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BRISTOL, (ENGLAND,) April 8, 1776. — This morning came up to the Key, the snow Dickenson, William Meston, Master, from Philadelphia, bound to Nantes, in Old France, where she was to discharge her loading, and take in a cargo of warlike stores and ammunition, for the use of the Continental Army. She was taken up and fitted out by order of the Congress, and consigned to Messrs˙ Montandouin and Frere, merchants in Nantes, as appears by the captain' s orders, which are hereunder copied, verbatim.
The mate and people on board, finding that they were to load with warlike stores, for the use of the Americans, and having, as they declare, been forced into the service, took the vessel, and, instead of proceeding to France, determined to make the first British port. They accordingly brought her into Bristol, after beating upwards of a fortnight about the mouth of the channel; and the Mate is immediately going off for London, and will take all the letters and papers which were on board the said vessel, for the inspection of Government. She was first boarded by the Lieutenant of the Inchiquin tender, lying there; who is going with the Mate to London.
She is about two hundred and fifty tons burden, and now lies at the Quay till the determination of Government concerning her is known. The Captain has entered her at the custom-house.
Her cargo, which consists of twenty two hundred and twenty-one barrels of flour, two hundred and sixty boxes of spermaceti candles, thirteen casks and one bag beeswax, and fifty-six hundred barrel staves, is valued at near six thousand pounds, and the vessel is worth upwards of fifteen hundred pounds. She is the first American vessel that has been brought into England since the act passed for granting the seamen certain privileges and rewards for seizing any of the Provincial ships, &c.
The following is the principal intelligence received by this vessel:
As soon as the Congress received an account of the repulse and death of General Montgomery, at Quebeck, they ordered ten companies, of one hundred men each, and other considerable reinforcements raised in the western parts of Connecticut, and in the neighbourhood of Albany, to march immediately to Quebeck.
The Americans have an army of fifteen thousand men in the field, in Carolina and Virginia.
The Congress paper is in the highest credit, and they have begun to make payments with it.
The Congress are perfectly unanimous; there is not the least dissension amongst them.
She did not clear the Capes of Delaware River till the 1st of March. When she left Philadelphia, the Congress had received no account of the Prohibitory Act, nor of the hiring of foreign troops.
It was reported the Provincials had taken post upon Noddle' s Island, in Boston harbour.
The following vessels sailed at the same time the Dickenson did, all
About three weeks before the Dickenson left Philadelphia, a French nobleman, (who, with another gentleman of the same nation, had been sometime treating with the Continental Congress, and had visited the camp of the grand Army at Cambridge, in New-England,) [Messrs˙ Penet and Pliarne] intended returning to France in her; but they afterwards removed their baggage out of her, and went on board a vessel which was hired on purpose for them, and are now on their passage for France. The day they came down Delaware River, two French vessels, under French colours, laden with powder, ball, and small arms, arrived there.
Notices of the seizing of the Snow Dickenson by the Crew
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bound for different ports in France, and on the same business; but as she is a very swift sailer, she left them soon after they put to sea: the ships Sally, Rowland; Neptune, Collins; the Aurora, Cheeky; and three brigs; captains' names, Montgomery, Bethel, and Martin; and many other vessels, the names of which are forgot; and during the three preceding weeks, upwards of thirty other vessels sailed for different ports in France.