The Virginia Gazette

Saturday last arrived at Boston, a packet-boat, 39 days from Brest; she sailed a few hours after receiving her orders and despatches from the court; she brought very few private letters but large despatches for Congress, and the Minister of France at Philadelphia, which will probably determine the arrangements of Europe for the ensuing summer, and the issue of the negociations of the Marquis d'Almodovar, the Spanish Ambassador at London. These despatches were immediately forwarded with a proper guard, to Philadelphia. By this packet, which left Brest the beginning of March, we learn, that the armaments of France, our good ally, were going on with rapidity and success, that the spirit of the nation was high, and their cruisers against the British successful; particularly that two men of war of the line, lately meeting with two British cruisers of 18 and 20 guns, had taken one and sunk the other; that the navigation of the French and Americans was much more safe and unmolested in the European seas, than it had been, by the capture of many British armed vessels; particularly that the Bay of Biscay had for some time been free, in a manner, from their cruisers; that the armaments of Spain were continued with equal earnestness with those of France, so that should no accommodation take place the whole Spanish naval power would be in a condition to act the ensuing summer.

Two days before the above packet left Brest, five ships of the line, and a number of frigates, with some troops, sailed for the West Indies, as an additional reinforcement to the Count d'Estaing: and some time before even sail of the line, with transports, and a proportion of frigates, and 6000 troops, had gone from France to the East Indies.