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out waiting for directions from the civil magiftrates, and 1780. to ufe force for difperfing the illegal and tumultuous affemblies of the people. When once the troops began to act with vigor agreeable to thefe orders, the different mobs were speedily fuppreffed, and the rioters fcattered. But in the effecting of this fervice, 210 were killed, and 248 wounded, 75 of whom have died in hofpitals.

During the night, the city was beheld from one fpot, as reported, blazing in thirty-fix different parts. Some of these conflagrations were truly tremendous from their magnitude. Of thefe, the burning remains of Newgate, the King's-bench prifon, the new Bridewell in St. George's-fields, the Fleet prifon, and the houses and great diftilleries of Mr. Langdale, prefented fpectacles of the most dreadful nature. The natural darkness of the night, the gleam of the distant fires, the dreadful shouts of the rioters in different quarters, the frequent firings of the foldiers, and the groans of the dying, formed altogether a scene fo dreadful that no defcription can eafily reach.

London the next day prefented in many places, the image of a city recently ftormed and facked. All bufinefs was at an end; houfes and fhops were fhut up; the Royal Exchange, other public buildings, and the streets, were poffeffed and occupied by the troops; ruins were ftill burning and fmoking; and a dreadful void and filence reigned, where fcenes of the greatest hurry, and noise, and business were habitual. From this day the riots were totally at an end, and every thing remained quiet. A number of perfons were taken up; and about five o'clock in the afternoon of Saturday the 10th, lord George Gordon was fecured, conveyed to the horse

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1780. guards, and between nine and ten conducted to the Tower.

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The news of the taking of Charlestown arrived very June opportunely for miniftry a few days after, and ferved in a confiderable degree to erafe the memory of paft difappointments, and to revive all the fanguine hopes of the speedy fubjugation of the United States. But it did not prevent administration's being feverely cenfured on account of the preceding difturbances. The mischiefs that had happened were charged to their neglect and delay, in not calling forth the civil power in time, and in not employing the military until it was too late. The cenfure paffed upon them was amply counterbalanced by other effects that the riots produced. The scenes of enormity exhibited by the rioters, ftruck all men with horror; and inspiring a prevailing dread of popular meetings, however peaceable or legal, threw a general damp on all endeavours whatever for reformation. Thus the cause of miniftry was eventually ftrengthened by a most difgraceful tumult, which for a while appeared to threaten the fubverfion of all government.

Notwithstanding Sir George Rodney's fuccefs in January, the fiege of Gibraltar has been continued. The vigilance and induftry of the Spaniards, in their endeavours to cut off all relief by fea, were redoubled; and the difficulty of fupplying the garrifon was continually increafing. They attempted by means of feven fire. fhips to burn the Panther and Experiment men of war, and a royal floop that lay in the bay; of which the British commanders had not the smallest notice, till they were alarmed at one in the morning of June the 7th, by the approaching flames of the burning veffels. The

captains with the most immediate prefence of mind, inftantly manned their boats; and the officers and seamen with their ufual intrepidity, met and grappled the firefhips; and then amid the bursting of fhells, and the horrors of a scene teeming with deftruction, boldly towed them off, and ran them on different parts of the fhore, after much labor and expence had been bestowed upon their equipment.

The empress of Ruffia, having accompanied the great duke and duchefs on their way to make the tour of Europe, proceeded, according to a concerted appointment, to Mokilow in Poland, where fhe had an interview with the emperor of Germany in the month of June. After fome stay there, the emperor accompanied the Czarina on her return to Petersburgh. When he had continued for a while in that city, he returned to Vienna, and was vifited by the prince royal of Pruffia. The king of Sweden made a vifit about the fame time to Holland.

1780.

Admiral Geary failed from Spithead early in June with 23 fhips of the line, and was afterward joined by five or fix more; but he was not in time to prevent the junction of the French fleet from Breft with the Spaniards at Cadiz, by which the two nations have acquired fuch a fuperiority as affords them the apparent dominion of the European feas. The admiral however on the 4th July of July, fell in with a rich convoy from Port au Prince, of which he took 12 merchantmen; the reft, with the fhips of war, efcaped.

4.

July 16, the Belle Poule frigate, commanded by the 16. chevalier Kergariou, was taken by the Nonfuch of 64 guns, Sir James Wallace captain, after an obftinate de

$780.

fence of more than two hours.

The chevalier and 24

men were killed; and about 40 wounded.

Mr. John Adams and Mr. Francis Dana his fecretary, arrived in Spain about the middle of last December, after a very narrow escape. The frigate on board of which they were, it was thought would have foundered at fea in less than forty-eight hours more. After a fhort stay they proceeded to France. Mr. Adams is now at Amfterdam, where he will undoubtedly employ his abilities in forwarding a treaty of commerce between the United Provinces of Holland, and the United States of America, which has been in agitation now near upon two years. As Mr. William Lee, whom congrefs had appointed commiffioner to the courts of Vienna and Berlin, was on his way to the laft city, with his fecretary Mr. Samuel W. Stockton, he accidentally put up at an hotel in Aix-la-Chapelle, where Mr. John de Neufville happened to be, who hearing of them, and learning that they were Americans, joined company with them. Mr. de Neufville difcourfed upon the fubject of a commercial treaty. Mr. Lee had no powers to negotiate or fign any thing of the kind with the province or states of Holland: but he and his fecretary agreed between themselves, that the measure should be ventured upon, could it be executed, as they had no doubt of its meeting with the approbation of congress. Mr. de Neufville confulted Mr. Van Berkel, the counsellor and penfionary of Amfterdam, and having received his directions proceeded to fign on the 4th of September 1778, the plan of a treaty of amity and commerce, as deftined to be concluded hereafter between the ftates of Holland and the United States of America, Mr. de Neufville, being properly

authorized by the regency of Amfterdam, further en- 1780. gaged, that as long as America fhould not act contrary to the intereft of the ftates of Holland, the city of Amfterdam would never adopt any measure that might tend to oppofe the intereft of America, but would on the contrary use all its influence upon the ftates of the feven United Provinces of Holland, to effect the desired connection. Though feveral copies of the plan were early fent to America, and the whole business has been for fome time known to many, yet it appears to be still concealed from the British administration; while it is evidently different with refpect to fome of their councils. Mr. Adams wrote to congrefs from Amsterdam on the 23d of August-" Orders are fent to profecute Aug. the war with vigor in North Carolina and Virginia the 23enfuing fall, winter and fpring. Britain will yield to France and Spain very great things to carry their point against America; but all will not do. France and Spain are now responsible for their conduct to the rest of Eu rope; besides, the feparation of America from England, is an object of more preffing importance than any conce fions England can make them."

THE

LETTER

XIII.

Roxbury, Jan. 11, 1781.

HE military operations in South Carolina require an immediate detail. Col. Sumpter at the head of his party, made a fpirited, though unfuccessful attack

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