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Carmen, Spanish lugger privateer, Don Jofeph O'Livera, Commander, mounting two guns, nine-pounders, with fmall arms, and a crew confifting of 44 men, by the Maria private fhip of war, Mr. John Doyle, Commander.]

The fol

Admiralty office, March 11. lowing is addreffed to Lord Bridnort.

Neriad, Plymouth Sound, March, 1800. My Lord, I beg leave to inform you, that on the 28th ult. when cruizing with his Majefty's fhips Repulfe and Agamemnon off the Penmarks, heing confiderably to leeward of the above fhips, I loft fight of them in the night, and at three A. M. I faw a light to windward, which I kept company with, fuppofing it the Commodore's, but it proved a Danish brig. On my ftanding back to the rendezvous on the following night, we discovered five fail, four ships evidently of force, and a fchooner: the moment I had made the neceffary preparations for battle, I hauled my wind for them; on the dawn of day I plainly difcovered they were of force, and then laying-to: when nearly within gun-fhot of the largest fhip, they difperfed different ways; I continued to chafe; night coming on I loft fight, but was fortunate enough the following morning to fee one, of them, which, after chafing twelve hours, and running 123 miles, we captured, which proved to be the Vengeance! privateer, of Bourdeux, pierced for 18 guns, 12-pounders, but only 16 mounted, and 174 men; by her we found that the failed on the 26th from the above place, in company with the following fhips, which were thofe we fell-in with; viz. Bellona, 24 guns, 12-pounders, fix 36-pound cannonades, and 420 men.-La Vengeance, 18 guns, 12-pounders, and 174 men-La Favourite, 16 guns, 8-pounders, and 120 men.--La Huron, 16 guns, 6-pounders, and 87 men.-La Terrailloufe (fchooner) 14 guns, 6-pounders, and 80 men. I have to lament that, from the pufillanimity of the enemy, I had it not in my power to destroy the whole, or of trying the zeal of my officers and young hip's company; but have every thing to lay in their favour, for the activity and chearfulness they thewed on the occafion, and hope fome future day we shall be more fortunate. On the following day we re-captured the American fhip Perfeverance, of Baltimore, with a cargo valued at 30,000l. The Vengeance is two years old, and has been repeatedly chafed by our frigates, but from her fuperior failing efcaped; nor fhould we have caught her, had not fhe carried away her jib-boom. FRED. WATKINS.

Admiralty-office, March 15. Copy of a letter from Capt. Barlow to Admiral King (mill.

Sir,

Pbabe, at fea, Feb. 27.

I have to acquaint you, that on the zift inft. his Majefty's fhip under my commend captured the French fhip privateer Bellegarde, of 14 guns, and 140 men, belang. ing to St. Maloes; the had been out 16 days, and had captured the fhip Chance, of London, from Martinico, and the brig Friends, of Dartmouth, from St. Michaels, bound to Bristol; the formr fince re-captured by his Majefty floop Kangaroo. E BARLOW.

I am, &c.

[This Gazette alfo contains an account of the capture of the French lugger priva. teer Madina, carrying 4 3-pounders and 30 men, by his Majefty's floop Plover, Capt. Galway ]

Admiralty-office, March 18. The following is a letter from the commander of his Majefty's floop La Suffifante, to Viceadmiral Pafley, hart.

Sir, La Suffifante, at Sea, March 13. I beg leave to acquaint yon, that after i chace of three hours from the Ifle of Bas, I this day captured the French cutter pri vateer Jofephina, of 4 guns and 20 men, commanded by John Francis Froment, two days from Morlaix; has taken nothing. J. WITTMAN.

STATE PAPERS, continued from p. 170. Letter from the Minifter of Foreign Af

fairs in France to Lord Grenville. Paris, the 24th Nivofe, 8th year Jan 14

My Lord, I loft no time in laying before the first Conful of the French Republic the official Note, under date of the 14th Nvofe, which you tranfmitted to me; and I am charged to forward the answer, equally official, which you will find annexed. Receive, my Lord, the affurance of my high confideration.

(Signed) CH. MAU. TALLEYRAND NOTE.

The Official Note, under date of the 14 Nivole, the 8th year, addreffed by the Minifter of his Britannic Majefty, having been laid before the first Conful of the French Republic, he obferved with for prize that it refted upon an opinion, which is not exact, refpecting the origin and confequences of the prefent war. Very far from its being France which provoked it, the had, it must be remembered, from the commencement of her revolution, fo lemnly proclaimed her love of peace, and her difinclination to conquefts, her refpect for the independance of all governments; and it is not to be doubted that, occupied at that time entirely with her own internal affairs, he would have avoided taking part in those of Europe, and would have remained faithful to her declarations.

But from an oppofite difpofition, s foon as the French Revolution had broken out, almost all Europe entered into a leagus

league for its deftruction. The aggreffion was real, long time before it was public; internal refiftance was excited; its opponents were favourably received; their extravagant declamations were supported; the French nation was infulted in the perfon of its agents; and England fet particularly this example by the dismissal of the minifter ac credited to her. Finally, France was, in fact, attacked in her independence, in her honour, and in her fafety, long time before the war was declared. Thus it is to the projects of fubjection, diffolution, and difmemberment, which were prepared against her, and the execution of which was feve ral times attempted and pursued, that France has a right to impute the evils which the has fuffered, and those which have afflicted Europe. Such projects, for a long time without example, with refpect to fo powerful a nation, could not fail to bring on the most fatal confequences. Affailed on all fides, the republic could not but extend univerfally the efforts of her defence; and it is only for the maintenance of her own independence that she has made use of thofe means which the poffeffed, in her own ftrength, and the courage of her citizens. As long as the faw that her enemies obftinately refused to recognize her rights, the counted only upon the energy of her refiftance; but, as foon as they were obliged to abandon the hope of invasion, she fought for means of conciliation, and manifefted pacific intentions: and, if these have not always been efficacious; if, in the midst of the critical circumstances of her internal fituation, which the revolution and the war have fucceffively brought on, the former depofitaries of the executive authority of France have not always fhewn as much moderation, as the nation itfelf has fhewn courage; it mutt, above all, be imputed to the fatal and perfevering animofity with which the refources of England have been lavished to accomplish the ruin of France. But if the wishes of his Britannic Majefty (in conformity with his affurances) are in

ifon with thofe of the French republic, for the re-establishment of peace, why, instead of attempting the apology of the war, fh uld not attention be rather paid to the means of terminating it? And what obitacle can prevent a mutual understanding, of which the utility is reciprocal, and is felt, especially when the first conful of the French republic has períonally given fo many proofs of his eagerness to put an end To the calamities of war, and of his difpofition to maintain the rigid obfervance of all treaties concluded? The first conful of the French republic could not doubt that his Britannic Majefty recognized the right of nations to choose the form of their government, fince it is from the exercise of this right that he holds his crown: but he GENT. MAG. March, 1800

has been unable to comprehend, how to this fundamental principle, upon which refts the existence of political focieties, the minister of his Majesty could annex infinuations which tend to an interference in the internal affairs of the republic, and which are no lefs injurious to the French nation and to its government, than it would be to England and his Majefty, if a fort of invi tation were held out in favour of that re publican government of which England adopted the forms in the middle of the last century, or an exhortation to recall to the throne that family whom their birth had placed there, and whom a revolution compelled to defcend from it. If at periods not far diftant, when the constitutional fyftem of the republic prefented neither the ftrength nor the folidity which it contains at prefent, his Britannic Majesty thoughs himself enabled to invite a negotiation and pacific conferences; how is it poffible that he fhould not be eager to renew negotiations to which the prefent and reciprocal fituation of affairs promifes a rapid pro grefs? On every fide the voice of nations and of humanity implores the conclufion of a war, marked already by fuch great calamities, and the prolongation of which threatens Euprope with an universal convulsion and irremediable evils. It is, therefore, to put a stop to the courfe of thefe calamities, or, in order that their terrible consequences may be reproached to those only who fhall have provoked them, that the first conful of the French republic pro poses to put an immediate end to hoftilities, by agreeing to a fufpenfion of arms, and naming plenipotentiaries on each fide, who thould repair to Dunkirk, or any other town as advantageonfly fituated for the quickness of the respective communications, and who should apply themselves, without any delay, to effect the re-establishment of peace, and a good understanding between the French republic and England. The first conful offers to give the patfports which may be neceffary for this purpose.

(Sned) C. M. TALLEYRAND, Paris, the 20th Nivofe (Jan. 14.), 8th year of the French republick. Letter from Lord Grenville to the Minifter for Foreign affairs at Paris.

Sir, Downing-freet, Jan. 20, 1800. I have the honour to inciofe to you the answer which his Majesty has directed me to return to the official note, which you tr.fonted to me. I have the honour to be, with high confideration, Sir, your most obedient, humble servant, GRENVILLE,

NOTE.

The official note tranfmitted by the minifter for Foreign affairs in France, and received by the under figned on the 18th inftant, has been laid before the King. His Majefty cannot forbear expreffing the con

cera

cern with which he observes in that note, that the unprovoked aggreffions of France, the fole caufe and origin of the war, are fyftematically defended by her prefent rulers, under the fame injurious pretences by which they were original y attempted to be difganfed. His Majefty will not enter into the refutation of allegations now univerfally exploded, and (in fo far as they refpect his Majesty's conduct) not only in them elves utterly groundlefs, but contraticted, both by the internal evidence of the tranfactions, to which they relate, and alio by the exprefs teftimony (given at the time) of the government of France itself. With refpect to the object of the note, his Majefty can only refer to the answer which he has already given. He has explained, without referve, the obftacles which, in his judgment, preclude, at the prefent moment, all hope of advantage from negotiation. All the inducements to treat, which are relied upon in the French official note; the perfoual difpofitions which are faid to prevail for the conclufion of peace, and for the future obfervance of treaties; the power of enfuring the effect of those difpofitious, fuppofing them to exift; and the folidity of the fyftem newly established, after fo rapid a fucceffion of revolutions-all thefe

are points which can be known only from that teft to which his Majesty has already referred them the refult of experience, and the evidence of facts. With that fincerity and plainnefs which his anxiety for the re-establishment of peace indifpenfably required, his Majefty has pointed out to France the furest and speedieft means for the attainment of that great object. But he has declared, in terms equally explicit, and with the fame fincerity, that he enter tains no defire to prescribe to a foreign na, tion the form of its government; that he looks only to the fecurity of his own dominions, and of Europe; and that, whenever that effential object can, in his judge. ment, be, in any manner whatever, futfciently provided for, he will eagerly concert with his allies the means of immediate and joint negotiation, for the re-establishment of general tranquillity. To these declarations his Majefty steadily adheres; and it is only on the grounds thus ftated, that his regard to the fafety of his fubjects will fuffer him to renounce that fyftem of vigsrous defence, to which, under the favour of Providence, his kingdoms owe the fecu rity of those bleffings which they now enjoy. (Signed) GRENVILLE. Doruning freet, Jan. 20, 1 1800.

MONTHLY RETROSPECT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, March, 1800.

FRANCE.

THE chief conful has at length officially notified to the French nation the rejection, by the belligerent powers, of his late overtures for peace, and the confequent neceffity of renewing the horrors of war; which he attributes to the avarice and obftinacy of England. The legislature, between whom and the confulate a perfect unifon of fentiment appears to exift, has decreed the neceffary pecuniary and military fupplies for renewing the conteft; and Bonaparte has declared his intention of heading an army of referve, to confiit of 60,000 men, and who are to be affembled at Dijon on the gth of April. As to the general question of peace or war, the information hitherto received from the German, as well as the French papers, leaves us as far as ever from any degree of certainty; for their statements confift alternately of warlike preparations and pacific meffages. That Bonaparte has exerted all his efforts to detach the Court of Vienna from the confederacy, will not admit of the leaft doubt; and fome accounts pretend to give the leading prin ciples of the peace that has been offered by the chief conful to the Emperor, viz. to withdraw the Republican forces from-Italy; to guarantee the antient conftitution of thofe States; and to make the Rhine the boundary of France. It is understood, however, that the Emperor will not accede to any treaty in which Great Britain fhall

not be included. In the interior of France, the chief conful, at the fame time that he is making the neceffary calls to military fervice, is alfo giving back to the people thofe gaieties of life which Frenchmen fo peculiarly love, but of which the severity of republican rigour had deprived them ever fince the commencement of the revolution. Masked balls, and other festivities, have re-appeared at Paris; the term Citizenness has been abolished, by order of Bonaparte, and the more refpe&ful Madame reftored to its antient honours; and, in several departments, the fairs, &c. held under the old regime, have been refumed.

THE BANKS OF THE RHINE are again crowded with hoftile troops ready on both fides for action; but not a blow appears to have been ftruck.

ITALY,

however, has exhibited symptoms of renewed warfare. The Auftrians have begun to befiege the fort of Gavi, as preliminary to the commencement of operations against Genoa, which will be attacked by the Im perialists on one fide, and by the Britishfleet on the other.-The French General Maffena writes, that he has chaftifed the infurgents of Fontana-Buona, and dulodged the Auftrians from Seltri. The latter, however, is a very inconfiderable post. MALTA.

The combined English and Ruffian foress are understood to have commenced the formal

formal fiege of Valette, the principal town vinces, the other, as foon as he is defired, of this island.

NAPLES

seems to be perfectly relieved from infurrection; for, the return of the King to his capital is announced by some of the papers as being to take place early in next month. EGYPT.

The Turks have been fuccefsful against the French in this country, and have recaptured El Arsch, after a very severe conAlict. Letters from Conftantinople allo ftate, that, when the Grand Vizier had advanced within three days' march of Cairo, he received overtures from General Kleber, requiring permiflion to evacuare Egypt with all his army, and to return to France. Difpatches more recently received itate, that the Turks have granted the French three months for this purpose; and that Sir Sidney Smith had engaged, that the fquadron under his immediate command should not interpofe any obstacle to their departure. A degree of uncertainty, however, hangs about the particulars of this convention, though the fact itself does not appear to be at all doubtful. 1

RUSSIA.

The accounts in the foreign journals, on which we founded the statement in our laft Retrospect, of the Ruffians having been again ordered to proceed to the Rhine, were, as it now appears, entirely falfe; but the Petersburg Gazette informs us, that, although the Ruffian troops have feparated from the Auftrians, they will nevertheless be employed against France; if not on the banks of the Rhine, yet certainly on the shores of the ocean, or else. where. Accordingly, we find that 45,000 troops are affembled at Riga and Revel, ready for embarkation as foon as the season fhall open. One of the caufes of mifunderstanding between the Ruflian and Auftrian Courts is faid to have originated at the fiege of Ancona, in which although the Ruffians affifted with a confiderable body of land and fea forces, the Ruffian commander was not confulted when the capitulation was made. A treaty of alliance has been concluded between the Emperor Paul and the King of

SWEDEN,

of which the articles are very numerous; but the following are the most important:

fhall employ his good offices to put a stop to hoftilities. In cafe thefe reprefentations fhould be unfuccefsful, troops shall be furnished in the proportion which follows: His Swedish Majefty, when called upon, fhall fend 8000 foot, and 2000 troopers, 70 guns, and two frigates of 30 guns each: or dragoons; fix fhips of the line of to or and his Majesty the Emperor of all the Ruffias fhall fornith to his ally 12,000 foot, and 4000 troopers, or dragoons, nine ships of the line of 60 or 70 guns, and three fri gates of 30 guns each -4. If the fuccours ftipulated for by the prefent treaty fhall be found infufficient for the defence of either of the contracting parties who fhall be attacked, the other thall affift him with a greater number of troops and veffels, if his own fruation will allow him. (This allance shall last during the space of 8 years.) With

PORTUGAL

alfo, the Emperor of Rudia has concluded a treaty of defenfive alliance, nearly fimi. lar to the foregoing in its leading principles; and the French papers strongly state indications of a rupture between the Courts of St. Petersburg and of

BERLIN.

Certain it is, that military forces from both thefe powers are affembling in the vicinity of Folifh Pruffia; but the object of their movements time only can bring to light.

The following curious article is extracted from the French journal the Gazette de France; and it is particularly entitled to the attention of our readers, from the refpectable name of the Abbé Sicard, the preceptor of the deaf and dumb, which appears fubfcribed to the first 1 tter. Paris, Feb. 21.

"Citizen,

You are undoubtedly not yet acquainted with the extraordinary experiment which is publicly difplayed in No. 40, in the steeet of the priests of St. Germaine l'Auxerrois, fince you have not made any mention of it in your journal, in which you are careful to infert every thing which can interest, not only politicians, but alfo thofe who cultivate the fciences, learning, and the arts. I think that I shall conform to your wishes, by recounting what I have feen, 1. The two contracting parties recipro- aad in detailing the fentiments which I cally guarantee all their territories, pro- have felt on this occafion. In a small chamvinces, and poffeflions in Europe.-2. There ber of this house, in the third story, and fhall be the most intimate correfpondence within a grated circumference, is feen a between his Majesty the King of Sweden, cheit of white glafs, fufpended to the cieland his Majesty the Emperor of all the Rufing by four little chains, which keep it fias; and they fhall give immediate warning of the evils they fee impending on the dominions of each other, and fhail use all their endeavours to avert or repair them. 3. If it should happen that one of the parties fhould be attacked in his European pro

perfectly feparated from every other b. dy. This cheft is tranfparent, and penetrable to the eye in its whole extent. To one of its extremities is adapted an opaque tube o horn, by which a voice is heard, which appears to be that of a young girl, who re

plies

plies diftinctly to every queftion put to her., The impreffion of breathing, and the heat of the air of respiration impregnated with the odour of liquors which the has taken, are alfo perceived. I thought at firft that this voice was that of a ventriloquift, and that it was the voice of him who fhewed the curiofity. But on the morrow my aftonishment was extreme, when this pretended ventriloquift went out of the chamber with another, and when I put new questions with a voice fo low, that I was not heard by any of the other spectators, to find that the replies were perfectly jutt, and well articulated. The breathing was the fame. What can be the caufe of a phænomenon fo astonishing? Where is the person who replies to the questions put to him? What are the means of commu. nication with this opaque, I would almost fay magical tube of horn, fince the cheft in which the one end of this horn is placed is perfectly separated from every other body; fince the tube itfelf is perfectly ifolated, at leaft as far as relates to the end which might be fuppofed to be the communicating medium between the perfon who afks, and the perfon who makes the replies? This is the fecret of the inventor of this wonderful machine, which appears to me well worthy of exciting public curiofity, and which will not fail to give occafion for the researches of those who with to comprehend and to explain every thing.

SICARD."

We were not, in reality, informed of the phænomenon of which Citizen Sicard here fpeaks. It was fufficient that it had excited his attention to excite our curiofity. We went a few days ago to the prefent refidence of this young Invisible. We will not atteft the truth of the details given by Citizen Sicard. The teftimony of no other perfon is necessary to make them believed. We will not undertake to explain what he has declared himself unable to explain. We will only join our admiration to his, and we shall give an account of the negative and positive ideas which what we saw and heard produced upon us.

1. We thought, as Sicard fays that he did, at first that the perfectly diftinct founds which we heard proceeded from a ventriloquist, who, it is pretended, can give to his words the direction which he pleafes. We intreated, as Sicard had done, the perfon who prefided in the house to leave the place where we were; and we fpoke fo low to the Invifible, that it was al together impoffible that any other perfon than is fhould hear what we faid, especially as we were perfectly fure that we were not near any conductor of the voice hefides the horn, which ended within the cheft of glafs, which is perfectly isolated.

2. We could not believe that the quefSons which we put could be heard out of

glass, nor that the anfwers could come from without it, because the tube, which ferves as a conductor for the questions and replies, communicates only with the cheft into which the words are conveyed, and from which they return; and because the cheft does not communicate with any thing but the chains which fufpend it to the walls and cieling.

3. If it be faid that magnetical or electri cal virtues are introduced for fome purpose in the operation; we would ask, how it happens by any of these virtues that the Young Invifibie fees and names, without ever being deceived, the object which is held in the hollow of the hand, fuch as a piece of filver, a watch, &c. the furface of which is held up to the orifice of the tube in fuch a manner, that these objects cannot be perceived from any other point.

After being unable to find the explana tion of this phænomenon in any of thefe means by which, in other cafes, the moft marvellous effects are produced in phyfics, we concluded, that perhaps there was in the cheft a really invisible girl, a dwarf much fmaller than that of the King of Poland *. If this is the fact, it must be only from 12 to 15 inches in length, and about 5 or 6 in thickness; this being all the space of the cheft which cannot be seen, it being behind the communicating tube. The questions which we put to the Invisible, and the replies which it made, were as follow: What age are you?-14 years of age. Where were you born?-At Marseilles: (the ha an accent abfolutely provincial.) What is your name?-Françoife.. Are you pretty?

No. Are you good -Yes, though fometimes ill-natured. What is your po» fition in this chest ?—I am reclining. De all the questions which are put to you not difguft you ?-Never; but I am fometimes very much wearied. Let me feel your breath. (The Invisible immediately made it ftrongly felt.) I feel your breath very well; but Citizen Sicard obferves, that he alfo felt the fmell of liquors, which I do not perceive. That, perhaps, was owing to my having taken liquor that day in the morning: to-day I breakfasted on coffee. How is it that you fee every thing that is prefented to you; that you hear every thing that is faid to you, and that no person can difcover you? That is the fecret of thofe to whom I belong, &c. I went away, perfifting in faying, that, though I could not pretend to have difcovered the folution of the mystery, I would rather believe it to

*This dwarf died at Nanci, June 9, 1764 A wooden fhoe ferved it a long time for s cradle. At fix years old it was a5 inches high, and at 16, 29. History fpeaks of a dwarf, who, at 30 years of age, was only 13 inches high; it belonged to Queen Hen rietta, of France, wife of Charles 1.

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