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HISTORICAL AFFAIRS.

TURKY.

"Triefie, Nov. 14. Four thousand Greek families have removed from the frontiers of Turky into the Auftrian Dalmatia, with a defign to fettle there."

"Conftantinople, Nov. 17. The Captain-Pacha arrived here yesterday with his fleet, bringing with him moft part of the treasure of Chiek Dahir [xxxvii. 580.]. Ibrahim Sebak, minifter to the latter, is brought in chains on board one of the fhips. A cheft was found at Seyde, containing the gold and most precious jewels belonging to Chiek Dahir. This treasure was the moft prevailing motive of the war which Aboudaab carried into Syria."

RUSSIA.

"Mofcow, Dec. 7. The new code of laws, figned by the Emprefs, is now printing, and is very voluminous. Twelve hundred copies will be printed for the governments of Novogorod and Smolenfki; and then the other provinces will be furnished with them."

"Riga, Nov. 15. The laft letters from Mofcow mention a duel having been fought, on the 2d of this month, in the wood of Perova, about four werftes from Mofcow, in which Prince Gallitzin was killed."

"Moscow, Dec. 20. The death of Prince Gallitzin is exceedingly regretted by the Emprefs. This nobleman, who was extremely beloved on account of his amiable qualities, had distinguished him felf on many occafions as a foldier, particularly twice against the confederates in Poland, afterwards against the Turks, and laftly against Pugatscheffe. The affair which brought upon him this unlucky accident, was a strange pique taken against him by Brigadier Sethequelow. This officer, by mifreprefentations, fet a major of horse, who had retired from the fervice, against the Prince. The major attacked him one morning in his own houfe, under pretence of having received an affront from him about eight years before, when he ferved in Gallitzin's regiment. The Prince, furprised at fo rude an affault, and looking upon the Major as a madman, had him put into prifon. But it coming out then, that the Major had been fet on by Sethequelow, the Prince procured the enlargement of the former, but thought himself bound to call out the latter to à duel. Sethequelow having ac

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cepted of the challenge, the two combatants met, with their respective feconds; and having first discharged their piftols, proceeded to a clofe engagement with their fwords. The Prince gave the Brigadier three wounds; and having difarmed him, with his fword at his breast, infifted on Sethequelow's retracting some injurious expreffions which he had ufed concerning him. In this inftant Col. Michelfon, one of the feconds, leaped be. tween them, and in endeavouring to beat down the Prince's fword, wounded him in the hand. Sethequelow, feeing the Prince difarmed, feized this opportunity to take up his own fword, which lay upon the ground, and at one vengeful lunge drove it through the Prince's body, who died about a fortnight after. The death of Prince Gallitzin is in every body's mouth.

It was as noble as his whole life: he died with the greatest refignation, not uttering a fingle fyllable against his antagonist. He was on the point of being married to the beautiful daughter of Gen. Wolgonskie."

UNITED PROVINCES.

"Batavia, March 22. By the fhip Concord, arrived here from Bengal, by the way of Ceylon, we have advice, that the Gertrude, Capt. William Bruelle, from Surat, in lat. 18. 29. fell in with a fleet of Morattoes; the biggest of which fired two guns at him. He immediately hoifted his colours, and lay by, expecting they would fend a boat on board him, having no fufpicion of their real intentions: but he was miftaken; for presently they fired two more guns with fhot, which wounded two of his men: when, therefore, he found they were pirates, and confequently enemies, he called together his crew, and addressed them in the following man ner.

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My lads, the time is now arrived, when, if you would be free, you must be brave. Remember who you are, Europeans, and freemen, and the enemy only Morattoes, a parcel of negroes and pirates, and to whofe rafcally fleet, however numerous it may be, our fhip is as much superior as an elephant to a herd of deer. Look on the bleeding wounds of your meffmates from this unprovoked attack, and afk yourfelves, if they do not demand a full revenge at your hands; let us, too, thew our employers, (the Eaft-India company), that we really de

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ferve the favours we receive at their hands."

The men immediately repaired to their feveral quarters, and gave the enemy a heavy fire from all their artillery. The engagement continued till night, and was renewed next morning at fun-rife. They feveral times attempted to come along fide Capt. Bruelle, but were as often beat off; and at length, feveral of them being much damaged, he failed through their fleet, and continued his courfe, (though he received a number of fhot aloft, where they particularly aimed, thinking to difable him by carrying away a maft), and arrived safe in harbour the 25th of January. In this engagement Capt. Bruelle had one man killed, and twelve wounded, fome of them very badly.

The Morattoe fleet confifted of three grabs of three mafts, with two guns on their bow, and twelve on each fide; fix grabs of two mafts, with two guns forward, and eight on each fide; and fifteen gallywat, which had but one gun forward, but they could not fee how many they had befides. Capt. Bruelle fays, he is fure a number of the Morattoes must have been killed and wounded, from the quantity of blood they faw run out of their fcuppers, and the cries heard on board the veffels, which were at times fo near them, that he could hear the command given, which he was well affured was by Europeans." Leyden Courant, Dec. 20.

FRANC E.

"Paris, Jan. 12. A dreadful fire broke out, in the night between the 10th and 11th inftant, in one of the galleries of the palace; and, notwithstanding immediate affiftance was given, it ftill continues. The damage done is very confiderable. Several galleries, containing fhops and 'merchandise, are confuined; and the halls of the court of aids are entirely deftroyed. The prifoners in the Concierge rie were removed into other prifons. Many perfons perifhed in the flames." L. G. Paris, Jan. 15. The fire is not yet extinguished; but it has made no farther progrefs." Lond. gaz.

Advice has been received, that a memorial and petition, figned by thirty of the principal French inhabitants of Canada, has lately been prefented to the French King, intreating his Majefty to take advantage of the times to recover

his ancient province; and promifing, that his former fubjects will, one and all, croud with alacrity about his royal standard. — The authenticity, however, of this petition, is doubted.

SPAIN.

"St Fago, in Guotimala, Aug. 1. The burning mountain, called Pacayita, seemed, by earthquakes, and fubterraneous noifes, to threaten an eruption; which really happened on the 2d of July, at eleven o'clock at night; preceded by a most violent report; after which a lava of nitrous and fulphurous matter poured down the fide of the mountain, which threw up clouds of cinders and smoke, which confumed near forty leagues of the district of St Antonio Cuchutepeque. The town of St Christophal Amaticlan was entirely deferted. From nine cavities in this mountain, the flaming lava continues to run to the South fea. It is now feared, that the Pecaya Grande will alfo break out, as it is in vaft agitation, which will finish the deftruction of the valley of Panchol, in which stands the town of St Jago, the capital of the province."

BRITISH WEST INDIES.

"Barbadoes, Nov. 7. An exprefs is arrived from Grenada, with an account; that the town of St George was entirely burnt down on the rft inftant, excepting two houses, Mr Beattie's and Mr Bennett's. All their provifions, lumber, in fhort every thing, was deftroyed. The Carnache was not entirely deftroyed."

ENGLAND.

On the 29th of December failed, from Portsmouth, for America, the Briftol, Commodore Sir Peter Parker, with Lord Cornwallis on board.

In the night between Dec. 22. & 23. the Rockingham transport was unfortu nately loft, by mistaking Robert's cove for Cork harbour, in the night. She had on board three companies of the 32d regiment of foot. Lieut. Marsh and his wife, Enf. Sandeman, and Lieut. Barker's wife, and upwards of ninety foldiers, with the captain and crew, perished.The officers faved were Capt. Glover, Lieut' Booth and Cator, and the doctor's mate. It is impoffible, fays the writer of the account, to paint the diftrefs of the officers and foldiers who were faved, the greatest part of whom, being

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caft on the rocks, had their flesh torn in afhocking manner; and, inftead of receiving the leaft affiftance from the inhabitants, were attacked by fome thousands of the common people, who carried away every article that could be saved from the wreck.

The Tartar man of war arrived at Portimouth, Jan. 6. with 75 rebels, taken by the Fowey man of war, on board a privateer which the rebels had fitted out at Bofton. She was commiffioned by the Maffachufet's council; and her orders were, not to fire at any of the King's fhips. The motto on her colours was, We appeal to Heaven. Other accounts fay, that these men were landmen ordered on board by Gen. Washington, Porthfmouth, Jan. 21. Prompted by a paragraph in one of the evening-papers, 1 went to fee the American prifoners brought home by the Tartar. I intendto contribute fomething towards cloathing them, and expected to find them all in irons: but how great was my difappointment, when I found them removed from the Tartar to the Refolufion, at free liberty, victualled the fame a the hip's company, and fince removed on board the Centaur, where their old cloaths were changed for new, at the expence of government! This furprised me much.

In the beginning of January, houfes of rendezvous for entering feamen were ordered to be opened at every feaport in England, Scotland, and Ireland.'

Aroyal proclamation was iffued, Jan. 3. ring the following bounties to fuch Kamen as fhould voluntarily enter themfives to ferve his Majefty on or before the 29th of February enfuing, viz. ablebodied feamen, not above fifty, nor under eighteen years of age, forty fhillings, and ordinary feamen twenty fhillings, each. Capt. Macartney was moft honourably acquitted of all the charges laid against b'm [xxxvii. 661.), at a full board of admiralty held for that purpose Jan. 25. Their Lordships were likewife pleased to Signify to Capt. Macartney, that they would employ, and give him a much better fhip than he had before, as foon as aay of the frigates of 32 guns are ready to be commiffioned. On the 31ft he was appointed to the command of the Ambuscade, of 32 guns, at Chatham. The rifleman brought from America to Bristol [xxxvii. 679.], having been carried before the mayor to be examined, VOL. XXXVIII.

was discharged, as no crime was charged against him of which the mayor could take cognisance.

The three regiments of foot-guards, 'tis faid, lately prefented a memorial to the King, offering their service in North America; which was accepted.

An exprefs was fent off, Jan. 4. with orders to the Carron company in Scotland, for a large number of ship-cannon, field-pieces, mortars, &c. to be got ready with all expedition.

On Thursday, Jan. 25. the following hand-bill was delivered to the members of the two houfes of parliament. - "To the PARLIAMENT. A fuffering and afflicted people most humbly and folemnly befeech and implore every member of Parliament to put a speedy ftop to the further effufion of the blood of our American brethren; that peace and tranquillity may be reftored to the Royal breaft, and glory, commerce, and felicity, to the whole empire."

On the 3d of January arrived at Dover 300 German recruits, under the command of Col. Scheiter.

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London, Jan. 8. A meffenger has arrived within thefe few days from Zell, who brought with him fome writings of a very fingular nature, which were found in the apartments of the late Queen of Denmark. They are faid to have been written by herself a fhort time before her decease."

"London, Jan. 23. Laft week the ac counts of a late deceased paymafter, who went under the name of the defaulter of unaccounted millions[xxxi. 354.xxxiii. 320.], were finally fettled; when there appeared a balance due to the treatury of 234,000l.

Circular letters have lately been fent into every county in the kingdom, recommending, in the strongest manner, the carrying into execution the act 170 Geo. II. againft rogues and vagabonds; and that the juftices of peace do iffue their warrant to apprehend all fuch, that they may be dealt with according to law.

Report having been made to the King in council, Jan. 5. of the convicts under fentence of death in Newgate, Robert and Daniel Perreau [xxxvii. 476.], and five more, were ordered for execution on the 17th. A paper fent the preceding evening to the fecretary of ftate was laid before the council, viz.

"In hopes that the world may be no longer misinformed concerning the inno

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cence of my unhappy brother, who is at this time with myself under the dreadful fentence of death, for having negotiated feveral bonds given to him by Mrs Margaret-Caroline Rudd, I folemnly declare, That he, with myself, was no more than the innocent inftrument in the hands of Mrs Rudd to perpetrate this wicked tranfaction. For as I always unhappily entertained the highest opinion of Mrs Rudd's honefty and integrity, I placed the most implicit faith in her, and thereby fubjected myself to every artifice which fhe could devife; by which means I involved my unhappy and unfortunate brother, and his family, in their prefent mifery and ruin. I therefore think it my duty, before I know the iffue of my fate, to exculpate him from any imputation whatever, by declaring, that he never did detain any part of the money raised on Mr Adair's fecurity, or was in any respect whatever privy to any deceptions, or knowledge of the forgeries; and that my unhappy infatuation, and the confidence which he had in my fuppofed marriage with Mrs Rudd, has been the fole caufe of his prefent dreadful affliction, he having all along understood her to be my wife.

Jan. 4. 1776. DAN. PERREAU."

Next Sunday, Jan. 7. Mrs Robert Perreau, accompanied by her children, a gentleman, and a lady, all in deep mourning, waited in a room to deliver petitions to their Majefties as they paffed to the chapel. It was a picture of diftrefs which furpaffes imagination. The Queen feemed much affected. The petition ran thus.

"To the Queen's Moft Excellent Majefty,

The Petition of Henrietta Perreau, in behalf of her husband, Robert Perreau, now under fentence of death in Newgate,

Moft humbly fheweth,

That the most unfortunate and most miferable woman that ever felt the hand of affliction, now approaches your Majesty, and, in agonies of mind little fhort of diftraction, throws herself at your Royal feet.

Her husband, Robert Perreau, has been under fentence of death in the dungeons of Newgate for feveral months paft. His cafe has been reported to his Majefty, and his execution is now ordered. Your petitioner knows, with the rest of the

td, that clemency is the peculiar vir

tue of the King, and with all fubmiffion the bows down to his Majefty's determi nation. Tho' it has appeared in proof, that her husband had no intereft in the frauds which have been committed, not ever received to his own use a single fhilling of the money that was raifed, the will not, from thefe circumstances, nor from any others within her own knowledge, prefume to fuggeft even the poflibility that he may ftill be innocent. His Majefty has decided, and she submits. But Nature will cry out, and to the voice of Nature your Majefty will not be deaf,

Your petitioner has nothing but her mifery to recommend her: fhe does not controvert the juflice of the fentence; the only prefumes to deprecate the blow, A wife implores your Majefty in behalf of her husband, whom she had every reafon to regard with fincere affection. A mother fends up her prayers and tears for her children, Your Majefty knows thofe tender relations; and the virtue of a heart like your Majefty's will be the bett advocate for the wretched.

The execution of Robert Perreau will, in its confequences, involve an innocent family in utter ruin: The agonies of his afflicted wife muft fhortly end her days; and his children must be left without a

parent; fhame and forrow must be at beft their portion.

The punishment which extends itfelf with fuch feverity beyond the unhappy convict, is not a common cafe. Your petitioner therefore flies to your Majefty's commiferation; prefuming to hope, that by changing the fentence of the law to transportation, the ends of justice would be anfwered. Juftice has never been fo rigorous in this country, as not to hear the cries of humanity: for the fake of the innocent, the guilty has been ofter fpared; and if your Majefty will be gracioufly pleafed to fue for a mitigation of the dreadful fentence, mankind will ho nour the generous tendernefs, which, or a throne, can feel for a wretched mother and her unhappy children.

Your petitioner therefore, with refignation, but not without hope, commits her cafe to your Majefty's Royal good nefs: Moft humbly imploring your Majefty to intercede with your Roya Confort, the father of his people, tha he may be pleafed fo far to extend hi mercy, as to order the unhappy Ro bert Perreau to be transported for life And your petitioner will ever mof fervently pray," &c.

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In a letter from Robert Perreau to a his countenance, that the furrounding lady, dated Jan. 13. the unhappy man fpectators gave vent to their sympathy in expreffes himself thus. "I am fenfible loud lamentations. Daniel now affiited of the propriety of the verdict againft me in putting the rope properly round himfor an innocent lie, and I must give the law felf with decent firmnefs; but when he its revenge; but I muft, however, do faw the man do the fame office for his myself the juftice to affert my innocence brother, it quite unmanned him -- he of any guilt or knowledge of the forgery fighed and wept. They then took a last whatever. I say, an innocent lie; be farewell of their friends, and got into cause I neither knew of, or had the leaft the coach. At the place of execution intention of defrauding Meff. Drum- when Jack Ketch opened the coachmonds, but was the unhappy deluded door, the two brothers got out, with tool of others, and acted upon by the books in their hands, and afcended the most premeditated artful wickednefs that cart, where they joined the Ordinary in can be devifed. 1 know how difficult it fome ejaculations: after which each deis to prevail on the generality of mankind livered him a paper, and they held a feto believe a man innocent that has been rious conference with him full ten micondemned by his country, and I feel nutes. About half after eleven, Robert much for that; but I hope all are not fo kiffed his brother, and they embraced uncharitable. It was my unhappy fate each other with great affection. Their to fall into the hands of ignorant advisers caps being now put over their eyes, each in the beginning of my misfortunes, that took the other's two hands in his; which prevented my going to Mr Drummond to being the fignal, the cart drove away. remove the prejudices my conduct had When they had been turned off about impreffed his mind with; or I think I two thirds of a minute, their hands fhould not have fuffered fo much in his dropped from each other, and they died opinion; and by fuch ill advice I have without any apparent pain. They were fuffered fo much affliction, and fall a vic- twins, very much alike in perfon, handtim to an ignominious death." fome men, about five feet nine inches high, and about forty-two years old. Of the papers which they delivered to the Ordinary we infert copies, &c.

A petition to the King, in favour of Robert Perreau, figned by feventy-eight capital bankers and merchants of London, was delivered to Lord Weymouth, Jan. 15. praying his Majefty to foften the rigour of juftice, by changing the fentence. to an order for transportation: but with out effect.

On Wednesday morning, Jan. 17. a bout eight o'clock, the Meff. Perreau came from the cells, genteelly dreffed in deep mourning, with their hair dreffed and powdered, and joined the reft of the convicts, five in number, in the chapel in Newgate, where they devoutly attended divine fervice with the Ordinary, and received the holy facrament; after which they retired to the apartment appropriated for the reception of the malefactors, to have their irons knocked off, previous to their going forth to execution. Daniel came in firft from chapel, bowed to the company, and went to the fire, where he warmed himself with the greateft composure. Robert foon after followed, and looking at his brother for a moment, wiped off a falling tear, which he feemed anxious to hide. He then turned to a little table, where lay the ropes with which they were to be bound. His emotions were then fo ftrongly painted in

"Robert Perreau's Dying Declaration.

As I am now going to appear before my great and juft God, to anfwer for all my actions, I do folemnly declare to the world in thefe my laft moments, and Ì call God to witnefs, that I never had the leaft knowledge or suspicion of criminality whatever in any of the bonds or other fecurities that I negotiated of Mr William Adair's, for Mrs Margaret Caroline Rudd and my unhappy brother, but did always believe them to be valid and ge nuine fecurities. I do folemnly declare alfo, that I did firmly believe, till the moment the forgery was discovered, that Mrs Rudd and my brother were intimately acquainted and connected with Mr William Adair, as they had from time to time impofed upon me; and under this firm belief I was led to negotiate these fecurities: and when the bond I carried to Mr Drummond to raife the money upon was objected to, as not being the hand-writing of Mr Adair, I applied to Mrs Rudd to inform Mr Adair of it; who returned, and told me she had feen him, and that he would fatisfy Mr G 2 Drummond

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