The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1783-12-23 00:00:00, page 1

ON March the 6th last, I heard the follow-
;ing trial in Guildhall: An adion had been
brought against the underwriters, to re
cover the value of 132 negro Caves, loft in
the passage from Guinea to Jamaica, of which these
were the circumftaoces. A ship loaded with Caves
made the idand of Tobago, and understanding that
it was in the enemy's hands, pushed down for Jamai
ca, till he had got 50 leagues to the westward of it ;
he then discovered his mistake, hawled his wind, and
endeavoured to get up to the Island. Being in dread
of want of water, he one day ordered his mate, who
was the man that gave the evidence, to throw over
board 46 of the Haves hand-cuffed: Two days after
that, he ordered 36 more to be thrown overboard,
and a day or two after 40 more. Ten other Caves,
whose hands were loose, jumped after these off from
the gunwale, and were drowned along with them.—
The Captain carried the rest into Jamaica, and had
420 gallons of water left when he arrived. The un
derwriters argued, that there was no necessity for a
conduct so Clocking to humanity ; that the Captain
might have called at Barbadoes, or, even after he
had the intelligence of the capture of Tobago, might
have hawled over to St. Lucia, or gone down to St.
Kitt's, cr to the Danish iCand of St. Croix; that it
is so easy in the Welt-Indian seas to estimate a ship's
run, that if he was afraid of making HifpanioU i^
his way to Jamaica, he might have run r^ its an d
made Jamaica on a meridian ; that the quantity of
water on board must have been fufficient for a con
siderable time, since they carried in what, well hus
banded, might have served them five or fix days
longer.
The jury, without going out of court, gave judg
ment against the underwriters ; the mate acknow
ledged he himfelf had thrown them overboard by the
Captain's orders, which he thought was a fufficient
warrant for doing any possible thing, without consi
dering whether it Was criminal or not. The narra
tive seemed to make every person present to Ciudder;
and I waited with some impatience, expecting that the
jury, by their foreman, would have applied to the
court for information how to bring the perpetrator of
such a horrid deed to justice. A greater aggravation
of the crime is, that it is said the Captain, who died
some time after, was in a delirium, or fit of lunacy,
when he gave the orders. That there should be bad
men to do bad things in all large communities, must
be expeded; but a community makes the crime ge
neral, and provokes Divine wrath, when it fuffers any
one to commit flagrant a&s of villainy with impunity.
But the claim of African slaves on the publick is ex
ceeding strong. They owe us no service, they never
have received any benefit from us; then surely we
should take care that humanity is not wounded thro'
their sides. It is hardly possible for a state to thrive,
where the perpetrator of such complicated guilt as the
present is not only fuffered to go unpunished, but is
allowed to glory in the infamy, and carries off the
reward of it. Did Providence pals it over, the very
negligence and carelessness of publick honour and pub
lick justice, that is fuppoled in it, must fink the most
flourishing kingdom in anarchy and ruin.
Note. I wish some man of feeling and genius would
give poetical language to one of those brave fellow's
thoughts, whose indignation made him voluntarily
share death with his countrymen, rather than live
with such unheard of English barbarians. With what
noble disdain would he animate his sentiments !—
With what resignation would he consign himfelf, when
plunging into the ocean, as escaping from brutes in
human shape, to throw himfelf on the unfcarchable
mercy of his creator ! What a tender adieu would
he bid his family and country ! What a parting look
would he cast on a glorious world, on the fun of
heaven, disgraced by such a scene ! What dreadful
imprecations would he utter against such monsters, and
From the London. Morning
Chronicle.
[Vol. VIL] THE [Numb. 293]
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
TRENTON: Printed by ISAAC COLLIN S, Printer to the State.
To the PRINTER.
TUESDA Y, December 23, 1783.
Gentlemen,
PERSUADE D that in your well known great
goodness, you will condefeend to excuse our pre
suming to address you in a Legislative body, we beg
leave, through your Honourable Assembly, to assure
the inhabitants of your state, that the deserved free
dom and independence of North-America, so gene
rally desired, and on the point of being universally ac
knowledged, will immensely contribute to the happi
ness of all Europe, as well as theirs; change the system
of every merchant established before this expected
glorious revolution; and open the best of profpeds to
both sides the atlantick ; profpeds that assur e multi
plied and reciprocal advantages.
Excited more by a patriotick zeal, than felf-inte
reft, we also beg leave, gentlemen, to remind you of
the superior advantages peculiar to Germany; it be
ing in the opinion of very many great and learned
men, who have no further interest in the revolutions
of trade, than a sincere wish for the good of the
whole, of all places in Europe, that, which best
promises mutual benefits, from the conformity of its
climate with youis; having all the manufactures pro
per for your trade, particulaily those of the firft ne
cessity.
N E W-JE R S E Y,
House of Assembly, November 14, 1783.
The Address to the Governor, Council and As
sembly, of the state of New-Jersey, by Casper
Voght and Company, of Hamburgh, refpeding
trade, with a fpecification of goods, &c. were read;
whereupon,
Ordered, That the clerk be directed to furr,ifh the
printer of the Aew-Jerfe, Journal, as also the
printers of the Pennsylvania Gazette, with a copy
thereof, and that they be requeued to publish the
fame.
Extras from the Minutes,
MASKELL EWING, jun. Clerk.
C° His ^xueltency the &c-.-„ur, and the Honoufa*
ble Members of rifcmbly, of the State of New-
Jersey, in Council assembled.
Hamburgh, a neutral, free, and imperial city, hap
pily situated upon the river Elbe, about 80 English
miles fiom the sea, is considered as tire key to all
Germany, and the general magazine of all the nor
thern productions. '1 he harbour is continually full
of ships, from almost every nation, and so very fife,
deep and commodious, that the greatest can anchor
clofc to the quays. It is also esteemed one of the
richest and most flourishing cities of Europe; there
being none which have such an universal trade in the
pioduds of America and both the Indies; nor so well
Stored with all the manufactures indispensably neces
sary to the North-Americans, who were formerly
obliged to receive them on very unprofitable terms
from England. In this town, therefore, the Ameri
can merchants can be certain of meeting the best mar
ket, both for buying and felling.
We take the liberty, gentlemen, to offer you here
with a lift of all the goods manufactured in Germa
ny; as well as of those we get at the firft hand from
Russia, Sweden and Denmark; which here in Ham
burgh we are able to fell as cheap, and often cheaper,
against the barbarous unfeeling country that sent them
out, or wished to profit by their trade ! It is cer
tainly worthy of oblervation, that our legislature can
every session find time to enquire into and regulate the
manner of killing a partridge, that no abuse should be
committed, and that he should be fairly shot; and yet
it has never been thought proper to enquire into the
manner of annually kidnapping above 50,000 poor
wretches, who never injured us, by a set of the most
cruel monsters that this country can fend out, not into
the chief use that has been made of this trade, these
20 years past, the fettling the invaluable colony of
Hispaniola to our rivals, that in a few years more will
enable them to establish themselves masters of the
ocean.
We have the honour to be,
Gentlemen,
With the greatest reverence and refpe.
I our most devoted,
And most obedient humble servants,
. CASPER VOGAT and Co.
Hamburgh, rhe 2or„ Decode, 1,82
^r^Grr^^^/OAr
r more profitable to
be dra^n from Hamburgh than from any other
market, viz.
GE RM AN cloth of every quality and colour,
the oidinary fort of which in particular to bo
had cheaper than any where else; and the Brabant
I cloth we have at firft hand.
I All forts of woollens fit for lining, such as serges, &c.
arid a kind of baize, near like the Engliffi, but 20°
per cent, cheaper.
; Cotton fluffs of every kind, manufactured in Ger
many.
IFlannels, friezes, blankets, woollen flockings and
caps. °
Thread flockings.
Shoes and flippers.
All forts of ribbands.
Coarse linens, such as sack-linen, from the coarsest
to the tightest quality, and Saxonian fail-cloth.
Westphalia linens at various prices, viz.
Oznabrugs.
Ticklenburgs.
RavenfburgS)
Heffens.
Wahrendorps.
Bielefelds.
Quadruples or Brunswick.
Silesia linens, vi±.
Bretagnas,,
Platillas royales, | Imitating the French linens
Creas ala morlaix, : unaer the fame denomina-
Rouens, ; tiom, but are one third
Cholets, I cheaper here.
Eftopiiles or cambricks, J
Silesia diaper of different qualities and patterns.
Loom dowlas,J
Sleeked dowlas, | Go in great quantities to
Rough ditto, ^ London, from thence they
Quadruple tandems, | go expoited to America.
Brown Silefias,J
All forts of striped and checkeied linens, viz.
Bleached linens, otherwise called £1 d'epreuve.
Arabias.
Sailors linens.
Coutils.
Gingas.
Tortillas fit for bedding.
Handkerchiefs of all colours, &c.
than the merchants of those countries themselves.
Mr. Peter Penet, agent for Virginia, and partner
of the late Mr. Emanuel Pliarne, during his flay in
Hamburgh, informed us of all the merchandize proper
for your continent; and having in his travels through
Germany seen its different manufactures, and observed
their quality and moderate prices, he advised us to
lend somebody over to America, with samples of those
proper for the American market, and which the
English formerly bought of us to fend there.
It is in the before-mentioned city of Hamburgh,
that for a long series of years, from father to son,
our house has carried on a pretty exteniive trade.
Encouraged by your known goodness, the advice
of Mr Penet, and the credit and experience our so
trade has P rocured us, we hereby hum
bly lolicit the honour of your commands, for all fu;
of the described articles as you may think neceffar:
purchase We will make it our principal ftudv
serve you with the ftri&eft probity, so as to defer a
continuance of your favours and confidence.
We propose, gentlemen, fending direcfly
and intelligent person to deliver you the fampA
and to receive your orders, in'eafe you should , '
to grant us any.