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answer, or being sworn as a witness in a manner inconsistent with the religion of his cast, it will be proper to bring that matter before the governor and council by appeal."

Major-general Oliver Nicolls has been sworn in as first member of council at this presidency; on which occasion, a salute of 15 guns were fired from the saluting batteries.

Appointment of a Committee to address the Governor-general. At a numerous and respectable meeting of the British inhabitants of this settlement, held at the town hall, in pursuance of a requisition previously circulated for that purpose, Mr. Edward Nash, the sheriff, opened the business of the day with the following speech:

Gentlemen,

"You must be well aware of the object for which I have had the honor of convening the present meeting, and which, agreeably to my intimation, is to consider of an address to his excellency the most noble the governor-general, on the subject of the late happy termination of hostilities, and the distinguished success of our arms in India.

"Whilst I have to observe that it remains with you, Gentlemen, to nominate a chairman to preside in this assembly, permit me to remark, that I shall, with much satisfaction, long retain the remembrance of its having fallen within my province to convene you on this memorable

occasion.

"I cannot, however, relinguish the chair, Gentlemen, without embracing the favorable opportunity, which this meeting affords me, of Expressing the high sentiments I entertain, and which, I am assured,

every Briton must entertain of the great and exalted talents that have been displayed in the operations of the late campaign, which have been as glorious as rapid, and as brilliant as decisive."

Mr. Henshaw having been requested to take the chair, the attention of the meeting was immediately attracted by a suitable and impressive speech, delivered by Mr. Thriepland, and replete with that correctness of diction, and elegance of language so invariably displayed on every subject which thatgentleman discusses who concluded by moving, that a committee should be immediately appointed to consider of an appropriate address to his excellency the most noble the governor-general, on the occasion of the late happy termination of hostilities in India; which motion being seconded, the following gentlemen were requested to act as members:

Robert Henshaw, esq.
Robert Anderson, esq.
Major-general John Bellasis.
Major-general Richard Jones.
Helenus Scott, esq.

Lieut. Colonel Watson, 75th reg. J. A. Grant, esq. Simon Halliday, esq. S. M. Thriepland, esq. William Dowdeswell, esq. William Kennedy, esq. Charles Forbes, esq. Patrick Hadow, esq. Major - general Bellasis then moved that as the honorable majorgeneral Wellesley was now at the presidency, the eligible opportunity should be embraced, of presenting an address, also, to that gallant and able officer, expressive of the high admiration which the British inhabitants of this settlement entertained of the important and active services he had rendered

to

to the country, in the late glorious and successful campaign. This motion was also seconded and carried, when the committee adjourned to prepare the addresses.

The sentiments avowed at this public assembly clearly evince what a unanimity prevails among the

British Inhabitants of India, as to the splendor of the late achievements, and how anxious we all are to pay the just tribute of gratitude and admiration to the illustrious character whose prudence and energy have added such important benefits to the empire at large.

BENGAL Occurrences for APRIL, 1804.

Public Addresses to General Lake. April 5.-The chairman of the meeting of the British Inhabitants of Calcutta, held on the 21st February, performs a most grateful duty in publishing, for their information, the following letters, with which he has been bonored by his excellency the most noble the governor-general, and by his excellency the commander in chief.

P. SPEKE.

(COPY.) To Peter Speke, Esq. chairman of a general meeting of the British Inhabitants of Calcutta.

Sir.

I have the honor to transmit to you, a copy of the letter which I addressed to his excellency the commander in chief, accompanying the resolutions of the British inhabitants of Calcutta, under date 21st of February, together with the original of the commander in chief's answer, enclosing a letter from his excellency to your address.

I have the honor to be, With great regard and esteem, Sir, your faithful servant, WELLESLEY. Fort William, April 2, 1804.

(COPY.)

To his Excellency General Lake, commander in chief, &c. &c. Sir,

With the most sincere satisfaction, I have the honor to comply with the request of this great and respectable settlement, in transmitting to your excellency, the testimony of gratitude and admiration contained in the unanimous resolution of a general meeting of the British inhabitants of Calcutta. The most sacred principles of public duty, united with unalterable sentiments of friendship and affectionate attachment, excite in my mind an anxious solicitude for your excellency's welfare, happiness, and fame. Your excellency's splendid and valuable achievements demand every public honor from the justice and gratitude of your country: no duty can be so acceptable to me, as that of conveying to you the deserved reward of your arduous services. I therefore trust, that your excellency will accept, with satisfaction, the unanimous testimony of public respect offered to you in the enclosed resolution; and that you will receive, with pleasure, my cordial and zealous

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I have received, with sentiments of the most sincere pleasure, your lordships letter, conveying to me the resolution of a general meeting of the British inhabitants of Calcutta, to honor me with a valuable testimony of their respect and approbation.

The gracious manner in which your lordship has been pleased to communicate this resolution, adds greatly to the satisfaction which I feel on this occasion; and your lordship's expressions of friendship and attachment which have accompanied it, with the high praise and approbation with which your lordship has honored my exertions, during the late campaign, are circumstances gratifying beyond expression, to the warmest feelings of my heart.

Whilst I request the favor that your lordship will convey the enclosed paper to the British inhabitants of Calcutta, I beg leave to offer to your lordship, assurances of my most affectionate regard, and of my sincere sense of the

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To the Chairman of a General Meeting of the British Inhabitants of Calcutta, Sc. Sc. Sc. SIR,

His excellency the most noble the governor-general has done me the honor to communicate a resolution of a general meeting of the British inhabitants of Calcutta, to confer on me a valuable testimony of their respect and approbation.

Whilst I partake in that just triumph which has its origin in the general prosperity and the increase of the power and glory of our country, I feel the satisfaction which had arisen from the success of my exertions, in conducting the late campaign in Hindustan, greatly enhanced by so honourable a testimony of esteem, from a settlement, equally respectable for its public spirit, and its private virtue.

The public applause, admiration, and gratitude, have been justly excited by the foresight, wisdom, and energy which have directed the counsels of the governor-general; and it will ever be my pride and pleasure to have contributed to conduct his lordship's measures to a termination, fraught with benefits, at once the most splendid, the most important, and the most permanent.

The esteem and applause of our country constitute the best motives to animate our exertions; and are the great and wished-for rewards

of

of every public service. To be honoured, therefore, with an expression of these sentiments, in a public and unanimous resolution of so respectable a body of my countrymen, is peculiarly gratifying to every principle of public duty.

The extension of our dominion in India, the reduction of those formidable states who meditated our ruin, the glorious success of every military enterprise that has been undertaken, the shining examples which have been exhibited of moderation, humanity, and justice, and the comprehensive system of political connections and arrangements, which has been adopted, to perpetuate the stability of our power, and the duration of our tranquillity, are circumstances which every British subject must contemplate with exultation, and with a confidence, that they will secure to the British inhabitants of this country a continuation of that prosperity, by which they have obtained their present exalted situation, of importance, opulence, and grandeur.

Ι request the favor that you will convey to the British inhabitants of Calcutta, my most ardent wish that they may enjoy, to the fullest possible extent, the numerous advantages which have thus been acquired for them; and my most grateful acknowledgements, for the flattering opinion they entertain of my services, and for the distinguished testimony of partiality and regard, with which they have honoured me.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your obliged and obedient

humble servant,
G. LAKE.

HEAD-QUARTERS,
Camp Ramghur, March 21st, 1804.

Narrative of the Loss of the
ship Fanny.

"On Monday, September 10th, a very uncommon swell denoted the approach of bad weather, and this expectation was fully confirmed, by a continued gale from that day until the 23d, when it blew a perfect hurricane, accompanied with a tremendous sea, which washed away the starboard gangway railing, and made a fair breach over the ship; at half past nine P. M. the foremast went eleven or twelve feet above the deck, and next morning, it was found that the rudder, and the starboard counter moulding, was torn off; supposed to have been occasioned by the wreck getting foul of it when going astern.Latitude 17° 29.-On the 24th the wind was from the southward, with a heavy tumbling sea, the ship labouring much, latitude 17— 45. On the 25th, finding all exertions to get the ship's head round were unsuccessful, and the wind continuing from the southward, set two jibbs on the driver boom, and a cross jack and mizen topsail aback to give her stern way.— Latitude 18° 23.-From this time till the 30th, variable winds, which we endeavoured to avail ourselves of, so as to make northing, either by backing or filling, as proved most favourable; by this time a temporary rudder was made, but could not be shipped but by getting the jibboom over the stern and sunk; and secured by sufficient weights it seemed to answer the purpose, and the wind being N. and E. the ship wore and tacked, as occasion required. At day-light, on the eleventh of October, the Taya Islands were seen; and on the twelfth the ship got round the coast of Hainan.-Here we ship

ped

ped the new-made rudder; but the weather still continuing very boisterous we put to sea again on the fifteenth; and on the morning of the seventeenth came to an anchor, at Tongsoi Bay, and were employed in refitting the ship. Here we remained till the twenty-eighth, when the ship drove considerably in the night to the southward and westward. On the morning of the fourth of November, we got under weigh to recover our former anchoring ground; and on the fifth the rudder again broke adrift from the stern; and on the seventh we saw Pulo Canton, and drove down between the paracels and the main; backing and filling, as occasion required, from the sixth instant to the eleventh. We tried various methods to get the ship's head to the northward; on the eleventh, accomplished it: but soon came round on the other tack; on the sixteenth the ship's head was to the northward, and on the seventeenth got her head again to the eastward; from thence, until the twenty-first, standing at E. N. E. to E. S. E. and S. E. by E.-when the carpenter having finished the rudder we got it over board, and by 5 P. M. got it securely fixed to the stern. As no pains had been spared in the construction of it, we found it answer as well as the one we first lost; and having the ship now under command, we hoped soon to reach the place of our destination. We had been for some days past in a part of the China seas very little known, and according to the best charts full of dangers, and we had sounded hourly during the night, but no danger as yet had appeared. At 4 A. M. we endeavoured to tack, but for want of after-sail we could not accomplish it, (the carpenters having taken the mizen cap to fix to

the stern post for the rudder). At day-light perceived a reef of rocks and much broken water, bearing from N. E. to W. N. W. distant about two miles; as day-light increased we saw breakers all around us; we stood round the reef in hopes of finding a passage out, but were disappointed. In this situation we thought it would be best to come to anchor, until we could render serviceable a small leaky boat, which we had procured at Hainan we had twenty-seven fathom water, the bottom broken coral, we let go the best bower anchor, but found it to be such bad holding ground, that the ship drove at the slightest increase of the breeze; we then let go the sheet anchor which brought the ship up; the carpenters were immediately employed in repairing the boat; we counted from the mast-head seven reefs lying round us all nearly dry.

was

It was not until the 25th, that the carpenters had finished the boat, during, which time we frequently drove although we had both anchors down. We hoisted her out, but found her still so leaky that she would scarcely swim, and that any attempts to find a channel in her would be impracticable. On the 26th we attempted to get under way and clear these reefs. Immediately the first anchor was off the ground, the ship drove, and allowed us no time to get the other anchor, we accordingly cut and made sail.

At eight P. M. the ship beat very hard abaft upon the rocks; we cut away the mizen-mast to ease her, and if possible prevent her from going to pieces. Our situation was now truly deplorable, for we found it impossible to save the ship. We were 750 miles from any land that we could possibly ar

rive

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