The New-York gazette, and the weekly Mercury — New-York [N.Y.], 1777-12-01 00:00:00, page 2

'Wehcar that upwards of two hundred gentle
men of the frit diltindion have formed ihem
felves into a society, for the laudable intenti
on of preventing the alarming frequency of
highway robberies, and as the molt effectual
step to annihilate this evil, they are to sub
scribe a large sum, from which every person
who shall cither shoot, flab, or take a high
wayman. shall receive a gratuity of fifty gui
neas ; and whoever shall prove that he refilled,
and by force defended himfelf against a robbe
ry, even if the villain ffiould escape, shall
receive the sum of thirty guineas. It is ho
ped that this will intimidate them more than
the fears of prosecution by law; danger at a
distance is not so terrific as danger at the
elbow.
The Lord Mayor on Wednesday informed
Mr. Akerman, that he had received an an
swer from the Secretary of State, refpeßing
the requeL of the Moorfields rioters in New
gate, and that nothing could be done with
re,eel to remitting any part of their sentence.
When a great Personage was applied to by
one-of the Secretaries of State, upon the
ab we occasion, he lent for the magistrate who
presided at Hick's Hall when they were con
viaed; and after a candid account of their
offence, and of their behaviour in Newgate,
had been laid before him, he declared " the
law must take its course; as their outrageous
proceedings, in order to alleviate their pu
rafhment, had prevented them from being
considered as objects of cleihency."
By a private letter from Corkey we are in
formed, that since the embargo was laid on
provisions there, a brig, laden with beef and
butter, cleared out for England, but privately
defined to Bourdeaux, was taken by one of
our frigates, and carried into some of the
Western ports of England. The cargo is said
to be worth 4,00 I.
Extras of a letter from Portsmouth, Sept. 5.
“ Arrived the Catharine, a prize, Man
chester, from Bourdeaux for Boftoh.
“ Sailed the Speedwell, Scott, for Water
ford ; Lady Gage, Loring, for Guernsey."
Extras of a letter from Deal, Sept. 5.
" Sailed yesterday after the poll, the King
flon, Burcham, for New-York."
His Mijedy has promoted five Lieutenant
Generals, to the rank of Generals.
The report of the enquiry into the conduct
of Capt. Ayfeough, has been confirmed by
the King, to the reputation of that officer.
The lad accounts from Madras mention,
that the Council had determined to fend home
Lord Pigot by force in one of the Company's
/hips, but were opposed by all the civil fcr
vants of the Company, and that 43 of them
had sent a letter, by way of remonstrance and
protest, to the Council against this measure,
which had the desired effed.
The ad of Parliament for regulating aucti
ons, and raising the sum of 3d. in the pound
on the file of elates, &c. will take place on
trie 29th instant.
We hear that the Queen of France has been
advised by her nominal Accoucheur, to keep a
separate bed for some time, as the only means
of producing an heir-to the Crown of France.
This method was adopted in Louis Xlllih's
time, and was so fuccefsful, as to produce no
less a Prince than Louis le Grand.
His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant of Ire
land has been pleased to appoint the Earl of
Inchiquin to be Cuftos Rotulorum of the
county of Clare, in the, room of the late Earl,
his uncle, and also one of the trustees of the
linen manufacture, for the province of Munster.
^ 4% ^ tlMt a?r>ea '’:" ^ "'
"h London, ^ havethe J^% ,sd
vices, viz.
G E NO 4 August it.
qr^HE coronation of the Doge is fixed for
, the 6:h of next month.
%A&, % 3°. Yerterday the Neapo
litan Ambassador had a private audience of
the King, and delivered to his Majesty a let
ter from' the King his Matter, in which that
Prince announces to the King, that on the
19th of this month, the Queen of Naples
was fafely delivered of a Prince, whois in
perfect health.
Venice, Aug. 12 . On the 31st of left month,
in the evening, the brother of the Archbi
ihop of Spalatro, was murdered in one of the
Greets of this city ; letters were found upon
him which threatened him with the disaster
that befel him, which, unhappily, ne had
not taken any precautions to prevent; the
a&ffins had time to make their escape.
L. O 'N D O N,,
%/. 6. Positive orders are lent to Lord
Stormont to demand the two Jamaica ships
lately carried into Nantz ; and in case of re
fufal to edit Paris immediately.
Extras of a letter from Chatham, Sept. 3.
<, This morning orders were received here
for his Majesty's ihip Sultan, of 74 guns, to
be fitted out at this port, for the reception of
a flag officer ; she was this day put into com
miffijn, anti the command given to Captain
William Parker.
Extras of a letter from- Plymouth, Aug. 30.
" The Courageux and Ceres men of war
are filled from hence on a cruize, and three
Dutch frigates with presents for the Emperor
of Morocco.
His Majesty has been pleased to appoint
Col. Cunningham, ofthe 14th regiment of
' foot, to the rank of Lieutenant General.
The great and long depending cause be
tween Lord Donegal! and Messrs. Vaughan
and Brooks, was determined on Saturday,
August 16, before the Hon. Mr, Prime Ser
jeant Burgh, at Wexford, by a special Jury,
in favour of the former. On the issue of this
cause, depended no less than the sum of
20,0001.
On Wednesday a Farmer at Hempfitad,
having been on some business in London, left
his horse in town, and late at night having
drank pretty freely, took a place in a Lage,
in which the Coachman had put a Woman of
the Town, and also got in himfelf having
previously procured a Haymaker to drive the
coach: When they came to Hempftead, in
stead of setting the Farmer down at any par
ticular place where he was known, the Coach
man left him asleep in the carriage l .When
the Farmer awaked he found he had been
robbed of seventeen guineas. In consequence
thereof the Coachman was yesterday take!
up, and carried before Thomas Bishop, Esq;
and confeffed the woman robbed the Farmer,
and gave him half the money. The woman
was also taken into custody. They were both
committed to take their trials at the Old
Bailey.
The fame evening a Lady made a com
plaint to the Sitting Magistrate, at Bow street,
William Addington, Esq; to the following
purport, viz. '1 hat she had come to town in a
‘polt-chaife, from Colnbrook that morning,
and put her pocket-book, which contained
eleven guineas, and a Bank note for ico l.
into one of the pockets of the chaise ; that
on her arrival in town, she proceeded to a
relation's houie, where she continued Gme
time before she miffed her property ; that on
her return to the chaise, the book was gone ;
the Poliboy declared he knew nothing of it,
but that a man who had been sent for to
mend the lining, mult have taken it. The
latter denied the sass ; but on being threat
ened, offered to return the book, provided he
was rewarded with the eleven guineas. The
Lady promised him three, but the sum being
rejected, she went to Bow-flreet for advice.
The Magillrate told her he could not enter
into any agreement between her and the of
fender, as that would be compounding of fe
lony; but would fend a Constable with her
to bring the man properly before him ; this
she declined, and declared she would not pro
secute him for the world! She then retired
to an adjacent Publick-hcufe, where the fel
low was detained by her friends, who, at
length was prevailed upon to return the book,
on receiying file guineas.
Extras of a letter from Plymouth, Sept. 2.
“ Sailed his Majesty's Blip Foudroyant on
a cruize. This morning the two following
prizes were brought into this port, viz. The
Prudence, Capt. Young, and the Indurtry,
Capt. Barker, both from South Carolina to
Nantz, laden with rice, indigo, &c. which
were taken by the Union, a letter of marque,
Capt. Stop, belonging to London."
Admiralty-Office, Sept. §.
Observations made by a young Gentle
man, who lafl Summer took a 7 our of Pleafare
thro' Part of Flanders and Holland.
Sas de Ghent, Auguf. 8, '776.
CT' H E day after my arrival at Brussels, a
{ criminal was broke alive upon the
wheel in the Market-place ; having never seen
such an execution, curiosity led me there;
his crime was the robbery and murder of a
Student of Louvain, as he passed through a
Forest, five miles EaL of Brussels. The
young Gentleman survived the wounds he
receded, a few days, and described the fel
low, whereby be was brought to Justice. He
was a tall, well-made man, about 24, and
expressed, by his countenance, the agony
which the idea of such torments as he was
about to fuffer must create in any man's mind,
in the fame situation; I had a full view of the
fcaffold, from the window of a Coffee-houfe
in the Square.
After the religious ceremonies, curtomary
on fach occasions, were over; he was exten
ded on the wheel by three Executioners, ha
ving his neck, arms, and legs bound thereto ;
then two of the men pressed a large sponge
(or something like it) upon the Criminals face,
whillt the other broke his arms, legs, and
thighs, with a short heavy piece of iron ;
after that he drew a long knife, with which he
cut the wretch's throat, from ear to ear:
During this horrid operation, which only
laded about two minutes, there was not the
lead noise, the unhappy Criminal's voice
being effectually suppressed by the sponge.
To give a minute description of Brussels,
you would, I am certain, reckon tedious ;—
it is fufticient to fay that all things in the
Palace are anfiverable to the character and
dignity of the owner, who is much beloved
by all ranks in the city : the chapel belonging
to the Court, is one of the neatest and most
elegant I ever saw ; Prince Charles lives here,
in al! respects, as a Sovereign Prince; and I
believe, that few reign so happily. The
Prince de Ligne, and many of the principal
Nobility, have noble houses and gardens near
the palace, which contain, many valuable cu
rioLties; there is a park near the Court, at
leak as large as St. James's, planted with tall
trees, and serves as a place of agreeable
recreation, for the Courtiers and Citizens;
besides which, there are many agreeable
walks on the ramparts, planted with rows of
trees, which command an extensive p:ofpeß
of the country, and a full view of the city.
And also, in company with the Union, an
other letter of marque, the brig industry,
from South Carolina, bound to Bourdeaux,
laden with rice; and the snow Bourdeaux
vacht, from Cork, bound to Bourdeaux, with
provisions.
g%4.40 OCOOC re- 0003005900000080^,
The Hawke letter of marque, of London,
Samuel Gribble, commander, has taken the
following prizes :—The brig Charles, from
South Carolina, laden with rice, which she
fell in with off Belleifle; the schooner Eliz
abeth, laden with rice, turpentine, indigo,
and deer ficins.
Prince Maximilian (the Emperor's youngeL
brother) was lately at Bruiiels, on a visit to
his uncle: and it is said he will have the go
vernment, if he survives him; I saw him at
the Theatre, he is a handsome youth, rather
lusty, and frefh coloured, seems very affable,
and is much caressed by the inhabitants. The
house was crouded with a very elegant audi
ence, many of whom, I suppose, came out
of curiosity, or in compliment to the Prince:
l take it to be as large as that of Covent-Gar
den; it has several boxes, with fire-places,
one of which is lined with looking-glass, so
that a company fitting by the fire may view
the whole reprefentationl the music was ex
cellent, and performance good. The Clergy
have not forgot this. City among the rest,
having honoured it in a particular manner,
by establishing therein a number of religious
communities, well endowed, and fufficient to
maintain a large corps of pious Brothers and
Sifters in holy laziness : Also many handsome
Churches, well adorned with capital paintings,
organs, &c. and much more valuable furni
ture, confiding of holy and miraculous teeth,
hair, rotten bones, ruLy nails, and ragged
pieces of old garments, which dill retain
many of the wonderful virtues which the holy
Saints, their former owners, pefteLed, in an
extraordinary and fu pernatufal degree.
The Cathedral dedicated to St. Gudula,
is the larged in the City. It is built on an
eminence, and having a lofty tower, com
mands an extensive profped from the top,
which exhibits a very pifturefque and agree
able view.—The following dory is told of
this Church : That about 400 years ago (in
the meridian of Monkish glory) some Jews
were racked and burnt alive, for having pur
chased three consecrated wafers from a Fried,
(who stole them from this holy place) which
\ they pierced with daggers, when blood im
mediately issued from each wafer; the whole
trahfadion is well represented on two pieces
of arras placed near the Great Altar, which
are the bast finished and mod masterly pieces
of that kind I ever saw. They have hn an
nual procession on the 17th of July, to com
memorate this very probable legend.
I don't quettion the firft part of the dory,
which mentions the execution of the poor
lews, there being too many proofs upon re
cord of the dexterity of Romilh Priests, in
committing holy murders.
I took care, before the day of the proces
sion, to secure a windows whence 1 could
have a diftind view of the whole farce. It
began about eleven in the forenoon, with
every mark of Popifh luxury and parade ;
the pageants and gilt statues, representing
the Virgin, and other male and female Saints,
in various attitudes of martrydom and beati
tude, were innumerable; these were carried
by men dressed like Merry Andrews, in silk
and velvet jackets, laced with gold ; after
them marched the different orders of Clergy ;
preceded by the Banners of their refpetlive
orders, being the figure of some Saint on a
large piece of silk: I reckoned above 460
Priests and Monks in the procession, and be
lieve they amounted to 500 ; they were dres
sed in the whimsical habits of their relpective
orders, and made a most ridiculous appear
ance ; they sung psalms as they marched;
next followed the principal Magistrates, Law
yers, Citizens, Nobility, and Country Gen
tlemen, with lighted flambeaux ; then fol
lowed the holy wafers, under a canopy richly
embroidered, carried by four men, which
was attended by Prince Charles, of Lorraine,
bareheaded with a flambeaux; he was dres
sed in a plain suit of claret-coloured cloth,
is very corpulent, and frefh coloured: One
hundred Grenadiers closed the whole. 'I he
last are very necessary to support both Priest
and Princecraft, in all despotic countries.
To relate the particulars of the other Churches
would be endless, fuffice it..to fay that they
are not behind-hand in Popilh zeal, and idle
superstition. I had the curiosity one evening
to step into the Chapel of one of their Con
vents, where a Monk was in the Pulpit, dres
sed in the droll habit of his Order, harangu
ing a crowded audience in praise of the Virgin,
whole name (Maria) he repeated, 1 dare fay,
fifty times in a quarter of an hour.
The Jesuits Church has a Lately air, but
on account of.the dissolution of that Order,
it is now shut up and neglected, which can't
fail giving the other Societies a fore taste of
what mull : probably be their fate in a few
years.
Here are curious water works, representing
figures of various Tradesmen at work, such
as Carpenters, Sawyers, Smiths, &c. and a
duck which swims, and seems to drink; alio
an attempt to make a perpetual motion, by
the figures of two men placed at the two ex
# tremities of a balance; one is heavier than
the other, which consequently weighs him up,
when he receives water from a spout, in a
little bucket he holds, which when full finks
him, and raises the other; but in defeending
spills the water, then he rises again, and so
continues without intermission ; whilst the
water is filling the bucket, a small wooden
ball slowly defeends upon wires, falling from
one to the other ; there are two of these balls,
one or other of which is always in motion,
with many other curious pieces, well worth
feeing. A
PHIL ADELPHI A, Nov. 5.
Copy of a letter from his Excellency Lieutenant
General Burgoyne, to his Excellency Sir
William Howe, K. B. brought by Lieut.
Valancy of the 6zd regiment.
Albany, Oa. 20, 1777.
SIR,
IN conformity to my orders, " to proceed
by the most vigorous exertions to Albany,"
X passed the Hudson's riverat Saratoga, on the
The army there waited the chance of events,
and offered themselves to the attack of the
enemy till the 13th instant, when only three
days provision at short allowance remained.
At that time the last hope of timely assistance
being txhaufted, my numbers reduced by past
actions to three thousand five hundred fighting
men, of which about nineteen hundred alone
were British ; invested by the enemy's troops
to.the amount of about Sixteen thousand men ;
1 was induced by the general concurrence and
advice of the Generals, Field Officers, and
Captains commanding corps, to open a treaty
with Major-General Gates. Your Excellency
will observe by the papers tianfmitted here
with, the disagreeable profped that attended
the firft overtures. The army determined to
die to a man r. ther than submit to terms re
pugnant to national and personal honour, I
trust you will think the treaty enclosed con
fident with both. I am, with the greatest
refpe& and attachment, Sir,
Your most Obedient; and A
Most bumble Servant,
J. BURGOYNE.
The firft Overtures alluded to in the above letter.
2d. The officers and soldiers may keep the
baggage belonging to them. The Generals,
of the United Slates never permit individuals
to be pillaged.
3d. The troops under his Excellency Gen.
Burgoyne will be concluded by the most con
venient route to New-England, marching by
easy marches, and fufficiently provided for by
the way.
Answer.
4th. The officers will be admitted on pa
role, may wear their fide-arms, and will be
treated with the liberality curtomary in Europe,
so long as they, by proper behaviour, continue
to deserve it ; but those who are apprehended,
having broke their parole, (as some British
officers have done) mull expe& to be close con
fined.
Anfuier. There being no officer in this
army under, or capable of being under the"
description of breaking parole, this article
needs no answer.
(th. All public Lores, arms, ammunition,
carriages, horses, &c. &c. muff be delivered
to commissaries appointed to receive them.
Answer. All public Lores may be delivered,
arms excepted.
6th. These terms being agreed to and
signed, the troops under his Excellency Gen.
Burgoyne's command may be drawn up in
their encampment, where they will be ordered
to ground their arms, and may be thereupon
marched to the river fide, to be passed over
in their way towards Bennington.
An/hver. This article is inadmissible in any
extremity ; sooner than this army will consent
to ground their arms in their encampment,
they will rufn on the enemy, determined to
take no quarter.
(Signed) HORATIO GATES.
Camp at Saratoga,?
o^. If 1777-1
These overtures being rejeded, the follow
ing convention took place.
6™ For the convention, fee this paper No.
1359-
To be fold at public AUCTION,
AT one o'clock, on Wednesday next, at Brownc
j- hn's wh^rf,
The sloop Powder Horn,
Fifteen tons burthen, remarkable for going well, is
very well found. For particulars, enquire of Edward
Ddberty, on Murray's wharf, who will ffiew an inven
tory of her ftorcs, and dispose of her by private file, if
required.
13th of September. No exertions.have been
left untried. The army under my command
has fought twice against great superiority of
numbers. The firft action was on the 19th of
September, when, after four hours sharp con
fli&, we remained mailers of the field of bat
tle ; the 2d a&ion (on the 7th of October)
was not so fuccefsful, and ended with a storm
upon two parts of our intrenchments, the one
defended by Lieut. Col. Breymen, who was
killed upon the spot, and the post was loft;
the other defended by Lord Balcarras; at the
head of the British Light Infantry, who re
pulfcd the enemy with great loss. The army
afterwards made good their retreat to the
heights of Saratoga, unable to proceed fur
ther, the enemy having possession of all the
fords and the pafies on the ealt fide of Hud
son's river.
C,Apt. McDonald's Independent Company o,
, Volunteers,are desired to be at their Alarm Post,
To-morrow, at 12 o'Clock precisely, to receive their
full Complement of Ammunition, and then t'o march
to the Place appointed for exercising; the different
Companies. 7 hey are to attend there every Tuesday
at the above Hour, and every Saturday at 10 o'Clock.
If they observe this for a Month or Two, they will
be enabled to handle their Arms with Ease, Freedom
and Pkafure. What a Locking Sight it must be to
fee a handsome young Gentleman genteely dressed in
his Uniform,with an excellent Firelock on his Shoul
der, without the Knowledge of using it properly.
My dear Countrymen, and Fellow Soldiers, Think
of this in Time ; be more a&ive and diligent.
Wants Employment,
AS steward of a (hip, a young man about thirty,
who haa been used to the business. Any one in
want of such a person, by leaving their direction with
the printer hereof, will be waited upon.
ift. f"' ENERAL Burgoyne's army being
exceedingly reduced by repeated de
feats, by desertion, sickness, &c. their provi
sions exhaufled, their military Lores, tents,
and baggage, taken or destroyed ; their retreat
cut off, and their camp inverted, they can only
be allowed to surrender prisoners of war.
Answer. Lieut. Gen. Burgoyne's army,
however reduced, will never admit that their
retreat is cut off, while they have arms in
their hands.