Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

The Gazette.
PHILADELPHIA,
MONDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 18.
Last Saturday night arrived from Ireland Mr. Baxter, of this city, who left Cork on the 28th of October, in the brig Cincinnatus, (now at Reedy Island) and informs that 3 days previous to leaving Cork, intelligence was received of the total defeat of the Dutch fleet. He states, that while the British fleet under Admiral Duncan, were repairing in Yarmouth Roads, (who had left his station off the Texel for that purpose) a cutter brought him advice of the Dutch fleet being at sea, upon which the Admiral as soon as possible went out, and meeting the Dutch about the 17th of Oct. they were totally defeated—the Dutch Rear and Vice Admirals taken, with eight ships of the line; the remainder were pursued when the intelligence left the fleet. This news is without doubt true, as, on the day when Mr. Baxter left Cork, it was confirmed by an express from Admiral Duncan, which occasioned a royal salute to be fired by all the ships of war in the Cove.
Mr. Baxter has favoured us with papers to the 12th of October, the latest brought by the Cincinnatus; they contain no news, nor does our informant mention any intelligence from the Continent. (Amer. D. A.
Extract of a letter from a Gentleman on his way home from this City, dated Snow-hill, Monday the 11th inst.
"I have nothing particular to add, only, that as I passed through Dover two men suffered sentence of the law, which made a strong impression on my mind—they were nailed by both ears to the pillory, and cut loose, leaving part of those members fast to the wood. One of them received thirty-nine lashes, the other, though condemned to the same punishment was excused by the Executive from that part of the sentence on supposition that he was unable to bear the lash; he had been previous to the trial by some means furnished with a file with which he cut off his hand cuffs, with the bar whereof he knocked down the Jailer and was making his escape, but being obstructed by an outer gate the Jailer came to himself, and in his turn gave the Prisoner a severe blow on the side by throwing an iron wedge at him, which laid him sprawling, and his life was at first despaired of—Now my Friend, I feel myself mortified that the human form should be thus mutilated, but yet I do think that cropping the ears is but a just and natural punishment where the offence is such as requires a mark to be set on the perpetrator to prevent similar practices. The crime they had committed was the most atrocious that can be committed by man against man, murder itself not excepted. These Fellows had stolen three Negro Children in Kent County, whilst their Father was out at work, and they were actually put on board a Vessel to be carried to Carolina. The Father, Mother and Children all born free.
* * "A friend to laws and freedom" to-morrow.