The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

From Rivington's New-York Royal Gazette.

St. James's, October 16, 1781.

Capt. Home, late of his Majesty's ship Romney, dispatched from Commodore Johnstone in the Lake sloop, arrived at the Earl of Hillsborough's office yesterday morning with dispatches from the Commodore, dated the 21st of August, of which the following is an extract.

On the 12th of June we were in the latitude of 26, 9, S. and longitude 20, 24. W. and here I detached the Jason, Active, Rattlesnake and Lark, to precede the fleet, in order to gain intelligence.

On the 9th of July in the evening, being in the rendezvous given to the above armed ships, they rejoined us, together with the prize Hollandse Made, a Dutch East-India ship, lately commanded by Capt. Violyk, bound for Ceylon, loaded with stores and provisions, and about 40,000l. in bullion.

This prize Hollandse Made had come last from Saldanha Bay; she sailed the 21st of June. She struck to the Active on the first of July.

From Capt. Pye I received a body of intelligence, digested by Lieut. d'Anvargos, a very promising young officer; it contained, as your Lordship will observe, a certain account that Mons. Suffren had arrived at Palee-Bay, on the 6th of June, with his five ships of the line, and the greater part of his transports; and that there were five Dutch East-India ships at anchor in the bay of Saldanha: I therefore resolved to enter that bay; I steered to the north of the harbour, towards St. Martins Point, otherwise called the bay of St. Helens. I took the charge of piloting on myself, and run in shore under cover of the night, judging my distance by the lead, the weather was very foggy, and continued so till the morning of the 21st of July, the wind was N.N.W. At eight o'clock in the morning we had a clear sight of the land, distance about four miles, and bore up for the Saldanha Bay. We were forced to run by traverse into the bay, nevertheless our arrival was so unexpected, and our movements so rapid, by carrying every sail we could bear, that the Dutch had not time to carry their cables, to loose their fore-topsails which were kept boot for this purpose, and to run their ships on shore, and to set them on fire as the Romney dropped anchor a boat put off, boats boarded them so quickly, and our people behaved so gallantly, that the flames were soon extinguished, except in the Middleburgh: she burnt with incredible fury, and becoming light as she got afloat, where her masts tumbled, and had nearly drifted on board two of the other prizes: however, by an exertion of the boats of the squadron, two were got most clear, in which the General was seized. The boats had not left the Middleburgh ten minutes, when she blew up close by the South-Point of the bay.

At this time a boat was seen rowing to our ship, filled with people in the eastern garb, making signs of submission: they proved to be the Kings of Ternate and Tidore, with the Prince of their respective families, whom the Dutch East-India company had confined on Isle Robie, with different malefactors; but had lately removed them from that island to Saldanha.

Before midnight we had got all the prizes afloat, and next day we got rigged and ready for sea, having brought the principal sails from the Hooker, which lay concealed under Sebastian island, where the sails had been lodged, in hopes we never should have discovered them.

This Hooker had been seized by the Rattlesnake by surprise, according to my order in the disposition of attack.

The names of the prizes are:

The Bencoolen, Capt. Steersel, from Bengal, 24 guns, 800 tons.

The Pearle, Capt. Blocker, from China, 20 guns, 800 tons.

The Honcoop, Capt. Landt, from ditto, 20 guns, 800 tons.

The Hogercarspel, Capt. Harmeyer, from ditto, 20 guns, 800 tons.

The Middleburgh, Capt. Van Gennip, which was burnt, came also from China, 24 guns, 800 tons.

There were also two large Hookers, which I could not conveniently bring away, and to avoid leaving any marks of barbarity towards a settlement where our wants had been so plentifully relieved, I would not permit them to be burnt or destroyed.