A fhip, of 300 tons, 16 guns (Spanish) with fome deer fkins. A brig, 140 tons, with lumber. to march at an hour's notice, in order to embark for America. This day at noon the right hon. the Lord Mayor, three of the aldermen, fher ffs, and a number of the common council, met at Guildhall, from whence they went in proceffion, attended by the city officers, to St. James's, where, being introduced by the lord in wait. ing, they prefented their addrefs on the safe delivery of the queen of another prince. They were received very graciously; his majefty thanked them for their dutiful and affectionate A floop, 75 tons, 100 negroes, with flour, addrefs; and faid, their congratulations and and fome indigo. A floop, 40 tons, with furniture. A fchooner, 60 tons, with fome indigo and tobacco. All the above were delivered into the care of Mr. M Culloch, agent for the navy at Savannah. A floop, 90 tons, 15 men, to guns, burnt. A floop, 90 tons, 8 men, 4 guns, burnt. 1779, Jan. 13. By the Vigilant's tender. Sloop Sarah, fezed at fea, Francis Salter maf ter, 60 tons, 72 men, the crews of two rebel gal eys, burnt by the rebels, from Sunbury to Charles Town, with falt. the fentiments which they expreffed on the further increase of his family, could not fail of affording him great pleafure and fatisfaction.After which they were regaled with wine, cake, &c. as ufual. Eight regiments of foot are marked down to go to America this spring. 3. By accounts from Ireland by yesterday's mail, we are informed, that four regiments, confifting of 1505 men each, are immediately to be raised, the command of which will be given to Lord Rofs, and Colonels Luttrell, Burgoyne, and Stopford, and that the expence is to be defrayed by the feveral offices in the H. PARKER.refpretive regiments. Advice is received, that five French hips, which were bound from Guadaloupe to N.niz, chiefly laden with the effects of feveral families which were going from thence for France, were all taken by Commodore Hotham's fleet, and carried into Antigua. Two thousand foldiers are to be fent out in the next fleet that fails for the Weft-Indies, to fil up the vacancies at the different Leewa d lands, and defend them against the French. Extract of a letter from Chefter, Feb. 23, fays, A gentleman arrived in this city from Fort James, in Africa, with an exprefs to Lord George Germaine: he was ten weeks on his paffige, and landed at Galway, in Ireland, in to which place the floop Little Wil, in which he came home, was forced by fress of weather. By whom we are informed, that the governor, and principal officers of Senegal were dead; that the garrifon were fo unhealthy, that few of the troops remained alive, that prov fons March, 10. Letters from the Grenada Gawere very fearce, but that we ftill kept poffef- zette, brought with the difp tches to the adfion of Senegal at Fort James. He alfo in-miralty, fay, that they no longer entertain any forms us, that the French had taken the Gam-doub's for their own fafery or that of the bia packet, belonging to Senegal, and carried neighbouring iflands; that D'Eftaign's mifcarriage at St. Lucia has been at ended wi h her into Gorce, 24. Orders are fent to Gen. Clinton, at New-the most happy confequences; and the inhabiYork, for a further detachment of troops to be fent from thence to Georgi, to carry into execution the plan of Col. Campbell, for the reduction of South and North Carolina, there being a great number of perfons we'l affected to government in both these provinces. 25. A train of artillery is getting ready at Woolwich to be fent to Amer ca, the officers of which are ordered to hold themfelves in readiness to proceed to Portsmouth there to embark. 26. The amount of the troops at New York, before the drafts were made for the West Indies and Georgia, was 25,000. Of thefe 5000 went to the former place, and 3000 to the latter, so that about 17,000 now remain with Gen. Clinton. Mar. 1. This morning the guards, quartered in the Tower, who have turned out volunteers without any draft being made from them, received orders to hold themselves in readinets. tants returned to the peaceable profecurion of their planting, and other employment; that admiral Byron has joined admiral B rington; that D'Eftaign, from threatening fire and fword, is obliged to act on the defenfive, and that the two admirals have formed the blockade of Martinico, in which harbour the French admi ral is faid to be at last closely fhut up. 11 A number of fmall veffels are ordered by the lords of the admiral y to cruize between Hull and London, for the better protection of the trade. 12. This morning five men out of every company in the three regiments of guards, were muflered in Hyde Park, and are foon to march to Portsmouth, to be embarked for America. The above have all turned out volunteers; fuch is the fpirit of the foot-guards, that more than ha f the number of the whole three regi ments have offered themselves voluntarily. 15. A regular packet boat is to be establish ed HOME NEW S ed between Falmouth and Georgia, to fail the firit Wednesday in every month, for the conveniency of that calony, and the Floridas. 15. By the laft advices from the Weft-Ind.es, general Grint was gone from St. Lucia to Dominica to take rofl- ffion of it. The Hon. Admiral Auguftus Keppel has been fubpoena'd to give evidence on the im pending trial of vice dmiral Pallifer, tor d fo bed ence to orders, by direction of the admira'ty board. Weftminfier, March 16. This day the lords being met, a meffinger was tent to the Hon. House of Commons, acquinting them that the lords authorized by virtue of his majesty's com miflion, for declaring his royal aflent to feveralfts ag eed upon by both houses, do defire their immediate attendance in the houfe of pee s, to bear the commiflion read; and the commons being come thither, the faid commiffion, impowering the lord archbishop of Canterbury, the lord high chancellor of Greas Britain, the lord Prefident of the council, and feve al other lords the en mentioned, to declare and notify the royal aflent to the faid acts, was read accordingly, and the royal affent given to. An act for rating a certain fum of money by way of anouilies, and for establishing a Jottery. An act for punishing mutiny and defertion, and for the better payment of the army and their quarters. An aft to explain and amend an act, intitu'ed, an act for reduc ng into one act of pariia. ment the laws relating to the government of his majesty's hips, velle's, and forces by fea. An act for the better fupaly of mariners and feamen to ferve in his majefly's hips of war, and on bo rd merchant fhips. And to feveral road, inciofure and private bilis. St. James's, March 17, Copy of a Letter from Pondicherry, Otober 27, 1778. I have the honour to inform your lordftip of the fuccefs of the East India company's troops against Pondicherry, after a fiege of two months and ten days from the first investing of the place. The town-fu rendered by capitulation on the 17th of October, and I have fent herewi h the terms of capitulation. I have to request your lordship will be pleased to lay them be tore his majefty, and as I have been fo fortunate as to have had the honour of command ing troops that have reduced a place of íuch confequence to the British settlements in Todia, my u'moft with now is, to have his majesty's approbation of niy conduct. As your lordship may wish to be informed of the operations of the troops during the fiege, I have the honour to fend you the following account :— On the 8th of Augufl, part of the troops 165 intended for the fiege encamped on the Red Hill, within four miles of Pondicherry; but it was the 21ft before a fufficient number of troops were affembled, fo that we could attempt to advance. On this day we took poffeffion of the Bound Hedge, within cannon fhot of Pondicherry, which prevented all commun cation with the town by land. On the 6th and 7th of September we broke ground. both on the north and fouch fide of the town, it having been determined to carry on two attacks; and on the 18th we opened our batteries with 28 pieces of heavy, artillery, and 27 mortars. Tho' our fire on the town was very great, yet the enemy's was equally fo on us from daybreak 'till towards the evening, when our batseries had apparently the advantage, and the fire from the fortrets decreafed grearly. The approaches were continued with the utmoft expedition poflible; but the obftinate defence of the gar:ifon made it neceffary to act with caution, and the violent rains that fell retarded the works. A gallery being carned into the ditch to the fou hward, a breach made in the Bastion called L'Hofpital, and the faces of the adjacent Baflions being al o destroyed, it was refolved to pass the ditch by means of a bridge of boats made for the purpofe, and to affault the place; while, on the north attack, our batteries had ruined the east face of the north west Baflion, and a float was prepared to pass the troops over the ditch at the fame time; another atrack was to have been made on the feafide to nor hward, where they had stockades running into the water. This was intended to have been put into execntion the 15th of 080her before day-1 ght; but in the forenoor of the 14th the water in the ditch to the fouthward was fo raifed by the rains for two or three days before, that it forced itself into the gallery, broke it down, and damaged the boats intended for the bridge. It required two days to repair the damage done; and every thing being ready for the affault, it would have taken place on the 17 h; but on the 16th M. Bellecombe fent me a letter by his Aid de camp, M. de Villene, relative to a capitulation, which was figned by both parties the next day. The gallant defence made by M. leave, in juftice to the troops I had the honour Bellecombe will ever do him honour, and I beg they acted with the most determined refolution to command, to aflure your lordship, that on every occafion. I am in a moft particular majefty's fquadron, who most chearfully gave manner obliged to Sir Edward Vernon, and his every affifance during the whole fiege; and when the affault was refolved on, Sir Edward landed his marines, and 200 feamen, to affit in the attack. The articles of canitulation amount to twenty-fix, by the fi-ft of which the garrifon are allowed to march out with all the honours of war. I have the honor of fending your lordship herewith a return of the killed and wounded on both fides, together with a lift of cannon and flores taken in Pondicherry. These dispatches will be delivered to your lordship by enfign Rumbold, of the 6th regiment of foot, who obtained his majesty's leave to come to India with his father, the governor of this fe tlement. He has acted as one of my Aides de Camp fince I have been on this coaft; and, as I have great reafon to be perfectly fatisfied with his conduct, I beg leave to .ecommend him to your lordship as a young man of merit. He takes with him the colours of Pondicherry, to have the honour of laying them at his majesty's feet. I have the honour to be, &c. IRON GUNS. Unferviceable. thirty-fix pounders, 18 unferviceable, 181 29 BRASS GUNS. Serviceable. 6 twelve pounders, 6 eight ditto, 1 fix ditto, 18 four dito, 4 three ditto, 2 two ditto, 18 one ditto. Unferviceable. 3 one pounders. Total ferviceable, Howitzers. 6 three inch and half. 55 3 His Highness the Nabob's troops, 3 killed, 7 wounded. Total 224 killed, 693 wounded, (Signed) H. A. M. Cafby, Adj. Cen. The company's troops consisted of 10,500, of which 1500 we e European». Return of the Killed and Wounded in the Garrison of Pondicherry, 1778, (nearly) European officers, 7 killed, 19 wounded. European artillery, 29 killed, 69 wounded. Captain George Young arrived this afternoon from the Eat-Indies, with dispatches from commodore Sir Edward Vernon to Mr. Stephens, in which he gives an account of an indeclive action on the 10th of Auguft lalt with the French tquadron off Pondicherry. His fquadron confifted of the Rippon, Coventry, Seahorse, Valentine india ihip, and the Cormorant Bloop. Anothe letter fro.a Sir Edward Vernon is dated Maurafs 0 r 31, 1778, informing the Lords of the Admiral ty, that on the 25th at day-brek, he faw a ftrange fail very near him, itaring in for Pondicherry, upon which he made the Coventry and Sea-horfe's fignal to weigh and chece her, who immediately stood out to fea, with all the fail the could crowd; and to prevent lofing company with the trigates, he weighed and food out after them; about hit past eleven o'Clock A. M. faw the Sea-heric engaged with the chace, which foon after struck, and proved to be the Sartine irigate, one of Monf. Tronjolly's fquadron, who had loft company a few days before in chace. She is a fine thip, only two years old, and a prime failer; had, when he was taken, only 26 niue pounders mounted; but as fhe is of a larger camise than any of our 32 gun frigates, he purpoted, ordering the naval ftorekeeper to purchake her for his majesty's fervice. The Frensh qua 60 d oa confifted of the Brilliante of 64 guns, 45 Pourvoyeufe of 36 eighteen pounders, the Sar556 tine of 32, and two of their country thips 930 grmed as ours. BRASS MORTARS. Serviceable. 7 twelve inch, 5 eight ditto, 2 feven ditto, 4 fix ditto, 2 four ditto. Total, 20 IRON MORTAR S. Serviceable. 3 SMALL ARMS. 5934 248 108 T. Mannoung. Return of the Killed and Wounded of the Company's Ditto artillery, 17 killed, 61 wounded. Admiralty Office, March 17, 1779. Extract of a letter from Commodore Evans, to Mr. Stepbens, dated at Spitbead, March 15, 17.9. His majesty's cutter the Rattlefnake, of 10 carriage and 12 fwivel guns, with a complement of fixty men, commanded by Lieut. Knell, returned from a cruize to Spithead this morning, having had a very fevere action with two French privateer cutters, one of which the has brought into Sipthead with her. HOME NEW S. 167 gines prevented much more damage being done. The fire raged a long time before any water could be got. Lieut. Knell informs me, that yesterday | feveral perfons in the tulns. The floating enmorning at day-break he faw two French cutters, about two leagues to leeward of him, standing in for Frek Wa-er Bay, with the wind at Weft South Weft, he immediately wore and made fail atter them; the enemy, obferving his approach, made all the fail they could, and stood to tea, steering fouth fouth ealt The Rattlesnake give chace, and at half past one ofck P. M. (being then about four league from Havre-de-Grace) came up with and engages the largest cu ter, of 14 carriage gons 12 wivels, and 92 men; the other cutter, ca ed the Frela de Dunkerque, mounting 12 carriage guns to fwivels, and 82 men, which failed remarkably well, and is deemed one of the faftell failing cutiers out of France, cam- up to her affiftance and jointly engaged the Ratlefnake till four o'clock, when the largest ftruck; the other thee ed off, and attempted to efcip, but Licur. Knell perceiving her intention, bore down, fired three broadfides, and then boarded her, fearing the might get away by outfailing the Rattlefnake, and by that means carried her. The Rattleinake's people were immediately employed in fplicing and refitting the rigging, which was much damaged by the enemy's fhet; whilft in this fituation, the French cutter which had firft ftruck, crouded all her fail, and the Rattlesnake not being in a condition to follow her, the effected her efcapa. 19. Letters from Governor Tryon at NewYork advife, that no less than 200,000l. worth of prize property had been already brought in there by the letters of marque, lately commiffioned from that port, The following is a lift of the fleet under the command of Admiral Byron : Gun. Princess Royal, Renown, 74 Boreas, 74 Camel, 74 Deal Cafle, 74 Diamond, 32 74 Anel, 32 74 Loweft ffe, 32 74 Niger, 32 74 Pearl, 74 Pelican, 24 70 Druid, 64 Hinde, 20 I have the pleasure to acquaint their lordfhips, that none of the Rattlefnake's crew were An extraordinary London Gazette was pubkilled; licutenat Knill (whose spirited tea- lined on the 24th instant relating to the tak duct deferves much commendation) was wounding of the land of St. Lucia, and the dif ed, together with one mi. Diran ten men. The commander atriz dun de Dunkerque, and twelve of at people, were killed, and thirty wounded, most of which are mortel. It is imained the other cutter fuffered greatly, by her bong longer engaged, and ftriking to the Rattlesnake. 17. Yesterday morning, between two and three o'clock, a fire broke out at a fhip-chandler's, between the Hermitage Bridge and Union Stairs, Wapping, which bunt both hides of the way. Upwards of thirty houfes in front were confumed, with most of their furniture. Many houfes were burnt down between Hermitage-ftreet and the river, alfo feveral oil and hemp warehouses, full of thofe articles, which were likewife confumed. It is computed that stove fifty houses are burnt down and damaged, befides warehoufes with pitch, tar, mai s, &c, and other out-buildings; fome hips were likewife confumed, nd feveral of the fmail craft, &c. damaged. Several perfons were buried in the ruins of a houfe, which fell down, but were happily dug out alive the house was thrown down by the explosion of fome gunpowder lodged in the cellar. Five men are faid to be killed by the falling of one of the houses, being all buried in the ruins. It is faid, that about one o'clock in the afterpoon a frack of chimnies fell down and buried pofitions of our ficets in the Weft Indies; from whence we have extracted the following particulers, for the information of our readers. In Major General Grant's letter, dated Dec., 31, 1778, to Lord George Germaine, he fays The 16th, D'Estaing landed about 9000 men, which had been collated from the French lands, with an intention to take poffeffion of Barbadoes, Grenada, and St. Vincent. In short, according to cur information from French reports, every British fettlement in the WeftIndies. The 17th, in the morning, I withdrew two advanced piquets from pofts which I never intended to defend, and from whence a hot was not fired. That move, I imagined, encourag1 ed the enemy to attack gen. Meadows' corpe, which was well posted in very strong ground, upon the Vigle. The French were formed in, three columns, confifting of 4 or 5 000 men, commanded by M. D'Efaing, the Marquis de Boui le and Lo vendahl. Their wo first attacks were made with the impetuofity of Frenchman, and they were repulfed by the determined bravery of Britons. They made a third at empt. but were foon broken, and retreatad in-confufin, leaving their kil ed and wounded in our power. They were permitted to bury the dead, and carry off the wounded. M. D'Ellaing s aby He ment to account for them as prisoners of war. By another letter from the fame gentleman, The difpofition made by General Meadows, dated St. Lucia, January, 6 it appears that the for the defence of his poft, was masterly. He Count remained in a ftare of inactivity was wounded in the arm early in the day, but for feveral fuce eding days, when he began, remained in the field, rode about, and gave or to conceive it was the count's intention to form ders every where, till the attack was over. a blockade with a view of farving us into a has never quitred his poft, and continues to far ender; but to Admiral Ca-rington', utter acommand the referve, which the furgeons did ftonishment, in the morning of the 29th, havnot think he would have been equal to. Maing re-embarked his troops, during the preced. jor Harris, who commands the grenaders, and Major James Murray, who commands the light infantry, distinguished themselves. The officers and men were cool and determined; they even furpafled, if poffible, their ufual fpirit and bravery. The French artillery that had been taken were of great use. We found in the magazines, at the different batteries, a, bundred rounds for each gun. Three tweive pounders, which were placed upon the Vigie, did amazing execution; and the batteries upon the fouth fide of the bay, which were well ferved by the artillery, flanked the enemy's columns, annoyed them exceedingly, and ob liged a French man of war, which endeavoured to aflift in the attack from the entrance of the harbour, to flip her cable. The enemy had four hundred men killed upon the spot, five hundred dinge ously wounded, fo as to render them unfit for fervice, and fix hundred flightly wounded. This is their own account. We had only ten men killed, and one hundred and thirty wounded: fome of them have already joined their corps, and our lofs upon the whole will be under fifty. The moment he was gone Monfieur de Micoud and the inhabitants offered to capitulate. The capitulation was figned the 30th, by which your lorih p will fee that they obtained fovourable terms. By rear admiral Barington's letter to the fecretary of the admiralty, dated St. Lucia, December 238, 1778, it appears, that he was at tacked on the 15th of that month, in the Cul de Sac, by Count D'Estaing's fquadron, at half past 11 that morning, when the Count thought proper to bear down with to fil of the line, without doing us any material injury; and at 4 in the afternoon, he made a fecond attack upon us, with no o'her fuccefs, how. ever, than killing 2 men and wounding 7 on board the Prince of Wales, and wounding alfo one on board the Ariadne, who is fince dead. But admiral Barrington fays he has reafon to believe that the enemy fuftained confiderable damage, as their manœuvres betrayed great confufion, and one of their ships, in particular, which fell to leeward, feemed fo difabled as not to carry the neceffary fail to get to windward again. The next day (the 16th) the Count Thewed a difpofition to attack us again; but upon the appearance of a friga e ftanding for his fleet with feveral fignals flying, he plied to windward, and in the evening anchored off Gros-iflet about two leagues from us. ing night, he retired with his whole fleet towards Mart niqe, and left us in quiet poffef fion of the island of St. Lucia, which capitulated whilst his flet was fill in fight. It ap pears alfo that the admiral had taken the Bunker's-hill privateer of 18 guns, which he has commiffioned as a floop, in his majetty's fervice, by the name of the Surprize. It likewife appears that capt. Gardner had taken the Lyon, a French thip of 40 guns, after an obstinate engegement, having on board upward, of 1300 hopfheads of tobacco. By expreffes from vice Admiral Byron we learn that he joined admiral Barrington off St. Lucia, January 6th, with the squadron under his command. Acco ding to another letter dated February 4th, we learn that Moof. D'Eftaign came out of Post Royal harbour. in the island of Martinico, on the 12th of January, with 16 fail, and thretched over towards St. Lucia at day light. "Nex' morning I got under way from the Cul de Sac, with thirteen fail of the line and three frigates, and flood for the French quadron, under a prefs of fail, in a line of battle a head, but Monf D'Eftaing no fooner difcovered cur force than he tacked, and made the best of his way to regain the harbour, which he accomplished before it was poffible to bring any of his fhips to action. His precipitate retreat makes it difficult to account for his conduct in coming out with fo confiderable a force, unless we could fuppofe him unacquainted with my having joined Rear Admirai Barrington, and that he intended another attack upon this ifland; the only thing against such a belief is the great reason we have to think him well informed of what palles at St. Lucia. Finding it in vain to expect the French squadron would give us battle, and their fecure fituation in Port Roy 1 Harbour not admitting of their being compelled to it, I did not chufe to run the hazard of being drove to leeward by the current, which would have happened had it fell little wind; therefore after having ftood close in with Port Royal, I took the advantage of the fresh breeze which then prevailed, and that evening brought the fquadron to an anchor in Gros-ifler bay, which being between three and four leagues to windward of the grand Cul de Sac, enables us with more convenience to watch the motions of the French, and gives a better chance of cutting off the reinforcement they expect under Monf. Tre ville, fhould it come round the fouth end of Martinique. J. BYRON " Lift of Births, Deaths, &c. are obliged to be omitted this Month, for want of room. |