Hanoverian troops, whofe number, by virtue of the propofed convention, could not be augmented.- -Thefe terms have been rejected.

The King of Pruffia lately remitted to the diet of the empire a declaration, in which he complains of the entrance of the French into the ftates of Cleves, Meurs, and La Marck; and claims, by virtue of the treaty of Weftphalia, the affiftance of the empire, not only to oblige thofe troops to retire, but also to procure reparation of the damages they have occafioned. The Hanoverian minifter at Ratifbon has alfo delivered a refcript to the dictatorial commiffion of the empire, in which his Britannic Majefty, as an elector, claims the affiftance of the Emperor, for the protection of his electoral dominions, against the intended in. vafion of them by the French. It is not to be expected that any regard will be paid to either of thefe requifitions.

The advices of 18,000 Pruffians having joined the army of obfervation, affembling at Bielefeld, under the Duke of CUMBERLAND [246.], had been premature; though it appears that a reinforcement had been intended. His R. Highness having been informed, about the middle of May, that the different corps of the French army affembled towards the Lower Rhine, and in the duchy of Cleves, had received orders to march, and that their motions feemed to be with a defign of advancing towards the Wefer, he posted most of his troops in the bishoprick of Paderborn. When they took poffeffion of the city of that name, they obliged the garrifon, confifting of 800 men, to march out, and to promife upon oath that they would not ferve during the prefent war. An agreement was also made with the regency, that whatever was furnished the allied army fhould be paid for in ready money. On the 10th of June the whole French army was put in motion, directing its march from Wahrendorff to Rheda. About the fame time the Duke of Cumberland withdrew his pofts from Paderborn and Ritzberg, after having eaten up, or carried off, every thing that could be of service to his enemies. Having to

-The

deal with a greatly fuperior army, which was obliged to advance, retreat, or ftarve, he judged it prudent to put the Wefer between himfelf and it.circumftances attending his paffing that river are very differently reported. The following account has been given us from Munfter. "On the 13th, in the evening, Col. Fifcher, with his corps. and fome detachments of grenadiers, attacked Bielefeld. He found there at firft but little refiftance; but the Pruffians in the left wing of the Duke's army threw in a reinforcement, which made a vigorous defence. At break of day this left wing, compofed of Pruffians, Heffians, and Brunfwickians, was attacked, defeated, and driven from Bielefeld; on which the right wing, confisting of Hanoverians, took to flight. Immediately after the action, the French pitched their tents on the fpot from whence the allies had been driven. They have taken ten pieces of cannon, befides feveral baggage-waggons; and have loft no officer of note. On the fide of the vanquished party, there are feveral officers of rank among the flain, particularly the Generals Einsiedel and Junckheim. On the 15th the French made themselves mafters of Hervord, and it is reckoned they entered the town of Minden the 18th; fo that they are upon the borders of the Wefer, and not far from the capital of the electorate of Hanover."

A letter from the French head quarters at Rheda, dated June 14. after defcribing the attack, proceeds thus: "We had one officer killed, five wounded, fixteen common men and several horfes killed. The lofs of the enemy amounts to 15 officers killed, Pruffians and Hanoverians, and 45 wounded, 200 foldiers killed, 150 wounded, and upwards of 300 deferters, most of them Pruffians."

On the other hand, the following has been given as an extract of a letter from the Hanoverian head-quarters at Holtzuyfen, dated June 18. " On the afternoon of the 13th the Duke of Cumber land, having advice that the enemy caufed a large body of troops, followed by a fecond, to march on our right to Burg

holte,

holte, gave orders to have his tent taken down, and the army to march that evening towards Hervorden. At the fame time Maj. Gen. Hardenberg march ed, with tour battalions of grenadiers, and a regiment of horfe, to reinforce the poft at Hervorden, where there were two battalions, and one regiment of horse, under Lt-Gen. Block. Count Schu lenberg covered the left of our march with a battalion of grenadiers, a regiment of horse, and the light troops of Buckleburg. The whole army march ed in two columns. The right was compofed of horfe, and, followed by two battalions, to cover their paffage through the inclosures and defiles, paffed by the right of Bielefeld; and the left, of infantry, by the left of the fame town. -The vanguard of the French army attacked our rearguard, commanded by Maj. Gen. Einsiedel, very brifkly, and at first put them into fome confufion; but they immediately recovered themselves, and a few cannon-fhot foon difengaged us from the enemy. This was in the beginning of the night. At break of day the enemy's reinforcements return ed to the charge; but were always repulfed with lofs; nor could they once break through Lt-Col. Alfeldt's Hanoverian guards, which clofed the army's march, with a detachment of regular troops, and the new corps of hunters, who arrived but the day before, and are greatly esteemed for their bravery and conduct. We have loft Lieut. Linftow, a Hanoverian officer, and 10 or 12 foldiers. The enemy had about 100 both killed and wounded, among whom are feveral officers.- -The army incamped at Cofoldt the 14th, and ftaid there the next day; when the enemy's detach ments advanced to the gates of Hervorden, and made as if they would attack the town, after having fummoned it; but we answered this fummons fo well, that they retired, and we have not feen them fince. The troops which were pofted at Hervorden, and formed the rearguard, paffed the Wefer on the fide of Remen, very quietly. We have incamped here ever nce the day before yesterday, and fhall regulate our difpo

fitions by the motions of the enemy. The little forage we had at Bielefeld was burnt through miftake by our own people, as we were carrying it away.'

The account published in the London Gazette runs thus. "Hague, June 24. We have letters from the head quarters of the army upon the Wefer, dated at Holtzhaufen the 18th, which bring an account, that from the 14th to the 16th inftant the Duke of Cumberland had marched to the Wefer, and paffed that river without any interruption, notwithftanding an attack on the rearguard at Bielefeld and Hervord, in which the enemy was repulfed with confiderable lofs. The lofs on the fide of the allied army confifted of 44 men, killed, wounded, and prifoners, of which number, one officer is killed, and two wounded. The French themfelves own, that they gained no advantage over the rearguard of the allied army; and that they fuf. fered confiderably in the attack"

The army of observation, since it was joined by the Heffians returned from England, has been computed at 44,000 effective men. Some fay the French army in that quarter confifts of 80,coo, but fickly. Their friends reckon them, fome at 100,000, others at above 110,000.

All the valuable effects which were in the caftle of Hanover, with the artillery in the arfenal and on the ramparts, have been fent elsewhere, particularly to Stade, for the greater fecurity; and his Britan nic Majefty's fine ftud of horses has been conveyed to Gohrde.

We are informed by letters from TuNIS, of April 27. that the evening before a confpiracy was difcovered there, in which about 300 perfons had engaged, with a view of fubverting the form of government, having for that purpose appointed a new bey from among themfelves, and difpofed of all the principal polls, both civil and military, in the fame manner; but that the plot being difcovered, feveral of the ringleaders were feized, and among others the pretended new bey was killed, and his body, after being dragged before the windows of the caftle, was torn to pieces;

alfo

tors being fecured, the public tranquillity was restored.

Towards completing the FRENCH army in Alface, already taken notice of, many of the regiments in Britany and Normandy, befides others that were in the interior parts of the kingdom, fome time ago received orders to march thi ther. Since then we have not heard of any new threatenings to invade G. Bri.

cain.

According to a letter from Paris, dated May 20. an attempt had been dif. covered to excite the Protestants in the fouthern provinces to a revolt, when the greatest part of the French troops were abroad, or in diftant places of the kingdom. It is added, that feveral letters relating to this affair had been intercepted, and that ftrict inquiry was making after their authors; among whom were fufpected to be two members of the parliament of Bourdeaux.

Advices from the capital, of the 23d of May, bore, that a negotiation was faid to be on foot between his Moft Chriftian Majefty and several perfons of the court, for accommodating the affairs of the parliament of Paris. Thus far they fay is certain, that the King was that day to go to the palace of La Meute, where he had ordered the first prefident and fome members of that tribunal to attend.

We are informed, that before the 10th of June orders had been fent for building two men of war of 80 guns, and two of 74, at Breft; and that at Rochefort they had upon the stocks one of 80 guns, another of 54, and a fri. gate of 36.

As to PLANTATION affairs: We are told, by a letter from Lancaster in Penfylvania, of April 11. that about 125 Catawba Indians, all warriors, had marched for Fort Cumberland in the end of March and beginning of April, a mong whom was King Hagler, who fwore he would have revenge for the lofs of his fon last winter at Fort du Quefne; and that there were between 3 and 400 Cherokees on their march to join the Catawbas. A letter from Virginia, da VOL. XIX.

Catawbas, Cherokees, Tufcororas, and other small tribes, who were going out on fcalping-expeditions along with the provincial troops; and that affairs in that province were ftill in a perplexed ftate, through incurfions made on their frontiers by parties of French and Indians.

According to feveral letters from New York, dated in the beginning of May, Lord Loudon's army was then 20,000 ftrong. A confiderable number of transports, fome fay 170, others fwell the number to 200, were collected in that. port, to take on board 9000 regular forces, that were then incamped in and about that city and Rhode Island. As every thing was kept a profound fecret, no body could with certainty tell the defign of this armament; but, by all conjectures, it was deftined either for Cape Breton or Quebeck, whenever Adm. Holburne fhould arrive. The newfmongers were discharged to infert any thing of Lord Loudon, or his army, or the preparations carrying on. We are told, that the imbargo was taken off about the beginning of May, in most, if not all of the provinces. Several veffels are lately arrived from thence in Britain and Ireland, with corn.

Advice was received at New York in the beginning of April, that from the 19th to the 21st of March, a large body of French, Canadians, and Indians, had made feveral attempts to ftorm Fort William-Henry, one of the new forts built laft winter, near Lake George; but were bravely repulfed. The French were provided with 300 fcaling-ladders, and all the apparatus for a general affault. On the 20th a meffage was fent by M. de Vaudreuil, commander of the French army, to the commanding officer at the fort, in substance, That he was averfe to carrying on the war, and much regretted the miferies that attended it; to prevent which, (as the British were the aggreffors, in having made incroachments on the French territories, and built forts on them), he defired the fort might be delivered up in a peaceable manner promifing the garrifon all the honours of Z z

war

ces.

war, and that they fhould be permitted to carry off their most valuable effects; only begged that fomething might be left to gratify the Indians; from whom they needed be under no apprehenfion, as he had regulars enough to protect the garrifon from any violence they might offer; and declared, that if they refu fed to agree to thefe terms, he would immediately order a general affault to be made, in which fhould he fucceed, the garrison must take the confequenTo this meffage the commanding officer of the fort replied, That his fixed refolution was, to defend his Majefty's garrifon to the laft extremity. Accordingly a furious affault was made, but the affailants were repulfed with confiderable lofs. The garrifon had only feven men flightly wounded; but two floops, almost all the battoes, three ftorehoufes belonging to the provincials, and all the huts of the rangers, were burnt by the French. Some prifoners were taken, who informed the garrifon, that their artillery had had good effect.

Several letters from America, dated in the beginning of May, inform us, that a confiderable body of French regulars were arrived at the Miffifippi and Hifpaniola; and that they were under fome apprehenfions of an invafion upon South Carolina; but that measures were taking, in that and the neighbouring provinces, for their defence.

In our last we gave an account of the difafters at Bengal, as brought by the British Eaft-India company's fhips, in two letters, one from Bengal, and the other from Bombay. We fhall now infert a letter from M. Durand, a gentle. man in the French Eaft-India company's fervice at Chandernagor, on the Bengal coaft, dated July 2. 1756, which is ftill more explicit and particular.

"ALVEDEIKAM, nabob of Bengal, having died about two months ago, his nephew and godfon, Saradjot Dollah, fucceeded him. This fucceffion occafioned much difcontent and trouble; which, notwithstanding his cruel and tyrannical difpofition, he found means to appeafe for fome time, by fome a&is of kindness to the common people. But

this lafted not long; and he foon refumed his barbarous habit, ill treating every body about him, but more particularly thofe of diftinction; feizing all their riches and effects; and, for the more certain execution of his purpose, he ftrictly forbade the European nations to give any of them any protection or retreat: which we and the Dutch have strictly complied with. The English did not: but, on the contrary, they sheltered feveral at Golgotha (or Calcutta) who had very large fums with them. Saradjot Dollah, being apprifed of this, ordered the English to deliver them up immediately, with their effects, and caufed the fort at Caffembuzar to be furrounded by 5 or 600 men; affuring them, if they did not comply forthwith, they fhould have caufe to repent it. The English were deaf to his fummons, and obftinately refused to deliver up a fingle perfon; and fent him word from Caffembuzar, that if he did not withdraw his troops, they would instantly fire at them. The nabob, irritated at this menace, and at their non-compliance with his orders, fent, two days af ter, (June 2.), about 20,000 men to join the 600, and feize the fort; which, though fmall, was regularly built, mounted 60 cannon, and had about 300 men. However, he deferred attacking it, till he had propofed a treaty of accommodation with Mr Watts, the chief; whom he fummoned to confer with him in his tent, diftant about a mile and a half, affuring him he fhould be no wife molefted. Mr Watts imprudently confented; and fet out, with his furgeon, and three or four Peons: but he was not got a mufket-fhot distance from the fort, ere they manacled him with a turban, and conducted him in that manner before the nabob; who would not deign to look on him, bút hurried him away to Moxoudavat.

Thofe who remained in the fort, on the lofs of their chief, were forced to furrender the next day, without having exchanged a fingle fhot. The Moors entered the fort, feized on every thing; ill-treating the people, and leaving thear fcarce a fhirt to their backs; and a few

..days