The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1782-11-12 00:00:00, page 2

from Robert/on's, Mills's & Hicks's, Royal Gazette.
NEW - Y ORK, October 29.
By the Duke of Cumberland Packet, Capt. Paddy,
tuko arrived here on Saturday last, in 42 days
from Falmouth, nue have the following Advices,
viz.
LONDO N, August 20.
IT is said, that on Friday the merchants trad
ing to New-York and Charleftown, waited
on Lord Shelburne for information, whether ei
ther of these places were to be evacuated, that
they might be able to judge whether it would be
prudent to execute the orders now in town. His
Lordship recieved them very politely, but declin
ed giving any direct answer, as it would be mak
ing public his Majesty's Councils, which it is for
the good of the nation should be kept secret.
^“g u fl 2 9> Lord Temple carries out such am
ple powers, to fatisfy the molt extensive expecta
tions of the people in the filter kingdom, as Go
vernment are convinced will tend to the most
cordial union of sentiments and interests between
the two inlands.
Extrad of a letter from Wexford, Augul 26.
" I guess your surprise when you recieve this
letter, particularly as I must go under the deno
mination of a cast-away. I arrived here this day,
after experiencing the hardest struggle for life
that ever man did.—We left Waterford on Fri
day last in company with Captain M'Bride, in
the Artois, and a convoy of ten fail of transports
with troops for Plymouth, but unfortunately a
hard squall of wind laid the Swan on her beam
ends, and in less than three minutes she found
ered; the Captain, Master, and thirteen men,
got into a small boat of four oars, in which we
were fourteen hours on the water; words cannot
express the horror of this scene, our friends all
drowning round us. I flrall wait till I fee you for
a further detail of my history."
Yesterday an express arrived at the Admiralty,
from Admiral Lord Howe at Portsmouth, inform
ing the.Board, of the melancholly disaster of his
Majesty's ship the Royal George of 100 guns
with most of her crew, being loft at Spithead,
about halfpaft ten in the morning of the preced
ing day. This unfortunate accident happened
while the ship was hove upon a careen, in order
to have the water pipe to her cistern repaired, at
which juncture a strong squall at N. N. W. came
on, and her keel lying across the tide current,
she fell suddenly on her beam-ends, and before
they could right ship, she filled, and went down,
her top-masts only appearing at the water edge !--
At the time of this calamitous event, 848 officers
and seamen were on board, 331 only of which
were saved by the boats of the fleet.
Among the officers who perished, it is v ith
the utmost concern we mention that brave and
experienced commander,Rear Admiral Kempen
felt, who was writing in his cabin when the ship
went down. Mr. Sanders, his firft Lieutenant,
the fifth Lieutenant, together with Major Gra
ham, and two Lieutenants of marines, the surge
on and Carpenter, (hared the fame fate. The
rest of the officers were fortunately saved. What
adds to the national loss on this occasion is, that
the crew of the Royal George principally consist
ed of the best seamen of the whole fleet.
Upwards of two hundred women were on
board, it is said, when she went down.
The Lark sloop victualler, that was along fide
the Royal George, was swallowed up in the
whirlpool occasioned by the finking of the latter,
and several people that were on board her are said
to have perifned.
Numbers of the dead bodies were seen floating
about the ships at Spithead soon after the Royal
George went down, which exhibited a scene too
Blocking for description.
The Royal George, of 100 guns, having on
her last cruise made more water than usual,
which had not decreased when she came into har
bour, an order was given on Saturday fe'night
for her to go into dock ; but the Carpenter and
other persons, on a ftriCt survey, finding the leak
was not more than two feet below the water
mark, and supposed to be occasioned by the rub
bing off the copper-sheathing; in consequence
of this it was resolved, in order to save time, to
heave her down at Spithead. Accordingly, on
Thurf^ay morning, at 6 o'clock, the weather
being moderate, this business was commenced,
and the ship by ten was got to a proper situation
for difeovering the leak ; but in order to take off
some further sheets of copper, to caulk the seams
properly, she was ordered to be lowered another
Break, During this business, a great part of the
crew were at dinner, the messes having been just
served up, when the ship by a sudden guff of
wind fell on one fide, and the lower-deck ports
being open, in order to run out the guns, she fil
led in about eight minutes, and went to the bot
tom before any signal of distress could be made.
At this dreadful moment there were upwards
of 1200 persons on board, including about 250
women and several children, chiefly belonging
to the seamen, who had been permitted to go on
board when the ship cast anchor at Spithead,and
to remain there till the order for failing arrived.
The people who were on watch upon deck, to
the number of 230, were mostly saved by the
boats that were sent out to their abidance ; but
these were delayed for some little time by the
swell occasioned by the finking of so large a bo
dy, which made a momentary whirlpool in the
water. About 70 more of the people, who rose
after the ship disappeared, were alio picked up ;
among whom it is said were four Lieutenants,
eleven women, and the rest seamen. Upon the
whole, it is generally supposed that 900 people
have fullered by this accident.
The loss of the Royal George is the greatest
misfortune this country has experienced since
the loss of the Victory, on board of which most
of thefirft families in the kingdom had relations.
When brave men die in battle, the ardor which
accompanies the misfortune, as it impels them
to glory, so it makes them insensible of their
danger, and leaves a brilliancy behind, which, in
a great measure, mitigates the grief of friends
and relations. But nothing surely can be more
distressing, than for a number of brave fellows,
in a moment of ina&ivity, anchored on their
own coast, and riding in smooth water, to be
plunged into an abyss, perhaps in the midst of
amusements and height of enjoyment.
The Royal George was the oldest firft rate in
the service ; she was built at Woolwich, her
keel was laid down in 1751, and she was hauled
out of dock in July 1755, it being unusual to
build such large ships on flips to launch; she was
pierced for 100 guns, but having lately had two
additional ports, including the carronades,
mounted 108 ; she was rather short and high,
as all the old firft rates are, but so good a sailer,
that she has had more flags on board her than
any vessel in the service. Lord Anson, Lord
Rodney, Admiral Bofcower, Lord Hawke,
Lord Howe, and several other principal officers,
haverepeatedly commanded in her. Lord Hawke
commanded the squadron in her which fought
the French under Conflans, when the Superbe,
of 70 guns, was funk by her cannon, and the
Soleil Royal of 84, burnt on shore ; she carried
the tallest masts and squarest canvas ofany Eng
lish built ship in the navy, and originally the
heaviest metal, viz. 52, 40 and 28 pounders;
but they were lately changed, on account of her
age, to 40, 32 and 18 pounders.
Many years ago the Edgar, of 74 guns, was
loft, by accident, within a few yards of the fame
place, where the wreck now remains, and a buoy
fixed upon it, commonly diitinguifhed by the
name of Edgar's buoy.
September 3. Orders were sent down from the
admiralty, on Saturday afternoon, to supply all
the seamen, who were saved from the Royal
George, with cloaths, chests and bedding,atthe
expence of government.
It is said that a new ship of no guns, build
ing at Plymouth, and nearly finished, will be
named the Royal George, instead of the Royal
Sovereign, which was at firft intended.
It is currently reported that the brave Lord
Cornwallis is to go to the East-Indies, to fuceed
Sir Eyre Coote ; and it must give great pleasure
to all who know the noble di:interefted zeal of
that worthy Peer and excellent officer, to think
that no man is so likely to restore the name of
his country to credit in the East, and to put an
end to that oppression and peculation, which has
brought the name of Britain to disgrace all over
India.
A letter from Paris mentions, that the Count
de Graffe speaks very highly of the conduct of
Lord Hood,and of the great delicacy with which
he was treated by Governor Campbell, while he
remained in the island of Jamaica, of whom he
talks in language of great esteem and refpe&.
The most important news relative to the in
furreaion in South-America is kept alive by let
ters from Lisbon, which fay, that the attempts
of the Spanish Court to conceal it are fruitlefs,
for that the merchants know the information to
be founded on fa&.
It is not mentioned in any of the letters w'hi< h
treat of the South-American rebellion, that the
capital of Peru had surrendered, but that the re
bels had threatened to march towards it to ran
sack it of its treasure, and then set it in flames.—
The Viceroy and the whole city were under very
painful apprehensions on this account.
Extract of a letter from Rio Janeiro, April 20.
" A Portuguese merchant has this day re
ceived a letter from the Spanish settlements,
which asserts that the natives ate all in arms;
that they have got possession of the mines, have
seized immense sums of money, and are in pos
session of almost every capital town, putting to
death every Spaniard they meet with. You may
tell your friends this is a certainty, andthatSpain
mud inevitably lose all her colonies."
By letters from Russia, we are informed, that
the Empress, upon the late anniversary of her
accession to the throne, promoted Admiral Greg
of Scotland, to the dignity of Admiral of all thg
Ruffians.
September 5. A letter from Amsterdam fays,
" The States General have sent to their ambas
sador at Paris to do his utmost endeavour to
bring the French to agree to a peace on the bell
terms they can for the Americans, and not to
prolong the war on their account only ; that the
Spaniards at this time are desirous of a peace as
well as the States, and the general cry of most:
the people in Holland is for it, that a communi
cation may be opened with England, and that
trade and commerce may again fiourifh."
Sept. 7. The last dispatches received by go
vernment from Govenor Elliot, are of the most
agreeable nature, refpeding the state of the gar
rison of Gibraltar. The Governor reports, that
the forces under his command, are in the high
est spirits, and fully adequate to repel the most
vigorous attacks of the enemy, should they have
the temerity to attempt a storm. With refpedt
to provisions, the garrison have been more amply
supplied since June last from Britain and the
Barbary coast, than since the commencement of
the siege, notwithflanding the vigilance of the
Spanish ships of war. A cloudy night, ora new
moon, has been always productive of a provision
or an ^munition vessel to invigorate the garrison.
The Governor speaks of the approaches of the
enemy with the utmost contempt ; and from
some passages mentioned in his dispatches, it is
not unlikely that he has made another grand sal
ly ere this, and levelled their batteries with the
ground. He concludes his letter by mentioning,
that if he receives the promised supplies by the
grand fleet by the middle of October, he will
bid defiance to the whole host of Bourbon for 18
months. These pleasing dispatches have put go
vernment in the highest spirits, as they now
confider Gibraltar out of all danger.
The French fleet which failed for the East-In
dies from Brest the 20th of last month, consists
of Le Protedeur of 74 guns, L' A&if 74, Le
Dragon 64, armed en flute, Le Monsieur, a new
frigate, 0(36, aud Le Vaupon 28 guns, with fix
store-ships.
Extract of a letter from Cadiz, Aug. 3,
By accounts from the camp before Gibraltar,
we have the mortifying intelligence, that Go
vernor Elliot had by some means procured a
number of cannon of an amazing size, particu
larly in length ; that notwithflanding all the op
position of the besiegers, he had completed a bat
tery, and mounted these cannon thereon; that
on the firft of August, he began a most furious
cannonade on our troops, which lasted for up
wards of seven hours, in which time he had al
most demolished the works raised very near the
rock, and deflroyed many men: Captain Lopes
Sebaftain, the famous engineer, and Mons. Fen
don (a volunteer) are among the Ilain. Two
Caftilian regiments are, however, in full march
from hence to the camp, in order to replace the
killed and wounded.
A private letter from Paris mentions that the
Omphale and Neph yr, two French Hoops of war,
had lately been taken by the Emperor of Moroc
co's corsairs in the Mediteranean, and carried
in Larache.
The Dutch ship of war driven on shore at the
Gaats, which is the entrance into the Texel, is
the Union, of 64 guns, a new vessel, just arrived
from her firft cruize, and commanded by Capt.
de Welderen, son of the Count, who was Am
bassador in England.
The 25th and 59th regiments, now at Ports
mouth, have recieved orders to embark for Gib
raltar.