Our Lord Mayor has been very anxious for the preservation of the Shipping and Commerce of this City, and has frequently applied by letter and in person to his Excellency, the Lord Lieutenant, to use his interest with the Lords of the Admiralty, for obtaining Ships of Force to be sent to our Port, to protect the vessels trading from this Harbour. The Lord Mayor's applications have been always received, and treated with respect by his Excellency, who in consequence thereof has sent expresses to Lord Weymouth, and the Lords of the Admiralty, for a convoy, and we are in hourly expectation of their Lordships answer, as also the arrival of those Ships of Force to protect our Trade.
It is to be hoped that the Lords of the Admiralty will attend to his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant's application.
Certain advice is received of an American privateer being in our Channel, she mounts 26 guns, 22 six and four nine pounders, and is very full of men;2 and it is evident from the grassy appearance of her bottom, that she had been a long time at sea. Of the mischief she may have done, the following only is come to hand:
On Wednesday morning [July 9], about twelve o'clock, she fell in with a large three—masted vessel called a Cat, about 500 tons burthen, last from Portaferry, in the North of Ireland, laden with timber, between Carlingford and Drogheda; the Master of the Cat thought to escape, but a shot from a nine pounder brought her to. The privateer had in company a vessel from Belfast for Dublin (laden with rum, and under seizure) and a collier; the hands of the different vessels, passengers with their luggage, and the Revenue Officers who were on board the rum ship, were put on board the collier, with liberty to go wherever they pleased; they accordingly put off, and landed safe at Balbriggin on Thursday evening, lay at Swords that night, and arrived here yesterday, when the Officers waited on the Commissioners with the above intelligence, who were pleased to order written notices to be fixed up in different coffee-houses, for the information of the Merchants, Traders, and others concerned.
One of Mr. Babe's wherries being in the Bay on Thursday evening last, they saw a large vessel between Ireland's Eye and Lambay, which they took for an English frigate; they made for her, and when they got alongside were invited on board, when to their great surprize they found her to be an American privateer, and from their description proves to be the above vessel; they were treated with beef and grog, and asked several questions, particularly if the yacht was in the Harbour; to this they say they answered in the negative. After the people of the wherry staid some time on board they were ordered to depart. During their stay they could neither learn the privateer or Captain's name, but say she was a very large vessel and well manned.
A fishing boat had been brought-to by the above privateer on Thursday evening, while Mr. Babe's men were on board her; the Americans took a small quantity of their fish, which they paid them amply for, treated them as they did the Wherry-men, and then dismissedt hem.
Yesterday two colliers in ballast, from Whitehaven, were brought-to off the mouth of our Harbour by an American privateer, when, after taking from them what cash they had on board, the produce of their cargoes of coals, sold in this Port, together with such provisions as they found on boarcl, they suffered them to proceed on their voyage home.
There are now 11 cannon at the Pigeon-House, viz. two nine pounders in the Yard at the back of the House, three nine pounders at this side of the Pigeon-House, and six six pounders at the King's Wharf. There are also five nine pounders gone to Howth, to command the entrance of the Bar; and a strong work is now making, and will be finished in a few days at the Light-House, on which, we hear, several large cannon are to be mounted.
