occafioned a very great inundation in these parts; many bridges have been fwept away by the violence of the torrents, particularly on the navigable cut from hence to Stowmarket; and all communication by carriages, from diftant places to this town, was a fhort time fufpended. The Norwich mail could get no further than Scole Inn on Monday evening, and the Yarmouth mail was alfo ftopped at Wickhamhridge; here paffengers were carried over in boats, and the letters were for warded from both thefe places on horseback, to this town. Many holes were gulled by the great fall of water at the Foot Bridge at Handford,fo as to render that place impaffable on the Tuesday for horfes or carriages. No coach went from hence to London on that day, and that which fhould have been here on the Tuefday evening did not arrive till Wednesday afternoon ; but this is chiefly to be attributed to the fall of Stratford bridge, as the waters were very much abated on that day. The deftruction of this bridge is much to be regretted, as all captains from hence to London much now go round by Eaft-Bergholt and Cattawode bridges. Harwich, Feb. 15. The Dolphin packet, capt. Flyn, arrived there that evening from Helvoetfluys. The Dol-phin carried over col. Ramfay, with a flag of truce, and feveral furgeons to attend the fick and wounded of the British army. On their arrival at Helvoetfluys, they were informed that the British fick and wounded had been fent into the interior of France, and that therefore there was no occation for the attendance of the furgeons. Col. Ramfay was received with civility by the French commandant at HelvoetДluys. 16. Captain Roberts of the navy is appointed to arrange the chain of alarm pofts all along the coafts, from the Land's End to Portsmouth. 18. Intelligence has been received at the Admiralty, of brilliant action having been fought in the Mediterranean, between his majelly's frigate the Inconftant, of 35 guns, capt. Montgomery, and two French hips, one mounting 40, and the other 24 guns. British gallantry was never more confpicuous, or difplayed to greater ad vantage than on this occafion. The Inconflant was bore down on by the enemy with much violence, when capt. Montgomery, disdaining all idea of theering off, gave the fignal to return the enemy's fire, and a warm engagement immediately commenced, which continued with much spirit on both fides for a confiderable time. One of the French frigates was at length fo much shattered by the well-directed fire from his majefty's fhip, that the funk before the conclufion of the ac-tion; fhortly after which, the other ftruck her flag, was taken poffeffion of by the British failors, and conveyed into port. The 24 gun figate is faid to be the one that was loft in this affair. Such part of the crew as remained at this time were faved. We are not correctly informed of the lofs either fide. The gallant capt. Montgomery loft one of his legs in on the action. Plymouth, Feb. 19. That fine fhip, the Formidable, of 98 guns, the bearer of the gallant Rodney's flag on the 12th of April, is along lide the Jettyhead, after a most complete repair, and is to be fitted for fea very toon The Defence, of 74 guns, captain Wells, Irresistible of 74 guns, captain Douglas, Monarch of 74 guns, capt. Cook; Romney of 50 guns, capt. Inman; and Scepire of 64 guns, captain Effington, are all in Hamoaze, fitting for fea with the utmost dispatch. There has been an entry of artificers of ail denominations in the dockyard. The wages of fhip-wrights, in the private yards, are rifen to an enormous height: one shipwright paid ros. 6d. to feveral workaren laft Sunday for the day's work, Preparations are now making for two expeditions one to St. Domingo, the other to the Cape of Good Hope. Colonel Craig is to have the command of the firft; the latter is given to general Clarke, the late governor of Ja maica By letters lately received from fome of the English prifoners at Breft, we learn it to be the prevailing of ion there among the French, that an exchange of prifoners would fpeedily take place. 10. Government is now contracting at Hull for 10,000 tons of fhipping, to be be employed for fome months certain, from the firft of March next. There never were fuch exertions before made in every department of the navy, for putting the country in the best state of Security. Portfmouth, Feb. 20. An embargo was this day laid on all British veffels at this port. This morning the 78th, or Highland regiment, confifting of 1000 men, embarked in his majefly's fhips America, Raby, and Stately, of 64 guns each, which ships are victualled for eight months, and are ordered on a fecret expedition, under the command of commodore Blanket. 21. The unpleasant intelligence has been received in town, of the Queen Charlotte packet being captured in the Weft Indies by a French frigate, and carried into one of the American ports. Captain Banket has received an appointment to go on an expedition with three fhips of the line, fome frigates, and tranfports with troops. He is to hoift a broad pendant when out of the Channel. His own fhip is the Ame Harwich, Feb. 22. A Dutch fish ing vellel from Scheveling, arrived here with a flag of truce. The above veffel came exprefs with three foreign perfons from the Hague, one of whom is a commiffioner from the States General, charged with dif patches for our government; and the others with difpatches from the Dutch Eaft India company for the Dutch ambaffador in London. Thefe gentlemen affert, that every thing remains perfectly quiet at present in Holland; and that no depredations of any kind have been committed by the French army. 34. Two different commiffioners are ordered by the commander in chief for an immediate furvey of the Eaflern coafts of this kingdom: The one is to undertake from Harwich to the mouth of the Humber; and the other from the Spurn-head to Berwick. Sign houfes, fimilar to thofe on the Weitern coals, are to be immediately eru&ted in order to convey the earhelt intelligence. 25. The day appointed for the general faft was observed with fingular folemnity; all the fhops in the metropolis were close fhut, no business was done at any of the public offices. Their majeflies and the three elder princesses attended divine fervice in the collegiate chapel at Windfor; the three younger princeffes heard fervire in the private chapel at Buckingham houfe. At half paft eleven o'clock both houfes of parliament met, and went in the ufual proceffion to hear divine fervice; the lord chancellor, attended by the archbifhop of Canterbury, feveral of the bifhops, and a few of the lay lords went to Westminster Abbey, where à fermon was preached by the right reverend Dr. Courtenay, bishop of Briftol. The Speaker of the house of commons, accompanied by Mr. Pitt, Mr. Dundas, the Mafter of the Rolls, Mr. Wyndham, Mr. Ryder, and about twenty other members, went to St. Margaret's church, where a fermon was preached by the rev. Dr. Kingham. The Grand Fleet under the command of ear! Howe, confifting of 33 fhips of the line, and 12 frigates, arrived at Spithead, having captured a French brig of war, the only enemy's veffel they fell in with during the cruife. The outward bound merchantmen, confifting of 395 fail, were convoyed to the weftward of Cape Finisterre, when they were left to the care of the hips of war appointed to protect them to their deftined ports. Admiral Parker took charge of the Weft India fleet, and the Blenheim of 98, and Bombay Cafile of 74 guns, were directed to proceed with the hips for the Mediterranean. 26. Baron Nagel, the Dutch envoy, will remove to the apartments affigned for his future refidence, next those of the prince of Orange in HamptonCourt palace, in a few days. 28. Every exertion is making in the navy, that the frength and exertions of this country can poffibly produce; fo that there is every well grounded profpect before us, of obtaining, in time, that peace which fuperior power can best render permanent and honourable. Newrafle, Feb. 19. General Balfour arrived here on Monday, in confequence of an appointment he had from government to make a lurvey of the coast between the Humber and the Tweed. The current report here is, that &coo troops are now on their march for this place; one divifion of the Northumberland militia has already arrived at Gateshead, the remainder are now on their route from Carlife. In Lord Howe's fine fleet there are three three-deckers, reckoned, by feamen of the first defcription, the best built, and moft formidable fhips that ever failed out of England. grounds for an amazing space; and in moft of the houfes in the town the water was three feet deep. 4. Richard Brothers, the pretended prophet, was visited by Meffrs. Rofs and Higgins, two of his majefty's meffengers in ordinary, at his lodgings, No. 57, Paddington-ftreet, Mary-lebone, and taken into cuftody under a warrant granted by his grace the duke of Portland, for treafonable practices. He was much inclined to refift the order, and the crowd of his disciples at the time was numerous. He remains at prefent in the cuftody of the above 6. The royal affent was notified by commiffion to the bill to prevent mutiny and defertion, and the marine mutiny bill, alfo to the county quota landmen bill, for the better manning the navy; with a few private bills. Adjourned. Whiteball, March 2. The king has been pleased to conftitute and appoint the right hon. George John earl Spen-meffengers. eer, the right hon. Charles George lord Arden of the kingdom of Ireland, Charles Small Pybus, efq. Sir Charles Middleton, bart. vice admiral of the red, Hugh Seymour, efq. (commonly called lord Hugh Seymour) captain in the royal navy, Philip Stephens, efq. | and James Gambier, eiq. captain in the royal navy, to be his majelly's commiffioners for executing the office of high admiral of the kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, and the dominions, iflands, and territories thereunto belonging. An encampment is to be formed early in the spring on Mofwold Heath, near Norwich, for 10,000 men. A fub:cription is opened at Lloyd's coffee house for the fole purpofe of redeeming working tools, cloaths, and other neceffaries pledged by the neceffitous poor during the late inclement feafon (chiefly in the eastern part of this city), which feveral eminent pawn-brokers, greatly to their honour, have confented to return, upon being paid the fimple fums lent, without charging the customary intereft. 3. Letters from Wales contain a melancholy catalogue of the numerous loffes fuftained by the late inundation, which was the greatest ever remembered in that country. Liandilo bridge was carried away; but the bridge over the Towey, at Carmarthen, notwithstanding fix out of the feven arches were completely invifible, fortunately efcaped deftruction. Great quantities of theep and other flock were fwept away from the banks by the torrent, and many poor families were thereby involved in utter ruin. At Llando wery the current overflowed all the flat We learn from Toulon, that admiral Hotham ftill continued to block up the French fleet in that port. Sir George Collier has fucceeded to the command of his majesty's fhips and veffels in the rivers Thames and Medway, in the room of admiral Dalrymple, and on Monday he hoifted his blue flag at the fore-top maft head on board the Sandwich guardship at the Nore. 9. Government has ordered feveral new ships to be built with fir timber; three 32 gun frigates are now laying down at Deptford, according to that fyftem; their tonnage will excced that of the old clafs of frigates of a fimilar rate by 10 tons, and they are to be 15 feet longer. 10. A fhip from New York in twenty-five days brings accounts of the favourable reception of the treaty of commerce between Great Britain and the United States. The exact terms had not been promulgated at New York, but the general outline was made known and spoken of as advantageous to the American commercial interests. Government has it in contemplation to eftablish dock yards in the Eaft Indies, for the purpofe of building men of war. The depth of water there in the harbours is very favourable to fuch an enterprite; and there is a fpecies of wood which abounds in that country, as ferviceabie for fhip building as oak. Ply Plymouth, March 11. His Majefty's thip Lively, of 32 guns, capt. Burlton, is juft come into the Sound from fea, and has towed in with her the brig Jofeph, of Halifax, Richard Walby maller, from Halifax, laden with indigo, coffee, and furs, bound to London fhe was taken by a French frigate called Le Calais, on Sunday laft, and retaken the day following by the Lively; he had been five weeks from Halifax, and before fhe was captured, met with a violent gale of wind, in which the loft her bowfprit and foretop maft, and had the mate and one man wafhed, overboard and drowned. When the Lively boarded the Joseph, his late fevere attack of the gout. Dr. Warren conftantly attends his lordship. The greatest exertions ever known are now making to equip the different fhips fitting in this harbour. Dover, March 27. The brig Hezekiah, capt. Eve, from Bermuda, arrived here this day; Mr. John Tucker of that place came paffenger, who informs that admiral Murray's feet had fent into that port a fhip from Bourdeaux, bound to Alexandria, with 25,000l. fterling in fpecie, thipped on account of the National Convention. Capt. J. Borrowdale, the mafter of the captured veffel, declared that twentyfive millions of money had been ship fhe was in poffeffion of a French prize-ped on board different veffels for Ame mafter, and 10 men; the Lively got fight of the French frigate, and gave chace to her, but owing to thick wea ther, and night coming on, fhe escaped. The Lively has not taken any more of the fleet from North Bergen ; the fhips fhe was left in chace of on Sunday laf efcaped, owing to the darkness of the night, and it is fuppofed the whole of them, except the Favonius, fent in here yesterday by the Lively, are got fafe into the French ports. The Argonaut man of war has taken the French corvette, L'Esperance of 22 guns, on the coaft of America, and earried her into the Chesapeak. His majesty's frigate, the Lively, arrived at Plymouth, on Saturday laft, from a cruize, with the French frigate La Tourterelle, of 32 guns, which the took on Friday morning off the Lizard, after an action of two hours and 59 m.nutes; he had to men killed and 20 wounded, and was very much damaged in her mafts and, hull: the Lively had nene either killed or wounded; he is quite new, and this is her first cruife, and fhe had taken Lovely, of Limerick, and the Spright ly, both of which the funk. Portfmouth, March, 15. Yefterday. failed from Spithead the Spanish commodore, with one fhip of the line and two frigates, for Cadiz; alfo his majelly's fhip Bofton, of 32 guns, capt. Morris, on a cruife. Came into the harbour his majefty's armed cutter, Speedwell, lieutenant Williams, to refit. Lord Howe is much recovered from rica, on the fame acoount and risque. BIRTHS. Mar. 5. The right hon. lady G. H. Cavendish, of Saville-row of a daugh ter. 11. The lady of George Galway Mills, of Twickenham, efq. of a fon. 12. The lady of Charles Edmonflone, of Great Ruffel-ftreet, efq. of a fon. MARRIAGES. Feb. 14. Col. Handfield, of Knutsford, Cheshire, to Mrs. Greenway, late of Twickenham, Middlefex. Giles Daubeny, of Cirencester, Gloucestershire, eq, to mifs Elizabeth Gurning, daughter of John Gunning, of Old Burlington-ftreet, efq. Rawfon Ailable of Stoke Newington, efq. to mifs Lilly, of Danecourt. 21. The rev. John Filmer, of Abboss Langley, Herts, to mifs Portal, of Treefolk, Hants, efq. The rev. Lamplugh Wickham, A. M. of Christchurch, Oxford, vicar of Paul, in the Eaft Riding of Yorkshire, to mifs Hird, daughter of the late Richard Hird, of Bradford, efq. 25. Arthur Palmer, jun. of Bristol, efq. under fheriff of that city, to miss Andrews, eldeft daughter of Andrews, elq. The rev. Henry Payne, vicar of Philips Norton, to mifs Grant, of Bath. Charles Imholf, efq. fon-in-law to Warren Haftings, efq. to mifs Charlotte fquare, efq. only brother to lord Gro John Powel Roberts, of Kingfgate, ifle of Thanet, efq. to mifs Kyte, eld | eft daughter of the late Jofhua Kyte, D. D. Mar. 2. Capt. Metcalfe, of the Staffordshire militia, to mifs Vane, only daughter of the hon. Mr. Vane, brother to the earl of Darlington. Francis Drake, of efq. to mifs Mackworth, only daughter of the late fir Herbert Mackworth, bart. John Claudius Beresford, efq. fon of the right hon. John Beresford, nephew to the marquis of Waterford, and reprefentative in parliament for the borough of Swords, to mifs Elizabeth Menzies, daughter of the late Archibald Menzies, of Culdares, county of Perth, efq. The rev. John Lockwood, of Yoxford, Suffolk, to mifs, Amelia Boddington, third daughter of Thomas Boddington, of Clapton, Middlefex, efq. 5. William Parry, of Aldermanbury, efq. to mifs Harvey, of Wivenhoe, Effex. John Prentis Henflow, efq. eldeft fon of fir John Henflow, knt. furveyor of his majetty's navy, to mifs Stevens, eldeft daughter of Thomas Stevens, of Rochefter, efq, DEATH S. Feb. 14. The rev. Francis Drake, D. D. rector of Wineftead, in Holdernefs, late vicar of St. Mary's, Beverley. Thomas Forfler, of Bolton, Northumberland, efq. The rev. Dr. Lockwood, of Portman fquare. Lieutenant Syines, of the royal navy. Dr. Charles Dodgfon, lord bishop of Elphin. Thomas Grofvenor, of Cavendish venor, and member for the city of Chester. John Phillimore, of Lincoln's Inn Fields, efq. 21. Mrs Seal, mother to lady Davenport, of Bloomsbury fquare. The right hon. Margaret, baronefs Cloncurry. John Smith Barlig, of Feversham, efq. Duberly, of Enham Hall, Robert Wynne, of Little Ealing, John Sawbridge, of Ollantigl, Kent, efq. alderman of Langbourn-ward, and one of the reprefentatives in parliament for London. Charles Digby, of Mile End, efq. Sir Thomas Maffey, of Stockton, Chefhire, bart. Mar. 2. Jane, duchefs dowager of Athol. William Clark, of Buckland, Devon, efq. Sir Hugh Hill, bart. member for the city of Derry. efq. The right hon. lady Rivers. Samuel Clarke, of Salisbury fquare, Fleet-ftreet, efq. John Stickley, efq. mayor of the borough of Evesham. Thomas Wakeman, efq. one of the deputy lieutenants of Worcester. Thomas Drew, of Datchet common, efq. 3. Benjamin Green, of BloomsburyTquare, efq. one of the principal regiflers of the court of Chancery. Col. James Roll James, of Bagden Lodge, near Marlborough, gentleman ulher to the late Princefs Amelia, lieut. col. of the firit troop of horfe, and one of the menters for Wilts. |