PRINCE OF WALES'S ISLAND.-OCCURS. FOR DEC. 1806. 45 animals observed the travellers with as if in the act of springing upon indifference, having, it is supposed, their prey, until the gentlenen, satiated themselves during the who undeviatingly kept their pace, night. passed, when they were perceived After crossing the road they to betake themselves to the hills of crouched close by the way side, Powee. PRINCE OF WALES'S ISLAND.-Occurrences for December, 1806. Penang.---The Forbes, captain of a shoal, on which the ship Frazer Sinclair, sailed from Cal- General Wellesley struck, nu her culia on the 5th of April, bound passage from the straits of Macasto the Eastward on a trading voy- sar to Pontiana, in lat. 1. 19. S. and age, with a cargo of opium, piece computed lon. 108. 45 E. of Greengoods, and iron. On the 11th ult. wich. (returning home ladea with returns At six A. M. the body of Carato a considerable amount) about malta bore E. the south extremity two, A. M. then going at the rate of Larotto, S. E. by E. distant eiglit of five knots, she struck on a reef or vive leagues, in twenty fathoms; of rocks, at the south end of the at 15 minutes before ten, A. M. straits of Billiton, lat. 3. 40. M. the ship running at the rate of together with a Dutch brig which seven and a half or eight knots an had been taken during the voyage ; hour, the man at the mast head the boats were immediately hoisted called out rocks under water, right out, and ever endeavour to get the a head; but before the helın could ship off; but without effect, as in be shified, either to port or starabout two hours after the stern board the ship struck with a most went down in five fathoms; find- violent shock, laying her over at ing every attempt to save the ves- the same time considerably ; not, sel fruitess, the crew, with five withstanding this, however, she Javanese, taken from the prize passed between the rocks without brig, were divi ed into three boats; losing much of ber ways the rocks Captain Sinclair, Mr. Robert were apparently five or six feet Sharp, fourth mate, with eleven of under water, and eight or ten the crew, in the pinnance; after fathoms distant from the larboard undergoing the greatest distresses side of the ship, the same on the from want of water and provisions starboard side ; some of them under a scorching sun, without an covered with only three or four axning or any thing to cover feet of water. them, fell in with the General From the violence of the shock, Baird, captain John Harford, we were apprehensive the ship tight days afier leaving the wreck, might have e::perienced some mawho supplied them liberally with terial damage ; but on sounding every thing requisite for their fur- the pump, found she made no iber progress to Malacca, water. When the Wellesley struck, We copy, from the Penang she was in the track laid down in gazette, the following particulars Lawry and Whittle's map, as being perfectly perfectly clear and void of shoals, with regular soundings of 20. 18. and seventeen fathoms; and the track of several ships laid down in them; hauled off N. N. W. and had from twelve to 13 fathoms, until ten minutes before noon, when we passed over a sand bank, with only six fathoms on it, then deepened suddenly into thirteen, fourteen and fifteen fathoms soft ground. BENGAL.-Occurrences for January, 1807. [The most remarkable occurrence in this month will be found in the Ceylon intelligence; and is, the Commission for issuing letters of marque and reprisal against the King of Prussia and the town of Papenburgh. Calcutta. Extract of a Letter from Grain is 60 Secrs. per rupee, and other grain in proportion, although we have three regiments of cavalry here. At Suhkerpoor the inhabitants have been much alarmed by the appearance of tygers in their neighbourhood, a circumstance that has not occurred for several years. They destroyed four bullocks, and a number of sheep. A party of gentlemen, mounted upon elephants, went in search of, and fell in with them; two were killed, the remainder, it is supposed, took the wood. On the 12th instant, his excellency the Persian ambassador paid a visit to the hon. the governorgeneral, under a salute from the battery, previous to embarking on his return to his sovereign on the 13th. His excellency left Calcutta, and on his arrival at Kedgeeree was saluted by all the ships lying in the roads, and embarked on board the Varunna; which, with the Hoomayoon Shaw, and Shauman brig, will be convoyed to the Persian Gulph by his majesty's ship Fox, captain the hon. Charles Cochrane. MADRAS.-Occurrences for January, 1807. Arrived the ship Fattamarina, captured by a French brig privateer on the coast of Pegue; and recaptured by the Fortune, captain H Moore, (fitted out at Botany 'Bay) in Lat. 10, N. Long. 98. E. The Maria, Riggersbergen, (late Dutch frigate) is bought into his majesty's service at 18,000/. and commissioned by the name of the Java. We insert this letter from the Madras government gazette. Madras. MR. EDITOR, Two years have elapsed since the widows and orphans of deceased officers of the Madras establish meat ment have met with a champion, and it astonishes me not a little that their former strenuous advocates, Benevolus, and Najeebu-Terfien, have so long remained inactive on the subject of establishing so desirable an institution as the Military Widows' Fund. I am induced to address this letter to you from a desire of again seeing those more able advocates take up the pen in behalf of the friendless; fully confident that the officers of this establishment now see the benefits to be derived from such an institution, and that if again brought forward it will meet with little or no opposition. Your former correspondent, the Bachelor, who proposed having illegitimate children introduced as participators of the fund, in the event of its being established) is now in England, and as his proposal was, I believe, a principal cause of the opposition it formerly met with, I think the subject will now be more favourably received. There can be no doubt but the fund will meet with support from every married man; and how much greater must be the satisfaction derived by bachelors in supporting such an institution, when it is considered how small a portion from their superfluous monthly allowances is required for it! a portion which may be deducted without being felt, and which is frequently staked and lost by the throw of a dice, or hand at cards. . Is it possible that any gentleman can see the widow or children of a brother officer weeping over the corpse of a beloved husband or father, and not sensibly feel the distressed situation of both? And would he turn aside without offering his mite at such a scene? No; I can never believe that he would. It is well known that the profession of a soldier lays him liable to be taken out of life any day, and if he has it not in his power to leave a wife a genteel subsistence after living in affluence, to her it must be absolute misery, and such reflections must embitter his present enjoyments, and render him at all times very uncomfortable. Many women of respectable connexions are necessitated to refuse offers that are made to them by officers, from the knowledge that, in the event of their becoming widows, no provision sufficiently ample for their support can be made from the pay of their admirers; but this difficulty is easily removed, by the establishment of the Military Fund. In all corps where there are married officers, greater unanimity is perceptible in the gentlemen composing those corps; but where all are single men, how frequently do we see rioting and drunkenness? debauchery is prevented by the presence of the female sex, for surely no officer would so lessen himself in their eyes, as to get intoxicated in their society. Najeebu-Terfien's estimate, published in the Madras Gazette, on the 8th December, 1804, for the establishment of an " Original Fund" is, in my opinion much less than the several ranks of officers and medical men could afford to subscribe. It was as follows: 34 Colonels and Members of the S. Pags. Medical Board at 6 Pags, each per mensem. ............. ........ 204 65 Lieutenant-Cols. and Superin tending Surgeons at 5 Pagodas each per mensem............................................ 315 59 Majors at 4 Pagodas each per 646 Lieutenants and Assistant Total per mensem star pagodas. 2763 The number of Field Officers having been since increased in the Artillery, will of course add a few Pagodas to the above calculation. Were officers commanding battaJions to put the question "will give your support or not to the fund proposed," severally to the gentlemen under their command, and, you without specifying names, transmit the number of votes to the Adjutant-General of the army; it would immediately be seen whether or not the majority or minority were for the measure. I'most sincerely hope that more able advocates than I am, will step forward and attempt to rouse the benevolent spirits of the coast army, who should not suffer their" Rivals BOMBAY.-Occurrences for January, 1807. Arrived his Majesty's ship, Rattlesnake, captain Warden, from a cruize, having burned the French Privateer Les Deux Soeurs, at Cheduba. The captain of the privateer and 32 of her men are brought prisoners, the remainder effected their escape to the island, where they were protected by the rajah. The ship Betsey, of this port, is captured by Les Mourschot, brig privateer of six guns and 100 men, in Lat. 4. 18. N. near Aunalaboo, on the west coast of Sumatra. This is the same privateer which, some time ago, captured the Henry Addington on that coast; she has been since at Batavia, and obtained an additional number of guns and men, and returned to that coast to make farther depredations. CEYLON.-Occurrences for January, 1807. Government Advertisement. By order of government, Chief Sec, to Gevt. (L. S.) By the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, &c. Whereas by his majesty's commission under the great seal of Great Britain, bearing date the 23d day of May, 1806, and in the 46th year of his majesty's reign, we, or any three or more of us, or any person or persons, by us empowered, are required and authorized to issue issue forth and grant letters of inarque or general reprisals, to any of his Majesty's subjects or others, whom we shall deem fitly qualified in that behalf, for apprehending, seizing, and taking the ships, vessels, and goods, belonging to the King of Prussia and the town of Papenburgh, or to any persons being subjects or inhabiting within any of the territories of the King of Prussia and the town of Papenburgh, save and except any ships to which his Majesty's licence has been granted, or which have been directed to be released from the embargo ; and to bring the same to judgment in any of his Majesty's courts of Admiralty within his dominions, for proceedings, and adjudication and condemnation to be thereupon had, according to the course of Admiralty and the Law of Nations; with other powers, in the said commission expressed, copy thereof, together with his Majesty's instructions, dated the 24th day of the said month, under his royal signet and sign manuel, for the commanders of merchant ships and vessels, who shall have such letters of marque or general reprisals, are herewith transmitted to you; these are therefore to empower you, the right hon. T. Maitland, captain-general and governor in chief of the Island of Ceylon, or in your absence the lieutenant-governor of the said island. And by these presents we do empower you the said Thomas Maitland, or the said lieutenant-governor, in your absence, to cause to be issued forth and granted, pursuant to the said commission, by warrant under your hand and the seal of the said island, directed to the judge of the Admiralty of the said island, letters of marque or general reprisals, to the effect aforesaid, VOL. 9. at the request of any of his majesty's subjects, or others, (being owner or owners of any ship or vessel) to any person or persons, whom such owner or owners shall nominate to be commander, or in case of death successively commander of such ships or vessel, and to cause such bail and security to be taken as is directed by his Majesty's instructions before-mentioned; and you are, on issuing each warrant, to insert the name of the commander, and of the ship or vessel for which the said letters of marque, and reprisals, are intended to be granted, also the tonnage and built of the said ship or vessel, and the number of guns, swivels, cohorns, and carronades, and the weight of the shot they respectively carry; also the number of officers and men with which the said ship or vessel is manned and navigated; and you are moreover, in issuing forth and granting such letters of marque or general reprisals, to cause all other things to be had and done conformable to, and as the said commission and instructions require, for which this shall be your warrant. Given under our hand and the seal of the office of Admiralty, the 3d day of June, 1806. (Signed) J. MARKHAM, H. NEALE, |