The New-York gazette, and the weekly Mercury — New-York [N.Y.], 1777-06-30 00:00:00, page 2

r^ at SpitheaS, die middle of nest moftth,
and loon after pay a visit to his German do
minions.
=x:raa of a letter from Portsmouth, April 17.
• " Yesterday dropped down to St. Helen's,
his Majesty's ship Blond, with 26 fail of armed
Ships and transports, with troops on board for
Quebec."
Three fleets have failed from Portsmouth
for New-York within the present month.
April 22. An American vessel is carried in
to Clyde. Her name is the George, Capt.
Cozens, commander. She failed from Charlef
town, South Carolina, and was bound for
Bourdeaux in France ; the Mate (a British fai
for who was taken about fix weeks before, and
entered into the Rebel service) role with the rest
iff the crew, confined the captain, and brought
the Blip into Clyde. She is loaded, with 340
barrels of rice and 19 tons of indigo. For this
cargo she was to rcceive'arms and ammunition
in return. The Mate has brought a large pack
et of letters, directed to Dr. Franklin and
other persons. They are supposed to contain
material intelligence from the Congress and
were sent off by the CorAmiffioners of the Cus
toms by express to the Secretary cf State at
London. The 'Mate fays, that another ship
failed along with him from Carolina for France,
, and several more were preparing to fail in a
few days.
Another account fays, one Gentleman and,
two Ladies were pallengers, and letters were
found on board for 'Dr. Franklin and Mr Mor
ris, which the Captain had been ordered to
dedroy, if attacked by any English ship.
Capt. Balfour, of his Majesty's flrip the Cul
loden, writes from Torbay, dated the i6;h inst.
that on the 29th of lad month he fell in with
and took a Ihip from South-Carolina, called :
the Liberty, Thomas Sherman, matter, of
about 400 tons, bouhd to Bourdeaux, laden
with rice, indigo, deer-skins, and tobacco.
They write from Lisbon, that four armed
Tnips fitted out by the merchants, are failed
from the Tagus to cruize against the Rebel pri
vateers. And several more veflels are fitting
out, in order to clear the doafr of Portugal of
those freebooters.
Mr. Dalrymple, Secretary to Lord Pigot,
^ rrived in town on Sunday night from Paris,
i, living come over land poll from' the Gulph of
Venice. Lis said he has brought dispatches
of the moil interesting nature to the Eatt-India
Company, and which place the conduct of
Ills Lordfllip in the most unexceptionable point
'of view.
ExtraPi of a letter from Cofort, A,ril 21.
" His Majesty's frigate Arethuia, Samuel
Marlhal, Esq; hath received orders to be in
readiness to carry over General Clinton to
New-York.
" Saturday evening the baggage of Gene
ral Clinton arrived at Portsmouth, and the
General himfelf is hourly expelled.”
April 24. Four young noblemen of distinc
tion are going as volunteers under General
Clinton, to America.
\Orders have been given for the third division
of the Heflian troops to be in readiness to em
jbarl< by the sth of May for America.
We are confidently assured that Dr. Lee,
who lately set off from Paris towards Spain,
charged with dispatches from the American
'Congrefs to the Court of Madrid, was flopped
on the frontiers of Spain, near Bilboa, by ex
press orders of that Coprt.
The prize carried into Torbay by the Cul
loden man of war, is estimated at thirty thou
sand pounds.
April 26. Yesterday Lieutenant-Colonel
Pattifon, of the royal artillery, was promoted
to the rhnk of General, in.the room of Co
lonel Ord, deleafed, at which time he had
the honour to kiss the King's hand.
Extract of a letter from Warfaiv, April 9.
" As Russia has amply fulfilled every thing
agreed to on her part in the treaty of peace
with the Porte, so the has every reason to ex
pe& the fatae on their's ; but as the Turks
seem to put off fiom one time to another,
Russia has determined to fe&l an Ampaffador
Extraordinary to Constantinople, to demand a
positive anfiver, upon which it will no doubt
depend, whether there will be a war with
Turkey or not. In the mean time, Russia is
so well prepared, that in case of a rupture
they will not 'be behind-hand in opening the
campaign.
" The most int,lligent Ministers of the
Porte are doing all in their power to persuade
the Sultan, the Mufti, and the new Grand
Vizir, to preferye peace with Russia, as a war
may at present be very fatal to the Ottoman
empire/'
On Wednesday as Mr. Thompson, a Grocer
at Ipswich, was coming to Town on Horse
back, he was flopped within a few Yards of
the Whalebone upon Epping Forefl by a fingje:
Highwayman, who robbed him of a largel
Sum in Notes and Cash. A Gentleman and 1
his Servant instantly coming up, they pursued?
him over the Forest, took him, and he was ;
committed to Chelmsford Gaol. 1% had be
tides what he took from Mr. Thompfon', Ten
Guineas and several Watches.
Extras cf a letter from Gofport, April 25.1
" Arrived late lad night at Spithead anj
"American privateer of 16 guns, said to be ,
earned the Rising-State, sent in by his Ma
jesty's flip Terrible, Sir Richard Bickerton."
May 1. The Trident man of war is put in
commission, and the command given to Capt.
Elliot, who defeated and took Thurot's fqua-i
dron during the late war.
Extract of a letter from Kirkavall, April 12. I
" The Lion armed ship, in his Majelty's I
service, Lieut. Walter Young, commander, is '
now at Strompefs, on her way to try to dis- ,
cover a north-weft passage through Davis's I
Speights and Baffin's Bay. Mr. Lane, anl
eminent mathematician, has the direction of
this expedition : he carries out Harrison's
time-keeper, with many mathematical inftru
nients, for the pifeovery of the longitude and
magnetic powers,
Yesterday his Majesty was pleased to pro
mote the following Captains of the f\avy to
the rank of Rear Admiral, viz. Captain
George Mackenzie, Capt. Mathew Barton,
and Sir Peter Parker. '
Yesterday his Grace the Duke of Argyle
took leave of his Majesty at the levee at St.
James's, previous to his setting off for Scot
land to review the forces, forts, Garrisons,
and fortifications throughout the North.
A letter from a gentleman at Paris fays, the
Queen of Hungary, in order to favour the
French, has lignified her intention of ordering
the Regency of the Austrian Netherlands to
lay an additional duty on sugar imported into
those dominions from England or Holland.
Yesterday a proclamation was polled up in
this city, and sent to~all the counties of Eng
land, Wales', and Ireland, for a further conti
nuance (till December next) of the bounty of
51. for every able bodied seaman, and zl. 10s.
for every ordinary seaman.
Lak week a likely young man, a foreigner,
decamped from his Lodgings in Fall-Mail, and
set oft, as supposed; for Paris, taking with him
several thousand pounds, which he had acqui
red within these few months by the profitable
trade of matrimony, in which period he had
the address to prevail upon no less than four
ladies to give him their hands, with each of
whom he had a handsome fortune.
Extrad of a letter from the Hague, April 22.
" The following are the particulars of the
manner in which the proposed Dutch fleet is
to be furnished, and the colt:
“ The Admiralty of the Maefe is to furnifh
one man of war of 60 or 64 guns, which will
colt 201,682 florins ; and three Chips from 50
to 54 'guns, which will colt 494,736 ; total
696,418 florins.
" Phe Admiralty of Amsterdam are to fur
nifh twice as many, which will colt 1,392,836
florins ; the Admiralty of Weft Friezcland,
the lame as that of the Maefe, 696,418 ; the
Admiralty of Zealand, the fame, 696,418 ;
in all 4,178,7^8 florins."
Suinmonfes are ilfied for a grand meeting
of the Privy Council to-morrow, when several
appeals from the Welt-India inlands will be
heard.
Advice is received from Jamaica, that a
Spanish frigate (the crew of which had mu
tinied and murdered the Captain and several
of the officers) had been carried into Port
Royal by his Majesty's ship Antelope, and
that Admiral Gayton had sent the frigate and
her crew to the Havannah, to be delivered up
to the Spanish Commodore in Chief, that they
might be punished according to their crime."
Extras of a letter from Portsmouth, April 27.
" Yesterday came into harbour the fliip
Graca, Fitchinfon, with troops ; she failed a
few days ago from this port, under convoy of
the St. Alban's man of war, bound to Ame
rica, but having met with a gkle of wind
which carried away her main mast, she was
therefore obliged to put back."
May 2. Yesterday at one o'clock, their Ma
jesties came ' from the Queen's Palace to St.
James's, where there was a Drawing-room ;
there were present, the Prince of Mecklen
burgh, his Grace the Archbishop of Canter
bury, the Dukes of Leeds, Ancafter, Gordon,
and Buccleugh ; Lords Dartmouth, Hertford,
Stamford, Denbigh, Waldegrave, Granby,
Pelliam, North, Oxford, Townfhend, Bar
rington, Weymouth, Hinchinbroke, Falmouth,
Radnor, Onflow, Aberdeen, and Lincoln ,
the Judge Advocate for Scotland; Sin Willi
am Hamilton, Sir Grey Cooper, and Sir James
Peachy ; the Duchesses of Ancafter and Gor
don ; Ladies Dartmouth, Hertford, Lincoln,
Radnor, Granby, Pelham, and Oxford ; all
the Foreign Ministers ; and a number of other
persons of diftindion. After it broke up,
Lords Denbigh, Weymouth, Townfhend, and
Barrington, held separate conferences with the
'I he H^n. Daines Barrington, brother to
Lord Barrington, 'is appointed Commissary of
the Stores, &c. of Gibraltar, and not a ne
phew to his Lordfllip, as reported.
May 3. Sir Thomas Spencer Wilson, Aid
de Camp to the King, is appointed Colonel
of the goth regiment of foot, with the rank
of Major-General in North-America.
Yesterday the Right Rev. Dr. Lowth did ho
mage to his Majesty, on being translated from
the See of Oxford to that cf London, in the
room of the late Dr. Terrick.
By a letter received from the Supercargo of
the,Egmont East indiaman, dated the 31st of
January last, we learn, that they arrived fafe
in the harbour of Fonchal, iir the iHand of
Madeira, in company with the Royal Char
lotte, Capt. Elphinttone, after a quick passage
of nine days, from Portsmouth. On the 9th
of January, in the morning;, off the east end
of the island, the Royal Charlotte, being the
hindermoft ship, was attacked by two New-
England privateers, who desired them to Strike
to the Congress, on which a finart engage
ment ensued; and the privateers not being of
Sufficient force Sheered off. The writer adds,
that the above vessels, after a fliort stay at
Madeira, proposed making the best of their
way to the Cape, keeping together, and ap
pointing Capt. Elphinftone to hoist a broad
red pendant as Commodore, to make Signals,
and protect each other during the remainder of
the voyage.
The Sieur Georget, locksmith, at Paris,
who is well known for many ingenious inven
tions in that art, hath just finifhed a door
lock, constructed in such a manner that the
,key-hole is not be seen. The form cf the
I key is also quite different from those now in
I use. This invention has the advantage that
1 no falfe key, or other instrument, can be ,n
---'treduced into the key-hole to open or force
the lock.
Extras of a letter from St. Germain.
" An Englilh gentleman a few days ago
came to our Vauxhall with a large maftiir,
which was refufl'ed admittance, when the/gen
tleman left him to the care of the body-guards
who are placed there. Th'e gentleman, some
time after he had gained admittance, returned,
and informed the guards that he had loft his
watch, and told the ferjeant, that if he would
permit him to take in the dog, he would soon
difeover the thief. His request being granted,
the gentleman made motions to the dog of
what he had loft, who immediately ran about
amidst the company, and traversed the gardens
till at last he laid hold of a man. The gen
tleman infilled that that perlon had got his
watch, and on being fcarched, not only that
watch but fix others were difcovere,d in his
pockets. What is more remarkable, the dog
possessed that perfection of inking as to take
his matter's watch from the other fix, and carry
it to him."
Yesterday the Lord-advocate of Scotland
was at Court, and had a private audience with
the King.
Yesterday some advices were received from
Earl Percy at Lord Germane's office, which
were brought over in the Generous Friends,
Capt. Leech; who failed from Rhode-liland
the 2d of March.
The fame day some dispatches were received
at the Plantation Office, from Admiral Young,
on the Leeward island Ration, brought by the
ship Burgoyne, Capt. White, arrived at Fal
mouth from Antigua.
The fame day Commodore Barton kissed the
King's'hand, on being appointed an Admiral
of the White.
Friday a whimsical accident happened to a
pretty young gentlewoman, with a head-dress
quite in the high ton :—As die was viewing
the pictures at a shop in Cheapfide, the whole
mass of her capital ornaments by some acci
dent fell to the ground, and exposed to the
laughing fpeftators a head clean shaved, ex
cept a small circle of hair. In her confufion
file picked up her fallen honours, and endea
voured to find a flicker at a door which was
fall locked, and was some minutes before she
was relieved by being pulled into the print-shop.
During her distress, the tramontane beholders
were not sparing of their wit ; some advised
her to have a more careful barber for the fu
ture ; others said she was like Snip in Harle
quin's Invasion, arfd looked better when her
head was off than when it was on ; some fuf
peded her for a pried in petticoats, and others
compared her to St/ Denuis, running about
with his head in his hand.
May 5. Since the last augmentation, the
troops of the electorate of Hanover amount
to 26,000 men, who are as well disciplined as
any troops in Europe.
Lieutenant-Colonel John Campbell, of the
47th regiment of foot in America, is appointed
Aid-de-camp to the King, in the room of Sir
Thomas Spencer Wilson.
Last Saturday Afternoon one Thomas Hay
lett fell out of a Barge into the Thames, and
had been full fifteen Klinutes under Water,
when he was taken up to all Appearance dead.
The Body was carried to Blackwall-Reach to
the Green-Man at Greenwich, where one of
tlye Medical Assistants to the Humane Society
attended. After Means had been used about
Half an Hour, the firft Symptom of returning
Life was strong Convulsions, other pleasing
Circumffances followed, and by the Evening
the young Man became perfectly fenfibte, and
gradually recovered.
Letters from South Carolina mention the
general Disgust which prevails in that Pro
vince against the Proceedings of the Men of
PpWer---infomuch, that they are more preju
diced agairift Independency than against a Re
turn to their Duty---which is owin^ to their
extreme Sufferings, that are greater than those
of any other Province.
Extras of a letter from Inverness.
" Some time ago, two gentlemen of a
neighbouring borough, the one a half-pay
officer,^ and the other a limb of the law, dif
fering in a political depute, carried matters
so far, in imitation of the prevailing cullom,
that the one sent the other a challenge to fight
him with pistols, next morning. The chal
lenge was accordingly accepted, seconds cho
sen, and the pistols loaded with great cere
mony. But the seconds, instead of charging
their , pistols with those instruments of death,
leaden bullets, prudently substituted Ander
son's pills in their place; by which means the
lives of the combatants were preserved, and
the matter amicably adjured, to the mutual
fatisfadion of both parties."
May 6. Yesterday his Majesty reviewed the
firft and second regiments of horse guards on
Blackheath. The weather being rainy, his
Majesty fat in his chaise during the review.
Orders are given for the apartments of his
late Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland,
in the Stable-yard, St. James's, to be got
ready for the reception of his Imperial High
ness the Emperor of Germany, who travels
under the title of Count Faulkenftein.
The St. Bas, Flynn, from New-York, is
fafe, arrived off Dover. She is said to have
brought some advices from General, Howe.
Extraft of a letter from the, Hague, April 29,
" The last accounts from Paris mention,
that many have been the conjeaures of people
in general, with regard to the journey of the
Emperor of Germany into that kingdom ; and
St. famefs,, April 26. In pursuance of an
a& of parliament made in the present year of
his Majesty's reign, intitled, " An Aft to im
power his Majesty to secure and detain per
sons charged with or fufpeded of the crime of
high treason, committed in any of his Ma
jelty's colonies or plantatiohs in America, or
on the High Seas, or the crime of piracy :"
the King has been pleased, by warrants under
his Royal sign manual, to appoint a certain
meffuage or building called Forton, on the Gof
port fide of Portsmouth harbour, in the parish of
Alve?foke, in the county of Southampton, and
al«) a certain meffuage or building called Old
Mill prfon, situated in the borough of Plymouth,
in the county of De-von, to be places of confine
ment for such prisoners.
Spithead, April 19. Yesterday and this morn
ing arrived the Resolution and Royal Britain
transports from Willemfiadt, with Hessian and
Hanau recruits, for their refpeftive corps in
America.,
Constantinople, March 16. Government re
ports, that good accounts have been received
from Persia, and that a great part of the army
of Kerim Kan has again been beaten by the
troops under the Governor of Bagdat ; but
this is doubted.
The Grand Vizir had a long conference last
Friday with the Capitan Pacha, who, it it
said, has orders to fit cut a squadron in two
months time, with which he is to fail to the
Black Sea. There are certainly several men
of war building, and great warlike prepara
tions going forward, and vast numbers of
cannon have been caftand proved lately.
that a report 'is now current there, that a mar
riage is on the carpet between that monarch
and the Princess Elizabeth of France, youngek
filler of the king.
" We havejull received accounts from Ma
drid, dated April 8, that the differences be
tween Spain and Portugal have b^en amicably
fettled, and we impatiently wait a connrr.lL
tion of this important event.
On Saturday morning their Majesties took
an airing to Windsor, accompanied by the
Prince of Mecklenburgh Strelitz, dined at
Kew, and returned in the evening to the
Queen's Palace.
Yesterday the civil lift augmentation bill
was read a third time, pafled, and ordered
that the Matters in Chancery be desired to
acquaint the commons that their lordships
have pafied the fame, without any amendment,
A bill to authorise the carrying of captures,
therein-mentioned into any of the ports in
North-America, was prefepted to the house
and read a firft time.
Extras of a letter from Confantinopie, March 18,
" On the 15th of this month a Ruffian Offi
cer arrived here express, at M. de Stachieff's,
the Ruffian Envoy : We learn by him that
General de Feterlon, who distinguished him
lelf by the ability and prudence with which
he managed the interests of the Court of Pe
terlburgh when he was Charge d'Affairs from
that Court at Constantinople, after the con
clusion of the peace, will return hither imme
diately to endeavour at an accommodation ©f
the differences arisen between the^ two powers,
relative to the. execution of some articles of
the last treaty. The Sieur Nicolas Pifani, In
terpreter of the Ruffian Legation, having
fliewn in the negotiation which took place oh
that occasion, a want of experience and pro
per condud, hath received his difmiffion. The
Sieur Peter Fer:ieri, who was agent for the
Empress at Smyrna, has just been honoured,
on the contrary, with diitinguifhing marks of
the justice and generality of his Sovereign."
May 7. The dreiies making up by the no
bility for the Duchehs of Devonshire's Balfo
are more elegant than upon any preceding oc
casion, the itile of them is new, and executed
from drawings of great talle..—Mrs. Spillbuty
has produced a set that has met with the in
tire approbation of the nobility.
Monday three forged drafts, to a conffder
able amount, in the names of Sir Grey Cooper,
Charles Jenkinfon, and John Gretton, Efqrs.
wrote by David Brown Digman, now on
board the ballast lighter, were offered at Mr.
Drummond's the banker's, at Charing- croE,
for acceptance, by two men and a woman,
who were all secured and carried before Sir
John Fielding, and were, after a long exa
mination, difcharg:;d, till Digman can be re
moved to town by a Habeas Corpus for exa
mination.
Seizing a Governor or Commander in Chief
empowered by the King direftly, or by those
empowered by his Charters to give Command,
is High Treason, and the last Ad of Parlia
ment strengthens the King's Hands, and em
powers him on Suspicion to take up all charged
with such a Crime.
On Wednesday last Mons. 'Button, Receiver-
General of the French King's Forces in all
France, arrived at the House of Charles Jen
kinfon, Esq; in Parliament-Street.
The Misfortune that has lately befallen a
certain jealous Husband, not a hundred Miles
from the Hay-Market, calls to mind the fol
lowing Fa&, related in the History of the Fla
gellants, lately published: " A Woman who
was gone to make her Confcffion, had been
secretly followed by her Husband, who was
jealous of her, and he had hid himfelf in some
Place ip the Qhurch, „whence he might spy
her; but as soon as he saw her led behind the
Altar by the Priest, in order to be disciplined,
he made his Appearance, objedled that she was
too tender t@ bear a Flagellation, and offered
to receive it in her Stead. This Proposal the
Wife greatly applauded, and the Man had no
sooner placed himfelf upon his Knees, thara
Are exclaimed, Now, my Father, lay on stoutly
for I ara a great Sinner."