T

My Lord,

HE committee of correfpondence for the Proteftant intereft at Edinburgh, have done me the honour to intruft to my care a very valuable book to be delivered to the king. It is entitled Scotland's Oppofition to the Popish Bill, and contains a collection of all the declarations and reSolutions publifhed by the General Affembly of the Church of Scotland, and the different provincial fynods, prefbyteries, affociate prefbyteries, kirk feffions, counties, cities, royal boroughs, boroughs, towns, parishes, incorporations, and focieties throughout Scotland against the propofed repeal of the Statutes enacted, and for ever ratified, by the Revolution and Union parliament, for preventing the growth of Popery; with an introduction, giving a fhort hiftory of the rife, progrefs, and effects of that national alarm; and an Appendix, containing a fhort view of the Statutes at prefent in force in Scotland against Popery, the nature of the Bill propofed to be brought into parliament for repealing thofe Statutes, and fome

remarks, fhewing the propriety and neceffity of oppofing fuch repeal; with a few hints on the contitutional and prudent mode of oppofition. Printed by David Paterfon, at Edinburgh.

"I think it right to fend this information to your lordship, that you may acquaint the king, I have a book of fuch confequence to deliver into his majesty's own hands; and, that I humbly wait his majefty's pleasure to know, whether I fhall have the honour of presenting it to his majesty at his public levee, or at his private house, or when his majefty is fitting upon the throne? My with is (at the fame time that I do duty towards the people of Scotland) to comply with all the forms and ceremonies of the Court of London, in approaching the king on a public fubject of the deepeft political confideration.

my

"I have the honour to be, my lord, Your lordship's most obedient and humble fervant, G. GORDON.

Welbeck-ftreet, Sept. 3, 1781.

"N. B. Your lordship, on this occafion, will have an opportunity of advifing with his majefty on a gracious anfwer, according to the principles laid down at the Reformation and Revolution, and the ftrict and folemn engagement to abide by thofe principles, which was the covenanted bargain that raifed the Prince of Orange from Holland, and his prefent majefty's predeceffors from Hanover, to the throne of these kingdoms. A gracious anfwer in time, to be read at the public meeting of the Pro

teftant

teftant Affociation on Wednesday evening, might have the good effect of tending in fome degree to quiet the minds and apprehenfions of the affociation in general; and,

I am confident that fuch an anfwer would be looked upon, and efteemed as a due attention to the declarations and refolutions of their country, by the Scotch divifion of Proteftants in London; who, permit me to tell your lordship, are very refpectable indeed, and numerous too, about twenty thoufand men, including the train of artillery at Woolwich, and the beft part of all the regiments of horse and foot-guards. If your lordship was to advise his majefty to compliment them on their difcernment and loyalty in oppofing the Popery Bill, I think it would be judicious,

and in feafon."

vered to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.

[Here follows the title of the book, as in the letter to Lord North.]

"I think it right to fend this information to your lordship, that you may acquaint the Prince of Wales that I have a book of fuch confequence to deliver into his royal highness's hands; and that I humbly wait his royal highness's pleasure, to know when and where I fhall have the honour of presenting it to him. My wish is, at the fame time that I do my duty towards the people of Scotland, to comply with all the forms and ceremonies of his royal highnefs's establishment in approaching the heir apparent of the Houfe of Hanover, on a public fubject of the deepest political confideration.

"I have the honour to be,
my lord,

Your lordship's most obedient
and humble fervant,
G. GORDON.

Welbeck-fireet, Sept. 3, 1781.

"P. S. I have had the honour to receive great civilities from your lordship both in London and at Paris, and I have not forgot them. I have always looked up to your lordship as a man of good understanding and integrity, as well as of the moft agreeable and refined manners. I believe the public alfo, in general, think your lordship very well qualified for the high and important office of firft lord in the establishment of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales; and I have no doubt, but your lordship will ufe the utmost [Q] 3

of

of your abilities in guarding the heir apparent of the House of Hanover, against thofe principles and practices which we in Scotland could not put up with, even under our own ancient, hereditary, and royal family, of the Houfe of Stuart, from whofe loins your lordship is defcended.

"Permit me to affure your lordship, I do not mention your royal defcent as any blemish; on the contrary I think it very noble. But I wifh, indeed, to remind your lordship, in a serious manner, that we noblemen, whofe ancient families have been fo clofely related, allied, and attached to the royal Houfe of Stuart in former times of dangerous politics, have the difcerning eyes of the true Proteftant people throughout Europe and America, moft fteadily fixed upon us at this prefent moment; therefore, our advice and conduct (as faithful friends to the House of Hanover, being Proteftants) ought to be ex

exemplarily decided in fupport of Reformation and Revolution principles."

7

On Friday the 14th inftant, Lord George Gordon came to the outward room at St. James's with a book. The lord in waiting informed him, that nobody could be permitted to deliver a book to the king without his majesty's permiflion being first asked and obtained. Lord George appeared at the levee without the book; and after the levee was over, the lord in waiting took the king's pleafure, and fignified to Lord George, that his majefty having confidered Lord George Gordon's letter to Lord North, announcing his intention to deliver a book, did not think proper to admit Lord Geo. Gordon into his prefence, to prefent any book announced by fuch a letter.

Remarkable Actions at Sea.

Admiralty-Office, March 13, 1781. Extract of a letter from Lieut. Ingles, commanding his Majesty's Sloop Zephyr, to Mr. Stephens, dated Spithead, March 11, 1781.

Plordships of his majefty's floop LEASE to acquaint their

Zephyr, under my command, being arrived at Spithead from the coaft of Africa, after a paffage of 57 days.

I likewife have the honour of acquainting their lordships, that on 31st of October laft, being juft returned to Goree from a cruize, I received intelligence from Governor Wall of a French frigate of 24 guns being in Gambia River, which had taken two transports and two floops there, wooding and watering for the garrifon of Goree. I immediately failed, with the

the Polly Letter of Marque, mounting fixteen fhort four-pounders, with thirty men, under my command, agreeable to the advice of Governor Wall.

On the 2d of November, at eleven A. M. being at the entrance of the river, faw four fail at anchor off Barra Point; found them to be one of the transports, two floops, and a French frigate; the transport mounted fixteen guns, and was, as I heard, manned with Frenchmen and Negroes, belonging to Albedra, on the banks of Gambia, and interested with the French. At twelve, the transport and two floops were fet on fire, the other transport being burnt the preceding day. At one P. M. the enemy's fhips being under weigh, and the Zephyr within piftol-fhot of her, a warm action enfued, and lafted till four P. M. when, through chafing, the Zephyr and enemy grounded, at very near low water, as clofe to each other as before, which occafioned the action to be renewed with redoubled violence, hence more resembling two batteries on fhore, than a fea fight. During the greateft part of the action, the letter of marque was anchored three quarters of a mile a-ftern; but, notwithstanding, a continual fire was kept up by the Zephyr and enemy till fix, when the enemy ftruck, with the lofs of twelve killed, and twenty-eight wounded; the Zephyr two killed, and four wounded, her bowfprit, main-top-maft, and main yards fhot away, her hull, mafts, yards, fails, and rigging very much thattered, infomuch, that with the greatest difficulty on the twelfth we arrived at Goree. During the whole of the action, the Zephyr

was in the utmost danger from fire-rafts, both under her bows and ftern; but luckily the deftructive intentions of the enemy proved abortive.

After boarding the enemy, found her to be the Senegal (Lieutenant Commandant Allery) the French king's fhip, mounting eighteen fix-pounders, and 126 men, but fought the Zephyr with twenty-two, owing to tranfporting guns. She was formerly the Racehorfe, commanded by Lord Mulgrave, and lately the Senegal, in his majefty's fervice. As the was of great detriment to his majefty's trading subjects on the coast of Africa, the taking of her gives me the utmoft pleasure and fatiffaction.

On our arrival on the 12th at Goree from Gambia, Governor Wall gave me information of two veffels being off Senegal Bar, taking in gum. Ready to act confonant with his information, tho' in fo fhattered a condition, and the Senegal not condemned, from which the property of the captors was at ftake, we chearfully confented to proceed in purfuit of the apparent fuccefs; but the wind being at N. E. directly contrary, and the Zephyr in an infirm fituation, after beating five days out at fea, the fhips were obliged to return to Goree, in order to refit, on purpose that we might a fecond time be able to attempt the expedition.

On our return the condemnation of the fhip Senegal was entered upon, and the Judge Advocate demanding an inventory, proper officers and men were fent from the Zephyr for that purpose, and that of refitting her for the afore[Q] 4

faid

faid expedition; but alas! through fome unknown cause, on the 22d of November, fhe was unhappily blown up, with the lofs of Lieut. George Crofts, and 22 others, officers and feamen, fpecified by the inclofed lift.

I flatter myfelf their lordships will fhew all neceffary indulgence to the officers and feamen's friends, who nobly and gallantly fupported me in the late action, and unluckily fuffered by the above accident.

A Lift of the Officers and Seamen belonging to his Majefty's Sloop Zephyr, who were blown up in the French King's Frigate, La Senegal, Lieutenant Allery, Commandant, on the 22d of November, 1780.

Geo. Crofts, lieutenant; Francis Fyffe, mate; Lauder Rutherford, able; Tho. Harris, boatfwain; Wm. Tramplett, gunner; Thomas Nefbit, clerk; John Croker, captain's mate; John Parminter, fail-maker; P. M'Kewen, quarter - gunner; Henry Clark, able; Mark Short, ditto; George Williams, ditto; John Oakes, ditto; Cabel Cornwall, ditto; Andrew Buchanan, ditto; Wm. Forfyth, captain's fervant; John Lawlers, able; Thomas Smith, ditto; Wm. Baker, ditto; Tho. Crofs, ditto; Jo. Hall, ditto; Thomas O'Hara, ditto.

chafed; foon after we faw a fail in the E. S. E. which we took to be a French line of battle fhip; chafed, gained upon her. At about half past ten at night came along-fide of her; fhe gave us her broadfide, we returned it; The dropt aftern, we wore and raked her; we continued the action for near an hour, during fome part of which we were on board one an other; the carried away our fpritfail yard, and our anchor hooking her quarter carried away the flukes of it. All this time the had fo much the worst of the action, that fhe took the opportunity of our heads being different ways to make all the fail fhe could to get away; we wore and chafed her again; our mizen-maft being entirely dif abled prevented our getting up with her before five A. M. It being day-light, we could distinguish one another plainly; the appeared to be a French 80 gun fhip, in good order for battle.

Some people on board us, who pretend to know, fay fhe is the Languedoc. At five we began the action again, and continued till half paft fix, when finding our ship much disabled, the fore-yard coming down, all the mafts, yards, fails and rigging much hurt, guns difmounted; the wreck of these, and dead and wounded men filling the deck; I thought it proper to haul our wind, in order to clear it. The enemy kept on her courfe for Breft.

Our lofs in men is 26 killed, and 64 wounded*. (Signed)

JA. WALLACE.