The New-York gazette, and the weekly Mercury — New-York [N.Y.], 1777-01-06 00:00:00, page 2

^e Wheels, which bruised his Head so that
there are little Hopes of his Recovery. The
Women remained in the Chaise until it got to
the Bottom of the Hill, when the Horses were
flopped, and the Women escaped unhurt."
' Ode. 3. Yesterday Lord Cadogan attended
the Levee at St. James's, and delivered up the
Golden Staff to his Majesty, which his late Fa
ther was possessed of, as being Colonel of the
Second Troop of Horse-Guards. ,
The fame Day Lord Robert Bertie killed his
MaieUv's Hand on being appointed Colonel of
the Second Troop of Horse-Guards, in the room
of L^rd Cadogan, deceased, and not the Mar
quis of Lothian as mentioned before.
1 A Letter from a Gentleman on board h^s Ma
ieftv's Sloop the Pomo^ dated in English Har-
Ibour, Antigua, July ^ % That they have|
taken at American Prize's since the 14th of,
April, which is more than all the other Ships
on the Station have done ; and that, during
+ hat Time, they have not loft a single Man by
iic^s or Accent.
Letters from ^wfoundland, by Way of
Oporto, dated the ^ of August, mention,
that upwards of ,° ^ ^^fl
laden there,^f
in afew Da, re f s o p R u ff a h as con sented to lend
^,,000 cf her best Troops for the
h ^xt Campaign in America, all
,3 be embarked by the 3d of Apri 1 ,
^is Treaty is folemnjy ratified by both
&ir)" °f a Letter from Windsor, Odo. 1.
<< ts is Morning, ata little pad Ten o'Clock,
their h^j-fties left this Place, and it is reported
will nftcome again to reside till the next Spring.
u An Officer belonging to the 70th Regi
ment! has been down at this Place for feme
W^ks patt, teaching several Men (belonging
to flord George Lenox's Regiment) the Use cf
the R fle Gun; he takes a Party of Men out
every Morning and Evening; they fire at a
Target from one hundred to three hundred
Yards Distance; the Officer is so expert, that
he hits the Ball's Eye at one hundred Yards
every Time he fires, and always hits some Part
of the Board at the greatest Distance. Their
Majesties attended a Review cf the Riflemen
Yesterday Afternoon, and were much pleased at
the Dexterity of the Officer, who loaded and
fired seven Times a Minute, and hit the Mark
each Time; what is the more remarkable, he
lies upon his Back when he discharges'his Piece.
Extract of a Letter from Boston, Aug. 13.
“ There have been great Changes in the
Province in choosing cf Representatives, and
several have refigned' their Seats a^ the Council-
Board, whether through Fear, left the King's
Forces should prevail, or brought over to the
King's Interest, as the common People fay, I
know not, but the following Gentlemen have
resigned their Seats at the Council-Board :—
The Hon. James Otis, John Adams, Jedediah
Totter, Enoch Freeman, Charles Chauncey, Jo
seph Palmer.
“ Every Thing is very dead in this Town,
and as soon as 1 can dispose of my Goods, I
shall leave this Country for Old England. Most
of the Troops that were here are drawn off to
other Parts, and the present Garrison is but
final!."
The Bedford a new Ship of 74 Guns, and
now lying at Woolwich, is put into Commission,
and the Command given to Weston Vario, Efqr.
Extras fa Letter from Nevucaflle, Sept. 2.
f' So great has been the Improvement of
Lands in Scotland, that a Farm which was let
at 141. a Year, or il. a Mile, being 14 Miles
long, in the C unty ofDumfrfes. was Jett in
1776, at 6721. a Year, on a 21 Years Lease :
which great Change has been effected by the
Introduction of Lime."
A Letter from Barbadoes brings Advice, that
the Grantham Packet- Boat arrived there the 17th
of August, after 20 Days Passage from Madei
ra; she was closely chafed by an American
privateer in lat. 21, long. 40, which privateer
carried 12 guns, and a great number of men ;
and that tne packet must certainly have been
taken, had she not been a fwifter failing vessel
than the privateer.
They write from Scilly, that on the 28th ult,
about eight o'clock in the Evening, a large Ship
supposed to be a Dutchman, was discovered to
be on Fire in the Channel, about four Leagues
Distance ; and the next Day some burnt Planks
were driven on Share at St. Mary's, supposed to
be Part of the Wreck. It is feared all the Crew
perished.
080, 17. Letters from Jamaica mention,
this his Majesty's Frigate Juno was lately ar
rived from a Cruise, and brought in with her
an American Privateer, of 16 Guns and 130
Men, which was taken after an obstinate En
gagement.
Yesterday James Harris, jun. Esq; his Ma
jesty's late Ambassador to the Court of Berlin,
but now appointed Ambassador to the Court of
Peterfbourg, took Leave cf his Mgefty, he
being in a few Days to set out on his Ambaffy
to the last mentioned Court.
Letters from Antigua by the Lord Mangop,
Piper, which is arrived at Belfaft, bring Advice,
that three American Privateers were taken by
his Majesty's Ship Liverpool, and were brought
in there ; trey had on board Arms, Ammuni
tion, &c &c.
A Letter from Lord Cornwallis has the fol
lowing Paragraph :—After giving an Account
of the Victory, his Lordship fays, “ Such was
the extreme Judgment, the cool Bravery, the
Recollection, and the Humanity cf those gal
lant Brothers, that if this Action was to be re
peated, no Part of their Conduct would admit
cf Emendation : the whole being a perfect
Mailerpiece of Military Greatness."
The Inhabitants cf the Island of Barbadoes
have been greatly relieved in the prefeni Scar
city of Provisions by the Number of Prizes
brought in there, which being chiefly laden
with Flour and Prgvifions for the French Weft
India Inlands, proved highly acceptable. ?
Extras of a Letter from an Officer on hoard the
Pomona Sloop of War, dated Barbadoes, Aug.
26, 1'7,6. < .
“ Our Admiral has ordered our Station off
the Virgin Lies, where we have been'very lucky,
taking One or more Prizes every Week. Yester
day we arrived here with one; she was loaden
with Cotton, Silks c &c. and had on board be
sides 20 Ton of Saltpetre; we saw her about
Four A. M. and about Two P. M. were along
side of her. We hailed her, but she gave us no
Answer, but laying her Topsails aback, bawled
up her Ports, and gave us a Broadside, when
she filled her Sails, and would have flood from
I us ; but we gave her a handsome Peppering be
ifore flie struck, having raked her twice. When
!we went on board, the Captain would hardly
I answer any Questions put to him, but we found
by & Ship's Papers that his Name was Theo-
IbatirDibnal, Part Owner of the Vessel, which
I was called the Palm Tree, and consigned to
Philip Handle, Merchant, at Savannah, in
Georgia. We loft five Men killed, and ten
Iwounded, and the Americans ten killed and 15
Extrdfe of ^ Tetter from Lancafer, Obl. to.
" I have this Day ^reived, in the Poftfeript
of a Letter from Jamaica, a. Account that Ad
vice was received by a Society or Merchants at
Kingften, from Captain Jacobs, of the Hunter
Privateer, fitted out by them, that on the i&th
of August h^ fell in with (off Port-au-Prince)
the Congress, of 18 Six Founders, Peter Marks,
Captain, who struck after an Engagement of
Half an Hour. She was laden with Gunpow
der, Arms, and Military Stores."
Extrafl of a Letter from Zurich, Sept. 19.
" A Person had the Impiety and Audacity
to poison the Wine in our Church the Night
I before the last Sacrament Day. Four wooden
Bekers full were poisoned, and upon pouring it
cut at the Time, the Wine was found to be
foul in them, and not in Tin ones, which
made People rather afraid to drink it, though
they had no Sufeicion of its beiug poisoned.
Those who drank but little, were feifed with
vomiting, and those who drank much were very
sick. However, by God's Goodness, none
were killed, or made dangerously ill, as thf
People were in general quite set against drink
ing it. These Circumstances made it neceff^y
to have the Wine examined, which being dote,
it was found to be poisoned; but the Pe son
who did it could not be found, notwithlknd
ing the most diligent Search was made."
Some later Accounts from Zurich mention,
that the Wretch who poisoned the Wide was
taken; that his Name is Wirz, and that he
proves to be a Gravedigger, who is fert to Pri
son ; and no other Reason can be aligned for
this shocking ACtion, than that there were not
Burials enough to fatisfy his avaricious and dia
bolical Disposition.
Extras of a Letter from. Liverpod, Offo. so
" The Duke of Bridgewater b preparing to
form a Dock here to contain hit own Vessels,
and will afterwards ereft Wtrehoufes in the
Manner of those he has built at Manchester.
Next year he proposes to finish his Navigation
at Stockport, by which he ivill have the Car- §
rage of Salt, Iron, Lime-Stone, Deal-Balksl
and Grocery to that Town, whence most of 4
these Articles will be conveyed to Macclesfieldl
and the Peak of Derbifnire, greatly to his !
Advantage, who in one tear has gained by car-1
rying Ballengers betwen Runcorn and Man-|
chefler 950!. and by Carriage of Merchandise
betwixt Manchester and Liverpool, 12,5001.
which the Public will allow he richly deserve,
when they are affixed that his Inland Naviga
tion has already cost him 220,0001.
Brifol, Obo. 5. Sunday Afternoon, as the
Wife ofMr. Bennet, Timber-Merchant, in Col-1
lege-S:rect, was going into the Stable, to letj
out the Hurfe to Water, a Fellow rallied upon I
her from the Stable Door, threw a Rope round I
her Neck, and attempted to strangle her. After I
questioning her whether fy e knew him, he cut I
off her Pocket, in which were two Guineas,|
some Silver, and a Pocket Book : also her Pet-;
ticoat, which was blue Silk, which he carried ;
off. Before be left her he cut the Cord from
her Neck, in doing which he feared her Throat.
The Expressions he dropt indicated that his
Design was on her Husband.
The Custom-House Payments made into the
Exchequer to September, 1776, exceed the
Caftom-Houfe Payments made into the fame
on September was Twelvemonth, in the Sum
of 81,0621.
Oslo. 8. The following Proclamation was
lately issued from the Secretary's Office at Hali
fax, Nova-Scotia: " Whereas Discovery has
been made that some difaffeded Persons have
endeavoured by Promises and other Arts to
seduce Seamen from his Majesty's Service, and
engage them in the Cause of Rebellion, with
Assurance in farther Prosecution of the said De
sign to convey them out of this Harbour by
Means to be provided for that Purpose. This is
therefore to give Notice, that any Master of any
Ship, Boat or Vessel, who shall take on board
any Person or Persons to carry or convey them
from hence, without having firft obtained from
this Office, a Pass for the Departure of such Per
son or Persons, will be liable to the Penalty of
50 l. for every such Person conveyed away, and
such Master shall be prosecuted for the fame as
the Law directs. By Command of the Lieutenant
Governor.
From the South Carolina Gazette.
Cbarles-Town, Aug. 25. General Lee, who
commanded our Forces against the unjust At
tack of the Enemy's Fleet and Army, comman
ded by Sir Peter Parker and General Clinton,
RICH, BULKELEY, Sec.
declared he would foot himfeff before he would
be made a Prisoner, although the Enemy were
superior to our Forces in Number ; the deter
mined Valour of the Provincial Troops totally
fruftrated their wicked Intention. Colonel
Dun's Regiment in the above Attack signalized
themselves in a very extraordinary Manner.
/-=^^^^so£^^^
' HALIFA X.
Extract ofa Letter from a Gentleman, who came
Passenger in the New-Caftie Jean Transport
from London, to his Friend in that Capital.
Halifax, Nov. 2d, '1776
Dear Sir,
" I am just now arrived here after a no left te
dious than unforiunat Passage of eight Weeks.
The particulars of which on account of Prolixi
ty Ihall here avoid mentioning, and only tell
you at present, that after making about the one
half of our Passage, we at different times loft
our Convoy the Vulture and Hunger Ships of
War in thick Weather, and Gales ofWind, with
which we were frequently distressed, so far as to
render our Defenfelefs Situation irksome; howe
ver, we endeavoured to reconcile it by putting
ourselves in a Posture of Defence, in case cf an
Attack, which happened accordingly the Day
after making Cape Race in Newfoundland, by
a large Schooner Privateer often carraige Guns,
12 Swivels, and very full of men; she came
up with us about Seven in the Evening of the
23 ult. when he enquired from whence we came,
and upon our replying from England, he gave
us a broadside, accompanied by a Volley of small
Arms from the 20 Recruits ofgyth Regiment,
and two Volunters under the Command of our
mutual Friend Capt. Murdoch M'Clean of the
Royal Highland Emigrants, in half an Hour fhel
turned on her heal and Cheered off from us when
we gave her a loud Cheer, however this piratical
Miscreant continued in our Neighbourhood all
Night, and in the Morning upon our observing
it was out of our Power to avoid another Inter
view, we haul'd up our Courses and lay by for
her coming up again, 'which soon happened
with a white Ensign at the Fore-top-gallant-mast
head, on which was deliniated the Portrature f
a Pine-tree and a snake at the Root, with this
fignificant Infeription under the whole, Don't
tred on me. At this critical Period it was rather
discouraging to view his Force, (which I have
already mentioned) as you may remember we
had only fix three Pounders, and four Swivels,
however we waited for her firft Broadside,
and then made the best use of them, she made
three different Attacks, the last was the ihoft des
perate, which we repulsed with so much Vi
gour, that Mr. Yankee then sheered off, upon
which we rigged out our ftutting fail bombs, and
gave her chafe in our Turn, but could not come
up with her. This Action lasted 6 Hours, during
which Period we had our Hull, Rigging, and
Sails much injured, but most providentially had
not a Man killed, but we have great Reason to
believe they fuffered confidcrably, as we observed
several of them tumble on the Quarter Deck.
Capt. M'Lean with the young Recruits on our
Quarter Deck and Ferecaftle, did Wonders, and
allow me to assure you that by his well timed
Speech the Evening before, wherein he promi
sed to reward their refpedive Merits, they dis-
Icovered that anxious Ardour for Conquest to be
lobferved only amongst experienced Veterans.---
Capt. Carcy eur Master likewise plunged into
the Spirit of the Cause, by encouraging his
Sailors what in his Power lay, to lend their no
less willing, than helping hands, on this occa
sion, who undertook the Talk with that warmth
of Zeal known to Britilh Seamen alone, so that
the petty Officers were all of them slightly
wounded— The chief Mate, Mr. Keiff the most
To the PRINTER.
SI R,
THE Disciples of the celebrated Voltaire
proposed some Time ago to set on Foot
a Subfeription for erecting a Statue to his Me
mory. Some Persons of Genius took the Hint,
and prepared the following Infeription for it ;
which being probably new in England, may be
acceptable to many of your Readers, It is
handed about in Manufeript at Paris, and was
communicated to me very lately by a Friend
just arrived from thence.
En tibi la,ide dignum
Voltarium:
Qui
In Poefi, magnus,
In Hiftoria, parvus,
In Philofophia, minimus,
In Religione, nullus!
Cujus
Ingenium acre,
Judicium praeceps,
Improbitas fumma.
Cui
Arrifere mulierculae,
Plaufere feioli,
Favere profani.
Quern,
Dei hominumque irriforem,
Senatus Phyfico-athaeus,
Colledo aere, haec ftatua,
Donavit.
Thus ranjlated by a young Gentleman of Oxford,
at the Request of a Lady.
Beheld Voltaite! who well deserves this Stone,
Temake his various Talents better known;
Goat was the Poet, the Hidorian small,
Tae Reasoner least, the Chriftian — none at all.
Bor trifling Women thought his Writings fine,
’ert Coxcombs call'd them really divine,
Blind Infidels approv'd his impious Plan,
And as they lov'd the Cause, upheld the Man.
Such was Voltaire! His Merits such, whole
Name
The Atheist Senate consecrates to Fame,
That Men may think, from this mistaken Zeal,
The Foe to God a Friend to public Weal.
Canterbury, >e,t. 19, 1776.
To the Printer as the New-York Gazette.
SI R,
I LAMENT that the Policy or Lenity of
the last Proclamation should be either cen
fur'd or mifunderftopd ; and I am aftonilh'd
to find that Effeds are attributed to it, which
can never happen. I have heard it said, that
the Generosity and Indulgence, with which the
Americans are treated, will be the Occasion of
a future Rebellion; and that the Violators of
the public Peace will escape with Impunity and
be reftor'd to their Pofteffions, while the Friends
of Government only will fuffer, who have, at
the absolute Rifque of their Lives and the Less
of their Property, maintain'd their Loyalty.
Whatever, Sir, may be the Event of this
cornpaffionate Overture, 1 will venture to affirm,
that the Wifdora of it is as manifeft as its Ob
jed is great.
It aims at nothing less than the Restoration of
Peace to a diftrafted Empire, the re-eftablifh
raent of Commerce and a permanent Union
between Great-Britain and her Colonies.
Our victorious Troops have convinc'd the
Americans of the Impeffibility of erecting them
selves into an Independant State—The most
artful and violent among them will no longer
have it in their Power to impose even on the
most Credulous, and after being repeatedly and
I may add ingloriously defeated, they can neither
have the Folly nor the Audacity to hope they
will yet succeed.
Their Army routed and dispirited are harrafs'd
and pursued on every Side, their Towns are no
longer inhabited by themselves, and the whole
Country exhibits a melancholy Scene of Ruir
and Desolation.
It will be a Talk of Difficulty to assemble
another Army. A general Panic prevails
throughout the Country. Philadelphia in all
probability will be invested very soon by our
Troops, and the Congress by this Time mult
perceive and acknowledge the Impracticability
of any further Opposition.
They have sixty Days to confider of it, and
as there are no Exceptions in the Proclamation,
even Mr. Adams, who has been the most a&ive
in this iniquituous Business, may surrender with
Safety. The royal Clemency never appear'd
with greater Luftre than upon this Occasion,
and we have only to wilh it may not be mifap
p'iied. As to the Injury that Individuals may
fultain, it is a Matter of no Moment when put
in Competition with the Objed in Question. —
Private Interest must always give Way to that
of the Public, and it is much better that You or
I should fuffer, than a whole Nation.
These, Sir, are my Sentiments upon the Sub
je&, and you will acknowledge them to be dis
interested, when you are inform'd that they arc
the Sentiments of an Officer in the King's Ser
vice, who experts Preferment if the War should
continue, and who has already deriv'd some pe
cuniary Advantages from it,
CA T O.
confiderab'e, who
wards the Advantage
must likewise tell you
the Conduct of Meffi
two Navy Officers put ~<s
late Regulation of tin avy board
the Transport Service) the former
reded the Guns on the Main De
Judgement and Spirit which does :'
test Honor.—The diftindion wbul "
fay which of the Officers and Men, <
their different Departments exceed
cannot avoid mentioning before I bri
a Period, that in my Opinion the go^ ~^r
observed thro' the whole, would have done Ho
nor to a King's Ship, which merits the warmer
Ackowledgements from Government, and fin,
cerely Wishes that Administration may think
proper to reward them in their refpedive Spheres,
1 ihall only add, that Mr. Patterson, a Volunteer,
and felf, were honour'd with the Command of
a few Guns on the Quarter Deck, thro ' which
Channel we endeavoured to throw in our Mite
by contributing what in our Power lay, towards
bringing this dangerous Enterprise to an issue,
which concludes me youl's, &c.
A. T.
At a General Assembly of the Governor and
Company of the State of Connecticut, in
New-England, in America, holden at New-
Haven on the second Thursday of October,
3 77 6
An ACT for the Puniihment of HIGH
TREASON, and other atrocious Crimes
againit the State.
BE it Enabled by the Governor, Council, and
Representatives, in General Court affimbled,
and by the Authority of the fame, That if any
Person or Persons belonging to, or residing
within this State, and under the Protection of
its Laws, shall levy War against the State, or
Government thereof, or~knowingly and wil
lingly shall aid or assist any Enemies at open
War against this State, or the United Stalest
America, by joining their Armies, or by inli&
i n g, ° r procuring or persuading others to inlift
for that Purpose; or by furnifhing such Ene
mies with Arms or Ammunition, Provision, or
any other Articles for their Aid or Comfort, or
by carrying on a treacherous Correspondence
with them, or shall form, or be any way con
cerned in forming any Combination, Plot, or
Conspiracy, for betraying this State, or the
United States into the Hands or Power of any
foreign Enemy, or shall give, or attempt to
give or fend any Intelligence to the Enemies of
this State for that Purpose; every Person so
offending and being thereof convicted, shall
fuffer Death.
And be it further Enabled by the Authority
aforefaid, That if any Person or Persons shall
endeavour to join the Enemies of this State, or
HATFORRD.