The New-York gazette, and the weekly Mercury — New-York [N.Y.], 1776-10-07 00:00:00, page 2

withftinding, the Unequafnefs of the Wind,
and Wetnes of the Weather, he only miffed
the farg t three Times during the whole
Coarse p tie Experiments.
We hear that the manner Government in
tends to employ the convi&s is in raising ballad
in the river fol the Trinity-Huufe ; and that
orders are given for building vessels on a new
Conftruftion, for the purpose of fleering them
from escape when they quit work; and the pu
nilhment on being found on more is the fame
as attends returning from transportation. This
excellent and necefiary law is cavilled at as
contrary to the spirit of our condition, but
surely it is founded on the fame principle of
public utility that induced the legislature to give
Magistrates a diferetiunary power of committing
Vagrants and others described by the law to
hard labour in Bridewell, which experience
shews is of univerful advantage to the com
munity.
The new aft for altering the mode of pu^h
ment of felons, is upon the whole, fay^ a ccr
refpondent, the molt humane, and will in all
probability prove the molt salutary law that ever
was framed by this or any other Government ;
the objects of it fecta already to take the bitter
draught, as many have been hea.d to declare
their intention to tread in the path of reforma
tion, rather than run the hazard of incurring a
penalty so obnoxious to their natural idleness of
difpofitiou. Transportation to the colonies was
not always attended with laborious and feveie
industry ; their liberty when arrived there might
be purchased; rr if they happened to have been
bred inn mechanical way, they were treated
with indulgence, nay, oftentimes, carefled by
their mater. But by this aft, nothing less than
the execuon of the law to its true meaning
can be procured ; no liberty can be purchased,
dreaded labour is the indif/enfible consequence
of the crime, and that the moil disgraceful (not
to mention the extreme dru gory attending it)
TO human nature, the firft of all virtues,humanity,
is however exercised with a benevolent hand by
the Legislature, in the framing of this aft ; the
unfortunate fufferer has it in his own power to
be the means of his enlargement, by fueling
manifest figus of cor. tri ion ; and in older that
he may be poffefled of the means, as well as the
inclination to be honest, he will receive §l. be
sides decent eloathing, immediately upon being
fct at liberty ; thus may he be enabled to be
come a good member of foctety, to enter into a
new life, and (within the true meaning of the
scripture) to ffiew to the unbelieving infidels of
the age, that be is born again.
By an authentic lift it appears, that between
the 26th of June and the gift of December
left, 72 grading vessels, and one armed ship of
the Americans, were taken by the fleet under
the command of Vice-Admiral Graves, which
then confined of 24 Grips of different sizes, and
has fi ce been increased to upwards of 100 fail.
Information is received by some merchants in
the city, that the Congress have given orders to
ill ccirmandf/s T privateers, to ransom what
ever merchant Grips they may take, at one half
their va'ue, taking ransomers on board as fecu
n:y for the payment; and that on rehTal of
these proposals, to take the cargoes out, and to
scuttle the vessels:
Letters from Dominica, dated theist of
April, mention, that two American vessels, with
flour on board, were taken and carried into that
place by one of cur English privateers, and
thatefcarce a day pafles but f me of the Ame
rican armed vessels pass by the above island.
The Aurora, Captain Ketchie, from Phila
delphia to Barcelona, loaded with corn and
flour, is taken by the Enterprize frigate of war,
and carried into Gibraltar.
Letters from Guernsey assure us, that the
smuggling business is very near being ruined at
Cherburgh, the merchants there having loft
large fams by the frequent capures made by
the Eng ifh cutters, in consequence cf which
four principal houses are Shut up.
By letters from Copenhagen, to an eminent
^^^ ant in the city, we are informed that a
treaty is negociating there by the British Mini
ftcr; which, if it should succeed, will prove
very advantageous to the Danish Merchant'
trading to England, as well as the British Mer
chants trading to Denmark.
Letters from B. celona bring advice.of the
death of Admiral Antonio Barcelo, surnamed
the Scourge of the Africans, who died at the
above place lately of a malignant fever.
His Majesty's ship the Culloden, of 74. guns,
which was lately launched at Deptford, is or
dered to be commiffioued and fitted out imme
diately for America.
The rule was made absolute in the Court of
King's-Bench, against rhe publisher cf a morn
ing paper, on a motion, obliging him to ffiew'
cause why an information 'Should not be filed a-'
gainfl him for having pubiifhed several falfe, 1
icandalcus, and malicious paragraphs, tending
to defame and injure Samuel Foote, Esq. The
Chief Justice observed, that the licentioufiefs
of the press was ia no particular f> reprehensible
as in attempting to prejudge a cause and in- 1
flame the minds of the public against the party
accused, previous to his trial.
Yefte: „ morning a ycung lady of fafhion,
in the neighbourhood of St James's park, made
an elopement with her father's butler. It is
said ffie has 20 0001. at her own difptfal. We
hear they are g ne for France, ^he young
man is an Hibernian, and lately engaged ia the
family.
Extraflof a letter from Gibraltar, March 2;.
6 Since my last of the 14th of November,
the F erian tro ps are arrived, three batta
lions ^ st 500 men each; and the whole
commented by Col. La Motte, an old experi
enced Officer. Notwithftandisg those troops
were so little accustomed to the sea, after a long
voyage every man landed in petfed health, not
Leeds, June 4. The following Observation
will foeev the prodigious Inertafe of whico feme
Animals are capable: The Roe of a Ling, which
was bought in the Market at Newcastle laji A eek,
wtighed (ween boild) nine Pounds fourteen
Ounces and five Drachms, Avoirdupoife ; which
is equal to 69,264 Grains Troy,/after maki g pro
per Allowance for the Weight of the Membrane.
Iwo Grains of it were then weighed by a «very
exuEl Afd, Beam, laid upon a Sheet of blue Pa
per; and, with the Point of a Needle, dfin&ly
counted to 900 Ovula or separate Eggs, by which
it appears that there were at leaf 31,168,800
Eggs, " 1 f ^ whole Roe ; from whence it ma, be
fairly concluded that, if the Eggs were all hatched
and the Fife preferred, the whole Ocean would
fall far fort of centaintaing one Year's Brood of
this fugle Species.
A Letter from Rhode-Ifand fas, " In this
Port we have four armed Ships, fam zo to 28
afick man or woman among such 2 number.
The Hanoverians are a stout bodied men, but
not so well limbed as the.Britifh. They are a
very sober, regular people, and very obedient
to command ; and they and the British soldiery
agree perfectly well.
" The King of Spain will not hear of peace
with the Emperor of Morocco but upon his
own terms; infills to have the several PrejUios
upon the Barbary coast most solemnly confirmed
to him ; and to be allowed to extend the bounds
of Ceuta to a rising ground opposite the land
point of that garrison, where the Moors have
an eftablilhed camp. No prizes have been made
on either fide for several months pad; the
fame may be said in regard to the Dutch and the
Moors; the former have a very large fleet of
ihips of war to Gruize against the Infidels.
Another expedition is talked of againft'Algiers,
to be assisted by the Italian states and Malta.
The King of Spain is so well fatisfied with the
Count O'Riley's condu&, that he has lately
fettled a pension upon his sons, and promoted
'all the Officers recommended by him for their
behaviour at the landing at Algiers."
From the Madrid Gazette (a paperfftOilfhed
by authority) we learn that fever*! s,n T\ fri
gates have been sent from Acapulca to make
difeoveries and propagate the gospel ami ng the
Indians to the North of California ; in which
expedition, in the month of July 17/;, the
Spaniards navigated as high upon the coast as
thejatitude 58 d. 20 m. (fix degrees abov Cape
Clanco). The Gazette mentions having dfco
vered several good ports and navigable rivers
upon the Weft ccaft of this great Cem.: .nt.
In one of theriargeft ports they have eftabimed
a garrison, and called the port Prefidio de San
Carlos, and have left a million at every p^rt
where inhabitants were to be found. The ac
count mentions the Indians to be a docile fort
of people, agreeable in the countenance, honest
in their traffic, and neat in their dress, hut at
the fame time idolaters in the greatest degree,
never before having any intercourse with Euro
peans. M. Bucarelli, Viceroy of New Spain,
has received his Catholic Majesty's thanks for
the difeoveries, as they were made under his
direction. and the several navy officers upon that
fcrvice have been preferred. It is imagined
that those new difeoveries will be very advan
tageous, as the coast abounds with plenty of
whales, as also a fifh equal to Newfoundland
cod, known in Spain by the name of bacallao
By a British ship of war lately arrived from
Algiers we learn, that notwithstanding ail the
intreaties of the Fathers of Mifericordia, the
Dey will net allow the Spaniards who were kil
led in the attack near that city to be buried, but
both men and camels, hurfes, &c. lie upon the
beach, and the fiench is so great, that a plague
is expedited in consequence of the n< xious va
pours arising from so many putrid bodies. Tne^
Turks have fortified their coast both above andl
below the city, for several mi?s in extent, and i
have done every thine the most experienced 1
people in war could third fto fiuftra t a 6-1
cond attempt of the Spaniards, who they ox-',
ped this fummcr. , 4
There arc now two reerr^ieg Rd 4:: #A
Hamburgh beating up for Volunteers fT Grca§-j
Britain, and as they give a large'Bounty they'
get more Men than any other Nation, though
there are no less than 16 Parries there.:
The ^bove Recruits are sent over by the }
Dutch Packets to Harwich, and are quartered I
iu Landguard Fort. They are to form a'C^rpe !
called the German Volunteers.
His serene Highness the Duke of Brunfrock
has been pleased to appoint Capt. O'Connel,!
of his own Regiment, (a Subject of -his Britan-|
nick Majesty) Aid de Camp General to General|
de' Reidefel, Commander in Chief cf the Brunf-j
wick Troops in America. He is now going to 1
join the General in Canada.
Extract of a letter from Gibraltar, May 8.
“ Three American Vessels were breu^bt in
here Yesterday by two of our Cfuizers, which
they took just before they reached the Bay of
Cadiz They are laden with Corn, Fleur, &e.
" The Admiral, in Consequence of some In
telligence he has received from the Seamen
taken in the American Vessels, who have en
tered on board his Ship, sent to England for a
Reinforcement of light Cruizers."
The Lord North, Hambly, which is arrived
at Liverpool from Antigua, is an American, and
laden with Fleur and Wheat for a foreign Mar
ket, but was met out at Sea by the Argo Man
of War, who took and carried her into Anti
gua, where she was fold as a Prize, and pur
chased by a Planter, who loaded her with Sugar
and Rum for the above mentioned Port.
The last Dispatches from Versailles, w, hear
contain the mos pfaive Afarauces of the Jritndly
Disposition of that Court towards Great-Brifrin,
both in RefteA to our Disputes with the American
Colonies, and the new Arrangements hi, Most
Chrifian Majefy has thought ft to make n the
Adminifration of public Affairs.
A letter from Warsaw Jays, the dissidents and
confeacrates, who jo pejitivriy urgea that the
ebrifian cause onl) irrigated their Opposition,
H%v acknowledge that chrifian charity and chrij
tiah fortitude would have Jawed their country
from ruin.
Extract of a letter from Quebec, May 14. ,
" It is now with pleasure (owing to the raira
culqs tnterpofition oj divine providence) that I
am enabl'd to inform you of my welfare, after
the fatigues of a winter net to be paralleled in
hiflory ; having, in conjunaion with my fellow
citizens, Juflainea a blockade and feige, with a
JirmneJs equal to the ,eateft heroes, from the
14th cf November, to the 6th of the present Mas,
the day of ear deliverance ; when with a rein
forcement of about 200 of the 29th Regiment,
who were immediately landed, the garrison made
a Sorti, in all 830, and put to flight the enemy's
whole arm, waicb la, before the town, consist
ing °f 3°°° an " upwards, who hardly said to
E re a £•" • &n ^ J° precipitate was their retreat,
that the, left all their cannon, fores, provifons
and ammunition behind them, and many prisoners
taken ; in fort, without ever firing their artil
lery, though read, charged, and only about thirty
mujquet foots, the a, m, who threatened us Jo Je
verel, (and who fried themselves accuflomed to
conquer, and knew no fear) made the most Jhame
ful and dafardl, retreat that ever disgraced the
annals of hijiory.
" Also I give hnd bequeath the sum of
ten pounds annually for ever, to be paid by
my heirs, which sum, it is my will and
pleasure, shall be laid out in buying of a
certain Spirit commonly called Whiftey; and
that public notice shall be given that such
liquor is to be distributed to a certain number
of Irish only, not less than twenty to be pre
sent; and they shall come into the church
yard where I shall be interred, each man
with an oak stick and clasped knife; and
thus armed, the whiskey shall be divided
between them, each drinking an half pint
A Gentleman far advanced in life, a na
tive of England, and who from his
youth hath imbided an unconquerable preju
dice against the Irish, had a considerable
estate left him in the county of Tipperary,
on condition he resided there. Reluctantly
he complied with the terms on which he
was to enjoy the fortune. After living some
years in the country, he died, and retained
his hatred to the people to his last moments,
as appears by the following very singular be
quest in his will.
Jure 8 Orders were sent to Ph mouth to pa,
the Glasgow man of v±r, and for her to be
docked and got ready to Jail for America, to con
voy Jome saps that are to carry ever provifons
to Halifax.
Extract of a letter fromtorke. May 28.
" The Morres, Cayt, Bell, abow 250 tons
burthen, the property of Morses and Williams of
Philaaelpbia, Jailed from Havre the 17th infant,
for Jaid place, with goo cases of gunpowder,
each case equal in fee to a beef half barrel, <ooo
few °f had, a c@fiderablt quantity of gunpowdey
Jat pctre, canvas, and coarse linen for fails, ten s,
and firring, and 20 chefs of aims. The day
Jbe jailed, jome French ffermen Jaw her taken
by an Lnglijb cruiser, who carried her to Ports
mouth."
Extra it of a letter from Plymouth, June 7.
" Arrived the Wolf Jlorp cf war from Ire
land, and bis Majefy's ship Glafgaiv from Hali
fax, which place Jhe left the 12th of May. In
the above ship came pafrnger Sir fames Wright,
Governor of Georgia. The Cerberus man of tupr,
with two regiments, is Jailed from Halifax Jer
Quebec."
Ttferday morning the Lady of Lord Algernon
Percy was ritiiverea of a daughter, at bis Lord-
Jbip's bofe in Bernard-frees, Oxford-fireet, and
is m a fair vl,, of Silvery.
Guns each, which have been here feme Time ; 1
but the Commanders think it not prudent to put to
Sea on Account of the Xumber of English Strips of
War now cruising on this Coafl. We are almost
ruined. Trade at an End, Provisions dear ; Peo
ple over Head and Ears in Debt, and ready to
tear each other in Pieces ; and, in Fact, there is
great UheaJinefs amongst the People in general in
America; in some of the Provinces it is much if
there is not a Civil War among tbemfelves."
Letters from the Bay oj Honduras, dated the
4th of April, mention that several families from
different parts of America bad lately arrived
there, and that several others were expelled, in
order to fettle in that part, on account of the dij
turbances in all parts of America.
Extraft of a letter from Chatham, May 29.
" Yeflerday arrived here Lieut. Clayton, on
^bofe arrival the Camilla, of 20 guns, lately
launched here, was put into commfrin to go to
America.
" Sunday failed from hence for America the
Lark legate, of 32 guns; Capt. Smith "
A promotion of general officers, it js said, will
fptedily take place, when additional local rank
will be conferred on some now serving in America.
When the not embarkation of the Hessians takes
place, there will not be less than fix, thcufartd
men (by fa and land) in the fcrvice in North
America.
The Rev. Dr. Kennicot lately presented to the
King at the tevee the Jirft volume cf bis Hebrew
Bible, wbicfo b:, Majesty was pleajed to receive \
very graciously.
Mr. Coke, member for Norfolk, is fufepofed to|
be the richefl commoner in England. Upon but a '
few leases expiring; all of which will terminate \
in seven years, be nil' have an tJlate of above I
40,000/. a year ; the Lowther property never|
reached 40 asci is at preJent not gc, and Mr.\
Coke's is alt t? land; no mines.
From a late LONDON Paper.
WHEN the Inhabitants of your Ma
jesty's Colonies in America, forgets
ful of the Allegiance they owe your Majesty
and this Country, (from whence they derive
their Origin) for the Protection and Nou
rishment they have uniformly fought and ef
fe&ually received since their firft 'Emigration
from this their Parent Country, are in a
State of open Rebellion, denying all Obedi
ence to your Majesty's Government, and the
supreme Legislature of this Country :
When complaining of Infringement of
their chartered Rights by the Legislature of
Great-Britain, they thernfelves, in open Vio
lation of those very Charters, have dissolved
all Government and lawful Authority, and
assembling thernfelves in CongrefleS and Pro
vincial Meetings, to their Constitution un
known, have encouraged the utmost Disloy
alty and rebellious Practices in your Ma
jesty's Subjects there, and by the most severe
Terrors and Punishments have prevented the
lawful Governors, and Officers of Justice,
from exercising the Duties of their refyedive
Stations ;
Original I,ETTER from the Chief Mete
,g l (?ratc of a certain Corporation.
' Dear ^ur,
ON munday next I am to be made a
AT^re, and shall be much obliged to vou
if so be as you will lend me down by the
coatch some provisions setting for the occa
sion, as [ am to ax my brother the old Mare
and the rest of the Bentch.
I am, Sur, &c.
ANSWER by a Wag, into whose Handr
SIR, it fell.
IN Obedience to your Order, have sent
you per Coach two Bushels of the best Oats,
and, as you are to treat the old Mare, have
added forae Bran to make a Mash.
The KISS:
A CATC H, in*four Parts.
WHO was the Man kifs'd Pat last Night ?
Nut I, not I, net I.
Then you was the Man kif^d Pat last Night,
Not I, not I, not I.
I was the Man kif/d Pat last Night ;
What kiss ard tell Oh fie! (
But her pouting Lips who cod'd deny,
Not I, not I, net I.
To the King's most Excellent Majesty:
The humble Address of the High Sheriff,
Juftifes of the Peace, Gentlemen, Clergy,
and Freeholders of the County of Car
marthen.
A TRAVELLER.
Cant© bury, May 29. On Saturday Night,
between Nine ai:d Ten o'Clock, Mr. Ed
ward Maxted, a Farmer at Standard Hill,
going home from Market in this City, and
having drank too freely, was overtaken on
Barham Downs by a Pofl-Chaife, and re
quired by the Driver to get out of the Road;
but replying he cou'd trot away from them,
he was desired to go on, and not complying,
.a Blunderbuss was fired from the Chaise ; on
which he very imprudently rode to the Side
or the Carriage, and asked what was meant
by it ; he received no Ahfwer, but the Blun
derbuss was again fired, which lot three
Slugs through the thick Part of his Thigh ;
the Effcas cf eight more appeared in his
Clothes, and three in the Withers of the
Hoi fe. With great Difficulty being so much
wounded, be fat on his Horie; but his Spi
rits being kept up by the Liquor he had
drank, he made towards home as faft as he
could, from which he was diftunt seven Milea
at the Time he was foot.
This unfortunate Affair happened by a
Mistake, which seems easily accounted for.
The Passengers consisted of a French Gen
tleman and his Servant, neither of whom,
we are well informed, could Tpeak or under
stand English. Ihe Man at the Head of tlie
Horses interrupting the Drivers, was enough
to alarm a i raveller who hears of so many
Robberies on the English Road ; the Farmer
afterwards coming to the Side of the Chaise,
and speaking angrily, feefos to have been the
Reason of the second Fire. The poor faun
has indeed paid much too dear for his Curi
osity ; but we are well informed his Wounds
are not thought to be fatal, and that his
Hotfe may be laved. The Post-chaise drove
on to Dover with great Rapidity, an lute
Gentleman being embarked, may never pro
bably hear of his Miflake, nor be heard of
again.
till the whole is confuted. And it is mv
desire, that th;s my will shall be complied
with on every seventeenth of March and
tenth of October for ever."
The reason he assigned for making so
strange a bequest is as extraordinary as the
bequest itfelf. He said, observation convinced
him, that the illiterate natives of Ireland,
whenever they were aflembled and got in li
quor, only wanted weapons to destroy each
other ; that by his will he took a most effec
tual method of bringing them together, and
Applying them with'liquor and weapons of
dellru&ion, by which he was in hopes they
would in time depopulate the country, and
have it re-peopled by a civilized race from
England.