Page images
PDF
EPUB

the public tranquillity is the pretext; but, in fact, the certainty of obtaining the fame end by more lenient meafures, as foon as things are fettled, and the King fully established on his throne, is the fole cause of the prefent calm; and what is not a little remarkable, is the Emperor's acknowledging the National Flag of France throughout his dominions.

After the refignation of M. de la Fayette was become publicly known and authenticated, all the companies that compofe the fixty battalions of Paris Guards deputed each a Member to repair to the Town hall, to testify their respect by their attendance.At this Meeting they voted, in reward for his fervices, a gold-handled (word to be prefented to him, with this infcription engraved on it: "A la Fayette, l'Armée Parifienne reconnaiffante l'an troisième de la Liberté;" and then refolved to petition the National Affembly to grant to M. de la Fayette an indemnification for the different facrifices he had made to the State.

On the 15th of September, the Polish Diet met again after its adjournment, and the Deputies for the Burgeffes then appeared, for the first time, among the Reprefentatives of the Nation, according to the provifions of the New Conftitution.

The fitting commenced with the prefentation of thefe Burgeffes by M. Wybicki, who, though of a Noble Order, did not think himself degraded by reprefenting the TiersEtat of the town of Pofnanie.

In a difcourfe which was very much applauded, this Gentleman prefented, in the name of the Cities, twelve pieces of cannon to the Republick, and to the King a ftatue. The Abbé Kolontay anfwered, in the name of the King, "That his Majefty accepted the offer of the Cities, in the hope, that the monument, which was fo honourable to himself in particular, would at the fame time serve to perpetuate the glory of the Diet."

EAST INDIES.

Whiteball, Oct. 5. The letters from the Eaft Indies, of which the following ase copies, were this day received by the Warren Haftings, one of the Company's ships: "To the Honcurable Court of Directors for Affairs of the Honourable the United Company of Merchants of England trading to the Eait Indies.

"Honourable Sirs,

"I SHALL not trouble your Honourable Court with an explanation of the nature of the inceffant exertions, both of body and mind, which are required by the various duties of my prefent fituation; nor fhould I now have alluded to them, but that I am under the indifpenfable neceflity of stating them, as the caufe of my being obliged, on this occafion, instead of entering into a detail of particulars, to limit myfelf to a concife and general account of our late operations, and of my future intentions.

"Our preparations for the campaign having been completed at Madras, the army marched from Velhout on the 5th of February; and, having reached Vellore on the 11th, we halted there two days, for the purpose of drawing from thence a fupply to my ftock of provifions, and an addition that had been prepared to the battering train, and of receiving fome ftores and recovered men from Arnee.

"I had, previous to my arrival at Vellore, employed every means in my power to ob tain accurate defcriptions of the different paffes that lead into the Myfore country; and having feen fufficient grounds to be confident that the Moogly país could eafily be rendered practicable, I turned off to the right at Vellore, and not only afcended the pafs without much difficulty, but, by having taken a route that Tippoo does not feem tó have expected, i was alfo lucky enough to advance a confiderable diftance into his country, before it was pouible for him to give us the leaft obstruction.

"The forts of Colar and Oufcottal lay in our route to Bangalore, and furrendered to us without refiftance; but, as neither of them were in a tenable condition, nor at that time of any value to us, I left them unoccupied, after difarming and difmiling their fmall garrifons.

"I arrived before Bangalore on the afternoon of the 5th of March, and on the 6th the engineers were employed in reconnoitering the place, both in the morning and evening: on their later excurfion, LieutenantColonel Floyd, who escorted them with the whole cavalry, difcovered the rear of Tippoo's line of march, apparently in great confufion, and unfortunately fuffered himself to be tempted, by the flattering profpect of ftriking an important blow, to deviate from the orders he had received from me, and to attack the enemy. His fuccefs at firft was great, but the length and ardour of the purfuit threw his iquadrons into great confu-, fion. In this ftate they were charged by Tippoo's cavalry, and, being out of the reach of all fupport, they were obliged to retire with great precipitation, and with the lofs of above 200 men, and near 300 hoifes. Lieutenant-Colonel Floyd received a very fevere wound in the face; from which, however, I have the pleafure to add, that he is now perfectly recovered.

"The ill fuccefs of our examination, the fear of lofing time, and many other circumftances, of which the hopes of obtaining a fupply of forage was not the leaft, induced me to determine immediately to attack the fort from the Pettah fide. The Pettah was accordingly affaulted and carried on the morning of the 7th; and the fiege of the fort, which was rendered fingularly arduous, not only by the fcarcity of torage, and the strength of its works and garrison, but also by the prefence of Tippoo and his whole

army,

958

Interefling Intelligence from the East Indies.

army, was happily terminated by an affault on the night of the 21ft in which the Kellidar, and a great number of his garrifon, were put to the fword; and our lofs, in pròportion to the nature of the enterprise, was extremely inconfiderable. I cannot, however, help expreffing, on this occafion, my fincere regret for the death of that brave and valuable officer Lieutenant-Colonel Moorhoufe, who was killed at the affault of the Pettah on the 7th of March *.

"I have not yet been able to obtain correct lifts of the ordnance, or of the different articles that were found in the magazines of the place; and I can therefore only fay in general, that there were upwards of one Imndred ferviceable pieces of ordnance, near fifty of which were brats, a large quantity of grain, and an immenfe defêr of military

Яtores.

"Although Tippoo approached our pofition, and even cannonaded the camp, both on the 7th and 17th, yet on thefe occafions, and on all others during the fiege, he took his measures with fo much caution, as put it effectually out of my power to force him to risk an action; and on the night of the alfault he retired, in great hafte, from the South fide of the fortress, where he was then pofted, immediately upon his being acquainted with its fall. After giving fome repairs to the breaches, making a number of neceffary arrangements, and leaving the train of heavy artillery to be refitted during my abfence, I moved from Bangalore on the 28th, with the defign of fecuring a fafe and 1peedy junction with a large body of cavalry that the Nizam had promifed to fend to me, and of receiving a reinforcement of troops, and a fupply of provifions and flores, which I had fome time before ordered to be in readinefs to join me, by the way of Amboor, from the Carnatic, confidering thofe as necellary preliminary measures for enabling me to proceed to the attack of Seringapa tam; and I, at the fame time, communicated my intentions to Geveral Abercromby, and directed him to ufe every exertion in his power, that might be confiftent with the fafety of the corps under his command, to prepare himfelf, in the manner that I prefcribed, to give me effectual affistance when 1 fhould reach the enemy's capital.

"Tippoo having made a movement to the Weftward on the fame day that I marched from the neighbourhood of Bangalore, I fell in with his rear, at the diftance of about eight or nine miles from that place; but, from the want of a fufficient body of cavalry, it was found impracticable, after a purfuit of considerable length, either to bring

For a more enlarged account of this excellent officer, with a detail of facts corroborative of the prefent letters, fee the Eaft India intelligence in our laft.

[ocr errors]

him to action, or to gain any advantage over him, except that of taking one brafs gun, which, owing to its carriage breaking down, he was obliged to leave upon the road.

"My firit object being to form a junction with the Nizam's cavalry, I made fuch movements, or took fuch pofitions, as I knew would effectually prevent Tippoo from intercepting them, or even from difturbing their march; but, although I was at great pains to point out the fafety of the march to Rajah Teige Wunt, and to encourage him to proceed, the effects of my recommendations and requests were but flow; an 1, after wafte of time, which, at this late feafon of the year, was invaluable, and which almost exhaufted my patience, this junction was not made till the 13th instant.

"It is not eafy to afcertain the number of the corps with precifion, but I fuppofe it to amount to fifteen or fixteen thoufand horse; and, though they are extremely defective in almost every point of military difcipline, yet, as the men are in general well mounted, and the Chiefs have given me the strongest affurances of their difpofition to do every thing in their power to promote the fuccefs of our operation, I am in great hopes that we fhall derive material advantage from their affistance.

"This junction being accomplished, I marched on to effect my next object without lofs of time; and having arrived at my prefent camp on the 18th, and ordered the most expeditious measures to be taken for tranfporting the flores from the head of the país, I fhail commence my march again to the Weftward on the 22d, and, after calling at Bangalore for the heavy artillery, I trust that I thall find it practicable to reach Serin gapatam before the 12th of next month.

"No useful purpose could be promoted by my enumerating the difficulties which I have already encountered in carrying on the operations of this campaign, and it would be equally unprofitable to enlarge at prefent upon the obftacles which I foretee to our fu ture progrefs; they are, however, of fo weighty a nature, that under different circumftances I fhould undoubtedly act with more caution, and defer the attempt upon the enemy's capital till after the enfuing rains; but, acquainted as I am with the unfettled fuuation of political affairs in Europe, and knowing that a procraftinated war would occafion almost certain ruin to your finances, I confides it as a duty which I owe to my ftation and to my country, to difregard the hazard to which my own military reputation may be expofed, and to protecute, with every fpecies of precaution that my judgement or experience can fuggeft, the plan which is most likely to bring the war to an early decifion.

"I have, at the fame time, been the more encouraged to perfevere in the execution of my

my original intentions, as both the Nizam and the Mahrattas have of late fhewn an uncommon alacrity in fulfilling their engagements, which, by the fmalleft appearance of backwardness on our part, would be im mediately cooled; and which, I trust, will, in addition to our own efforts, effentially contribute to counteract many of the difadvantages which the difficulty of the march, the risk of fcarcity of provifions and forage, and the approach of the rainy feafon, prefent against the undertaking; and, if thofe obftacles can be overcome, the capture of Seringapatam will probably, in its confequences, furnish an ample reward for our labours.

"A few days after our fuccefs at Banga lore, Tippoo repeated his propositions to open a negociation for terminating ou differences; but whether with a fincere defire to obtain peace, or with the infidious hopes of inciting jealoufies in our allies, by inducing me to liften to his advances, is not certain. The line for my conduct, however, was clear; and, conformable to our treaties, I declined, in civil and moderate terms, to receive a perfon of confidence, on his part, to difcufs the feparate interests of the Company; but informed him, that, if he should think proper to make propofitions, in writing, for a general accommodation with all the Members of the Confederacy, I should, after communicating with the other Powers, tranfmit our joint fentiments upon them.

"1 fhall refer you entirely at prefent to the accounts that you will receive from the different Governments of the details of their refpective bufinefs; and fhall only add, that the perfonal attention that I have experienced from the Members of the Supreme Board, and the zeal which they have manifefted, fince I left Calcutta, in promoting the pub. lic good, have given me very particular fatisfaction.

"The Swallow packet will remain in readinefs to be dispatched in Auguft, or fooner, if it fhould be thought expedient; and I shall, by that opportunity, have the honour of writing fully to you on feveral of thofe fubjects, on which you muft, no doubt, be anxious to receive minute information.-[ cannot, however, conclude this letter without bearing the most ample testimony to the zeal and alacrity which have been uniformly manifefted by his Majesty's and the Company's troops, in the performance of the various duties of fatigue and danger in the courfe of this campaign; and affuring you, that they are entitled to the most diftinguished marks of your approbation.

"I have the honour to be,
"With the greatest refpect,
"Honourable Sirs,
"Your most obedient, and
"Moit humble fervant,
"CORNWALLIS.

Camp at Venkettig berry,
April 21, 179

[ocr errors]

"

"Camp at Verkettizberry, 24 miles Weft of mbor, April 21, 1791.

<<< Sir,

"I SHOULD have had, on this occafion, a particular pleafuce in communicating to you, for his Majesty's information, a detailed account of the operations of the army under my command fince the opening of this campaign; but the various branches of bufinefs which require immediate attention and difpatch, engrofs fo much of my time in the field, that I am under the unavoidable neceflity of poftponing a communication of that nature to a future opportunity: I fhall, however, in the mean time, chiefly rely for my apology upon a continuance of that gracious indulgence from his Majesty, which i have fo frequently experienced at his hands.

"The fame reasons have allo obliged me to confine myfelf to a very concise statement of the principal occurrences in my letter to the Court of Directors of the Eaft India Company; but, by the means of that letter, and the copies of my correfpondence with the Refidents at the Courts of Hydrabad and Poonah, and of my late letters to the Government of Fort St. George, which will, no doubt, be tranfmitted to you from the Indiahoufe, you will have it in your power to convey to his Majefty a general knowledge of the prefent fituation of our affairs in this country; and you will have the fatisfaction to observe, not only that our fuccefs has already been confiderable, but that we have a reasonable prospect of being able to humble fill further a Prince of very uncommon ability, and of bundlefs ambition, who had acquired a degree of power, in extent of territory, in wealth, and in forces, th threatened the Company's poffedions in the Carnatic, and thofe of all his other neighbours, with imminent danger.

"Our fucceís at Bangalore has tended to eftablish, in the general opinion of the natives, the fuperiority of the British arms; and it has, in particular, made an impre.lion on the minds of our Allies, which, I am perfuaded, will contribute to induce them to ufe vigorous exertions in profecuting the war to an honourable conclufion.

"At prefent we can only look for the fpeedy accomplishment of that defirable object by proceeding to attack the enemy's capital, which, I clearly forefee, will, from the near approach of the feafon of the periodical rains, and the danger of a scarcity of provisions and forage for the large bodies of troops that are to be employed, be attended with fo many difficulties, that, upon any other occafion, I should have thought it advifeable to have deferred the attempt till the end of the enfuing Monfoon.

"Having, however, been informed of the critical fituation of political affairs in Europe, and being fenfible that the finances of the Company require the adoption of thofe meafures that are most likely to bring the conteft

[ocr errors]

960 Intelligence from the East and Weft Indies, and America. [0.

to an early decifion, I have thought it my duty to hazard the undertaking; and, having received the strongest affurances of exertions from the Chiefs of the Nizam's cavalry that are now with me, and the Mahrattas having alfo promised a hearty co-operation against the common enemy, I am encouraged to entertain fanguine hopes that all obftacles will give way to our efforts, and that the enterprife will fucceed.

I have, on all occafions, had the greatest reafon to be fatisfied with the behaviour of his Majefty's troops ferving with this army; but the effects of their courage and difcipline were eminently confpicuous in the affault of the fortress of Bangalore, and will ever reflect the highest honour upon themfelves and upon his Majesty's service.

"I am perfuaded that the zeal, which generally prevails in this army, to promote the honour and interests of Britain, has never been exceeded: but, amongst thofe officers who have had an opportunity to render diftinguished fervices, 1 muft particularly mention Lieutenant-Colonel Maxwell and Mafor Skelly, the first having conducted the affault, which was entrusted to his direction, with great fpirit and ability; and the latter having, on that occafion, led the European Grenadiers and Light Infantry of the army, and highly contributed, by his own animated example, to their fuccefs.

"likewife feel my felf much indebted to Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart, for the able affiftance which I conftantly derive from his great military experience, and his anxiety to promote, by every means in his power, the good of the fervice; and the friendly fupport which I receive from General Medows, muft command any lafting efteem and gratitude.

"I have the honour to be, Sir,
"Your most obedient, and
"Moft humble fervant,
"CORNWALLIS.

"Right Hon. W. W, Grenville,
"One of His Majefty's Prin-
"cipal Secretaries of State."

WEST INDIES.

From the Jamaica Royal Gazette, July 23. -Accounts have been received from North

America, that a large double-decked brig had been feen off St. George's Banks, with all her fails handed, and the crew lying dead on the quarter-deck, fuppofed to have been killed by lightning. Four feet water were in the hold; and on the ftern, part of which was broken away, was infcribed, "The Betfey, of St. John's."

On the 18th of last month, in the Island of Cuba, about five miles from the Havannah, where the King of Spain's mills for the manufacture of fnuft are fituated, there is a' river, which runs between two hills, much frequented by the inhabitants for bathing.A gentle rain had fallen in the earlier part of

the day; but towards evening such a deluge poured down, and continued for about three hours inceffantly, as raifed the water between the hills upwards of fifty feet; deftroying, in that short time, thofe ftupendous mills, and all the buildings on its banks, in which near five hundred perfons perished; and the damage is computed at more than four millions of dollars.

AMERICA.

Accounts which came in the Newcastle, Captain Smith, from the Delaware, which place fhe left on the 2d of Auguft last, advife, that, immediately after the Chiefs of Oncida and Cayuga Indians left the Council Fires at New Orleans, where they had been invited by the Spanish Governor, according to the annual custom, all the warriors of thofe nations rendezvoufed at the forts of the Altamoha; and that vast numbers of the Creeks and Choctaws affembled on the confines of the Cayuga, from whence they had done great mifchief to the Southward of the Ohio, having cut-off great numbers of the fettlers, who were on their way to the new fettlements at Gineffu; and it was apprehended, that the next accounts from the Indian country would acquaint us, that the whole body had formed a junction near Canadofca.

It is reported, with fome degree of probability, that, by tracing the Lakes from Hudfon's Straits to the Straits of Juan de Fuca, by a man and a boy, a paffage had been difco vered from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean without going round Cape Horn. This paf fage, however, can never be made navigable for fhips of burden, without an expence that will hardly ever be undertaken.

In the United Provinces, the American people are not all equally protected, nor equally flourishing. On the Eastern borders, next the fea, their trade enables them to get rich apace. In Providence Town, in Rhode Ifland, a bank is in contemplation, confifting of forty thousand dollars, to be increased in future as occafion ferves.

On the Back Settlements the people are held in continual terror by the murders and depredations of the Indians.

In Montgomery County, in the Province of Philadelphia, the inhabitants were vifited by a ftorm, in which the crops of grain, and every green thing, were destroyed, as far as its violence extended. Neat cattle, theep, Hogs, and poultry, were killed by the hailstones, fome of which were picked up, and weighed near three ounces. Many perfous, unavoidably expofed, were wounded; and it was obferved, that the horfes had large fwe lings on their heads and bodies, occafioned by this unparalleled phænomenon.

On the Ohio, feveral travellers have been murdered by the Indians; who, in general, have made their escapes, with their booty.

IRELAND

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

By accounts from Armagh, there were no lefs than thirteen criminals to be tried for murder at the late affizes of that place. At the former affizes there were thirty-five tried for the fame heinous offence.

It is much to be lamented, that the caufes of fuch horrid transactions are religious contentions, which must seriously affect every liberal and humane mind, who must devoutly wish them to be fuppreffed for ever.

At Dublin, on the 19th of September, the first stone of the new Houfe of Industry, on an extenfive plan, was laid by the Right Honourable Thomas Conolly, as the first mover of a bill for the establishment of a regular fyftem for the fupport of the poor of that kingdom.

On Thursday evening, the 13th instant, a very heavy fall of rain began, which continued for twenty hours without intermiffion. In confequence thereof, many streets in the city of Dublin were inundated; and that part of the Tholfel where the Recorder's Court is held was fo flooded, that it was found neceffary to adjourn the Court, which had been opened for the trial of civil caufes.

A wager against time was lately run for on the Curragh. At a late meeting of the Gentlemen of the Turf, a Gentleman speaking of a confiderable atchievement of a Mr. Conolly in the riding way, Mr. Wilde propofed to ride 127 miles in nine fucceffive hours, which was thought impoffible, and betts to the amount of 1900l. were offered by Colonel Lum, and others, and accepted by Mr. Wilde, who performed it in fix hours and twenty one minutes: of course he had two hours and thirty-nine minutes to fpare. He is faid to have had ten horses, the fleeteft that could be procured. The dependance of the betters was chiefly on the inability of the man to endure the exceeding great fatigue.

The demand for beef and butter has this year been greater than has been known in times of peace, and the price advanced in proportion. At Cork, orders have been received for 2300 cafks of beef and 800 calks of pork, to fupply Grenada and St. Chriftopher's, befides an immenfe quantity of beef and butter for the garrifons in England and at Gibraltar. The average price for butter, given by the merchants, is from fix pence half-penny to feven pence half-penny per pound, a price never before known.

GENT. MAG. O&ober, 1791.

SCOTLAND.

In confequence of a very heavy rain which fell, on the 9th and roth instant, about Glasgow, Edinburgh, and the neighbouring country, the Clyde and the Efk rofe to fuch a height, as to overflow their banks, and to inundate the lower parts of the feveral towns through which they pals; and they also fwept away all the corn which was cut and uncarried through their whole course.Such a flood, fo destructive in its progrefs, has not happened these many years.

George Davidfon, for forgery, and James Plunket, lately a foldier, for robbery, both under fentence of death, and who were to have been executed on the 26th inftant, found means to make their efcape. When the two under-gaolers went up, about ten o'clock at night, to lock up the prifoners, Plunket begged he might have a pot of por ter, which was granted; and, having drank heartily, he offered the remainder to his keeper, who, while he was drinking, had a pistol held to his throat by Plunket, who swore he had no: an hour to live, if he spoke a word. At the fame inftant Davidfon held a pifto! at the heart of the other underkeeper; and, having terrified them by threats, they bound them with cords, whicht they had provided for the occafion, unchained, themselves from the bar to which they were chained down to the floor, and walked off unfuspected. The two under-gaolers were ordered by the Magiftrates to be imprisoned. A new fpecies of forgery has lately been played-off, which is no lefs diftrefsful to the mind, than the forgery on the property of the individual is to his eftate; and which is more dangerous, as it may be more fafely practifed, and cannot be fo eafily detected.

The following letter, faid to have been found at fea, inclosed in a bottle, will more clearly explain the nature of the forgery alluded to, than any circuitous elucidation that could be attempted.

"On board the Arnold, bound from Leith to Elburg; written at the moment she is finking.

"My dear, dear father! "Deprived of the hope of ever feeing you again, and on the point of perifhing, along with seventeen human creatures, I look upon it as my duty to write to you, and at leaft to try whether my letter, inclosed in this bottle, may not reach the land. In that cafe, I confide in the humanity of the person who finds it to tranfmit it by the poft.

"During last night, just about midnight, our veffel fprung a leak, and the water has gained fo faft upon the pumps, that we defpair of her being any longer able to fwim.

"A few minutes before, the long-boat happened unfortunately to be staved: therefore we have no longer any hope of efcaping from the pitiless ocean.

" I ard

« PreviousContinue »