Note 210. 2 went to North America. 3 went to England. Lift of the Dutch Ships taken by Capt. Reynolds. De Vrow Anna Chriftiana, Jacobs; Detyk Engouvar Stoffet, Egmons; Marg Aate William, Peter de Faze; De Jong Frow Lavienier and Jacobs Johanna Arnoldas, Banneagh; Jonge Lybreg, A. W. Aregus; De Jonge Veerben Ranama, Attez; Rofolution, Jacobs Engrepkes: Sebella and Helleganza Jaus, Geyte Talc; D. Jonge Juan Maga Paule Jepus, Hockima. Note 211. Surrender of Demerary, &c. Letter from the Governor and Council of Demerary, to Sir George Bridges Rodney. : SIR, Demerary, March 2. 1781. We have furrendered our colony to the Captains G. Day, and F. Pender, commanding his Majesty's fhips the Surprise and Barbuda, and likewise have received a letter from General Cunningham, offering, in case we would deliver up our colony to his Britannic Majefty, the fame terms to us as your Excellency has granted to St. Euftatius, to which letter, and our anfwer, we take the liberty to refer; which gentlemen have taken the fame in name of his Britannic Majefty but as they could not show us these terms, we have taken the liberty to commit two gentlemen of this river, being Jofeph Bourda, Efq. Member of the Council, and J. Haflin, Efq. one of the principal inhabitants, with directions to proceed to your Excellency with Captain Pender, who offered a paffage to them; although the time of his departure was very fhort at hand, we have gladly embraced this opportunity, as the first to inform your Excellency of the real fituation of this colony, and propofe your Excellency to grant in fome article for the benefit of the fame, which we have reason to expect from your Excellency's known humanity and universal benevolent character. We. We hope that your Excellency will approve of this proceeding, and allow these gentlemen all protection that they may want during the time of their commiffion. We recommend ourselves to your Excellency's protection, and have the honour to be, (Signed) P. Van Schuylenburch, D. Creefts, L. J. D. Van Groveftins. By Sir George Bridges Rodney, Bart. &c. &c. Whereas the inhabitants of Demerary, and the river Iffequibo and dependencies, have furrendered at discretion to the arms of his Britannic Majefty; it is hereby granted to the inhabitants to remain in full poffeffion of their property, and to be governed by their present laws, till his Majesty's pleasure is known. All the property, ftores, &c. belonging to the Dutch West India Company, to be delivered up to his Britannic Majesty's officers. The inhabitants to take the oath of allegiance to, and be admitted under the protection of, the Crown of Great Britain, and will be allowed to export their produce to Great Britain, or the British Islands of Tobago and Barbadoes in British bottoms, and treated in all respects as British fubjects, till his Majesty's pleasure be known. The commandant and the other officers have leave to go to Holland in a cartel, taking with them all their effects of whatever nature: the troops to have the fame indulgence. Given under our hand, at St. Eustatius, this 14th day of May 1781. G. B. RODNEY. Lift of English Privateers that entered the river Demerary, February 24. 1781. Ship Bellona, Pat. Driscoll, 28 guns; Ship Mercury, R. Craigs, 24 guns; Schooner Porcupine, J. Jackfon, 18 guns, all belonging to Bristol. Schooner Halten, Oden Whitehouse, 8 guns, and Sch. Pully, Newbold, 4 guns, belonging to Barbadoes. Ship Hornet, J. Kimber, 32 guns, belonging to Liverpool. Ships and Veffels taken out of Demerary river by the Privateers, Feb. 27, 1781. A brig, 200 tons, 14 guns and 32 men, laden with coffee, fugar, and cotton, belonging to Flushing. Four hips, in all 1400 tons, carrying 42 guns, and 119 men, laden with fugar, coffee, cotton, flour, and lumber, belonging to Middleburg. Four fhips, two fnows, and a brig, in all 2008 tons, carrying 54 R 2 guns, guns, and 119 men, laden with coffee, fugar, cotton, provifions, iron, lumber, planks, and bricks, belonging to Amsterdam. A fnow, 200 tons, 4 guns and 16 men, laden with provifions and plank, belonging to Rotterdam. Remain fill in the River. A fhip of 250 tons, laden with mill timber, belonging to Statia: a fnow of 200 tons, belonging to Amsterdam; and two American, laden with rum. In the river Ifequibo, March 3. A fhip of 600 tons, 12 guns, and 30 men, laden with fugar and coffee ; a fhip of 10 guns and 36 men; two other fhips, and one fnow, laden with fugar and coffee, belonging to Middleburg. A ship laden with tobacco and cocoa, belonging to Amsterdam. A fnow belonging to St Eustatius, laden with sugar. A fnow, Dutch property. A fchooner, 70 tons, 4 guns and 150 men, Spanish property, belonging to Oronoque. Å fchooner laden with tobacco, Spanish property, belonging to Oronoque. A fchooner, Spanish property, belonging to Oronoque. Note 212. Remonftrance of the Merchants of the island of St Christopher's, to Admiral Rodney and Gen, Vaughan. YOUR Excellencies having refused the request of our former memorial, we have thought it neceffary to intrude upon you with a fecond application, that we may not be wanting in all due refpect to your Excellencies characters; that our proceedings may be conducted with that caution and deliberation which is confiftent with the equity of our demands; and that your Excellencies may be made acquainted with our further determination, in cafe those demands continue to be refused. We have already reprefented, that our property, and that of our constituents, fairly bought, under the fanction of acts of parliament, with their and our money, has been forcibly taken from us, without our being allowed to mark or number the packages, and without knowing on what ships they were to be loaded. We have now to add to that information, that infurances for fome of those very goods have been ordered to be made in England, before the capture of the ifland, on fhips engaged for the purpose of carrying them to Great Britain, and now actually in this port. As by these means our property is wrefted out of our hands, and the infurers abfolved from their engagements, we confider your Excellencies, and thofe employed under you, as answerable for all rifques whatever of fea, as well as the enemy, until the delivery of our goods into the hands of our our refpective correfpondents in England; and your Excellencies will not be furprized at our ufing all the means which the laws of our country have provided for us to feek redrefs.This is a duty we owe to ourselves, our families, our creditors, and our conftituents, however disagreeable it must be to have any disputes with gentlemen, whom we have always confidered as the protectors of our perfons and fortunes. In this application for ourselves, we wish it to be understood, that the property of all the inhabitants of the captured islands is included, that may have been forcibly taken off from St Eustatius, in the fame manner that ours have been. Their produce was brought, and ours purchased there, under the fanction of acts of parliament; and in whatever light men of your high rank and elevated stations may confider fuch authorities, we have been taught to look up to them with reverence and veneration, and have always understood, that even his Majefty cannot dispense with them; confequently cannot delegate fuch a power to others. In regard to the European goods now in our ftores, and in the hands of our factors at St Euftatius, we intreat your Excellencies to determine their fate as foon as poffible, and, should there be a general confifcation, and the proceeds to remain in agents hands, or the goods detained from us, till his Majefty's pleafure is known; -we beg leave to reprefent, that we confider ourselves as no ways obliged to rest satisfied with fuch fales or detention, but, on the contrary, will feek all lawful redress, in this country and in England, against your Excellencies, and all employed to take them out of our poffeffion, or who prevent our removing or difpofing of them in fuch a manner, that they may fell for their full value. -- As it is not only neceffary to the fecurity of our rights, but also in conformity with your Excellencies defire, that we should produce inventories of all our effects at St Euftatius, we doubt not but your Excellencies will readily furnish us with the means of procuring them. We have therefore to request of your Excellencies, that, in order to enable us, and our partners and factors at St Eustatius, to ascertain the amount of the goods already shipped off by authority of your Excellencies, and of what may hereafter be taken from us; you would be pleased to permit fuch an intercourfe, perfonal and by correfpondence, between us and them, as may facilitate a measure fo neceffary to give the laws of our country their proper courfe; and as your Excellencies, in reply to our former Memorial, were pleased to refer us to that channel, we have still an additional reason to expect that this request will be complied with. And as the inhabitants of the captured islands, in whose behalf we alfo claim, have confiderable property on board of Dutch veffels, now in St Eustatius road, which, we are informed, are under your Excellencies orders for England;-we think it highly proper we fhould here request your Excellencies to direct that all papers, particularly the certificates relating to fuch property, be tranfmitted to England, by each veffel, and that the principal officers of each ship be likewife fent home, to prove the thipment and property of fuch goods, in compliance with his Majesty's instructions. We shall further ufe the ireedom to reprefent to your Excellencies one ferious bad confequence that may arife to British fubjects, from the measures threatened by your Excellencies, if put in execution. It is impoffible for many of us to be more effectually ruined by future events than by the present; but our more wealthy conftituents, and the nation at large, may fuffer from the example fet by your Excellencies to other powers: If by the fate of war these islands should fall into the hands of an enraged enemy, there will be a pretext for them to retaliate, and confifcate private property ;— fuch steps will totally deprive us of the means of paying our generous creditors in England, and be the caufe of numerous bankruptcies there. Thus there will be ruin inflicted on the very people in the mother country, who are, with unparallelled liberality, fubfcribing to fupport the war, and the principal pillars of the state will fall to the ground. The conquerors of all civilized nations have ever had an eye to this, and from motives of humanity and policy, preserved the property of individuals. One inftance lately happened to the contrary: Grenada having been taken by storm, without capitulation, was at the mercy of the conquerors. Though the Count d'Estaign did not feize the property of individuals, yet he iffued edicts to prevent payment of debts due in Great Britain, and difplaced agents of abfentees, by appointing trustees to receive the produce of the eftates. Those measures occafioned an univerfal clamour among the enlightened part of the French nation, who carried remonstrances to the throne of an abfolute Monarch, and Count d'Eftaign's conduct was feverely reprobated, his edicts refcinded, and the inhabitants put upon the fame footing with French fubjects in that island. It is fo far from our inclination to give any trouble to your Excllencies, that it is with reluctance we have once more trefpaffed upon your attention; but as we are asking for a right, and not foliciting a favour, and as that right is of the greatest importance to us, we not only hope that we shall stand excufed to your Excellencies, but that you will, upon farther reflection, comply with our juft request. Note 213. Letter from Lord George Germaine to General Vaughan. SIR, On the 13th inftant, I had the very great pleasure to receive and lay before the King, the difpatches of the 7th of February, by your Aide-de-Camp, Captain M'Allifter; and his Majefty commands me to express to you his entire fatisfaction in you and Sir George Rodney's prompt and vigorous execution of the Orders I had the honour to |