HISTORY of the PRESENT WAR.

Nothing of a very interefting nature

hath occurred in Germany fince our laft account of foreign transactions: The following is the fubftance of the most material intelligence from that quarter.

From the allied army we are informed, that M. Luckner having received intelligence, that a detachment of the garrifon of Gottinghen had marched upon an expedition towards the Hartz, and in order to raife contributions upon the country of Hanover, he had immediately fet out in fearch of that corps, with a body of 100 Huffars under his command, and that having come with the enemy, who confifted of 300 Horfe, on the 5th inftant in the morning, he had had the good fortune to rout them entirely and to take prisoners, 1 officer, 30 troopers 61 horse.

That the fame day Capt. Brinfky, who had been detached by M. Luckner, had likewife attacked them with 100 Huffars and 50, of the Brunswick cavalry, and with fuch fuccefs that he had driven them before him into Gottinghen, and had taken prifoners, 2 Captains, 1 Lieutenant, 2 Cornets and 53 dragoons, and that their commander M. de Belfunce had narrowly escaped being himself taken in the purfuit.

About the fame time Capt. Riedefel, at the head of 100 of the Brunfwick huffars, having attacked the village of Spielen beyond the Fulda, in which was an officer with 50 of the enemy, had taken 30 of them and killed the reft, with the lofs of

5

huffars killed and foine few wounded.

From Meiffen we hear, that the Pruffian cavalry had paffed the Elbe at Torgau on the 3d inftant, and the infantry the next day, on a bridge thrown over that river at Lorenkirck near Strehlen, and were to encamp that night at Wildenhayn. It is added, that the news there was, that General Laudohn had already began his operations in Silefia.

On the 4th of February a memorial was delivered to the Swedish minister by the French embaffador, fetting forth, among other things, that in the present fituation of affairs, common humanity required that means should be fought to put an end to the war: That it was extremely doubtful, whether after another campaign a peace could be make in Germany on better terms than at prefent, and that the king his mafter could not conceal, that he was conftrained to leffen the fubfidies he paid, and as the fources of the finances were confiderably drained by the prosecution of the war, his majefty could not promife, in cafe the war continued, to full his engagements with his ufual punctuality.

Letters from Dantzic of the 13th instant advife, that an order was come to the General of the grand Ruffian army to fend 40,000 men back, on account of the Turks having entered the Ukraine.

The Ottoman Porte hath declared war in form against the island of Malta.

DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE.

White-Hall, THURSDAY, April 30. This morning the hon. Capt. Barrington, commander of the Achilles, arrived with the following letters from Major-General Hodgson and the hon. Com. Keppel, to the right hon. Mr. Secretary Pitt.

Belicifle, four o'clock in the morning,
April 23, 1761.

SIR,

A

S I have just had a note from Com. Keppel, to inform me that a frigate will fail this day for England, I have only time to acquaint you, that his Majefty's troops, under my command, landed yefterday at five. The enemy's attention was

fo distracted with our attempts of landing at different places, where there was the leaft appearance of our being able to fucceed, that it gave Brigadier Lambert an opportunity of climbing up a rock with a corps I had left with him for that purpose, if practicable. The difficulty of mounting had made the enemy least attentive to that part. Beauclerk's grenadiers, with their Capt. Patterson, got up before they faw what was intended. They immediately marched a body of 300 men to attack him. The grenadiers maintained their ground till the rest of Brigadier Lambert's got up. We took three brass field pieces, and fome Min a

Wounded

1

276 DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE.

:

wounded prifoners. It is impoffible for
me fufficiently to commend Mr. Lambert's
conduct and gallant behaviour on the oc-
cafion and take the liberty to beg you
will permit me to request you will recom-
mend him to the King, as an officer de-
ferving his Majefty's favour. Capt. Pat
terfon has loft his arm.
is not above 30 killed. I am afraid you
I believe our lofs
will not be able to read this fcrawl, as I
write it in the field, the troops being on
their march. I am, &c.
Valian, in the Great Read of Belleifle, April 23.
S. HODGSON.
SIR,

I had the honour to write to you a let-
ter by the Acteon frigate, in which I gave
but little hopes; fince which time the Ge-
neral and myself having confidered, that
by attempting a place where the mounting
the rocks was just poffible, and where the
enemy were no other way's prepared, from
the impracticable appearance it had to
them, than by a corps of troops to annoy
the boats in the attempt, that it carried
fome degree of hopes with it, and by mak-
ing a difpofition for the attack of their in-
trenched bays, and at Sauzon at the fame
time, which the arrival of the tranfports
with the light horfe enabled me to do, we
might poffibly gain a footing. I have now
the greatest pleasure in acquainting you,
that his Majesty's troops have made good
a landing on the rocks near Point Loma-
ria; and cannot fufficiently commend the
fpirit and good behaviour of the troops in
the attempt; and the judgment with
which Sir Thomas Stanhope, and the reft
of the Captains of the King's fhips, di-
rected the fire upon the hills.

Capt Barrington having been employed
in many of the operations on this fervice,
I have fent him home with this letter,
and beg, Sir, to refer you to him for the
particulars. I have the honour to be, &c.

N. B. The Actron frigate, mentioned in
A. KEPPEL.
the beginning of this letter,is not yet arriv'd.
The following are the letters, which were
received on the 19th inftant, from Ma-
jor-General Hodgson, and the honour-
able Commodore Keppel, relative to the
first attempt against the inland of Belleifle.
On board the Valiant off Belleifle,
SIR,
I have the honour to acquaint you, that
April 12, 1761.
his Ma efty's fleet under the command of
Commodore Keppel, and the transports
with his Majesty's forces on board, came

British

7th instant, about twelve o'clock. Soon
to an anchor in this road on Tuesday the
after their arrival, I went with the Com-
modore to take a view of the coaft, and
we agreed, at our return, that the port of
place to make a defcent, and it was settled,
St. Andrew appeared to us to be the best
that Sir Thomas Stanhope, with some of
his Majefty's fhips, and the transports
with Stuart's and Grey's battalions, and
marines on board, should make a feint at
real attack at St. Andro. Then it was.
Sawzon, at the fame time that we made a
too late in the day to do more than give
the neceffary orders for the troops, destined
in the morning, in the flat-bottomed boats,
to land first, to be ready to embark, early
that I might attempt a landing as foon as
the fhips had filenced a four-gun battery,
this was foon done by the Achilles, after
which commanded the entrance of the bay:
loft to go in with the boats with the gre-
fhe took her ftation. No time was then
nadiers, and regiments, ordered for this.
fervice; but when we entered the Bay,
we found the enemy so strongly intrenched
ceffively fteep, and the foot of it fcarped
on each fide of the hill, which was fo ex-
away, that it was impoffible to get up to
the breaft-work.
force the enemy from their lines, I thought
After several unfuccefs-
ful efforts, feeing it was impracticable to
it advifeable to defift.
Crauford, and. Brigadier Carleton exerted
Major-General
cafion; the latter is wounded in the thigh,
themselves as much as poffible on the oc-
but in a good way of doing well. The lofs
we fuffered in our retreat was very incon-
it. The weather has been fo bad ever
fiderable, as the fire of the fhips covered
fince the 8th, that I have not been able to
get returns from the feveral corps, fo I
cannot afcertain our lofs, but I believe
near 500 killed, wounded, and prifoners.
I fhall defire Mr. Keppel to go with me,
if we can discover any part where an at-
to reconnoitre the island once more; and
bility of fuccefs, we fhall take a fecond
tempt can be made with the leaft proba-
trial. I cannot help obferving to you,
that, the little nature had left undone to
that the whole island is a fortification, and
make it fuch, has been amply supplied by
it ever fince Sir Edward Hawke appeared
art, the enemy having been at work upon
before it laft winter.

I have the honour to inform you, the
greatest

greatest harmony has fubfifted between the
two fervices; and I fhould not do juftice
to the commanders and officers of his Ma-
jesty's fleet, if I did not at the fame time
inform you, that they have affifted me, to
the utmost of my withes, in carrying on
the operations pursuant to his Majefty's
instructions. I have the honour to be, &c.
SHEDHOLM HODGSON.

Valiant, in the Great Road off Belleifle,
SIR,
April 13, 1761.

I had the honour of writing to you the 29th of March, when I left Spithead; it was from that time to the 6th inftant before the wind came to the weftward, to enable the fleet to fteer in with the coaft of France; and that evening detached fix frigates, in hopes they might in the night get fo ftationed as to cut off the enemy's communication with the main land. The next morning the fleet paffed the fouth end of Belleifle close along the shore; and at one of the bays by Point Lomaria, the General and myfelf thought a defcent might be tried, but as the wind was foutherly, it could not poffibly be attempted at this time. At twelve o'clock the whole fleet anchored in the Great Road, when I immediately went with General Hodgson to the northern part of the island, to be as well informed of the strength of the enemy's works there as the time would admit; and while we were upon this necessary fervice, the fhips of war in the road were preparing the flat boats for the reception of the troops; but by the time we got back, it was too late in the day to make any trial.

The 8th, the wind north-easterly, the boats being ready for the reception of the troops, the fignal was made very early in the morning for them to affemble at the rendezvous; and the three fhips with two bomb veffels were ordered to proceed round the point of Lomaria, at the S. E. part of the island, and attack the fort and other works in the Sandy Bay round the before-mentioned point, the place the General and myfelf had agreed tohave attack'd. Captain Barrington in the Achilles got placed first, and foon filenced the fire from the fort and from the fhore; and then, as he was directed, made the fignal for his having done fo, when the troops in the boats were pushed to the landing, with great brifknefs and fpirited behaviour, at three different places near each other, by Capt. Barton, whom I ordered to command the boats; but the difficulty of getting

footing, and the enemy being strongly entrenched on the heights, and in the little fort, the troops foon met with fuch a repulfe, that it became neceffary, as well as prudent, to defift from the attempt for the prefent, and retire with the flat boats, in which they were well covered by the fhips and bombs.

One of the flat boats landed 60 of Erfkin's grenadiers, who got up a very difficult place to the top of the hills, where they formed with great skill, but were fo immediately routed by a much more numerous body of the enemy, that all attempts to fuccour them were ineffectual, any further than the boats bringing from the rocks about 20 of them,

While all this was tranfacting, Sir Tho ma Stanhope, with four ships of war, the battalions of Grey's and Stuart's, with 500 marines in transports, were opposite Sauzon, at the northern part of the islands Thefe troops were embarked in the boats, if poffible to divert the enemy from the principal object.

A gale of wind coming on very quick after the retiring from the fhore, has occafioned fo much damage among the tranfports by lofs of anchors and flat boats, that it takes up a very confiderable time to put things in a way to attempt what further may be thought practicable. The lofs of flat boats in the gale is 22, which will render the force of landing much inferior to what it was at first attempted with.

While the repairing and adjusting of thefe defects is in hand, I hope fome spot may be agreed upon, where we may be more fuccefsful in the attempt than we were on the 8th; but if not fo, I hope his Majefty will believe I have had nothing: more at heart, than the exerting the force entrusted to me, in a manner most conducive to the honour of his arms.

I have inclofed you, Sir, an account of the lofs of the feamen, sustained in the attack of the 8th and General Hodgson would have fent you that of the troops, but it has been fuch conftant bad weather ever fince, that it has been impoffible to collect it. I have the honour to be, &c. A. KEPPEL. A lift of officers and feamen killed, wounded and miffing, at the attack made upon Belleide, the 8th of April, 1761. Valiant.

1 Midshipman, 8 feamen, killed. Lieut, Gregory, 2 Midshipmen, and 20 feamen, wounded.

Valiant.

Valiant. 1 Mid/hidman and 18 feamen all: Two lighters and feveral boats were

miffing.

Vefuvius. 5 Seamen killed.

Etna.

7 Seamen wounded. Lieut. Jarratt killed.

A. KEPPEL.

FRIDAY May 1. The most noble John Marquis of Granby was, by his majefty's command fworn of his majesty's most hon. privy council, and took his place at the board accordingly. SATURDAY May 2.

Edward Winwood was examined before John Fielding, Theodore Sydenham, Benjamin Cox and Thomas Balack, Efqrs, at Mr. Fielding's houfe, being charged on fufpicion of having by negligence fired, or caused to be fired, the ftables or out-houfes of Mr. Poulter and partner, ftable-keepers in Swallow-street, which fire was the caufe of burning down several houses adjoining, and doing confiderable damage to the injury of many inhabitants; when after a long examination the faid Winwood was convicted of the said offence upon the fullest evidence, in the penalty of 100l. agreeable to the statute of Queen Anne.

By the 6th of Ann, cap. 31ft. fect. 3d. it is enacted, "That if any menial or other fervant or fervants through negligence or carelessness, shall fire, or caufe to be fired, any dwelling-house, or out-houfe, or houfes, fuch fervant or fervants fhall on conviction forfeit and pay the fum of one hundred pounds to the Church-wardens of the parish where fuch fire fhall happen, to be diftributed amongst the fufferers in fuch proportions as to the faid Church-wardens fhall feem juft; and in default of payment to be committed to fome workhouse, or houfe of correction, to hard labour, for the space of eighteen months."

SUNDAY May 3.

About one o'clock this morning, a terrible fire broke out at a Bifcuit Baker's near Pelican-stairs, Shadwell, which took the houses on both fides the way till within three houses of King James's ftairs, and up Fox's-lane. It burnt with great violence about feven hours, and reduced about 40 houses to afhes. One ship, which lay near the Wharf, took fire, but was happily extinguished; and it was with great difficulty feveral other fhips were preferved.

Some perfons had their limbs fractured, and were carried to the London-hofpital. It is feared feveral perished in the flames: moft of the inhabitants loft their

burnt.

MONDAY May 4.

His majesty's fhip Milford, commanded. by Capt. Robert Man, being on a cruize, off Cape Finisterre, bearing N. 58. 50. E. distant 132 leagues, took on the 9th past, ing to Bayonne, of four carriage and seventhe Fidelle brig, a French privateer belong teen fwivel guns, with 45 men.

This day a little after two o'clock, the denly alarmed by the appearance of a cow people on the Royal Exchange were fud(hard drove from Smithfield) at the south gate; and the confternation instantly increased to such a degree (though the beast digious buftle enfued: fome loft hats and did not run in upon 'Change) that a prowigs; fome their fhoes; others lay upon bruifed, &c. Whilft this fright prevailed the ground in heaps, with their limbs upon 'Change, the 'Change-alley, which frighted not a little cow turned into however, they foon recovered from the anot only all the bulls, but the bears too; larm, on hearing that it was only a Cow, During the alarm and that he was turned off another way. on the Exchange,

a

rumour of an earthquake prevailed, ground, expecting to be swallowed up, and many threw themselves flat on the and not knowing where to run for fafety.

WEDNESDAY May 6.

This day the hon Thomas Harley, Efq; one of the representatives of this city, was chofen alderman of Portfoken-ward, in the room of Sir William Calvert, Knt. deceafed, without oppofition.

A court of common-council was held at Guildhall, when the following motion was made by Mr. deputy Paterson, "That the freedom of this city be prefented to the right hon. Arthur Orflow, Efq; fpeaker of the house of commons in five fucceffivé parliaments, as a grateful and lasting testimony of the refpectful love and veneration which the citizens of London entertain for his perfon and diftinguished virtue : for the many eminent qualifications he difplayed, the unwearied and difinterested labours he bestowed, and the impartial and judicious conduct he maintained, in the execution of that arduous and important office, during a course of three and thirty years; and for that exemplary zeal which upon all proper occafions he exerted with fo much dignity and fuccefs, in fupport of

the