The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1782-08-20 00:00:00, page 1

FromßiviNGton's ROYAL GAZETTE.
N E W-Y O R K, August 3 .
Wednefda, the Roebuck Packet, Captain Richards
arrived here in fix weeks from Falmouth, with
the Mails for May and June lajl. From the
Papers brought by her we have extracted thefol
lowing important intelligence.
PARIS May 14.
Extract from the account given by the Chevalier
de Salims, commander of the Pegafe, addressed
to the Marquis de Castries, Minister and Se
cretary of State for the Marine Department,
dated on board theFoudroyant, atPortfmouth,
April 26, 1782.
" T"' 20th of April, finding myfelf at nine
& in the evening at the di#ance of a league
and an half from the Protestor, and finding that
that vessel ought to be preserved in preference to
the Pegafe, on account of the sums of money
which I knew to be on board that vessel. I de
termined to keep in the rear, in hopes that the
vessels of the enemy ofthe most consequence would
followme,which really tookeffe<ft. At oneo'clock
in the morning the Foudroyant being near my
stern, at about pistol Riot distance, I directed, as
well as my situation would let me, all the fire I
could against them, and I preserved all the fail I
could poflibly without changing my route; but
finding that it was impossible for me to do any
injury to an enemy whose fwiftnefs rendered all
my movements useless, I directed, as my left re
source, to bo^rd my adversary, flattering myfelf,
that by that manoeuvre I might be, perhaps, so
fortunate as to damage their malts, and to escape
by disengaging myfelf, if the hazards of board
ing happened to be in my favour; .but nothing
happened as I widied. The two vessels remain
ed grappling near an hour and an half, fighting
with their muskets. At last, about three o'clock
in the morning, the mizen-maft of the Pegafe
fell, as did the forenrift, and the bar of the helm
was cut even with the mortice. The approach
of the enemy's squadron determined me to sur
render the Pegafe to the Foudroyant, against
which I could no longer make any refinance. I
had in the engagement 80 men killed, and 40
wounded ; in the former number is the Sieur de
Bompart, an auxiliary officer. The Sieur de la
Houffaye, Ensign of the vessel, had his left leg
shot off. The Sieursde Vaires, Ensign, and Tro
brians, of the marines, are (lightly wounded."
Amjierdam, May 15. Yesterday in the after
noon 'a fleet of about 15 or 16 Englith (hips of
the line were seen paling the Texel; they came
from the north, and directed their course to the
weft; towards the eveningthey werewithin fight
of Gaats. This fleet is fappofed to be that un
der the command of Lord Howe, and which th-
Englilh had dispatched in consequence of the in
formalin which they had received of the depar
ture of the squadron commanded by Vice-Ad
miral Byland, as they feared an enterprize on
the part of the Hollanders. In the afternoon,
the Admiral gave the signal for the Captains to
come on board. There is no fear of an attack
on the part of the English, because their Chips are
too large to approach our coast. There arc mif
fing from the squadron of the Count de Byland,
which entered the Texel on Friday lait, the
Zuidebeveland, the Erf-Prins, the Benona, the
Thetis, and the Jager packetboat; and we are
uneasy about the Zirikzee of 60, and the Goes of
50 pieces of cannon, which belong to the depart
ment of Zealand, and are said to have set fail.
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&yfR IT FOR D : Pri^w by H UDSON akd G OODW IN, hear the Great Bridge.
I O E S ^ A Y, August 20, 1782.
The letters received this day fay, that the English
are again before the Texel. Vice Admiral Kinf
bergen, who had departed express from the
Hague, having learned on the road the arrival of
the English fleet, immediately returned, and that
officer arrived yesterday evening in the Helder.
LONDO N, May 'll.
letters have been dispatched to Lord Rodney,
adviling him of the reinforcement that was ex
pected to fail from Cadiz for the Havana, about
the 22d instant, from whence there are the most
promising expectations that he will be able so to
dispose his force as to intercept them.
In the Channel fleet this summer will be five
capital ships new from the stocks, and eleven
others that hav^ never been at sea since they had
a complete repair, all copper-bottomed.
Extract of a letter from Hull, May 31.
" Sorne of ourmoft experiencedpilots, whoare
intimately acquainted with the North of Holland,
failed from hence yesterday in the Shields yatch,
to go on board Lord Howe's fleet, now off the
Texel. If they can undertake the carrying in
the large ships, it is supposed the Dutch will be
attacked in that port, without waiting for their
coming out. At any rate it seems the determi
natioh that the squadron should not return with
out doing something. Two vessels are now load
ing with frefh provisions for the fleet."
June 4. The American peace bill has at last
puffed the House of Commons; it was altered
agreeable to the suggestion of Mr. Laurens, who
thought it a fufficient ground for America to
open a frefh negotiation with this county, and
was in hopes it would be the means of restoring
peace and harmony to both countries.
Advice is recieved by the packet which brought
the Dutch mail to Harwich, that the Dutch ports
are so effectually blocked up by the British, that
no vessel can get in or out without being taken.
The fame account fays, that the Dutch seem to
talk in different strains to what they did before
the French were defeated in the Weft-Indies, and
therefore it is imagined that in a few months
their High Mightinesses will be glad to enter in
to a negociation for a peace with England.
On Saturday night at the meeting of the Weft
minder Committed, Mr. Fox informed them,
that an express had that evening arrived in town,
with advice, that the House of Commons of Ire
land was so perfectly fatisfied with what had
been done in Parliament here, that they had
pome to the resolution of granting the sum of
100,0001. for the purpose of railing 20,000 sea
men, to be employed in the British navy.
It is very much to the honour of the people of!
Ireland, and the House of Commons there, that;
after agreeing to raise twenty thousand feamen|
(as mentioned in Lord Shelburn's Speech) for
the British navy, they inflantly voted the sum of 1
one hundred thousand pounds for that purpose; I
and the most popular men went immediately;
down toqheir refpedive counties, to forward the|
levy of the seamen so generoudy voted.
Thursday the bill for charging a Ramp-dutyl
upon inland bills of exchange, promiffory-notes,|
or other notes payable otherwise than upon de-1
mand, received the aflent bv commission.
June 6. A letter from Petersburg fays, that|
a fleet of men of war have beefl ready to put to ;
sea for a month, but that the Empress waits for a
final answer from the States of Holland, whether
they will or not, on such terms as have been pro
posed by her and the court of Vienna, enter into
a negotiation fora peace with Englands That .
a courier has been dispatched from thence to the
Hague, and was expended back with the final de
terminators of their High Mightinesses; on the
answer entirely depends whether the fleet will
fail or not.
Sir Charles Turner gave notice (in the House
of Commons) that as he forefaw that an emigra
"°° wou |' Shortly take place from this country,
he mould early in the eniuing sessions move for a
naturalization bill.
A letter from Hanover fays, that frefh orders
^re ai rived there for the troops to hold themfelres
inreadinefs to march at a few hours notice, to
jom some Heffiah troops to go on some secret ex
peditioh, but to what part, is unknown. Orders
arealio arrived ror raising troops as sass as possible,
and to teach then their exercise, that they may
be fit to take the field.
t Ihe glorious victory of Sir George Rodney
b/oughtto London on the 18th of May by Cap
tains Lord Cranston and Byron, excited universal
joy and congratulations. At noon the Park and
lower Guns aqnounced the triumph of the Bri
uln fl^g, and in the evening there was a general
Illumination. I his example was followed by all
the towns of Great-Britair. and Ireland.
By private letters over land from Madrafs, we;
hear, that three ships of the line, oneof 50 and
two frigates,arrived there the beginning of De
cember, and expended orders daily to proceed to
join ^ir Edward Hughes, who was gone on an
expedition to some of the Dutch settlements.
Extrahl cfa letter froth Madrafs, dated Jan. 18;
, 7782.
" The Dutch had fix settlements on the coast
of Coromandel. They were great assistance to
Hyder. Our new Governqr wanted to fend
troops to attack these the very day of his arrival;
which, from the danger of leaving Madrafs too
much exposed, was opposed by the Gentlemen
of the Council. The Governor at last prevailed;
and the whole fix have beten taken one after the
other. Ihe last, which was Negapatam (become
every considerable place) was a business of such
danger, that Sir Eyre Coote protested against
the expedition, intending to reserve it till he had
driven Hyder out of the Carnatic; but.the Go
vernor took the whole upon himfelf. TheDutch
had afliftance from Hyder, besides French and
German officers, and they made two sallies which
were near overfetting us; but General Munro,
who commanded, exerted himfelf as at Pondi
cherry, and tookjthe place with fewer troops than
he made prisoners. Private property is preserv
ed, but Sir Eyre Coote claims a share in the prize
money of the public property, though he and hfe
army were distant fcveral hundred miles from
the place. The Dutch havenow totallyloft foot
ing on this fide of the Continent of India. Their
loss amounts to some millions of florins. This
business now it has succeeded, does some credit
to the Governor; The event indeed, is become
of great consequence, as Hyder's people have
since evacuated most of the Southern countries,
and there is now no port for his receiving fup
pfcs from the French or Dutch on the coast of
Coromandel."
Admiral Kempenfelt arrived at Portfmbuth on
Wednesday, with the Royal George, Vigilant,
Sampson, and Monsieur flups of war.
This mornings Lord Keppel, Mr. Brett, &c. set
ofF-for Portfrnouth, to meet Lord Howe, and Ad
miral Barrington, and to enforce the most vigor
ous measures in order to equip the Channel fleet
in the fpeidieß manner. The considerable force
(No, 917.)