54 Journal of the Difafters and Capture of the Experiment. fance. The enemy we found were employed We had an exchange of prifoners with the French-the balance being against us 141 foldiers, or marines and feamen, we have gi ven receipts, to be hereafter accounted in this country, or in Europe. I believe, my lord, it is not very neceffary Ifhould endeavour to fay much of the behaviour of his Majelly's troops during the late very fatiguing, if not, as it turned out, very danger us fervice;-though even, in refpeét af dinger, it must be allowed, that appear inces at leath were formidable. The noble and feady perfeverance manirefted by all ranks, in expoling themfelves to every fatigue and to every dangers the chearful, yet determined fpirit with which they fet all the threats of the enetay at defiance; and their firm refolution of abiding, to the laft man, by every confequence of an obftinate defence, will, I hope meet with the approbation of his Majesty, and do them honour with their country. --To mention in particular all thofe, whether British, Heffan, Provincial, or militia, who either did, or ardently withed, to diftinguish themfelves, would be in fact to give your lordship a lift of the whole.-But I muft beg leave to acknowledge the great obligations we had to the very active and zealous fervices of Capt. Henry of his Majesty's fhip Fowey, Cap. Brown of the Rofe, and their officers and 1 amen; particularly Lieutenants Lock and Crawfurd, in working the batteries, and in every other part of fervice where they could give their affiftance.-1 would affo with to mention Capt. Moncrief, commanding engineer; but fincerely fenfible, that all can exprefs will fall greatly hort of what that gentleman defers, not only on this, but on all other occafions, I fall only, in the most ernest manner, requeft your Lordship taking him into your proteélion and patronage, to recommend him to his Majefly as an officer of long fervice, and " any moft fingular merit:-----Affuring you, my every other public department, were activity For further particulars refpecting this and every other part of the fervice, I beg to refer your Lordship to Capt Shaw, my Ad de Camp, who will have the honour to deliver this, and who is not uninformed, as he has been prefent on every active fervice in this country. The letters referred to in Gen. Prevol's account, are obliged to be postponed to our next number. Account of the Proceedings of his Majetty's Ship EXPERIMENT, Commanded by SIR JAMES WALLACE. SEPT. 13, 1779. Strong gales an⚫ cloudy weather with rain, clofe reefed main and foretop-fails; convoy in company. 14th. Strong gales and heavy fqualls of wind. Three fail in company. At 15th. Very heavy gales and fqually weather; at 3 P. M. brought to with the main and fo e ftay fail, as did the three fail in fight. The thip made a great deal of water; all hands employed at the pumps, and could not get an inch on the thip; the water over the ground tier in the hold; the fhip gaining on us and Jaying much down; grial to wear, he would not wear; cut away the mizenmaft and wore hip. At 9 P. M. all hands employed at the pumps, and gained on her to two feet water, and got the water off the ground tier; at 10 brought to, thipped a good deal of water, all pumps going, thip Rill gaining on us. 12 got hammocks in the fore throuds, by which means we wore fhip, and brought her to on the farboard tack; the gale ftill increafing, blew away the fore and main topmafts, and carried away the fore yard about 2 A. M. At 3 A. M. carried away the main matt, about 20 feet above the deck; cut away the wreck, and threw the quarter deck guns overboard, and got a launch on the fhip; at 8 carried away the foremaft and bowfprit, cut away the wreck, together with the fall bower, theet, and kedge anchors, being foul of the week, all hands being fill at the pumps, and a great deal of water in the hold, the feemingly water logged, on which we threw two of the main deck guns overboard; at * A. M. three feet water in the hold; at noon found the thip gave way very much, the fandards breaking and the decks opening, and great quantities of water commg down; the ihip being full, the thot lockers broke o en in the hold, the thot fell into the pump-well and thoaked the pumps; all hands employed in throwing the thot into the hold and pumping. 16th. First part very ftrong gales, and a vety heavy fea, till thipping a good deal of water; found the rudder iprang in the head; at 3 P. M. got a launch on the fhip, our thip company greatly fatigued; at 6 P. M. the gate began to moderate, kept the thip clear with the chain pumps, at midnight moderate weather; at 6 o'clock. M. got up a jury foremaft, and got the thip before the wind; node of the convoy in fight. 17th. Moderate and cloudy weather; employed in rigging the jury mail, the fea much tallen. 19th. Light breeze and fair weather; rigged a jury mail, and top gallant mast upon it; rigged the main topmait for a jury foremaft, and a top gallant maft upon it. 19th. Light airs and cloudy, bent the topfails for couries, and the top gallant fails for topfails. 25th. From the 20th to the 24th, nothing remarkable. 14th. Ar 4 A. M. fpoke a cartel from New Providence to Charlestown with 65 prifoners en board, Hilton Head bearing W. N. W. The cartel informed of having teen 20 fail onder Hilton Head, and feemingly large thips; we wore thip, and food to the fouthward; quarter past four, wind N. W. faw three large thips in the S. W. quarter; wore, and made all the fail we could from them, fteering N. E. at five found them in chace of us, and faw two fail to the weltward bearing down upa us; turned all hands to quarters; at 8 they hoited French colours, and the Sa ittaire coming very clofe up with us, the brought to and gave us two broadfides; we then drew from her, but few of her hot reached us, got up a larger foreyard and fa:1, and made all the fail we could from them; the Sagittaire re and made fail after us again; half paft eight get within half gunfhot of us; we ho ftour colours and came to action with her, dering which time all the other hips came up Aigh to us; we continued the action 75 mi ; the Sagittaire bare down upon us under var fern, and two of the other hips being witha gunshot of us, we ftruck our colours, Saving neither mafis or fails to command our hip; the fh ps coming up were two 74's, and two frigates, the Sagittaire 54 guns. Sir James Wallace is now in France. FORT STANWix forprifed. A body of troops from Canada, joined by a anber of loyaltis and Indians have fucceeded in a fudden attack of that very important Fort Stanwix upon the Mohawk river ad taken it by storm. It was furprifed by Jofeph Brant the Indian, and Col. Betler? the garrifon was only roomen, the rett were out burning Indian towns. JANUARY 4th. Yesterday at noon, Capt. Marfhall of the navy, arrived at the Admiralty with dispatches from Commodore Fielding, the contents of which are as follow. That on the afternoon of the 31st December 1aft, one of his fquadron then on a cruze in the channel, made the figual for teeing a fleet, which he immediately ordered to be chaced by his whole fquadron; and that in a few hours he came within hail of it, and found it to be a fleet of 17 fail of Dutch and American merchantmen under convoy of the Dutch Admiral Byland, with two ships of the line, and two frigates. Commodore Fielding immediately ordered his barge out, and tent his Captain on board the Dutch a miral, with his compliments, and begged to know where that fleet was bound; at the fame time requeiing permifion to fearch the merchantmen, a-. greeable to his inftructions :-The Admiral fent his Captain back with a very refpect ful anfwer, informing the Commodore, that the Datch men of war were bound to different frations in the West Indies, and the merchantmen for various ports of France; molt of which he acknowledged were laden with hemp and iron, but none with timber or cordage, but that he must beg to be excuted from permitting their being fearched, as his orders were cqu le politive to the contrary.-Commodore Fielding returned for answer, that he hoped the Admiral wou'd think beater of it the next morning, when he thould be under the neccility of renewing the application. The two fleets paffed the night in company, and at day-break next morning (Jan. 1.) the Commodore fent his Captain again with a more preffing meffage, adding at the fame time, that fearch the vefels he mud at all ha. zards. The Dutch adineral's reply was, that he was forry matters were likely to be brought to fuch extremity, for that on boats attempting to board any of his vedels, he thould not fulfil his duty, without firing upon them.--About ten o'clock therefore the English Commodore ordered a boat from every inip to be manned, and to row down to them with colours flying, which was inftantly complied with; but no fooner did the Dutch adm ral perceive the boats bearing down, than he fired a thot at them; Commodore Fielding immediately fired a shot a-head of the Dutch admiral from the Namure, which the latter returned with a boadfide; on this the Namore and Vigilant fired each a broadfide at the Dutch flag thip from their upper and middle tiers, when the Dutch admiral ftruck his flag, as did the rest of his fquadron and fleet; fortunately no lives were lot on either fide. Cominodore Fielding immediately fent an officer on board the admiral, requesting him to hoift his flag gain and pursue his voyage, fince he (the Commodore) had had fulfilled his duty in capturing the merchant veffels, which he must carry into port; the Admiral returned for answer, that he thought himself bound to share the fame fate with his convoy, and thould therefore proceed with them; but if the Commodore would make his request in writing, that he should hoift his colours, he would certainly comply with it; this being immediately done, the Dutch Admiral and his fquadron displayed their colours and faluted the English flag with 13 guns, which was returned by Commodore Fielding; who immediately after proceeded with the 17 fail of merchantimes, and 4 Dutch hips of war to Spithead, where they arrived on Sunday last. The fleet confifted of 27 fal of merchantmen, but ro of them parted corpany the night before they were feen by the Englith fquadron. Paul Jones was not in company with the above fleet, as is reported, but failed out of the Fexel in a foggy night about a fortnight ago, in a fingle thip (the Alliance); and from the Dutch admiral's account he went north about, to avoid the frigates that were cruifing for him. As foon as the above intelligence was received at the Admiralty, a copy of the dif.patches were fent to Count Weldern the Dutch Ambaffador. LONDON GAZETTE. Jan. II. Admiralty Office, Jan. 11. Captain Clerke, of his Majefty's floop the Refolution, in a letter to Mr. Stephens, dated the 8th of June 1779, in the harbour of St. Peter and St. Paul, Kamfchatka, which was received yesterday, gives the melancholy account of the late celebrated Capt. Cook, late commander of that floop, with four of his private marines, having been killed on the 14th of February laft at the ifland of O'why'he, one of the groupe of new dif overed iflands, in the 220 degree of noth latitude, in an affay with a numerous and tumultuous body of the natives. Capt. Clerke adds, that he had received e very friendly fupply from the Ruffian government; that as the companies of the Refolution and her confort the Discovery were in perfect health, and had 12 months provifions on board, he was preparing to make another attempt to explore a northern paffage to Europe. This untimely and ever to be lamented fate of fo intrepid, fo able, and fo intelligent a fea officer, may juitly be confidared as an irreparable lofs to the public, as well as to his family; for in him were united every useful and amiable quality that could adorn his profeflion; nor was his fingular modefty lefs confpicuous than his other virtues. His fuccefsful experi ments to preserve the healths of his crews are well known; and his difco veries will be an everlafting honour to his country. The Thynne packet, Capt. Jenkins from Jamaica, is arrived at Falmouth. Sh after a paflage of feven weeks. left Jamaica the 20th of November, and brings a confirmation of the a greeable news of Rear Admiral Parker's having taken a large fleet of French flips, laden with ftores and provisions for the Weft India ifiands, and fent them into Barbadoes and Antigua, the particulars of which are as follow: Sent into BARBADOES. 15 in all The capture of the above fleet will be feverely felt by the enemy, and defeat the blow certainly intended againft fome of our fettlements, many of them being fhips of large force, and on being unloaded, their cannon were found in the hold. In the London Gazette of Dec. 4. a proclamation was published for a general faft to be obferved on Friday the 4th of February next. Twenty-one fail of the line, under Admirals Rodney, Digby, and Rofs, failed to relieve Gibraltar, after which Admiral Rodney with part of the fleet goes to the West Indies. POLITICAL MAGAZINE AND PARLIAMENTARY Naval, Military, and Literary ILLUSTRATED with a very Elegant and Striking LIKENESS of the prefent For JANUARY, 1780. 1 Jatnying Memorial of Great Britain in aniwer to the French Mamiiello; this ftate paper is now before Parliament, and is the compolition of the celebrated author of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Mr. Gibbon 59 II. Characters of the principal Speakers in the Houle of Commons of Ireland; their rife, conduct, and views, whether minifterial or anti-mmifterial 72 Ill. Grateful Speeches and Refolves in the Houles of Lords and Commons in Ireland, on the Relief granted to their trade by the English Parliament, with the Opinions of the Members on the conduct of the Oppofition in England 75 IV. Curious and authentic Characters of the King and Royal Family of Spain, at 3 different periods, 1760, 1774, 1776. Defcription of the King's perfon, way of life, temper, genius, and abfolute power; of the late Queen and her Confidante: Spanith army, militia, and navy in 1760; revenues and expences; court of Spain in 1774; Spamith army and militia in 1774. An exact defcription of the grand naval arfenal at Ferrol: registered feamen. Spanish army in 1776, number, drefs, pay, time of fervice. Naval arfenal and harbour of Carthagena, and of the Moorish Slaves and their dreadful treatment. King and Royal Family in 1776; Don Lewis's marriage alters the marriage laws of Spain; the King's infanity a family diforder. Riches and trade of Spanish America; galleon, flota, regifter and Acapulco trade: gold, filver, and revenue drawn from Spanish America Lace 1492; prefent revenue drawn from it; taxes levied in it; and taxes on goods exported to it 78 V. Authentic Lifts of the Spanish, French, and English fleets, with their various fla VI. Signal Inflance of impartial Justice in the King of Pruffia's condemnation of his High Chancellor and Judges 86 VII. Divifions on the principal motions in the Houfe of Peers, from Dec. 1ft to the Chritmas recefs; with a curious animadverfion by Mr. Eden on a part of Lord Shelburne's Speech 88 Vill. The Debates in the House of Conmons from the day of meeting a ter the recefs up to the day of publication 90 IX. The Houfe of Peers meets and adjourns tions 84 PRINTED for J. BEW, PATER-NOSTER ROW, and fold by every Bookfeller and News Carrier in Great-Britain. Bank Stock 112 113 3 per cent. reduced, 61 a § 3 per cent. confol., fhut 60 a 2 Ditto 1726 fhut. 3 per cent. 1758 fhut. 4 per cent. confol. Ditto new 1777: 1762 617 a Bank long annuities fhut. Ditto fhort 1777. Ditto 1778 fhut 114 Ditto 1779. India flock. Ditto Annuities 58 Ditto bonds 26 27 pr. 3 per cent. 1751 shut. New Navy, 11 dif. Exchequer Bills, 8 a 9 pr. fine Smithfield, January 28, 1780. Average prices of beef, 3d. farthing; mutton 3d, pork 4d. veal 4d. 3 farthings per pound. The continued froft obliges the graziers to fend their beafts to market in great numbers. At Leadenhall market, raw hides from 115 6d. to 21. 138. each * * Coals in the Pool, 38 s. to per charldron (36 bufhels.) BANKRUPTS. 40s. Robert Kent, of Soham in the isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire. John Hogg and Henry Wagstaff, of Northfield, Worcestershire. Henry Hatch of Evesham, Worcefterfhire. Matthew Warren, of the city of York. Styles Lely, of Lincoln, Lincolnfhire. Jofeph Scholey, of Bridge ftrect, Cambridge. Samuel Huggins, of Hampton on the hill, Warwickshire. Robert Scruton, of Great St. Helens, Bishopgate-ftreet, London. Thomas Smith, of St. Martin in the Fields, Middlesex. Chadderton, Lancaster. Ralph Brown of Little Green, Ifaac Cattle, late of Long Alley, Moorfields, Middlefex. Portugal, but now of Newton near John Bayly, late of Oporto, in Cambridge. Charles Maitland, of Newmarket, in Suffolk. *M. N. might have feen in our Preliminary Number, that we only propofed to give a flight fketch of the debates that happened previous to our publications: We shall afluredly be more copious in our accounts of the fucceeding Parliamentary bufinefs. East India affairs as they occur fhall certainly find a place. VALERIUS's favour came to hand just as we had compleated our publication for January, we are obliged to him, and his letter fhall be attended to. |