bitants, (who always paid him great refpect), and accofted their chief. Whilft the negotiation was carrying on, the infolence of one of the islanders, who was in the throng, obliged him to fire on him with his musket, loaded only with fmall fhot, which did not even penetrate the mat with which he was covered. The Indians began then to be enraged; and when the lieutenant had at length fired, and killed his man, the whole troop feil on the body; and as foon as the failors had discharged their pieces, they did not give them time to load again, but killed Capt. Cook and four of his people; for cing the others, partly wounded, to make their efcape, under favour of the fire of their pinnace. Capt. Clerke, to whom the command then devolved, faw no poffibility of revenging the death of the brave Capt. Cook, but was obliged to keep on the defenfive till his mat was repaired. In the mean time he made friends with the favages, and quitted the island to return to Kamfchatka; where he wintered, in Port Awatfcha, from the 1st of Janu ary in that year till the month of June, and then failed to difcover (as he writes word) more exactly the islands between Kamfchatka and America." According to other accounts, Capt. Cook fteered his courfe from the Cape of Good Hope to the fouthern coaft of New Holland, and was driven by a great ftorm to the north: he foon after made it, and coafted it for 400 leagues on the north-weft coaft, making many difcoveries, particularly one fmall ifland full of the true nutmeg-tree; of which fruit he could have loaded a boat, did bring many away, and secured twelve of the young trees in cafks of earth, which he planted afterwards in Otaheite. At this place he landed Omiah; who was received with fuch acclamations, and expreffions of joy and furprife intermingled, as fhew ed that these islanders had had fearce any expectation of ever seeing him; and he feemed delighted to find himself again among his countrymen. Here Capt. Cook landed a horfe and a mare, and a bull and a cow; and here he learnt the mode which the natives practised in navigating their ivahans, or veffels; that in the day they fteered by the fun, and in the night by the ftars; and that they not only had a name for each luminary, but knew perfectly well in what part of the heavens they would appear during the months of their vifibility in the horizon. The island O'why'he, where Capt. Cook loft his life, being in lat. 22 deg. N. long. 200 deg. E. of Greenwich, must lie in the Great South sea, near the tropic of Cancer, about 30 deg. W. of Chiametan in Mexico. Being much to the north of Otaheite, Capt. Cook muft have touched there firft, and alfo, probably, explored the coafts of California, and was then proceeding in fearch of the N. E. paffage, with the fummer before him. Kamfchatka lies in the Eaftern ocean, in lat. 55 deg. N. long. 157 deg. E. of Greenwich. The paffage (if any) from thence to Europe must be by the Northern ocean, to the N. of Siberia, Nova Zembla, &c. But as fuch a voyage can only be made in fummer, and would take up no more than three months, Capt. Clerke's letter being dated in June laft, we may conclude that he has not found it, and muft therefore be now returning (we truft) by the Indian ocean and the Cape of Good Hope. Capt. Cook's journal, to the time of his death, with all his papers relative to the voyage, are received at the Admiralty-office. It is obfervable, that the famous Magellan, after difcovering the ftraits that bear his name, met with a fate fimilar to that of Capt. Cook, being flain in battle by the natives of Mathan, one of the Philippine iflands, in 1521, before he had completed his circumnavigation. But in this he widely differed from our great countryman: he was the aggreffor, in endeavouring to extort tribute for his mafter the King of Spain; but Capt. Cook was on the defenfive: and in this, as a voyager, was almost fingular, that he never knowingly injured, but always ftudied to benefit the favages whom he vifited. Thus at Otaheite, where he was best known, he was looked upon as a kind of tutelar deity. This celebrated navigator was born at Marton, about four miles from Great Ayton in Yorkshire. His name is recorded thus in the parifh-regifter: "1728, Nov. 3. James, the fon of James Cook, day-labourer, baptized." He spent the early part of his life in husbandry, and very often followed the plough. He afterwards ferved an apprenticeship in a collier, and thence paffed through all the ftations to a poft-captain in the royal navy; where his character was calculated to command love and respect, being equally brave, modeft, and intelli gent gent in his profeffion. He was firft appointed captain of the Endeavour, and failed from Deptford July 30. 1768, and arrived at Otaheite the 13th of April following. He continued in the South feas till March 1770, and returned, by way of Batavia, to England, July 12. 1771. In this voyage he was accompanied by Mr Banks and Dr Solander. Nov. 28. 1771 he was appointed commander of the Refolution; and in June 1772, made his fecond voyage for the discovery of the Southern hemisphere; when having failed into as high a fouthern latitude as 71, and met with nothing but islands of ice, which interrupted his paffage, these obliged him to return, and on the 20th of July 1775 he arrived at Plymouth. In July 1776 Capt. Cook failed from Plymouth a third time, on the fame difcovery, of whom nothing had been heard after his departure from the Cape of Good Hope till the unfortunate account of his death, brought by way of Ruffia. It is almoft incredible, that in the fecond voyage the captain eftablished fuch a fyftem of diet and cleanliness, that, to use his own words, [39.58.], under the care of Providence, he, with a company of one hundred and eighteen men, performed a voyage of three years and eighteen days, throughout all the climates from 52 deg. North to 71 deg. South, with the lofs of only one man by diftemper; and this man is fuppofed to have had a diforder upon his lungs when he went on board, which probably occafioned his death. Capt. Clerke, who has fucceeded Capt. Cook, was a midshipman with him on his firft voyage round the world, then made by him a lieutenant, and next a mafter and commander; fo that the prefent is the third circumnavigating voyage that he accompanied Capt. Cook. Cambridge, Jan. 21. The Vice-Chancellor has appointed the following fubjects for Sir William Browne's prizes for the prefent year. For the Odes: In obitum mæftiffimum JACOBI COOK, navis bellica præfelli, navigatoris celeberrimi, iču lethifero Barbaricorum repentino abrepti. For the Epigrams: Dictum fapienti fat eft." The Empress of Ruffia, defirous to make further discoveries at fea, has given orders, that there fhall fail annually from Kamfchatka, three fhips for the Northern New Archipelago, three for America, three for Ochotzkoy, and one for the Kur iflands. On the 29th of December, the Serapis [41. 727.], Pallas, and two American frigates, failed from the Texel. They were under French colours; but it is said, that on their arrival at Breft, Jones is to command the Serapis, and Conyngham the Alliance; and that these two, with three frigates, and two American privateers, are to form a fquadron to annoy the trade of England. A cutter ftationed off the Texel having arrived with intelligence to Com. Fielding at Portsmouth, Dec. 29. that a fleet of Dutch fhips, properly escorted, laden with naval ftores, &c. had juft failed for Breft, the Commodore, who had been in expectation of this intelligence, fet fail immediately, in the Namure of 90 guns, with four war-ships of 74 guns, one of 60, one of 50, one of 32, two of 20, one of 10, and one of 8, in queft of them. "Admiralty-office, Jan. 3. Capt. Marfhall, of his Majefty's fhip Emerald, arrived late laft night from Capt. Fielding, with an account of his having fallen in with a fleet of Dutch merchant-fhips, under convoy of the Admiral Count Byland, with a fquadron of five ships and frigates of war. - Capt. Fielding defired permiffion to vifit the merchant-ships; which was refufed. Upon fending his boats to visit them, they were fired at ; upon which he fired a fhot ahead of the Dutch Admiral; who returned a broadfide; Capt. Fielding did the like; and then the Dutch immediately ftruck their colours. Such of the merchant-fhips as have naval-ftores on board were stopt; and the Dutch Admiral was told, that he was at liberty to hoift his colours, and profecute his voyage. He accepted the former, and faluted; but declined the latter; and is coming, with the ships that were under his convoy, to Spithead." Lond. gaz. Adm. Byland's account of this affair is in fubftance as follows. "Hague, Fan. 26. 1780. Having failed on the 27th of December with part of the hips under his convoy, and found that there were many others not ready to join him, he waited in the mouth of the road with bent fails for the reft of the veffels; fo that it was not till the 30th in the morning that he found himself in the channel; when he discovered several fails before him, which kept above the wind right acrofs his courfe. He immediately gave a fignal for the convoy to remain behind, and fent Capt. Sylvefter, commander of the frigate De Valk, to reconnoitre the above-mentioned vessels, and make fignals accordingly; the other men of war were ordered to follow the Admiral. As foon as they came nearer to the fhips in fight, they perceived them to be an English fquadron, and spread over a great extent of fea, endeavouring no doubt to get behind the convoy to prevent any efcaping in the night. In the mean time, keeping the fame courfe, the English man of war the Courageaux, of 74 guns, came alongfide of the Admiral, and faid he came in name of the Commodore, to tell the Admiral he would wish to speak to him. About funfet Count Byland came up with the English Admiral, in the Namur, of 90 guns, and faid, he expected a boat to be fent for him on his part. Some time afterwards Capt. Marshall, of the Emerald, came on board the Admiral, with fome of the Commodore's lieutenants, who declared, that the English squadron had orders to search the convoy. Upon which Count Byland fhewed Capt. Marshall an act, figned by all the captains of the merchant-fhips under his convoy, in which they declared upon oath, that they had no fort of contraband goods on board, and that their cargoes confifted of nothing but what they had given accounts of to the Admiral; who declared, upon his word of honour, that he not only had no fhips under his convoy laden with contraband goods, but that he had refused to take thofe un. der his protection loaded with timber for fhip-building, and bound for France. But the Admiral foon perceived, that they would not let thofe veffels pafs that were laden with iron and hemp; he therefore fent Capt. Byland back with the English officers to the Commodore, to fee if there were any means of fettling matters but foon found, by their report, that there was nothing left for it but to defend themselves as well as they could against being fearched. All that night Count Byland and the English Commodore were clofe to each other; and in the morning the Namure advanced towards fome of the convoy, and fent a boat with men to them: upon which the Admiral fired twice; which was returned by the Commodore, and two of the 74 gun fhips, which fired upon the Admiral's fhip, and that of Capt. Kinfbergen; which they returned, and hung out the fignal for an engagement; and fome time after, perceiving of how little ufe it would be to hold out a long fight, the Admiral made a fignal for all his fquadron to ftrike at the fame time that he did; the fignal for which purpofe the Admiral had given to the captains of his fquadron, sealed up, and only to be opened in cafe of an engagement. It appears from this account, that the English fquadron did all they could to prevent any of the convoy from efcaping, but nevertheless it is hoped fome of them have got away. The Admiral concludes with faying, that he did all in his power for the good of the State; and that it muft appear evident, that the English were determined, against all treaties, to make themselves mafters of the convoy, as the English Commodore knew the fhips were only laden with hemp. -Some time after Count Byland had ftruck his flag, Capt. Marshall came on board again, and faid, in the name of his Commodore, that he was at liberty to hoist his flag again, and fail what way he liked; and the Commodore having required the ufual falute, the Admiral gave it accordingly; which was returned by the English. Count Byland then declared, he would not quit his convoy, but would go with them whereever the Commodore thought proper to carry them in. In confequence of which he arrived at Spithead on the 4th of January; from whence this account comes, dated on board the Princess Fredericka Sophia Wilhelmina." In the report made by Capt. Byland, who was the officer fent by the Dutch Admiral on board Com. Fielding, it is faid, That Capt. Byland reprefented to the Commodore, that the Admiral was surprised to find by Capt. Marshall, that it was his intention to vifit the republic's convoy; a proceeding which would be equally contrary to the friendship and the treaties fubfifting between their High Mightineffes and the King of G. Britain, as to general cuftom, the men of war belonging to the republic never fuffering a vifit of that kind: That the Commodore answered, that he had express orders to visit the convoy: That Capt. Byland replied, that thofe veffels of the convoy which were bound to the ports of France, had not on board any mate rials that could ferve for the fitting out of a veffel: The Commodore required, that he fhould extend this affurance, fo as to include fuch merchandise as might be fabricated into thofe materials, namely cordage; in which cafe he would venture to deviate from the ftrict orders he had received to vifit the convoy, and would reft satisfied with the above affurance. But as it was not in the Captain's power to do fo, the Commodore told him he fhould execute his orders. The above fleet, at fetting out, confifted of feventeen fail of Dutch merchantmen, under convoy of the Dutch Admiral Byland, with two fhips of the line and two frigates. Nine of the merchantmen were taken, and brought into Portsmouth harbour, laden, as it is reported, with hemp, iron, cables, pitch, rolin, tar, and other naval ftores: the remaining eight parted company, and got into Breft. No lives were loft on either fide. Capt. Henry, of the Fowey, naval commander in Savannah river, Georgia, writes to the Admiralty, Nov. 8. "His Majefty's fhip Ariel, of 24 guns, Capt. Mackenzie, on a cruife off Charlestown, (when the French came on this coaft), was taken on the 11th of September, after a very gallant resistance, by the French frigate Amazon, of 36 guns. His Majefty's fhip Experiment, Capt. Sir James Wallace, having loft all her mafts and bowfprit in a gale of wind, on her paffage from New York to Savannah, feil into the middle of the French fleet off this bar, and was taken on the 24th of September, together with the Myrtle navy-victualler, and Champion storeship.” Rear-Adm. Parker, naval commander at the Leeward islands, tranfinits to the Admiralty, in a letter, dated, Barbadoes, Oct. 16. a lift of prizes taken, by the fquadron under his command, from Aug. 30. to Sept. 29. both inclufive, confifting of twelve French and four American veffels. Of the French fhips, feven were bound from Bourdeaux for Cape François, fix with provifions, (of which three carried 30 guns and 160 men each, and were of burthen, one 600 tons, and two 550 each; one was of 400 tons burthen, and carried 22 guns and 150 men; one was of 200 tons, 10 guns, and 35 men; and one was of 180 tons, 8 guns, and 35 men), and one with merchandife, of 160 tons, 2 guns and 30 men; two were bound from Cayenne to Cape François, with fire-wood, birch, &c. one 550 tons burthen, 18 guns and 52 men; the other 250 tons, 18 guns, and 40 men; one was bound from Marseilles to Martinique, with wine, oil, candles, &c. 100 tons, 4 guns, and 27 men; and two were bound from Martinique; one laden with fugar, 20 guns, and 140 men; and the other, for Bourdeaux, with fugar, cocoa, and coffee, 50 tons, and 12 men. The four American veffels were very small. Capt. Keeler, of the Acteon, one of Adm. Parker's fquadron, writes to the Admiralty, from St Lucia, Oct. 29. that being a few days before, with the Cornwall, on a cruife off Martinique, they faw two fail, one in chace of the other, the latter of which, by fignal from the former, was known to be an enemy; that they ftood athwart her, in order to cut her off from the island; and that foon after she struck to the Proferpine, of 28 guns, (the frigate that was in pursuit of her), and proved to be the Alcmene, one of D'Eftaing's squadron, of 30 guns, and 220 men, without a gun being fired on either fide. Admiralty-office, Dec. 7. Capt. Salter, of the Huffar, of 28 guns, which arrived at Spithead on the 4th inft. being on the 19th of November, in company with the Chatham, of 50 guns, convoy to the homeward-bound trade from Lifbon, perceived a ftrange fhip, and gave chace. Coming up with her in the night, and finding her to be a two-decked fhip, he ftuck clofe to her till day-light. She then hoifted Spanish colours, and began an engagement, which lafted three quarters of an hour. She then struck, and proved to be the Noftra Senora del Buen Confejo, commanded by Don Juan Jofeph Ezpeleta, of about eleven or twelve hundred tons, pierced for 64, but mounting only 26 twelve-pounders, with about 170 men. She was bound from Lima to Cadiz, but last from Fyal, where the had landed her bullion to a very confiderable amount, having received information there of a war with Great Britain. The remainder of her cargo confifts of copper, pewter, cocoa, a very large quantity of Jefuits bark, fome beaver and minerals, befides private ventures. The Huffar had 4 men killed and 10 wounded; the enemy, by the beft accounts that could be obtained, about 27 killed and 8 wounded. Capt. Salter fent fent his prize to Lisbon, and immediately proceeded in queft of the convoy, from which he had feparated. Com. Johnstone, in a letter dated on board the Romney, at Lisbon, Nov. 21. relates, that on the 11th of November, ftanding towards Cape Finisterre, with the fquadron under his command, he difcerned a fail, to which he gave chace; and the Tartar, one of his frigates, of 28 guns and 200 men, coming up with her, and perceiving fhe had Spanish colours hoifted, began a clofe engagement. The enemy, after exchanging one broadfide, and firing fome irregular shot, ftruck to the Tartar. She proved to be the Santa Margarita frigate of war, of 26 twelve-pounders and 2 fix-pounders, carrying 277 men, and commanded by Capt. Andres de Viana. The enemy had 1 man killed, and 3 wounded; the Tar tar none. Capt. Paisley, of the Sybil, in a letter dated in the Tagus, Nov. 20. gives an account of his having taken, and brought in with him, the Rambler, a privateer of Salem, of 14 guns and 90 men; and the Patagon, a Spanish packet, bound from the island of Teneriff to Corunna, armed with 10 carriage-guns and 55 men, commanded by a King's officer. Rear-Adm. Edwards, in a letter, dated, St John's, Newfoundland, O&. 13. mentions, that Capt. Reeve, of his Majefty's fhip Surprise, had lately taken, and brought into that port, the Jafon, and Monmouth, American privateers; the former a fhip of 20 guns, nine and fix pounders, and 120 men, commanded by John Manley; the latter, a brig of 14 guns, fix-pounders, and 65 men, commanded by John Ravil." clearances fraudulently obtained for places within the King's dominions, or those of powers in amity with us, or by other artful contrivances. On the 19th of January a French cartel-fhip arrived in Torbay from St Maloes, having on board Gen. Garth, (who was taken prifoner in the Experiment man of war by D'Eftaing), and 360 failors, who had been prisoners at Dinant and Fougaret. Gen. Prefcot arrived at Ld G. Germain's office, Jan. 29. with difpatches for government from New York. By a royal proclamation, dated, Jan. 5. a reward of 300l. and the King's pardon, is offered to any perfon who fhall discover any other perfon concerned in fending, tranfporting, or delivering, or in lading on board, or in providing for the purpose of being fent, tranfported, or delivered, to, or to the use of, the French King, or of the King of Spain, or their refpective officers or fubjects, any arms, ammunition, naval stores, or provifions, during the continuance of the prefent war, to be paid upon conviction of every such offender. From the preamble to this proclamation, it would feem, that fome fuch clandeftine commerce has been, and is now carried on, corruptly and traitorously, by means of VOL. XLII. [P. S.] A commiffion, during pleafure, paffed the great feal, Feb. 1. appointing Sir Henry Clinton, K. B. (commander in chief of the army), and Marriot Arbuthnot, Efq; (commander in chief of the navy, in North America), jointly and feverally, Commiffioners for reftoring peace in America, and for granting pardons to fuch of his Majefty's fubjects there, now in rebellion, as thall deferve the royal mercy. tranfmitted by the Lord Lieutenant of The following addrefs having been Ireland to the Earl of Hillsborough, was prefented to the King, and received by his Majefty very graciously. It appeared in the gazette of Jan. 22. "Mcft Gracious Sovereign, WE, your Majefty's moft dutiful and loyal fubjects, the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, Commons, and Citizens, of the city of Dublin, in Common Council affembled, feeling, with the reft of your Majefty's faithful fubjects of this kingdom, the moft lively fatisfaction at the profpect we have in view, of feeing our country bappy in the enjoyment of an unrestricted commerce, moft humbly beg leave to be indulged in the first and ftrongeft impulfe of thofe feelings, by being permitted to lay at your Majefty's feet the grateful overflowings of hearts filled with a due sense of your Majesty's goodrets, and tender regard which you have rianifefted to the diftrefs of Ireland, and the gracious manner in which your Majefty has teftified your paternal care of our welfare, by giving your royal aflent to the law lately paired [41.665., i. pealing certain acis of the Briti ture, impofing grievous and 1. ftraints on the trade and Lo Ireland, to the great injur Majefty's dominious. We belluch your G |