our friendfhip towards your Majesty, and your
father, will fufficiently manifeft itfelf in this; my
desire is, that our empire and yours be so firmly
united, that our fubjeds may resort to your king
dom, with the fame facility as yours may to ours,
whereas the latter are treated among you, so shall
the former be by us; and all such things as your
Majesty may wish for from our dominions, you
need but point it out to our Ambassador, who will
grant you all with God's grace, in peace."
General Dalling, late Governor of Jamaica, is
going out immediately to the Weft-Indies, to take
upon him the command of the troops there.
From General Gage, the command of our forces
in America has at length come down to General
Dalling ! When all our regulars have been tried,
where will be the wonder if one of our Generals of
the city trained bands should be sent over to take
America sooner than give it up?
On the night of the 15th inst. at New-Fairfield,
was consumed by fire, the house of Mr. Ephraim
Quimbey; a daughter of his, aged about sixteen
years, and a son, about eleven, both perished in
the flames.
S A L E M, January 9.
Capt. Ambrose James, in a schooner belonging
to Marblehead, arrived there, a few days since, from
St Martin's. Soon after he failed from that island
he was taken by one of the enemy's picaroon cruiz
ers, by whom his veflel was pillaged of almost every
article which could be conveniently removed, toge
ther with sor 600 dollars in cash. The command
er of the cruizer then ransomed the schooner for
100 johannefes, and took Captain James's note of
hand as security for payment.
HARTFORD, January 28.
and by scratching them they may be seen to be bafi
metal very slightly walhed over.
On the night after the Bth instant, between mid
night and 4 o'clock, Mr. Giles Sill and his wife
awaked from deep, found their house in flames,
the fire having got to such a head that it was ttith
the greatest difficulty and danger they saved their
small children from being fuffocated in the flames ;
one of his small children, and two young men and
a giil, leaped from a chamber window about two
minutes before the roof fell in; but a brother of
Mr. Sill's not finding the window, was consumed
nearly to ashes, and an apprentice lad perished in
the fame way, his head and limbs were consumed,
his body found in the coals, his back and vitals re
maining whole ; a girl who lodged in a lower room
was also found about half consumed. Had the fa
mily tarried but two minutes longer in the house,
ten other persons must have perished in the flames •
but they escaped with nothing but their shirts on,
to screen them from a most severe cold snow storm,
and travelled a quarter of a mile to a hospitable
neighbour, who gave them all the relief in his pow
er. The unhappy fufferers are persons of the great
est integrity and honesty ; and by their more than
common industry and prudence, had obtained a con
siderable interest; Mr. Sill being a mechanick, hit
interest was chiefly in his house and shop, both
which, with their contents were consumed. Pro
vidence hereby speaks loudly to all, and shews ut
the uncertainty of life as well as the uncertain na
ture of worldly interest.
Jan. 24 Last Thursday evening the house of
Mr. Andrew Chappel, in Chefterfield society in
this town, took fire and was burnt down; two of
his children were so much burnt, that one of them
has since died, and the other is dangerously ill.—
Mr. Chappel is also much burnt.
Last Friday a fleet of nine ships came round
Montague Point into the Sound, and proceeded
westward ; the weather being something hazy, the
size of them could not be well determined; some
people affirm they were British ships of the line,
and that they failed from Sandy-Hook, in pursuit
of Count Vaudreuille's fleet; and others, that they
were of less burthen. The most probable account
of this fleet is, that two of them are British fri
gates, and the other seven are prizes which they
captured off the Capes of Virginia; this account we
have by a peifon who fays he was on board one of
the frigates last Sunday, which frigate he fays was
the Amphitrite.
It is said the above fleet left the Sound on Sun
day night.
Sunday evening Captain Trowbridge in a sloop
arrived here in 40 days from St. Croix. He met
with severe gales on the coast, and loft one man
overboard, named Wheaton, belonging to Bran
ford. Capt. Trowbridge saw two ships south of
Montauk, the day he got in.
The gentlemen of the army are now engaged in
erefting a spacious building, of 110 feet long, and
30 feet wide, called the Temple of Virtue; in the
great hall of this edifice it is proposed to assemble
on all publick occasions; while the wings are in
tended to be made use of for levees and daily pur
poses, and the whole will be occupied on Sundays
as a place of publick worlhip.
A correspondent observes, “ that it is not less
pleasing than astonishing to behold the improve
ments which have been made in the fortifications,
buildings, and universal economy of the garrison
of Weft-Point, since Major General Knox was ap
pointed to the command of that important post -
The works which were, from the exigence of the
times, at firft conftrufted of flight materials, and in
a temporary manner, being now rebuilt with stone
and lime, have affirmed the appearance of regulari
ty, duration, and impregnability. The houses ani
barracks of the officers and soldiers are not onl,
rendered convenient, but will soon be made ex*
FISH-KIL L, January 16.
We are well informed the American troops were
never so comfortably accommodated with quarters,
in this rigorous season of the year, as at present •
this is owing to the furprizing exertion and zeal of
the officers and men, who, out of the rude mate
rials, with timber and stone alone, have, in a few
weeks, built themlelves more convenient and de
cent habitations than a great part of mankind are
ever pofleffed of. The great cantonment of New-
Windsor exhibits an army hutted in two lines, with
the officers as regularly posted as in an encamp
ment. This military profped from its extent, no
velty, and perfect uniformity, is thought to be the
most pleasing and beautiful of any thing of a similar
nature, which has ever been exhibited in the world.