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Vol. xix. dingly. I have the honour to be, with fian army, after lying four days before all poffible confideration, Gentlemen, the enemy, returned, on the zoth, to your affectionate fervant, DE LUCE." their camp at Bernftædel. They were Our last left the Auftrians in Lufatia followed by fome huffars and pandours; pofted near Gorlitz, and the Pruffians in who however had not the fatisfaction fight of them. The former foon turned to take one fingle packhorse in the reoff towards Zittau, where they were treat. joined by 15,000 men, whom they had pofted between Radebery and Stolpen. -The following account, fent from the Pruffian head quarters, fhews how matters went on for fome days.

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Bernftadel, Aug. 21. On the 15th the Pruffian army came in fight of the Aufirian camp, and within cannon-fhot. So foon as they perceived us, they ftruck their tents, and drew up in order of battle at the head of their camp. The King formed his army overagainst them, and immediately went to reconnoitre the ground between the armies; but as it was then late, he deferred the more exact examination of the ground till next day. The two armies continued all night under arms.

"On the 16th, at break of day, the King returned to reconnoitre the fituation of the enemy with the utmost exactnefs. He found them incamped with their right at the river Neiffe. The reft of their army extended along a height to a mountain covered with wood, which protected their left. Before their front, at the foot of the hill on which they were drawn up, was a small brook, paffable only in three different places, and that for four or five men abreaft.

"Towards the left of the Auftrian army there was an opening, where three or four battalions might have marched in front but behind it they had placed three lines of infantry; and, on a hill which flanked this opening, within mufket-fhot, were placed 4000 foot, with 40 or 50 pieces of cannon; fo that really this was the ftrongest part of their camp.

"The King, to leave nothing undone that might force the Auftrians to a battle, fent Gen. Winterfeldt, with part of the army, to the other fide of the Neiffe by the bridge of Hirschfeld, to try to take them in flank. But that being likewife found impoflible, the Pruf

"The Auftrians fay, they are 1 30,000 ftrong. Sure, they might have fhewed a little more manliness; for the King gave them the faireft occafions. The day he returned to Bernftædel, after he had retired about 2000 yards, he drew up the army in line of battle, and remained fo upwards of an hour. But not a man ftirred from the Auftrian camp," Lond. Gaz.

His Pruffian Majefty being informed, that the execution army of the empire, as it is called, under the Prince of SaxeHildburghaufen, and a French one commanded by the Prince de Soubife, were approaching near Saxony, he drew off about 22,000 men from Lufatia, in order to go and meet them, leaving the Prince of Bevern with between 30 and 40,000 to make head against the whole Auftrian force, amounting, as themfelves gave out, to about 130,000 men. Nothing of great confequence happen. ed on that fide till the 7th of September, when an action was brought on between two corps of the different armies.The Auftrian account of it is thus gi ven us in a letter from Prague, dated Sept. 10. "A courier difpatched from the camp at Schonau paffed by here the day before yesterday, going to Vienna, with the news of a confiderable advantage gained the 7th inft. by the Au ftrian troops over a large corps of the Prince of Bevern's army. As this prince had caufed Gen. Winterfeldt to occupy a mountain, fortified and defended by artillery, which guarded the entrance of his camp, it was refolved to attack him, and endeavour to take poffeffion of the mountain. Accordingly the whole army advanced to favour this operation. The attack was executed by the Duke d'Arenberg's corps de referve, sustained by Gen. Nadafti's huffars and corps of cavalry. The Pruffians were diflodged from their pofts on the mountain,

They

They occupied a redoubt there, in which they were refolved to ftand firm, and defend themselves obftinately. Upon which Maj.-Gen. Wurben, who commanded the grenadiers, and the Marquis de Monrazel, a brigadier in the fervice of France, who is in the Auftrian army, entered this redoubt fword-inhand, from whence the grenadiers, with their bayonets fixed on their muskets, drove the Pruffians. The enemy had three battalions there, part of whom were put to flight, and the reft either deferted or were made prifoners. The Auftrians took from them fix pieces of cannon, fix pair of colours, and all their baggage. Gen. Winterfeldt, who was with the rest of his troops on the other fide of the mountain, as he was coming to the fuccour of the redoubt, was fhot dead by a cannon-ball; which occafioned great confufion in the corps he commanded, fo that they turned back towards the Neifs. Among the Pruffian officers who are made prifoners are Maj. Gen. Kamecke, the Count of Anhalt, and feveral other captains. The Pruffians are reckoned to have had 1500 and upwards killed and wounded, and the Auftrians about 300. The Marquis de Clerice was wounded, as likewife Col. Elrichaufen, Count d'Arberg, and feveral other Auftrian officers; Count Nadafti received a wound in his fhoulder, and the young Count of Groefbeeck and the Marquis Dafque were killed."

The Berlin gazette relates this action in the following manner. "On the 7th (of this month a body of 15,000 Auftrians attacked two battalions of Winterfeldt's troops, who were pofted on an eminence on the other fide of the Neifs, near Hennersdorf, in the neighbourhood of Gorlitz. They were repulfed feveral times, but at laft took poffeffion of the eminence; which they have fince abandoned. The enemy loft 3000 men, and we had 800 killed or wounded. But what greatly heightens our lofs is the death of the brave Winterfeldt, who received a fhot from a cannon, as he was leading up fuccours to the battalions which were engaged, and died the night following."

His Pruffian Majefty, with the detachment he led from Lufatia, arrived at Drefden on the 29th of Auguft, and was followed by M. Keith. Being there joined by the corps under the Prince of Anhalt Deffau and fome other troops, he had an army of 35,000 ftrong; with which he marched forward, and came to Leipfic on the 4th of September. By this time the French, commanded by the Prince de Soubife, and the executionarmy of the empire under the Prince of Saxe- Hildburghaufen, amounting in whole to about 50,000 men, had reached Erfurth in Saxony and its neighbourhood. Upon the further approach of the Pruffians, the troops at Erfurth retreated on the 10th, and the French incamped near Langen-Saltza, while the army of the empire took post behind Eifenach. His Pruffian Majefty took poffeffion of Erfurth on the 14th; but there were fome Auftrians and troops of the empire on the Petersberg in order to defend that poft. According to advices from the Hague, dated Sept. 23. there is a great desertion from the executionarmy, many men having gone over to the King of Pruffia, and between 4 and 5000 having found their way to the United Provinces in order to feek their fortunes. This desertion is chiefly owing to the repugnance of moft of the fubaltern officers and foldiers, especially those who profefs the Proteftant religion, to act against his Pruffian Majefty. They write from Francfort, that even the princes and ftates of the empire act at prefent under an immediate force; that though they have been obliged to fend out their contingents, yet it is pretty certain that their wishes did not go along with them; and that they would be very well pleased to hear of the French under the Prince de Soubife being de-. feated, and confequently their troops left to the bent of their own inclinations, which might help to give a new turn to the affairs of Europe.

M. Richlieu being left at full liberty, by the treaty of neutrality before taken notice of, to act where he fhould think proper, we are informed, that a confi derable part of his army has been ma

king forced marches, in order to fuc. cour the Prince de Soubise. An extract of a letter from the Hague, dated Sept. 27. and published in the London gazette, is as follows. "The French with M. Richlieu feem to move flower, fince the arrival of Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick in the duchy of Halberstadt, with a corps of troops, who has defeated the vanguard of the French near Egeln, confifting of 1000 men. The French feem to keep to the Hartz mountains, instead of following the plain, which may retard and imbarrass them confiderably; and it feems very uncertain, whether and how the junction of their army can be made." Other accounts make the body of Pruffians commanded by the Prince of Brunswick to confit of between 8 and 9000 men.

From Vienna they write, that in confequence of a refolution taken by the IMPERIAL AULIC COUNCIL, of the 22d of Auguft laft, at the demand of the fifcal of the empire, against the King of Pruffia, for invading the Saxon territo. ries, and afterwards entering Bohemia, his Pruffian Majefty, as Elector of Brandenburg, is fummoned to fee and hear, that he has incurred the bann of the em

pire, by which he is deprived of all his fiefs, rights, and privileges; and that the Emperor, having approved of this refolution, has ordered it to be published, allowing the term of two months for the Elector of Brandenburg to make his appearance

in.

of Italy; but it was fo violent in Sicily, that about two thirds of the city of Syracuse were overthrown, and, according to late accounts, 12,000 perfons buried in the ruins.

They advise from MADRID, of Auguft 8. that the council of war there, having reported their opinion, that the Duke de Penthievre prize had been taken off Corunna, in violation of the Spanifh territory, his Catholic Majesty has ordered that prize to be delivered up to the French conful at Cadiz, and the Antigallican privateer not to be suffered to depart, till the parties are heard with regard to the damages which may have been occafioned by the detention. In the mean time we have been told, that Mr Fofter, the captain, has flipt off to Gibraltar, and that feveral of the failors have alfo made their escape.- -The Prince of Morocco has raised the fege of Ceuta, and is gone to Tetuan.'

According to late advices from GENOA, and other parts of Italy, the British fquadron in the Mediterranean had blocked up the feveral ports of Corfica; the malecontents in that island, amounting to about 25,000, having received artillery and ammunition from the British, were preparing to lay fiege to Baftia, its capital; and M. Paoli, their commander in chief, had given a very brifk and determined answer to the commander of the French troops there, who had fent to inquire the reason of his approaching any place garrifoned by the troops of his Moft Chriftian Majesty.

On the 6th of Auguft a flight fhock of an earthquake was felt in different parts

The Dey of ALGIERS has proclaimed peace both with the States-General and Tufcany, fet the confuls of those powers at liberty, and strictly forbid his fubjects taking any of their fhips for the future.

[Our hiftorical affairs have fwelled fo upon us, that we are obliged to defer feveral European articles, foreign and domeftic, all the American affairs, and the accounts of our fucceffes in the East Indies.]

ENGLAND.

The tranfports defigned for the fecret expedition [375 430.] were long detained in the Downs by contrary winds, but failed on the 2d of September, and arrived at Cowes on the 4th in the evening. On the 5th and 6th the troops imbarked, confifting, it is said, of ten regiments of foot, viz. Home's, Loudon's, Bentinck's, Howard's, Wolfe's, Cornwallis's, Kingfley's, Brudenel's, Amhurft's, and Hodgfon's. Fifty lightarmed horfe, befides horses for drawing the artillery, imbarked likewife. The fleet got under fail on the 7th, brought to for that night at St Helen's, and failed next morning. They confifted of the following fhips, Royal George, a first rate; Royal William, Ramilies, (Adm.

Hawke),

Hawke), Neptune, (Adm. Knowles), Barfleur, and Namur, fecond rates; Princess Amelia, (Adm. Broderick), and Torbay, third rates; Magnanime, 74 guns; Alcide, Burford, and Dublin, 70 guns; Achilles, America, Dánkirk, and Medway, 60 guns; and the following frigates, Thetis, Coventry, Peregrine floop, Poftilion, Porcupine, and Viper; alfo fix cutters, two buffes, two fire-fhips, and two bombs: and they were to take several ships from Plymouth. The Southampton man of war spoke with the fleet on the 14th, in lat. 44 d. 20 m. long. 1 d. 10 m. west of the Start, and brought a letter from an offi. cer on board the Neptune; which made it be believed that the place of their deftination was farther diftant than the coast of France, as was first conjectured. "We are now fteering," fays he, "W. by S. the wind S. S. E. Our anchors are ftowed david down, and every thing looks like a voyage of fome length. We have fixteen fail of the line, and as many frigates. Our longboats have all got a brafs fix-pounder fitted to them, to cover the landing of the troops. We have a great many bales of foldiers cloaths on board, which are green turned up with white; but we cannot guefs for whom they are defigned." According to other accounts, every tranfport has ten large boats on board, that will hold thirty men each, fo that the whole force can be landed at once; and the tranfports carry 300 men each. A lift faid to be by an officer of the dock-yard at Plymouth, makes the fleet, including thofe from that port, and fome which were to join them in a certain latitude, to confift of 28 fhips of the line, 22 frigates, 68 tranfports, 5 firefhips, 2 bombketches, 2 hofpital-fhips, and 2 ftorefhips, in all 129, befides Folkftone and Deal cutters and they are faid to be victualled for eighteen months.

The lottery began drawing Sept. 5. when it is reported that only 500,000 tickets were fubfcribed for. [102]

Two letters in the Gentleman's Maga zine give the following accounts of the expected comet. [xviii. 550.]

"Sept. 27. I firft faw the comet on VOL. XIX.

Sunday the 18th inftant, between the two bright stars called Caftor and Pollux, or the heads of the Gemini, between twelve and one in the morning; and being fatisfied that I had never before feen any fuch ftar thereabouts, concluded it to be a comet. In two days after, about the fame time in the morning, I faw it again, being now go to the eastward of both the said stars. I have not feen it fince, by reafon of the cloudy weather. But I understand by the news, that it was observed at Greenwich laft Sunday morning in the northern part of Cancer, by Dr Bradley, who, I am told, first found it a good way under the ftar Capella, in the constellation of Auriga."

66

Sept. 29. On Monday the 19th inftant, about two in the morning, I faw, between flying clouds, a dull reddish spot, which I then took for the planet Mars; but hearing the next day that a comet had been feen in the east, by a chymift in Southampton ftreet, I turned to the ephemeris, and found that Mars was confiderably fouth of the phænomenon I had that tranfient view of. Continual cloudy weather defeated my hopes of finding it again, till I lately underflood that Dr Bradley had obferved it the night of the 18th inftant, between twelve and one in the morning, in the 17th deg. of Cancer, with about 9 deg. of N. latitude, and again the next morning in 21 deg. of the fame fign, with about 8 deg. of latitude; its vifible path feeming directed towards Cor Leonis. Yesterday morning (the 28th) I faw it about 2 deg. and a half directly above Cor Leonis, as in the figure; where A reprefents Cor Leonis, or the Lion's heart, B the fouthernmost in the Lion's neck, of the 3d magnitude, (Bayer's n), and C the comet. The distance from

the ftar A to the comet, being, by the eltimate of my eye, to that of the co

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ved, that at 4 h. 2 m. 43 f. apparent time, the comet and Cor Leonis were, as in this figure, precifely in the fame ver tical. From all which I collect the comet's longitude at that time to be 24 d. 47 m. of Leo. lat. 1 d. 56 m. North, nearly. This morning the comet appeared very near Cor Leonis, as in the diagram, and paffed the fame vertical as yesterday, exactly five minutes of mean folar time after the star. At 4 h. 30 m. 8. apparent time, the ftar preceded the comet exactly 4 m. 271. of mean folar time, or 1 d. 7 m. 4 f. and was fouth of it in declination 15 m.; this difference of declination not near fo certain as that of the right afcenfion. Now, affuming the ftar's right afcenfion at this time 148 d. 51 m. 40 f. and its declination 13 d. 8 m. 30 f. North, the comet's right afcenfion will be 149 d. 58 m., 441. and its declination N. 13 d. 24 m.; whence its longitude comes out Leo 27 d. 23 m. 49 f. with 1 d. 4 m. 28 f. North latitude. This determination however is not to be understood, any more than yesterday's, of certainty enough to be employed in deducing the comet's theory; though both together may be fufficient to fhew, that its prefent daily increase of longitude is about 23 degrees, and its decrease of North latitude, about 50 minutes; fo that it will cross the ecliptic to morrow in the 2d degree of Virgo, and fo increase in fouth latitude, and probably foon be loft in the ftrong morning twilight. We are to hope for its true theory from the accurate obfervations, and no lefs correct calculations of our aftronomer-royal, to whofe affiduity in looking out for the expected comet, we owe its difcovery fome weeks ago. The motion of this by no means agrees with what the other fhould have at this time of the year, in the fame part of the heavens; befides that it is retrograde in its orbit, whereas there is great reafon to think this is di rect.

B. J."

SCOTLAND.

The fearcity and dearth of grain having occafioned an outcry against the con dealers, Mr George Chalmers mer.

chant in Edinburgh published, in the Edinburgh news-papers of Sept. 10. a letter in his own vindication, in which he gives an account of his conduct in the corn-trade, of the quantities he and company had then on hand, of the profits, &c.; verifying the facts by the oaths of himself, partners, and clerks, taken before the Lord Milton, and subjoined to the letter; and appealing likewife to his books. We have put the letter on our cover, but fhall here infert two paragraphs of it, viz.

"An opinion prevails at present, that very high profits are made on corn, which facilitates the belief of other groundlefs reports. Without doubt, a commodity fo fubject to rife and fall, muft, on particular quantities, bring large profits, if it was not balanced by equal loffes on other quantities, proceeding from the fame caufe, and the risks of heating, of the fea, and of bad debts. But I affirm, That, though I have for fome years carried on that trade, with a good deal of attention, and all the economy poffible, I have not made, of clear gain, according to the most exact calculation I can make, above three per cent. or four pence Ster ling per Linlithgow boll, after deducting loffes, on all the corn or meal I have ever fold, or been concerned in, including this year, and fuppofing the stock on hand to fell at the prices now current.

"The country has stood in need of perhaps about 300,000 bolls of English or foreign corn fince last harvest, which has been moftly brought in by mer chants. This fupply could not have been depended on from ftrangers, efpecially in times of general fcarcity; and it is fubmitted to the public, what would have been the ftate of Scotland, and of this city in particular, during the prefent and late years of fcarcity, if the merchants had not brought in large quantities. The price indeed has been greatly too high, efpecially for the poor; yet, to any perfon confidering attentively the difficulty and expence of tranf porting fuch large quantities in time of war, the fcarcity and high prices of corn at the places from whence alone

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