The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

LONDON. October 21.

Monday, about 25 minutes after two o'clock, was launched from a slip at Chatham dock, in the Medway, the Prince George a 90 gun ship, supposed to be as compleat a vessel as ever was built in this kingdom, and went out of the slip with as much credit to the builder, attended by the huzzas of many thousand spectators, with a vast number of people on board, & several pieces of music in the galleries; as soon as she came into the water, she was saluted with several pieces of cannon from the ships in the river, which was returned by the military in the barracks, and the firing continued for near an hour. There were two large stands erected for the ladies and principal spectators, that intended for the royal family was lined with green, but none of them were present; but the Company in it were the French Ambassador and attendants, Commissioner Proby, several Captains of the Navy, and many principal gentlemen of the county; the other, from the number of the ladies who were in it, made a most brilliant appearance, and every feature expressed sensibly the most agreeable surprize when this wonderful piece of art, this amazing structure, glided from before them in the Medway! The master-builder, who has been indisposed, was brought to the water side in a chair, and after the supports of the stern were hewn down, gave the signal for removing the dog-bars, which made a report like the distant sound of cannon, and in less than half a minute the Prince George floated in about 17 feet of water in the river Medway.

The colours were hoisted on board every vessel in the river, and on shore; in the Prince George were the jacks on her head, next to that were the anchor and hope, in the center the standard of England, in the mizen the union, and the ensign on the stern: the ornaments on her head are a Prince George in a shell, supported by sea nymphs treading on a dolphin, with various other devices on the forecastle, which bespeak the different artists equally masters of their profession. She is built with three decks only; the length of her gundeck is 167 feet; her breath 40 feet; her extreme length from head to stern about 200 feet; & her height from the forecastle to the keel about 56 feet. She is every way compleatly finished and ornamented, and has been on the stocks about 6 years; her complement is 900 men; and every true Briton must join in wishing her success. Her best bower anchor is 8000 weight, and the girt of her cable 23 inches. Such is this wonderful piece of architecture, of which all description fails, and is one of those few human exertions of skill which we cannot sufficiently admire, especially when we consider its ultimate tendency - as OUR SOLE DEFENCE.