The New-York gazette, and the weekly Mercury — New-York [N.Y.], 1777-12-15 00:00:00, page 2

A Gentleman, ns diienguifhed for his splen
did Talents as of his Goodness of Heart, has
just made the Tour of this Kingdom, and
taken a most accurate Account of the Number
A Inhabitants; and we have the Pteafure to
inform our Readers, that notwithstanding the
7 erphtual Emigration of People from this
Country (there being scarcely a City of Note
in the World where Come Irish do not reside)
the Number of Inhabitants in this Island,
which in 1731 were computed at 2,010,221
Souls, viz. 700,453 Protestants, and 1,309,768
Pa,ills, are now encreafed to 2,927,000,
which is within 98,000 of the Number con
tained in the rebellious Colonies of North
America, as the Return to the Congress at
Philadelphia in 1775 was 3:° 2 6,000.
Sept. 22. On Saturday died, at his house
in St. James's-Square, the moll noble Edward
Howard, Duke of Norfolk, Earl of Arundel,
Hereditary Earl Marshal, Premier Duke, Earl
and Baron of England : His Grace is suc
ceeded in his titles and estate by his cousin
Charles Howard, Esq; ot Greyhock.
Two (hips of war of the line are ordered
Immediately for the East Indies, as a further
reinforcement to his Majesty's squadron in that
quarter.
Saturday morning arrived in the river, the
Lord Shuldham armed ship, Capt. Rothe, from
New-York, which landed /several sick and
wounded soldiers, who are to be admitted into
Chelfca hospital.
A letter from Lilbon fays, “ Four frigates
of war are now fitting out in the Tagus, to
assist the En^lilh cruizers in protesting the
trade from Great-Britain and Ireland to the
ports of this kingdom: As this has been done
enfolicited by the Court of London, it Dems
to be a proof that the Portuguese have not
acceded to the Bourbon Compact; but are
cefirous to keep alive the fiame of commerce
and connexion which has so long subsisted be*
tween the two nations : Indeed their mutual
interest is concerned, and we all know that
will in general preponderate in the scale of
polities though your American war is one ex-.
ception to this rule."
It is remarkable that the chaife' by which
Charlton Hawke, Esq; was on Wednesday last
killed, was on the opposite fide of the road a
few moments only before the unfortunate acci
dent happened : ft is fuppqfed therefore that'
the horse must have received a very sudden
fright. The maid fervantat the Swan was a
fpedator, by the moon's light, of 'the space
between Mr. Hawke and the carriage, and of
the then instantaneous dreadful calamity.
C. Hawke, Esq; was only about 23 years
cf age, and had great personal accomplish
ments. His father had so peculiar an affection'
for him, and the servants of the former so pro
found a regard for their master, that the news !
of th's Melancholy event was by no means to
reach bis ears. This was the language ofduty
and tenderness ; but it was impbffible to pre-,
vent the news from transpiring ; it too soon
Shocked the fine feelings of that refpeflable;
character, whole public services have fp highly'
diftingnifhed him.
Authentic anecdote of tbe.Duke de Niver-'
nois — When this nobleman was ambassador
in England, he was going down to Lord
Townffiend's feat in Norfolk, on a private
visit, quite defahille, and with only one fer
varit, when he was bbliged, from a very heavy
ffiower of rain, to flop at a farm house in the
way. Thereafter of this house was a cler
gyman, who, to a poor curacy, added the
care of a few fcbolafe in fhe^eighbourhood,
which in all might make bis living about 861.
a year, and which was qll'le had to maintain
a wife and fix children. (
When the Duke alighted, the Clergyman,
not knowing his rank, begged him to cornel
in an<i dry,himfelf, which the ocher'accepted,!
byhofrowibiga pair of old worhe^ flockings^
and dippers cf him, and otherwise warming;
himl'clf by/d good fire. After some convert
fatwa,', the Deke observed an old chefs-board
hanging up, and as he was, paffohately foid
of that gi me, he hiked the Clergyman whe^
the, he,could play ? The other toid him he
could, pretty tolerably,' but found it very dif
"fcult if that part of tlie country to 'get an
" antagonifl. 'Tmyonrrfan," fa,s the Duke;
“ wfth all r;y hearf,'' faysthc Parlon, " and
if you'll ftay'and cat po't-fack, I'll try if I,
chn't&at yhu." The day fill con'tinuin'g 'toi
ruip, flic Q'tke'arfqked'bV offer,- when thq
Parson rfajed"fo'Qch betterthat he won
every game. This,, so far from fretting the
Page,' that/he was '^i'gh^ to fhd 3
" mad who copld" give 'him"fudh entertainment
'at his favoup,e game. H<f Accordingly inquired
the Rate of his'family affairs, and just taking
a memorandum of his addf^E, without difeo
verin^ hi's title, talked him, and left him.
Somp monTs puffed over without ever the
Cfer,'Ka'n 'thinking 'a word about the matter,
when °pe evening a footman in a laced livery
ro<H“tty to the door, and presented him with
the following billet :
" The D'p'ke of Nivernois's compliments
" wait on the Rev. Mr. —-—, and as a re
" menibrance for the good drubbing he gave
" him at chefs, and the hospitality he shewed
“ him such a day, begs that he will accept
" of the living of , worth 4001. per year,
" arid that he will wait on his Grace the Duke
" of Newcastle on Friday next, to thank hint
“ for the fame "
The poor Parson was feme time before he
, could imagine it any thing more than a jest,
and Vos forgot going, but his wife infixing
on his trying, became up to town, and found.
the contents of the billet literally true, to his
unfpealmble fidsfaction.l
Sept. 23. The King of Sweden's journey to |
Raffia has fixed the attention of our politici-1
ins, Some will have it, tha; the ob;e& of it )
to which the other replying be was not, the
gentleman fired, and the ball grazed along
the Other's forehead, without doing any other
damage than taking ; away part of the hat,
and cutting the skin. The seconds again in-;
terfered, and put an amicable, cr^d to the dis
pute. The quarrel originated in the Rotunda
on "Wednesday evening, when one of the par
ties behaved with some indelicacy to a lady.
S^pt. 25.,Ye&6rday at one o'clock, his Ma
jesty came from K^w to St. James's, where
there was a levee, at which were present all
the foreign ministers, the Lords Guildford,
Sandwich, Clarendon, North, Germaine, Bar
rington, and Weymouth, the Marquis of
Lothian, Sir John Irwin, Sir Earldly Wilmot,
Generals Boyde, Hervy, &c. After it broke
up, there was a Cabinet-council, at which:
all the great Officers of State, affifte^. After
wards Lord Barrington held a long conference:
with the King; His Majesty returned to Kew;
at half past four o'clock,.
Yesterday the Marquis of Lothian had the'
honour to kif: his Majesty's hand on his late
promotion. 5
Yesterday Earl Percy had the honour to;
kiss the King's hand on his late promotion,;
and afterwards set Out .with his Grace the
Duke of Northumberland for his Grace's feat,
in. Drvonfhire.
.Maj ir Napier had tA^ honour to kiss the
King's hand on his promotion to Lieutenant
Colonel.
The fame day the Hon. Col. M'Kenzic # had
the honour to kiss the King's hand on being
appointed Major General, as did Colonels
Bell and Smith.
Yesterday a full Board of Admiralty was
held ; at the breaking up of which a medfen- !
was /di[patched to the Commissioners of Porr.f
mouth, &c. for the immediate fitting out se
veral drips in that harbour.
Capt. Adams, of the Silver Eel, which is
arrived at Portsmouth from Quebec, fays, that
on his palTage in the , channel, he fell in with
the Alert Cutter, cf 10 guns, Capt. Beazly,
and the Lexington rebel privateer, of 16 guns,
with a very valuable cargo on board. Capt.
;.Beazly had met with her near Scilly, where
he engaged her for five hours and a half, and
was to form an alliance between the courts of
Peterfburgh, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Lon
don and Berlin. They fay the King of Prussia
has refufed to admit the American privateers
into the port of Embden, and that he has of
fered the King of Great-Britain, a body of
his forces on very reasonable conditions, to
be employed against his Rebel colonies.
Sept. 24. Yesterday some dispatches were
brought to Lord George Germaine's Office
from General Howe, which were immediately
forwarded to his Majesty at Windsor.
Yesterday a board of plantation was held,
when several dispatches received from the
plantation governors were laid before the
board for infpettion; and a board ordered to
be held on Friday for forwarding dispatches in
answer to those received.
To-morrow the remains of the late Duke
of Norfolk will be removed from his house in
St. James's-fquare, to his feat at Workfop
Manner, in Nottingham, for interment.
The late Duke of Norfolk was defeended
from the famous Hereward, who, with great
magnanimity opposed William the Conquer
or upon his invasion of this country, and
was one of the bravest men of his age and
nation. In process of time the family were
called Howard, and distinguished themselves
as Baronets and Barons, till the reign of
Richard the Third, when John Lord How
ard was created the firft Duke of Norfolk.
This Nobleman was killed at Bofworth-field.
The late Duke was the 9th by title, and the
1 I th in paternal defeent from John Lord How
ard above mentioned.
Mr. Howard, of Grayftock, who succeeds
to the title of Norfolk, is a gentleman of the
Roman,Catholic persuasion, upwards of sixty
years of age, he is the author of an ingeni
ous treatise, called -“ Thoughts' on various
Subjects ;" has ever been distinguished for his
hospitality and liberal turn of mind; and
pofleffes, in an eminent degree, the species
of wit, which Shakespeare observes, is calcu
lated to fit the table in a roar.
The earthquake, which last week threw
several parts of this kingdom, into the mod
dreadful consternation, was felt very sensibly
by many of the congregation in Dettend
Chapel, near Birmingham.
E^traft of a letter from Corke, Sept. IJ. 1
“ Early on Thursday morning a duel was
fought in the fields at. the back of Merriph
fquare, between two young gentlemen, when
the parties met, the seconds ibove to recon
cile and fettle the unhappy dispute, but so
inflexible was one of these young gentlemen,
that all their arguments proved ineffectual,
they therefore took their ground, and the last
mentioned person fired without receiving a
return, on which he called frequently on his
antagonist to do the fame> which he' very ;
spiritedly refufed, faying, that as he bad given
him every fatisfaftion a gentleman ought to do,;
he hoped he was fatisned, but the other kill
infilling, on the gentleman's firing his referred .
Ihot, he fired in the air, faying he hopqd the
otheravas content; being again anfiverqd in;
the negative, they.both took their ground a
second time with the reserved pistols, and the
. gentleman' having received his antagonist's fire 1
as before, then asked him if ne was fatisfied,.
after several being killed and wounded on both
sides, file was obliged to, fleike, having had
all her fails and running rigging so Shattered
that she could n 1 make off.
Admiral Duff is appointed to relieve Admi
ral Mann, in the Mediterranean ; Lord Shuld
ham to relieve Admiral Young at the Leeward
Islands; Admiral Graves to succeed ' his Lord
WHEREAS our parliament hands pro
-frogued to Thursday the 13th day of Odober
next; we, with the advice of our privy coun
cil, do hereby publish and declare, that the
faid # parliament shall be further prorogued on
the said 13th day of Odober next, to Thurs
day the 20th day of. November following:
And we have given order to our Chancellor of,
Great-Britain to prepare a commission for pro
roguing the fame accordingly. And we do
hereby further declare our royal will and plea
# sure, that the said parliament shall, on the
said 20th day of November next, be held for
the dispatch of divers weighty and important
affairs, And the Lords Spiritual and Tempo
ral and the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses,
and the Commissioners for Shires and Burghs,
of the House of Commons, are hereby re
quired to give their attendance accordingly, at
Westminster, on the said 20th day of Novem
^ber next.,
GIVEN at our court, at St. James's, the
24th day of September, 1777, in the
c^ • 17th year of our reign.
GOD save the KING.
Extras of a letter from Gofport, September 24.
“ Last right arrived a. Spithead, his.Ma
.Jelly's ship Valiant, Capt. Gower, who has
.tafen several prizes.
' E^traa of a letter from a merchant in Bour
deaux, to bis correfardent here, dated Hug. 30.
“ An English cutter privateer has taken, a
few days ago, no less than five American ves
sels coming here; after they had got pilots bh
board. Ido not know how the court of France
will take this. The pilots were put on fhere,
and came up here to make their declaration ;
in consequence of which an express was sent
to court.
“ At the fame time, it would appear, that
the French minidry were disposed to difebu
rage the Americans; as there came lately an
order to visit alb the American vessels in this
harbour, and to oblige them to re-land all
warlike ammunition they had taken on board ;
as likewise to prevent their taking any French
I sailors ; about this they seem to be In earned,
for they went on board at twelve o'clock at
night to execute the order."
Oclo. 16. The Lords of the Council who
are generally sent for when the Queen is in
labour, have received notice to be at hand,
her Majesty's delivery being daily expeded.
Last night dispatches arrived at St. James's
from Lord Stormont, at Paris, which are said
to contain the following categorical answer
from the French Court, viz. That they would
, neither directly nor indirectly give the insurg
ent Colonies any military or naval assistance,
while they were in rebellion against the parent
flats of Great-Britain, nor fuffer any of thvir
* ship in the command at Plyrccuth; and Ad
miral Sir Peter Parker to relieve Admiral Gas
ton at the Windward Islands.
Admiral Duff is to fail to his command in
the Panther of 60 guns, now fitting for him
at Portsmouth, and Capt, Harvey ^ promoted
to the command of her.
Within these few days several consultations
have been held between the most eminent
Crown Lawyers on certain questions refpeding
America, which are to be introduced into Par
liament next Session.
They write from Brest that dispatches had
been sent from thence to the Governors of the
French Weft India Islands, containing some
freffi inftruAions concerning a new regulation
of trade between the fubje&s of their Britan
nic and Most Christian Majesties in America.
The fleet that is now fitting out for Ame
rica will be the largest that has failed at one
time this season ; and there is not the least
fear of any of them being taken, as one third
of them will mount from 20 to 36 guns: they
are all to meet at St, Helen's, arid are ordered
to be ready to fail by the 20th of next month
at the furtheft..
The Light-house on the Point of Air is corn
pleated. Two Lights will be exhibited on
Tuesday next; the one di- Tied towards the
sea, and the Great Ormfhead, on the Coast
of Wales; and the other toward Dawpool, in
Cheshire.
Among the flrange methods of railing mo
ney by the Lottery, perhaps the following is
the most extraordinary. In a Barber's fhbp
in Drury-lane is a bill, intimating that " Gen
tlemen ffiaved there, and paying three pence,
ihall be entitled to five guineas if a number
delivered to them shall be the fame as either
of the 20,000 1 . prizes."
A Treaty is said to be negotiating between
our Court and that of Peterfburgh, wherein,
in consequence of an army to be afforded us
by the Empress, Great Britain is to engage on
her Part to furnish Aids of Men and Money,
if required, in Case of a Rupture between
Russia and the Ottoman Porte.
Extrafi of a letter from a Gentleman at Lifan,
to bis Friend in London.
' There is a fort of naval war carried on
' between the Portuguese and the American
' insurgents, the latter of whom attack the
' Portuguese vessels whenever their force is
' fyfficient. Two of their privateers were
‘ chafed the other day, by three of the king's
‘ frigates, off the Rock of Lisbon, but escaped
' by meer dint of failing; it appeared that
' they had been lying in wait for some trading
' vessels. His most faithful Majesty seems to
‘ have it much at heart to keep his alliance
' with England ; though, if we may trust to
' appearances, the Queen and some of the
; Minidry are not so well disposed to the Bri
' tifh. interests,
By the KING.
APROCLAMATION.
GEORGE R.
The behaviour of the Provincial corps and
their officers does them very great honour,
and the General begs leave they may be as
sured he feels it very fenfibly'. The General
only waits for a more particular report from
Brigadier. General Campbell, to mark such
officers as dftirguifhed themselves, and are
not already mentioned.
(Signed)
Stephen Kemble, Dep. Adj. Gen.
Advice is received, that a man of war, of
74 guns, and three light frigates, are failed
from Brest for the coast of Africa, where some
important enterprizes are carrying on by the
French.
By letters from Auxburg, in Germany, of
the 6th instant, we learn, that his Royal
Highness the Duke of Glouceller was just ar
rived there, in his route to England, in a to
lerable date of health, where he meant to re
main no longer than while his carriages were
undergoing feme necessary reparations, for
that he intended being at Cloucefter-houfe by
the 27th at fartheft.
Four cutters are now fitting out by a com
pany of adventurers to cruize off the French
ports in the bay, to intercept the Virginia
and Carolina men bound thither, and which
Ihortly are expelled to make their appearance
there in great numbers. The success of the
Hawke, Revenge, and two other letters of
marque, have put them on this scheme.
Last week when a tender came along fide of
the Fox East Indiaman, Capt. Mitchell, to im
press the men, they one and all, voluntarily
entered, and received the bounty money im
mediately.
Nenvcafle, Sept 20. The fine weather for
several days past has brought on the harvest
fuprizingly, and chcared the farmers with the
profpea of a good crop, though it will be late
in getting in.
Admiralty-Office, October 6, 1777.
Copy of a letter, (rpm Lieut. Bourchter, /com
manding his Majeffy's sloop, DruidVfc,,Mr.
Stephens, Secretary of the Admiralty.".
Druid, at Spithead, Qdo. 3, 1777.
“S I R,
“ I beg you will please to acquaint the
Right Hon. the Lords Commissioners of the
Admiralty, I arrived at this plate at nine
o'clock this morning, with hi^ frlajeftft'fhip
Druid under my command, under the directi
on, of the Hon. Captain William 'Finch, df
his Majesty's ship Camel; and to inform their
Lordlbips, that on the 4th of September, in
latitude 30. 33. N. longitude-Bo 17. W)at
half past four o'clock in the evening, we dis
covered a strange fail on our larboard quarter,
bearing weft, and fleering for us: We were
then, from the irregularity of the fleet, about
five miles distant from the Camel, to wind
ward, repeating the signal for the convoy to
go under the Camel's Bern, and obliging,
those mips to bear down ; the Weazle at a
great distance to leeward, and out of ourfight.
“ Wecleared ship for action, and turned all
hands to quarters. At five o'clock she came
within pistol shot, when I could plainly per
ceive her to be a rebel privateer,amounting
38 or 40 guns, her decks and tops full of men ;
ihe hailed, and desired us to strike to the Mo-
f^bje&s tc do so in the way of merchandize
under the fevered pains and penalties.
Provision is making for fending 14,000 land
forces to America, including Germans.
The Sally, Rose, from Philadelphia to
Nantz, with tobacco, is taken by the crew,
and carried into Milford Haven.
The following account is received from
America :
Head-barters, Morris's House, Hug. 24.
A detachment of the rebel light-hbrfe hav
ing carried off, on Thursday morning laftj
part of the picquet on Valentine's Hill, the
General desires to return his thanks to Major-
General Tryon, then General for the day, for
the disposition he made to check the farther
insult of the enemy, who were lurking in.
some force about our out-posts at King's
Bridge.
The General likewise desires particularly to
express his approbation of the spirited beha
viour and good conduct of Col. Hewlet, and
the officeis and men under his command, in
defence of the redoubt at Sataket, upon Long
Island, in which Col. Hewlet was attacked by
a large body of the enemy with cannon, whom
he repelled with disgrace,
Brigadier-General Campbell has reported
to the General, that, on the day before yester
day, a body of above 2000 having landed on
Staten Island, and furpriled a picquet, he had
marched against them with the gad regiment
of Waldeck and Provincial corps, had defeat
ed them with great Slaughter, and entirely
driven them off the island: the Joss of the
enemy shall be made known to the army when
it is more particularly afeertaihed.
The General wishes to express his high
sense of the great knowledge of his profeffion,
and truly foldjer-like decision, manifefted by
Brigadier-General Campbell throughout this
affair.
The diftinguilhing behaviour of Lieut. Col.
Campbell of the §zd regiment merits the
warmed acknowledgements': the General re
turns his thanks in the strongest manner to
him and the other officers and men of that re
giment who have so remarkably added to the
numerous examples this war has produced,
that no luperiority of numbers can withstand
Britons when they attack in earned with the
bayonet.
The General desires Col. Hanaledon, and
the regiment of Waldeck, to accept his thanks
for the zeal and alertness they shewed pn this
occasion.