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1781. ufe by thofe whofe precaution led them to ftore up their hard money, will prevent the mifchiefs that muft otherwife have enfued from a total want of a circulating medium. The extraordinary change of this medium without fhaking the United States to the very foundation, intimates a peculiarity in the circumftances and difpofition of the Americans, diftinguishing them from the inhabitants of old countries.

A few detached particulars remain to be related before the prefent letter is forwarded.

On the 11th of Auguft, 3000 German troops arrived at New York from Europe. The fame day the American frigate Trumbull was carried in by one of the king's fhips. This capture has reduced the naval force of the United States to two frigates, the Alliance and the Deane. A number of fine privateers have also been taken by the royal navy; but there are still a great many from the different ftates which have been very fuccefsful.

By various channels, and particularly the arrival of a French frigate from Breft on the 15th of Auguft, cer tain advice has been received of the French having captured a number of fhips from Statia. It feems, that France determining to profit from the abfence of the British grand fleet, equipped 7 or 8 fhips of the line at Breft, which were fent out in the beginning of May, under M. de la Motte Piquet, in order to intercept the Statia convoy, freighted with the most valuable commodities taken at that island, as well as a rich fleet on its way home from Jamaica. Mr. Piquet fucceeded in the first part of the defign. Commodore Hotham had only four fhips for the protection of the Statia con

voy. Fourteen of the merchantmen were taken: but 1781. the men of war, with the remainder of the convoy, fheltered themfelves in fome of the western ports of Ireland. The French commander confidering the number and richness of the prizes, gave up all views upon the Jamaica fleet, and returned immediately to Brest, by which mean he escaped falling in with the British fquadron. We have learned, that the fale of the prizes was advertised in France for the 10th of July laft.

On the 25th of Auguft, another French frigate arrived in Boston, with two large veffels under her convoy. They were on their paffage 36 days longer than the frigate which arrived on the 15th. They have brought clothing, military stores, and a quantity of specie. Col. Laurens returned by this conveyance. He reached France by the middle of March, and executed his commiffion with great dispatch and fuccefs.

LETTER V.

Rotterdam, October 13, 1781.

FRIEND G.

Com

Ommodore Johnstone's squadron, which failed for the Eaft Indies, confifted of a 74, a 64, and three 50 gun fhips, befide feveral frigates, a bomb veffel, fire fhip, and fome floops of war.

L 2

A land force, com

manded

1781. manded by gen. Meadows, and compofed of three new

regiments of 1000 each, accompanied it. Several outward bound Eaft Indiamen, and ftore or ordnance veffels, went out with this convoy; and the whole fleet, including transports and armed ships, amounted to more than 40 fail. The Dutch war undoubtedly occafioned a change of the object of the armament, and the subftitution of an attempt upon the Cape of Good Hope, instead of an enterprise against the Spaniards in South America. This change did not escape the penetration of France and Holland. The latter therefore applied to her new ally for assistance, to ward off the danger to which all her Eaft India poffeffions would be exposed, if Johnstone fucceeded. On that a squadron of five ships of the line, and fome frigates, with a body of land forces, were deftined to this fervice, under Mr. de Suffrein, who failed from Breft in company with count de Graffe. The naval part of the armament was ultimately defigned to oppofe the British fleet in the Eaft Indies: but Suffrein's particular inftructions were to purfue and counter-act Johnstone, upon every occafion and in every poffible manner, keeping at the fame time a conftant eye to the effectual protection of the Cape. The court of Versailles was accurately informed of Johnstone's force, and of all the circumstances attending the convoy; and might not be totally ignorant of his course, any more than of his destination.

Commodore Johnstone put into the Cape de Verd iflands for water and fresh provifions. There being no particular apprehenfion of an enemy, the fhips lay without much care or order, in an open harbour belonging to the principal town of St. Jago, the most confiderable

of

of the islands. A great number of the crews were ab-1781. fent from the ships, and were engaged in various occupations, necessary to the preparation or supply of fo many vessels for fo long a voyage. Several officers and men were on shore partaking of the health and recreation of the island. In this unprepared ftate, the Ifis April man of war discovered in the morning a squadron ap- 16. proaching the entrance of the harbour, which was foon judged to be French. Signals were inftantly thrown out for unmooring, for recalling the people on shore, and preparing for action. The British fleet was taken at a great difadvantage. Mr. de Suffrein, leaving his convoy, was foon in the centre of it; the French ships firing on both fides as they paffed. The French Hannibal of 74 guns led the way with great intrepidity, under the command of Mr. de Tremingnon. When as near to the British as he could fetch, he dropped his anchor with a noble air of refolution. The Heros of the fame force, Mr. de Suffrein's own fhip, took the next place; and the Artefien of 64, anchored aftern of the Heros. The Vengeur and Sphynx, of 64 guns each, ranged up and down as they could through the crowd of fhips, and fired on either fide at every one they paffed. Commodore Johnstone's own fhip, being too far advanced toward the bottom of the bay, and too much intercepted by the veffels that lay between to take an active. part in the action, he quitted her and went on board another. The engagement lafted about an hour and a half. Some time after it began, several of the Eaft India ships fired with good effect on the French. In about an hour the fituation of the French fhips at anchor became too intolerable to be endured; and the captain of the Artefien

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781. nation. Deftitute of gold and filver, they could fcarcely support themselves; and were less able to provide for their connections, who were left in want and in the power of the conquerors. The earliest alleviation of their forrows, after the cartel had been fettled, was denied to them. Though their wives and children, who had been left in Charlestown, were ordered to Philadelphia at the fame time with themselves, Balfour gave exprefs direction that they should not be suffered to touch at Charlestown. More than a thousand perfons were, by the measures of the commandant, exiled from their homes, and thrown on the charity of strangers for their fupport. Husbands and wives, parents and children, fome of whom had been for feveral months feparated from each other, were doomed to have their first interview in a diftant land. To alleviate the diftreffes of thefe and fimilar fufferers, congrefs paffed the preceding refolution. The propriety of it was still more apparent fome time after, when what had been tranfacted at Charlestown was known. Several of the exchanged perfons were owners of landed property in that town; and by the capitulation had an undoubted right to dispose of it for their own advantage. They were however debarred that liberty by the following order, iffued on the 11th of July" The commandant is pleased to direct, that no perfon, living under the rebel government, fhall have liberty, or grant power to others for fo doing, to let or lease any house within this town without a special license for so doing, as it is intended to take all fuch houfes as may be wanted for the public fervice, paying to the owners of thofe fecured by the capitulation a reasonable rent for the fame, as by this means govern

ment

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