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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.