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LONDON, August 23.
Apprehensions of a war with Ame
rica are ftill*enrertaincd in the city ;
and it is even pretended that the cet
fion of the French Wert India islands
is the price at which the American
corsairs are to be let loose upon our
trade.
It is rtfd that mr. Pinckney, the
American minister, has made fome
repretentations of what are deemed
infractions of the treaty of 1783 ; and
more particularly the rtizure of Ame
rican ships hound to France, and the
iniprefs of American seamen to man
our fleets
It is further stated, that the said
ambaflador is so little fecute of the
continuance of peace, that he has or
dered in the accounts of his tradesmen,
and prepared for a lpeedy departure.
It is however to he hoped, that hos
tilities may yet be averted.
AUGUST 24.
It is now a(berted, that a very pow
crful army is to embark for the Wert
Indies. The Americans were before
alarmed for their trade. The French
Wert India islands are of infinite con
sequence to the trade and commerce
of America. Here is a ready market
for the provisions and lumber of A
merica, and every planter or farmer,
as well as the merchants and traders,
muff feel the effects of these islands
falling into the hands of either Great
Britain or Spain. Ihe sugar, mo
lades, rum, indigo, and other articles
imported into America from those
islands, in exchange for her lumber
and provisions, constitute too valuable
a part of her commtrqrf, to fuffer her
to be an idle fpe&aror, in case any
fefious attempt fhoi|ul t be made to take
them from France. And the very
fending of such a force as is now- pub
licly talked of, to’ the Weft Indies,
will force America to arm in defence
of her liberty and commerce. It is
impoilible the Americans can be easy
with such powerful fleets and armies
in their neighbourhood, when the
general cry throughout America is,
if the combined despots are buffered
to overpower France, they will in
vade our country, and attempt to ba
niffi liberty from the face of the earth.
The American ambaflador has pre
sented a spirited remonflranee to lord
Grenville, on the conduct of our court
of admiralty, refpeding American ves
sels bound to 1 ranee. 1 hefe veflels
having provisions on board, though
not bound to a blockaded port, are, ne
vcrthelefs, declared liable to seizure ;
the cargoes, indeed, are not con
demned, but they are fold to govern
ment at their own price, which is
fcai'cely two - thirds of what they
would bring in France. The mailer
is allowed his freight and expences,
but in'this allowance, demurrage was
always underrtood to be included, un
der the title of expences, but the
judges of the admiralty have declared,
that unless be exp'rcflly mentions it,
demurrage is not to be understood as
included in his decree for expences.
The cause of the American ship
Nancy, bound from London to Dun”
kirk, is particularly aggravating ; she
had on board a cargo, the property
of Fundiy British and French mer
chants, anil was permitted to clear
out at the custom-house in conse
quence of the order in council, taking
off the embargo which had been laid
on all foreign veflels in British ports.
No MALA KiDES was praftifed at the
custom-house, to conceal the property
or destination of the cargo, but the
ship scarcely reached Gravefend when
flte was captured by a cutter in the
service of the customs, and the whole
cargo, British as well as French, has
been since condemned in the court of
admiralty. To add to the hnrdfhip
of the case, captain Sharp has been
refufed his freight and expences,
Kyhich in all former wars were inva
ubly allowed to every neutral cap.
who aded fairly and openly.
AUGUST 30.
The French national commissioners,
who were delivered up by Dumourier
to the prince of Saxe Cobourg, ar
rived at midnight on the lft, at the
fortrefs of Spielberg, from whence
they were transported to Brunn, in
Moravia. Bournonville will follow
them immediately, having been de
tained by illness bn the road. On
entering the fortrefs, the commission „
ers were forced to undress themlelves
entirely, and had other clothes given
client. The windows of their prifou
have iron bars ; and they have daily
an allowance of four florins.
The queen of Portugal still labours
under her unhappy state of insanity,
and her recovery is entirely delpaired
of.
Four thribfand troops are forthwith
to be sent to the East Indies ; but as
no such force can be spared at present,
from our existing force, notice ha\
been given to any officer, inclined to
raise men for this service, that the
rnort advantageous terms will be giv-.
en, provided he “may raise his men
before Christmas.
Yesterday advice was received by
the Spanish merchants, of the fafe,
arrival of the Spanish register ships,
at Cadiz, from the Havanna, with a
very valuable treasure on board.
The decree ordering the dc-rtruirtion
of the maufolea and the tombs of the
kings and ancient warriors of France,
at St. Dennis, has been carried into
execution. On opening the coffin in
which Turenne was inclofed, he was
found in a high Hate of preservation.
SEPTEMBER 4.
Letters from Dublin mention, that
in consequence of the determination of
his majelty’s ministers to carry on the
prefflhx war with redoubled vigour,
thirteen regiments of foot are to be
immediately embarked from Ireland
for the Weft Indies, with a large
train of artillery ; for which purport
twenty thousand tons of fhipping will
be immediately contra&edfor to trans
port the forces across the Atlantic.
The recruiting service is going on
in Ireland with great vigour. The
officers are all appointed. There are
fifteen captains, each of which has a
party. Their stations are at Dublin,
Cork, and Waterford.
Letters from Dublin likewise men”
tion, that camp-equipage, complete,
for the sth and 6th dragoon guards,
and 12th regiment of light dragoons,
has been iiiued from the ordnance,
and (hipped on hoard a vessel bound
to Cork, where those regiments are
to embark immediately for foreign
service.
SEPTEMBER 7.
On Saturday rear-admiral Mac
bride arrived at the admiralty-office,
Charing-Cross. On Wednertlay and
Thursday last this admiral took an ac
curate infpectionof the town, garrison,
forts and gun-boats of Dunkirk, in a
private character; he discovered, that
the country being inundated to the
distance of a mile and a half round the
suburbs of the town, it was impoflible
for the nmfketry to do any service, or
even reach the garrison, and that
nothing but hr* vy artillery could be
Terviceable. l)iom thence he got
fafe to the Briwlh camp, where he
held a confultiFion with the duke of
York, and then set off for Ports
mouth, from whence he came to town
with all poflible expedition, and at
tended at the admiralty beard. He
demanded a large reinforcement of
bomb-fliips, gun-boats, &c. which be
ing granted, he set off on Sunday
morning for Portsmouth again, in or
der to take the command of the gun
boats destined for the above lervice.
Os such importance was admiral
Macbride’s dispatch held to be, that
three regiments at Portsmouth, in
tended for the expedition under the
command of fir Charles Grey, viz.
the 19th, 22d, and 57th, amounting
to 2000 effective men, were ordered
on this new lervice. They were to
embark yesterday, and if the wind
would permit, to fail this morning.
Another draft from the guards will
loon follow. Orders are alio given
for additional bomb-veflels and gun
boats.
The duke of York received an ex_
press from the prince of Orange, the
29th ult. Hating the particulars of the
attack made by the French, and of
the fuccels they had obtained, and af
Faring at the fame time, that the
French u'ere collc&ing in such force,
that they mud fall back from all their
ports, unless a cbnliderabie force IhoUld
be immediately sent to their aid 5 that
they had actually retired from Tur~
coy and Lannoy, ahd that they ap
prehended they murt abandon Menuv
where the wounded Englilh were in
hospitals. This account was further
confirmed by colonel d’Oyley of the
guards, who laid, that in the appre
henfiop of the Dutch quitting Meoin,
he had thought it neceflary to embark
the lick and wounded Englilh, both
, officers and men, in a boat, and lend
them by the canal to Bruges.
Os the mails expected ytflerday,
only that from Holland, which was
due 011 Tuesday, arrived, and there
were no official accounts from his royal
highness the duke of York. The long
failure of the latter communications
gave rile to a report, that from the
increaling strength of the French at
Callel, and the weakness of the Dutch
at Menin, his royal highness had
found it neceflary to retire from his
polition near Dunkirk;’ but itrfiay be
neceflary to obfe/ve, that there is no
authority for the rumour.
‘File governor of Landau was sum
moned the 23d ult. for the firit trine.
He replied, that he was rtfoived to
defend the place, till nothing fliould
be left of it but a pile of ruins, under
which he would bury bis body.
The French republican army, on
the 24th ult. bombarded Lyons, by
which the gate of.St- Clair, the ma
gazines, the quarter of L,a Saone, and
three considerable streets were dc
(lroyed ; the damage is estimated at
200 millions of livres. The republi
cans state their own loss at only 26
men killed.
The French papers of the 30th ult.
were received in town at a late hour
last night. The principal news which
they contain, is, that the republican
troops had obtained an important vic
tory over theLyonefe. The federal
ifts were not, however, wholly fuh
dued. The city of Lyons still refills
both the arms and the menaces of the
alia Jams.
The general levy, decreed hy the
French convention, is said to have
commenced in the northern depart
ments ; so that Inarfll.ll Freytag, wild
covers the (lege of Dunkirk, will soon
be threatened with an attack from
this volunteer army. The plan of
the combined powers, which may,
perhaps, be not much interrupted by
this circumstance, is said to conlift in
the taking of Dunkirk and St. O tier’s
on one fide, of Maubeuge on the
other, and of Ouefnoy between them.
after which the armies will meet near
Liflc, and act as circumstances may
warrant.
Two provincial regiments are to
be railed in Canada, besides the two
regiments already levied in Nova-
Scotia and Nevv-Brunfwick. Go
vernors Wentworth and Carleton are
to be colonels of the regiments railed
in their governments. Lord Dori
chester has the appointment of officers
of the two regiments in Canada.
The grand tignior’s determination
upon neutrality towards the French,
is confirmed by letters from Constan
tinople. By these it appears, that
all endeavours of m. St. Croix, to
pass himfelf off as the deputy of the
French nation, have been ineffe&ual ;
and though he was furnifhed with a
considerable sum of money, he was
not permitted to open any negotiation
whatever, as a public character.
SF.bTF.MBER 8.
It was currently reported Lft night,
that Petion had arrived in town.
The duke of Yoik, it was last night
moft confidently stated, has retreated
from the ground which he occupied
before Dunkirk.
Two realons were assigned for this
prudential measure. ‘the firll was
the impoflibility of preventing, by any
pratfti able effort on the part of his
royal highness, the pouring in any
number of troops into Dm k rk either
by the way of Bergues or Gra> e]ines„
The lecond was, the want of co ope
ration ft cm this country, with refpedl
to the promiled number of gun boats
and artillery.
The coniequence of th : s retreat is
understood to be, that the following
regiments, viz. the 3d, 12th, 42dand
57th, ordered to his aid, will now
be pro abiy sent to the Weft Tndies,
according to their original diltina ion ;
and that the gun bo F, intended
for the expe liton to Dunkirk, will be
countermanded.
What renders this statement more
probable, is, that no press has taken
place from on board the Jamaica fle et,
as has been for fome days liiggefted.
.Si PIT.MBER ir.
Bloaly battle near Dunkirk.
We have flopped the press to fay,
that captain Popham this mdrning ar
rived in tow n with further accounts
from tiie army, which Hare, that on
Sunday another attack had taken place,
the consequence of w hich had been a
moft bloody and deiperate a&ion—•
We are not enabled to Ita e the parti
culars. We are given, however, to
understand, that an embargo has been
laid on the fhipping at Offend, which
is preparing to defend hie It againli
the French. Such is the rumour, but
we think it needs confirmation.
Private letters from the army under
the command of the duke of York,
state, that in the atftion on Thursday
and Friday last, general Frey ag 101 l
600 men He was pressed fib cloie’y*
that he lent to the <luke or VO, k
reinforcements; aed several battalions
were actually under orders to march
to his fuccour, when it was found that
the ibrrie from Dunkirk would de
mand and employ all the force that
his royal highness had under his com
mand. The sortie was made evidently
as a divertion, to support the attack
on gen ral Freytig ; and from the
French havingg t polieffio lof Bram
beckej R ulbi u he, and Popetinghe,
it would appear it h id m fome meas ire
answered the purpose intended by
it.
General Freytag and prince Adol.
pirns, who commands a regiment of
Hanoverian cavalry, was at one time
lurrounded, and actually taken pri
soners by the French. The young
prince di(played great valour, but
having received a severe eontufion,
had actually delivered up his Iword,
when himfelf and the general were
happily refeued by a body of Hanove
rian cavalry. Some letters fay that,
this was on the 6th—others, that ge
neral Freytag, in his retreat on that
night had fallen in with a column of
the enemy. The wounds of h s royal
highness are nor at all dangerous.
The report of this afternoon was,
that a fpeciai messenger who had been
sent by administration to the duke of
York, had not been able to reach his
royal highness, on account of the
communication being cut off.
PLYMOUTH, September 9.
Wednertlay, the Audacious, of 74
guns, arrived here from earl Howe’s
fleet, which palled this port at a great
distance to the southward, the fame
day, in their way to Torbay, where
they anchored that evening.
A ship of the line and three frigates
are now (five o’clock, P. M.) work
ing into the Sound, supposed to be
part of earl'Howe’s fleet, coining in
to De victualled.