Difputes between the English and Dutch E. India Companies 5

fore the Dutch, having remonftrated in vain, had a right to oppofe fuch stopping and vifiting by force, and to make reprisals; the English, in this cafe, being aggreffors by the firft unjuftifiable and hostile act.

A

pany has, from time immemorial, by virtue of Grants from the Mogul, "the right of free navigation and paf"fage, and of carrying up and down "men and goods, to and from their "factories in Bengal. A right which they have always exercifed, and by virtue of which they have conveyed to and maintained in their fettlementsas many men as they thought proper. Nor has the Nabob any power of fulpending this right, he being governor furd to fuppofe the governor of a proonly of a province, as it would be abvince to have a power of depriving the Company of privileges which had been granted by his matter. Befides, the English themselves, when they declared war against the late Nabob, afction, his baving infringed privileges figned, as the caufe of that Declarawhich had been granted to them by the Mogul, which he had no authority to do.

Neither had the English any right to oppose the landing the Dutch troops; the measures which they took, therefore, to effect fuch oppofition, particularly Colonel Ford's lining the ways along which the Dutch troops were to pafs, was an aggreffion, and juftified the Dutch in repelling force with force; B yet the first attack was made upon the Dutch by the English, in confequence of their perfifting, as they had a right to do, in marching troops as a reinorcement to their fettlements.

But it is abfurd to fuppofe_the Dutch had any defign against the Englib, in marching thefe troops; be cause it is well known that the late Nabob required them to affift him against the English, which they refused to do, tho' they incurred very great - loffes by fuch refufal, the Nabob extorting from them a large fum of moey, which they have never yet been D able to recover; but if they had had any design to fubvert the English, they could never have neglected an opportunity fo favourable, when they would appear to act under the compulfion of fuperior and irresistible force.

If, by this defence, the Dutch are E juftified, it follows that they received great injury from us; for if, what tey were about to do was law

l, whatever we did to prevent their doing it, was unlawful: They have, therefore, drawn up a Counter-Charge against us, consisting of all that we did, forcibly, to prevent their fhips F going up the river, and their troops from coming on thore; and they require fatisfaction and recompence

from us.

The whole, indeed depends upon the determination of the question,whether we have, as principals, or auxiliaries of the Mogul a right to stop and vifit the Dutch veffels that pafs up the river Ganges?

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The Dutch, who deny fuch right, argue, that the Ganges is a neutral river, running through a country where no European has any right but what is derived from the Great Mogul, the H lord of the country; and they infift, that the English never obtained from him a right to treat the fhips of other pations at their own difcretion: On the contrary, the Dutch Eaft India com

As to any right which we may pretend, of ftopping and visiting their veffels,'in confequence of a treaty with the prefent Nabob, by which we have engaged to affift him in obilructing by force the coming up of Dutch troops, the Dutch infiit, that one European nation cannot be juftified in falling upon another, in an hoftile manner, by any alliance offenfive and defenfiveth a native prince; becaufe this may terminate in the total ruin of all foreign fettlements; and, with respect to England and Holland, is totally inconfifte at with treaties fubfifting between the two states, which exprefsly and particularly ftipulate, that neither Company fhall do violence or wrong to the other; nor aid, counfel, or juffer any fuch violence, under any thow or pretext whatfoever. And it was in compliance with thofe treaties, that the Dutch, to their great lofs, refused to affift the late Nabob against the Englib; and the English then declared, that if they granted the Nabob fuch affistance, it would be an infringement of thofe very treaties, and would be conftrued an open declaration of war. If it is true, therefore, that the Dutch Company could not grant the Nabob affiftance against the English, it is allo true, that the English could not give the Nabob affiftance against the Dutch.

The Dutch alfo complain, that w have taken advantage of the dependance of the prefent Nabob upon us, to engrofs the whole falt-petre trade; which they infift we have no right to do, because they, at great expence. procured from the Great Mogul arigi

6 Difputes between the English and Dutch E. India Companies.

to purchase this commodity, which therefore cannot be taken from them by a Nabob; and because the treaties between England and Holland ftipulate, that each fhall promote the other's mutual advantage.

The lofs of a small fhip called the Anne is alfo laid to our account, because our people prevented pilots from going off to her when in diftrefs, and The being obliged, by stress of weather, to run up the Ganges without affittance, A ftruck on the fecond bar, and was loft with many of her hands.

To this we anfwer, That the Dutch Company have admitted the Nabob's right of granting this trade exclufively, by a petition which they prefented to the late Nabob, for a grant of the falt-peare trade, exclusively, to themselves; and that the granting fuch privilege is no new thing, as the B late Nabob actually granted it in 1756 to a native, one Choja Wazid.

The Dutch reply, that their Petition was intended only to reprefent to the Nabob the prejudice which his Grant to Choja Wazid would be to them, and to procure only the liberty, according to the standing cuftom of making the C neceffary purchases immediately of the falt-petre boilers, without the intervention of others: Nor was there one fingle word in that Petition from which it could be inferred, that the Dutch had a defign to ingrofs the trade, and exclude the Englib.And as to the Grant to Choja Wazed, it was given in violation of the Mogul's Grants; and therefore, as it was without authority,it cannot be made a precedent.

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They complain too, that we have obftructed them in the callico trade, by feizing all that is in the weaver's hands, and cutting the cloth out of E the loom as foon as it is finished, threatening the weavers, that if they made cloth for any other, efpecially for the Dutch, they fhould be feverely punished; which threats, in fome inftances, have been executed; and tho', upon complaints, they have been promifed F redrefs, the promise has never been fulfilled.

Several other fubjects of complaint are added upon this occafion, of which no notice was before taken; particularly the feizing a grab, called the Charlotte, by Admiral Pocock, in 1757, which, with its lading, was condemned, upon pretence that the commander was a fubject of France, tho' the ship was hired by fome of the Company's fervants at Surat, who loaded her with cotton on their own private account, and was the property of one Benjaans, a merchant; the commander also, tho' a native of France, had been admitted as a freeman by the director and couneil of the Dutch Company at Surat, and had taken the oaths of fidelity to the States and Company.

The defence and countercharge of the Dutch concludes with this remarkable paragraph, which we have inferted without abridgment or alteration.

To our defence, High and Mighty Lords, we are alfo indifpenfably oblí ged to add our humble fuit for the particular protection of your High Mightineffes with the greater importu nity and ardour; as on the redress of our above-mentioned grievances de pends the fate of the fettlements and commerce of the Dutch company at many places in the Indies: For, if the English Eaft India company, fupported by the king's fhips and troops, continue to have in their hands the power, which for fome time past they have had there: while, on the one hand, this power in Bengal, and who can tex, where else besides, is employed, in de fiance, and in the avowed violation of the most folemn treaties and engage ments, violently hindering the Dutch company from protecting their settlements, and fecuring their commerce there: And on the other hand, the fervants of the faid company, under favour of that fuperiority, are enabled, to the entire exclufion of the Dutch company, wholly to engross this a other capital branches of trade; an with a view to farther branches of commerce, to traverse and obstruct the trade of the Dutch company, by every unwarrantable and oppreffive means; then will, then must, to our bitter regret, the fettlements of the Dutch com pany and their commerce very foon have a final period, not only in Bengal, but in other places befides.

There is an Appendix, containing vouchGers to prove the principal Facts alleged by the Dutch, as a defence against our charges and in fupport of their own.

Mr URBAN,

Jan. 28, 1762. HE feafon of the year is now ap lower

of people throw at cocks, a custom H which cannot be reflected upon by any humane perfon without horror. For as the treating all the animals that are in our power with kindnefs and good. neis, is a fign of an excellent and amiable difpofition; fo cruelty and bar

bar y

The Plot of the Lyar, a Comedy of Three Alls,

barity to them, fhows a wicked and diabolical temper. Do not thefe creatures, when they are bruifed and wounded, fhew an equal fenfe of pain with ourselves? Are not their fhrieks and mournful cries, as fo many calls upon their tormentors for pity: and do not their dying pangs, and the painful convulfions of their tortured bodies, caufe uneafmefs in every humane spectator? And to give eafe and happiness to them, and to relieve their miferies, would give pleafure to ourselves, provided we are fuch men as we ought to be. But if we take any delight in tormenting, or in feeing animals tormented, whom do we refemble, but that evil being, who takes pleasure in the mifery of men? And how easily may that boy go on to delight in delight in wounding and murdering his fellow creatures, who has been trained up in his infancy and youth, to exercife cruelty upon the poor innocent animals?

These thoughts were fuggefted to me, by the author of two fermons, preached on Shrove Sunday, entitled, Clemency to Brutes, (See Vol. xxx. p. 201.) which are well worthy the perufal of every one. And I hope that our king and houses of parliament, will not think it below them, to put an intire ftop to this cruel and barbarous custom.

TH

WOMEN.

Mrs Bellamy!
Mrs Bufden.

Mifs Grantham.
Mifs Godfrey,
Mifs Grantham's maid, Mrs Abegg.
THE plot is as follows.-Wilding, a
young gentleman of fortune, on
his return from the university, deter-
mines to fet up for a man of fpirit and
gallantry; to carry on which deɓgn,
he refolves to indulge to its utmoft
height his favourite foible, of telling
the most extravagant untruths. In
confequence of which, he boasts of
having given an entermainent on the
water, which had been in reality gi-
ven by an unknown ftranger, and by

A

B

D

7

naming a lady, as the object of his adoration, whom he had not even ever feen, alarms the jealousy of his friend Sir James Elliot, her real lover. On meeting Miss Grantham in the street, however, (the very lady above mentioned) he at random addresses her with an affurance of having been her continual admirer and purfuer for a twelvemonth, tho' in reality he had been but one day in town.-On fending kis fervant to dog her, and find out her name, the intelligence bro't him back is, that the is called Mifs Godfrey; on which he writes an extravagant letter to her by that name, which being delivered to the real Mifs Godfrey, a young lady related to the former, and to whofe houfe Mifs Grantham had been dogged, produces a rivalship between the two ladies, who each of them claim him as their fole admirer-In order to determine this difputed point, they agree to give him an audience from a window, in which the lover difplays fo much of his romantic difpofition, as fully convinces both ladies of his character.-On this, for the detection and confufion of his falfhood, they appoint him to meet them both at Mifs Grantham's house, which he promifes to do. In the mean time, Wilding's father having an intention of marrying his fon to Mifs Grantham, throws him into the neceffity of 'telling a fresh lie to avoid this match, which lie is the confeffion of a previous marriage, into which he had been forced with a girl, whom he had addreffed at Abingdon in Berkshire.-This imposes on old Wilding for a time, who readily acquiefces to the fuppofed marriage, and refents to the utmost a fufpicion thrown on his fon's varacity F by Sir James Elliot; but being confirmed in the falfhood. of the whole tale, by the teftimony of the young ladies, his refentment turns itself on his fon, who at length confefses the whole à downright lie, but declares the intent of it to have been the escaping the propofed match with Mifs Grantham, in confequence of a violent pas fion he had conceived for Mifs Godfrey.This, the father is not much difpleafed at, and immediately appoints him to meet him at Mifs Godfrey's, and at the fame time enters into a scheme with Mifs Grantham, to confound Hy young Wilding, by introducing Mifs Grantham, as the invented Abingdon girl. This being put in execution, he meets the real Mifs Godfrey, whom he finds he has never feen before, is forced

E

G

into

8 Attempt to Fire the Engih Navy in Bafque Road.-Hemp.

into the ligning a contract with her, after which he his claimed by his Abingdon wife, which throws him into a confufion, in which he quits the stage, and with fome obfervations on the pernicioufnefs of a liar, the piece concludes.

The fubftace of this comedy, the author declare, to be founded on fome Spanish piece. The whole plan is the fame with that of the Menteur of P. Corneille, which has been alto once be fore borrowed and cloathed in an Englib habit by Sir Sichard Steele, in whofe comedy of the Lying Lover, or the Lad's Friendship, may be feen almost all the principal lies of this piece.

Bafque Road, Dec. 17.
UR fquadron here are in excel-

B

O
health, and fprits,
and wanting for nothing but action. C
The enemy made the following attempt
to burn us, but without effect.

leaft on our guard : Add to this, that they attacked us from a quarter were we should leaft have expected it ; viz. from the N. W, end of the ifle of Oleron, for we lie within four or five miles A of the ifle of Aix, and from thence I fhould have thought they would have formed the attempt. They had three veffels chained head and stern to each other, at the distance of one third of a cable the one from the other. This would occafion, you know, a large compafs in their sweep; and indeed if they had approached our squadron as near as poffibly they might have done (confidering the darkness of the night) the confequence might have been fatal to fome of us. As it happened, the tide drove them to the S. w. of the fleet. The alarm, which was occafioned by the first explohon (and that was very audible) was very foon over, for we foon perceived that there was no danger. The next morning we towed the harmless remains of these vessels, having extinguished the flames, into the fleet, and cut them up for our ufe. The longing to the French men of war,which Trident's barge picked up a boat behad attended the enterprize: This' boat (when double banked) could row with ten oars; fhe was quite clean for the purpose of rowing, but had only four oars when the was taken. L'Orient is graved on her ftern; fhe had one match in, unlighted, and the remains of one that had been lately extinguished by lying in the run of the boat. We fuppofe that the men, who defigned to efcape in this boat, were blown up; and we have fince been informed, that three of their men were killed on the fpot, and three others much scorched. I am, Yours, &c.

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Three fire boats of 50 tons each, were fet on float, under the command of the Captain of the port's fon, affifted by 4 men of war's boats, but thro' precipitation, mistake, or accident, two of them blew up, and every foul perished. The explofion was terrible; they continued burning with great fury from one till day light. As the wind blew when they took fire, they were in the ftream of the Princess Amelia, Captain Montagu, an 80 gun fhip, but providentially the vind fhifted from W. to E

N. W. and arove them clear off the whole fquadron. They were chained together, and if they had been managed with that coolness and intrepidity, which fuch an enterprize requires, they might have done fatal execution. The Breft fquadron, which has bat3 talions on board, are ready to fail,and four large transports are gone from Bourdeaux full of troops, but this fmall

F

SIR,

No

South Carolina, Nov. 4.

force will raife no apprehenfion of country in the world appears capable danger at Plymouth.

Bafque Road, Dec. 27. OU will doubtless have heard of G You a late attempt the French made, to fet fome of our fquadron on fire: Their plan was very well laid,but most miferably executed: Whether the failure was owing to their fear, or whether the effect of an accident, I know not, but the veffels took fire when they were above two miles a head of our H feet. The night was very dark; the tides at their height, being two days after the change of the moon; the wind was very favourable; and the hour was at half past one in the morning; when (it is to be fuppofed) if ever, we are

of producing better Hemp than this province, the much famed Ancona not excepted. I bought, a few days ago, about fixteen hundred pounds weight of hemp from a planter, who, tho' unkilled in the culture, had raised a ton weight, from two acres and an half of land in one crop, by the labour of one man only; and he declared, any number of men might raise it in the like proportion. I myself have known as much raised from two acres only. Any fingle fibre of the hemp now mentioned, will lift a weight from thir ty, forty, to fifty pounds, I mean the fibres of a proper confiftence, because they may be fplit fo as to equal the fineft filk.

The attention, therefore, of the British les giflature, added to the attention already given by this province, would certainly be a homeftroke to a certain northern power, no friend to Britain of her allies.

REGULUS.

Fingal, an Epic Poem, tranflated from the Erfe.

Some Account of Fingal, an Epic Poem in fix Books, and feveral other Poems, compofed by Offian the fon of Fingal, tranflated from the Gallic or Erle Langunge, by James McPherson.

the friendship of fome gentlemen of the country, compleated the Epic Poem. Offian is fuppofed to have lived in the beginning of the fourth century, about the time when Christianity was A first introduced into Britain, a religion of which he is fuppofed to have been totally ignorant when he wrote his poem, though in his extreme old age, he is faid to have difputed on that fub→ ject with one of the miffionaries who fucceeded to the deferted cells of the Druids, and who weer therefore called culdees, or fequeftered perfons.

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