800 livres each.- The court there received advice from Toulon by an exprefs, that a British squadron of 18 fhips arrived off that port the 28th of June, and blocked up the harbour, so that no fhip could go in or out.- The Minotaur, a fhip of 80 guns, was lanched at Breft in the end of June. In a letter from Paris it is remarked, that the affairs of the French Eaft-India coinpany languish, notwithstanding the blow gi ven to thofe of the British at Bengal, their actions being at no more than 1498 livres. -They tell us that the talk of a defcent on G. Britain is revived.The following letter from Befançon, dated July 8. feems to deferve a place entire. His Majefty's fevere letter to our parliament has awoke a very uncommon spirit of refentment among the populace. The additional duties, which the King fo peremptorily infifts on, are conceived too heavy a burden for the public in the prefent circumftances to bear. Add to this the ftrange injunc. tion he has laid the parliament under, of ftopping their inquiry into the state of the taxes, and the impofitions of the farmers and collectors, which is alfo esteemed a most violent oppreffion. In fine, turbulent and refractory fpirits every day gain ground; and we have little to expect, but that the afflicting a province with all kinds of hardships, and the commanding them to be perfectly easy, and not trouble themselves about the weight of their burden, will prove to be of as extraordinary confequence, as the means are extraordinary which produce it." As a prelude to accounts of late public tranfactions in the AUSTRIAN NETHERLANDS, we infert the following copy of a letter, fent by Count Colloredo, the Imperial minifter at London, to Lord Holderneffe, fecretary of state, on the 26th of June. fhall take M. de Lohzem with me; and I defire that your Excellency would be pleafed to grant us the neceffary paff ports for our baggage and attendants. It was with the greateft regret I beheld the caufes of my recall growing up; and I can affure your Excellency, that I leave this court with the deepest fenfe of the many favours I have received. I am particularly fenfible of the civilities which your Excellency hath fhewn me. I fhall always retain a grateful remembrance thereof; and I have the honour to be, with the utmost confideration," &c. To this letter it was answered, "That the King received with aftonishment the news of the minister's recall; and that he looked upon this step as a confe quence of the alliance which his fovereign had contracted with his Majesty's natural enemy, the French King; that in the mean while he had given orders to Mr Keith, his minifter at Vienna, and Mr Ayrolles, his refident at Bruffels, to quit thofe courts immediately." By the London gazette we were informed, that on the 17th of July the commandant of Oftend fent notice to the British vice-conful there, that, by orders of his court, all communication with Britain was broke off, and that it was defired the vice conful and packetboats at Oftend, Bruges, and Nieuport, would depart in twenty-four hours, and not return into any ports of the Emprefs - Queen, till further difpofitions might be made; which was accordingly complied with. The Emprefs-Queen's motives for taking such a step are thus fet forth in the Bruffels gazette. "That he could not, with indifference, fee England, instead of giving her the fuccours due to her by the most folemn treaties, hefitating not a moment to come into an alliance with the King of Pruffia, her enemy; and actually af fording him fuccours of all kinds; affembling armies to oppofe thofe which the Moll Chriftian King, her ally, had fent to her affiftance; and fuffering pri vateers to exercife open violence in her roads, under the cannon of her ports and coafts, without giving the lealt fa3 H 2 tisfaction 1 tisfaction or answer to the complaints made on that head; and the King of G. Britain himself (at the time fhe of. fered him a neutrality for Hanover) publishing by meflage to his parliament, that he had formed, with the Moft Chriftian King, dangerous defigns against the said electorate," &c. [102]—On the 19th fome French battalions marched into Oftend, and next day more troops of the fame nation entered Nieuport, in order to keep poffeffion of thofe two places till further difpofitions fhould be made; and the Auftrians in garrifon there marched out, to be employed elsewhere. The Emprefs-Queenreferves to herself the fovereignty of those two towns and all along the coaft, the pu. blic revenues, the customs, the artille. ry, warlike ftores, provifions, and every thing belonging to the army. M. de la Mothe, the French general, was to be fworn Governor-General of the Netherlands before her Imperial Majefty's minifter. Notwithstanding all this, a refolution has been taken, to let the 'British packet-boats carry letters to and from Oftend as formerly, as those letters bring in a good revenue to the poftoffice of the Auftrian Netherlands. According to advices from the Hague, the STATES-GENERAL are greatly imbarraffed by a requifition made by Count d'Affry, who, it is faid, has demanded that four of the principal towns on the Dutch frontiers be garrifoned with French troops, as a fecurity for the obfervance of a ftri&t neutrality. Letters from the fame place, of July 18. fay; that their High Mightineffes were then deliberating on the state of the war, and that a refolution had been taken, as the fituation of affairs feemed to be very critical, to provide a fufficient force by fea as well as land against all events. A letter in the Gentleman's Magazine, figned A. B. and dated, Leyden, July 7. contains the following account. "The Aloe, foliis lanceolatis dentatis fpina cartilaginea terminatis radicalibus, mentioned by Linnæus, Hort. Chffort. p. 130. and by Van Royen, Prodrom. Flor. Leid. p. 22.; or the Grand American Aloe of Munting, spoken of by Kefler, Hart. Euft. art. 38. and which has never bloffomed in this country fince the year 1735, and indeed, on account of the coldness of the climate, blossoms here very rarely, and only when the plant is very old, began, on the 15th of laft month, unexpectedly to bud, in the garden of that celebrated florift, Jacob Shurmans Steckhoven. Its ftalk is already upwards of eleven feet high. It grows every day feven or eight inches. The plant, which is above an hundred and fifteen years old, is uncommonly vigorous. It is feven feet and a half in height; its diameter is ten feet, eight inches; and its circumference thirty-four feet.- Its leaves, on each of which may be feen, in a very fingular manner, the impreffion of thofe leaves that touch it all round, are five feet feven inches long; feven inches and a half in thickness, in the lower part; and nine inches broad in the middle, terminating with a long spine of a deep brown colour. This is thought a great curiofity here, and as fuch, I fend you an account of it." As to affairs in the PLANTATIONS: Different accounts bear, that Lord Loudon, with the troops deftined for a fecret expedition, imbarked at New York, in the beginning of June, on board feventy-five tranfports; and that, impatient at not hearing any thing of Adm. Holburne, and fearing that the feafon for action would flip away to no purpose, his Lord fhip, with the whole tranfports, put to fea, on the 20th, under convoy of his Majefty's fhips the Sutherland, Nightingale, and Kennington, with the Vulture and Ferret floops, under the command of Rear-Adm. Hardy. The New York packet for England came out with them, and left them on the 26th, at Nantucket, within thirty-fix hours fail of Halifax in Nova Scotia. We are affured that both his Lordship and Adm. Holburne arrived at Halifax in the end of June, with all the fhips and tranfports. The regiments that imbarked with Lord Loudon, are,, that late Offarrell's, the Highlanders, Abercrombie's, and Webb's, the 2d and 4th battalions of the Royal Americans, with five companies of rangers; in all about 5300 men. We are told, that Maj. Gen. Webb commands at Albany, and the forts on Lake George, and has with him near 8000 men; that Col. Stanwix of the Royal Americans, commands to the weftward of Penfylvania, towards the Ohio, and has near 3000 men; and that Lt-Col. Bouquet commands the forces in South Carolina. The Governor of the latter province has, it is faid, prevailed on fome hundreds of Indians to take up arms against the French. The three fquadrons that failed from France for America fince the beginning of the current year, are now faid to have all joined at Louisburg. The following is given as a complete lift of the British and French fleets in different parts of North America, BRITISH. La att 1598 guns. Guns 40 40 Ships Newark 80 Enterprise Terrible 74 Ludlow-Caftle 40 20 20 20 They write from Virginia and Penfylvania, that the French and their Indians have begun dreadful ravages, by fcalping, murders, &c. on the back fettlements of thofe provinces; and that several parties of Indians in the British intereft have been pretty active and fuccessful in making reprifals. A letter from Virginia, of June 4. fays, that the day before the affembly of that province paffed a bill for giving 80,000 1. for the King's fervice. A militia-bill has been brought into the affembly of Pensylvania, but dropt through the influence of the Quakers; and party-divifions there are faid to be almoft as high as ever. "Whitehall, July 23. By letters from Vice-Adm. Watson, dated the 31ft of January, off Calcutta in the river Hughley, there is an account, That having failed the 16th of October laft, with all the fquadron, and the Walpole and Marlborough Indiamen, from Madrafs for Bengal, he anchored, after a tedious paffage, on the 5th of December, in Ballafore road; and having crossed the 26 Braces on the 8th, proceeded up the river, and arrived at Fulta on the 15th; 20 where he found Gov. Drake and the 30 gentlemen of the council on board fuch 20 hips and veffels as had efcaped falling 16 into the hands of the Moors. As the pi16 lots would not take charge of the fhips 16 till the fprings were over, the Admiral 16 could not proceed higher till the 28th; when he failed with the Kent, Tyger, Salisbury, Bridgewater, and King's-fither floop. The next afternoon Col. Clive was landed, in order to march, and attack Bufbudgia fort by land, at the fame time that the fquadron appeared before the place; which anchored, and began to cannonade about eight o' 64 clock in the morning on the 30th; and, 64 at half past eight, the King's troops were landed to fupport Col. Clive. The fhips foon filenced the enemy's fire; and, at leven in the evening, 100 feamen were landed under the command of Capt. 30 King. At half past eight, the body of the fort was on fire; and, immediately after, news was received that the place was ta28 ken; but the few people in it had all e26 fçaped, One of the company's cap 14 14 14 14 12 12 In all 1516 guns. Celebre 80 Vaillant 80 Eveille Formidable Tonnant Defenfeur 74 Inflexible 64 64 50 30 30 30 30 t tains was killed, and four foldiers wound- jor Killpatrick; and every thing being ed. This fort was extremely well fitu- prepared, they failed the 5th of Januaated for defence, having a wet ditch ry, under the command of Capt. Smith, round it; but badly provided with can- of the Bridgewater; and, on the 11th, non, only 18 guns, from twenty-four the Admiral received an account of the pounders and downwards, and about 40 taking that place, in which was found barrels of powder, with ball in propor- zo guns, from twenty-four pounders tion, being found in it. On the ift of downwards, with a quantity of ammu. January the Kent and Tyger anchored nition. The city of Hughley has fince between Tanna fort, and a battery op- been burnt and deftroyed, together with pofite to it; both which the enemy a- the granaries and ftorehouses of salt, fibandoned as the fhips approached. A- tuated on the banks of each fide the ribout 40 guns, fome twenty-four pound- ver; which will be of great prejudice to ers, and all mounted on good carriages, the nabob, as they contained a store for with fome powder and ball, were found the fubfiftence of his army while in that in this fort and battery; and the Admi- part of the country." Lond. Gaz. ral left the Salisbury as a guardship to prevent the enemy from regaining them. In the night the Admiral fent the boats, manned and armed, up the river, to burn a fhip and fome veffels faid to be filled with combuftibles; which was executed without oppofition. The next morning, early, the company's troops were landed, and immediately began their march to Calcutta. The Kent and Tyger foon after proceeded up the river, together with the 20 gun fhip and floop. At 40 minutes after nine the enemy began to fire upon the Tyger, from their batteries below Calcutta, which they abandoned as the fhips approached. At 20 minutes past ten, the Tyger and Kent made a very warm fire, infomuch that the enemy were foon drove from their guns, and prefently after ran out of the fort; which Capt. Coote, with the King's troops, and an officer from the Kent, entered a little before eleven. Four mortars, 91 guns of different fizes, and a confiderable quantity of all kinds of ammunition, were found in this fort. The fhips have fuffered very little in their mafts, yards, and rigging, and have only loft nine feamen and three foldiers killed, and twenty-fix feamen and five foldiers wounded. An expedition was then propofed against Hughley, to be executed by the 20 gun fhip and floop, the boats of the fquadron manned and armed, affitted by all the King's troops amounting to 170, the company's grenadiers, and 200 Seapoys, which were to be landed under the command of Ma The news of the retaking of the fettlements in Bengal was brought by the Syren, a country-built floop of war, commanded by Mr Jones, late chief mate of the Doddington Indiaman [316.], which left Bengal on the 2d of February; and Mr Holwell, who commanded in Calcutta when taken, brought the exprefs to the India house. The Delaware Indiaman was to fail from Bengal for England in the end of February, with the merchandise found in the factories, little of which had been removed by the Moors. Mr Clive, chief commander of the land-forces in this expedition, writes thus, Feb. 1. 1757. "I have now the pleasure to inform you, that fuccefs hath attended our army hitherto by fea and land. Calcutta is retaken and fortified, and the fecond city in this province is taken by storm and plundered. We are incamped with our little army, and the nabob at the head of 40,000 men upon the march to give us battle. I am in hopes every thing will be concluded to the company's advantage, though not in fo glorious a manner as I could wish.” A letter from on board the Kent, da ted Feb. 1. contains the following particulars. "We failed from Fulta, Dec. 21. and on the 29th, at night landed at Maypow, four miles from Bugi fort. The 30th, in the morning, we were got within two miles of the fort. About eight, the Kent, Tyger, and Salisbury, began a moft furious cannonade. A. bout ten, we were alarmed by the ene my; my; and foon after, a body of 3000 horfe were within piftol-fhot of us. We Eftood the fhock, and obliged them to retreat, though they rallied feveral times with great refolution. The engagement lafted an hour. They left near 500 men in the field, with horfes, camels, and one elephant. Enf. Ker, a relation of Lord Ancrum's, was killed; Our lofs otherwife was inconfiderable. At ten at night we ftormed the fort. Capt. Dougald Campbell, going on the baftion to forbid firing from without, was unfortunately killed. Calcutta held out only half an hour. They had no notion of our being able to take it, as they had built an elegant mofque, and left the company's warehoufes almoft full of goods. We have a fortified camp about four miles distance, where we expect an engagement foon, as a body of Moors are about twenty miles diftant. When Calcutta was taken in June 1756, Lieut. Scott, the Colonel's nephew, Buchanan of Craigievern, Lieut. Simpfon, and a fon of Sir James Johnften of Wefterhall, were killed." ENGLA N, D. In a letter from Portsmouth, of July 25. it is faid, that fourteen regiments are appointed for a fecret expedition, in which the Admirals Hawke, Knowles, and Broderick, are to command; that a number of battering cannon and fcaling ladders are imbarking; and that all the fhips are ordered to have their provifions augmented to a fix months voyage. A very hot press to man this fleet was fuddenly ordered in all the fea-ports, and near 2000 men taken on the Thames only. None were per mitted to efcape by protections. In the end of July the troops began to imbark. Vice-Adm.Townshend arrived at Portf mouth, July 16. in the Roebuck, Capt. Holwell, from Jamaica; on which ftation he was relieved by Rear-Adm. Coates. Vice-Adm. Bofcawen, in the Royal George, with the Royal Sovereign, ar rived at Portsmouth, July 27. from the bay. The Namur, Torbay, and Medway, put into Plymouth. The Admiral had no fuccefs in his cruife. The first hundred French prifoners that were taken before the declaration of war, were shipped off at Portsmouth for Cherburg, July 6. In the room of 87 boys fent to France, they returned 20 men. A veffel full of French prifoners failed from Portsmouth, July 18. with a flag of truce, for Havre-de-grace. An order is made, that the British prifoners brought back in return, fhall not be impreffed, but may have their liberty, or enter on board his Majesty's fhips, in which cafe they are to have two months pay in advance, and a month's leave to fee their friends. From the 30th of June to the 30th of July there were imported no less than 35,715 gallons of brandy into the port of London only, and, what is remarkable, about 8793 quarters of wheat. Befides this there has been a vast impor tation to other ports and as all expor tation is forbidden for a certain time, no demand from the diftillery, the ports ftill open, and the crop on the ground plentiful, it is expected the middling wheat will in a few months fall to half a crown the bushel, to the ruin of many poor farmers, who are as much to be pitied as the overgrown ones are to be cenfured. Watkin Morgan was committed to Caermarthen gaol July 13. for uttering counterfeit moidores and 36 s. pieces. The dates of the former are all 1722, of the letter 1747. They looked quité fresh, and were full weight, but thick er in the middle than the true pieces. IRELAND. On the 1ft of July the two highland battalions, Montgomery's and Frafer's failed from Corke for North America, under convoy of the Falkland, Enterprife, and Stork floop. At a meeting of the corporation of brewers and maltfters in Dublin, July 2 they came to the following refolutions, viz. 1. That the freedom of this corporation be prefented to the Rt Hon. William Pitt and Henry Bilfon Legge, Efqs, in teftimony of this corporation's respect for minifters, who, during a fhort administration |