drums beating and fifes playing all the way to the Tower, where they arrived about four o'clock in the afternoon. There were 23 carriages, drawn by 229 horses, with postilion and driver to each carriage, in the following manner; the first drawn by 15 grey horses, with the English colours and the French underneath; seven ditto, drawn by 13 horses each; nine ditto, by 9 horfes each; three ditto by 7 horses each; one ditto by five horses; then the two mortars by nine horses each. These pieces are finely ornamented with the arms of France, and other hieroglyphics, such as trophies, &c. finished in a masterly manner: their names, exact weight, and nearly their bore, are as under:
Inches in Cannon wt. bore | |
Hecuba | 4090 6 |
Nitocris | 4080 do |
Emerillon | 5820 do |
Temerare | 5680 do |
Angusta | 5770 do |
Antonin | 5740 6 |
Insensible | 5660 do |
Malfaisant | 5500 do |
Vanqueur | 5690 do |
Juste | 5470 do |
In the second line,
Ulysse | 2353 4 |
Foudroyant | 3311 5 |
Renomyne | 3367 do |
Laborieux | 3302 do |
Diligence | 3960 do |
Moresque | 3980 do |
Sage | 4346 5 |
Violente | 4150 do |
Furieuse | 4160 do |
Imperieuse | 4160 do |
Divineresse | 4000 do |
The two mortars had not their weight expressed. All the pieces except six remain nailed up, as they were taken at Cherbourg.
Eleven seamen accused of being concerned in the practices complained of by the Dutch and Danes, and for the discovery of whom the government offered a considerable reward, were brought up the river by a king's cutter, and are since committed to the Marshalsea prison. One of their accomplices has made himself an evidence, and has impeached several not yet taken.
19th. The foot forces employed in the late expedition against St. Maloes, were disembarked at Cowes in the Isle of Wight, and marched directly for Newport, near which they encamped, with orders to hold themselves in readiness at a moment's warning. The light horse disembarked at Portsmouth, and marched to the quarters allotted them at Southampton, Petersfield and Chichester, &c.
21st. His Royal Highness Prince Edward, having arrived at Kew from Portsmouth the day before, waited upon the King at Kensington in his uniform. His majesty received him graciously, and encouraged him to behave valiantly. There is another expedition against France on foot, in which the Prince is to be engaged.
25th. The boat-builders at Portsmouth received fresh orders to put in hand directly a number of flat-bottomed boats, to replace those that were destroyed in the bay of St. Cas. They are to be compleated in ten days, about which time, it is supposed the troops will be ready to embark.
26th. The soldiers of the first battalion of the first regiment of guards, began their march from the Isle of Wight for London. They were met on the road by proper officers, with cloathing and other necessaries, of which they were in great want. A draught from the guards has already been made to supply their place, as well as of those who were killed or taken prisoners in the late skirmish on the coast of France.
A farmer near Blandford in Dorsetshire ploughing up part of an inclosed field, the ploughshare struck against an earthen vessel orurn,