The Virginia Gazette

Extract of a Letter from Petersburg.

This you may depend on, that the Turks, by Sickness and the Sword, have lost upwards of 20,000 Men before Oczakow. Westminster Hall, is not half so well set out with Monuments of our Victories over the French at Blenheim, as a Gallery in her Imperial Majesty's Palace is with Turkish Trophies; Such as Silver Shields of curious Workmanship, General Officers Batoons; Horse-Tails, and Standards.

The Russians have even brought away the Crescent of the great Mosque of Bachtschi Serai, the Capital of the Crimea; and had the Dome been a little less, I verily believe they would have brought it along with them too.

The Admirals Gordon and O'Brian are in the highest Esteem here, and Captain Opie receives frequent Marks of the great Consideration the Empress has for him; there is hardly a Day but he dines with one great Lord or other of the Court or the Ministry. In short, the British Subjects of the Three Nations are so much valued here, and so genteelly and generously treated, that I heartily wish that more of our Countrymen, who are out of Employment at home, would come and try their Fortunes in Russia, where there is plentiful Bread for them all, and a Service worthy their Education and Courage.

From Petersburg, that Letters from the Frontiers bring Account of so great a Disunion amongst the Ministers of the Divan at Constantinople, that all Things there were in Confusion. The Disgrace of the Grand Vizier Abdalla, is attributed to the ill Success of the Siege of Oczakow, this Prime Minister not having made sufficient Provision for an Expedition so important, and in so advanced a Season.

Private Letters from Vienna intimate, that it is not doubted, notwithstanding the Appearance of a Treaty being set on Foot, but there will be another Campaign with the Turks; it will, be necessary to confer upon one single Person the Charge of providing for the Subsistence of the Troops in Hungary, and elsewhere, Provisions, together with Forage, Carriages, Ammunition, and Hospitals; and it is said Don, John Baptista de Fuentez Catilla, a Spaniard, will have this Employment ; the Same Person will be entrusted with the Paports and Contribution, as also of settling a Cartel with the Turks, for the Exchange and Ransom of Officers and Soldiers that are made Prisoners, as was formerly practised among Christian Princes at War. It is assur'd that the Emperor will very shortly acknowledge Don Carlos publickly, as King of the Two Sicilies ; that Spain will formally accede to the Treaty concluded between the Emperor and the most Christian King; and that there is a Marriage in Agitation between the Infant Don Philip, and the Princess Maria Anna Sophia, second Daughter to the King of Poland and Elector of Saxony.

Vienna, Feb. 1. That Count Seckendorff's Affairs are pretty much in the same State as they have been for some Time. It's certain, that the Certificates which have been sent from those Persons who had the Direction of Provisions in Servia, have been very favourable to him, and have utterly destroy'd the Report of his having apply'd great Part thereof to his own Advantage.

The Emperor has transmitted the Sentence that the Council of War Pronounc'd against Major General Doxal to Belgrade, the Contents of which are not certainly known; tho' it's said, that his Imperial Majesty has moderated it, only obliging him to quit his Employments, and retire from the hereditary Dominions.

Feb. 4. The following is an Account of the Manner the Mediation of France, Great-Britain, and the States General, was settled, to negociate a Peace between the Grand Signior, the Emperor, and the Czarina.

The Griffier Fagel read in the Assembly of the States General a Letter from M. Swart, Resident of their High Mightinesses at the Court of Russia, wherein that Ministry says, Count Osterman had acquainted him that the Emperor of the Romans had communicated to the Czarina by his Minister, that the Grand Signior had requested the Mediation of the Court of France, which his most Christian Majesty had readily accepted, in case the Emperor and Czarina would agree to such Mediation : That his Imperial Majesty did not hesitate to accept thereof, and earnestly sollicited the Court of Russia to do the like. The Empress, in Answer to these Sollicitations, said, she heard with Pleasure that France would use her good Offices to terminate the Differences which subsist between Russia and the Ottoman Porte, to which she would readily concur, provided the Emperor would at the Same Time ask the Mediation of the Maritime Powers, with whom her Imperial Majesty had always liv'd in perfect Friendship and good Understanding.

That Count Osterman had receiv'd Orders to acquaint the British and Dutch Ministers herewith, and to tell them, that the Czarina hop'd, from the strict Friendship which had always subsisted between her and those Powers, that they would readily grant their desir'd Mediation ; and that without Loss of Time they would send proper Instructions to their Ambassadors residing at the Porte, to act in Concert with that of France.

After their High Mightinesses had consider'd of the said Letter, they resolv'd to write to their Resident at Petersburg, that it was with the greatest Pleasure they were inform'd of the Empress's favourable Disposition to Peace ; and that they are highly oblig'd to her Imperial Majesty, for the Confidence with which she honours them. That their High Mightinesses look upon it as a new Instance of her Majesty's Friendship towards their Republick ; and for which they shall not be wanting on all Occasions to make the most suitable Returns. That the States General had taken all Opportunities to obtain an Accommodation between Russia and the Porte, but that they had met with insurmountable Difficulties therein; notwithstanding which, they had renew'd their Orders to M. Kalkoen, their Ambassador at the Porte, to take Advantage of the least favourable Disposition which might appear in the Porte towards Peace. That their High Mightinesses finding that their good Offices were acceptable to the Czarina, they had resolv'd to dispatch the necessary Orders immediately to their Ambassador to apply himself at the Porte, jointly with the Ambassadors of Great-Britain and France, to negociate a solid and lasting Peace.

The British Resident at Petersburg, has wrote to the same Effect to his Court, which Prince Cantemir has confirm'd, and assur'd, that the Empress his Mistress will enter into no Negotiations of Peace, without the Interposition of the Maritime Powers; and that his Britannic Majesty had sent the necessary Orders to his Minister at Constantinople, and to Mr. Trevor, at the Hague, to acquaint their High Mightinesses therewith, and to act in Concert with them in every Respect.