duties upon malt furnished their wonted proportions. Seven millions were raised by annuities, and a Lottery, con fifting of forty-nine thousand tickets, was distributed among the ARM Y. 30,346 effective men, including every expence 1,085,926 Provisions for forces in North America, Nova Scotia, 1,103,118 Foreign troops ferving in America, with the fubfidies, Militia in England, and Fencible men in Scotland; the fubfcribers, in the proportion of seven tickets for every thousand pounds fubfcribed, at 10l. each ticket. Lord North faid, he wanted to have raised eight millions, but could procure no more than feven. The whole amount of the money raised by the Lottery was to be diftributed in prizes, The finking fund furnished 2,071,8541*. Exchequer bills, to the amount of 3,400,000l. were voted, and other lefs confiderable articles of revenue completed the Ways and Means. The number of feamen was augmented to seventy thousand, and the land forces to thirty thousand three hundred and forty-fix. A vote of credit for a million was afterwards paffed. No part of the Navy debt was difcharged this year, The terms on which the loan was filled, were, befides the douceur of Lottery tickets, three per cent. per annum, and an annuity of 31. 15s. per annum for the term of twenty-nine years, for every 100l. The annual intereft payable on the money borrowed, amounted to 472,500l. to raise which, an additional duty of five per cent. was laid on the full produce of the Excife; beer, ale, foap, candles, and hides excepted; (which was eftimated at 282,1991.) a tax on post-horses of one penny per mile (164,250l.): an additional duty of five per cent, on cambricks (36,00pl). No more than fifteen days elapfed between the delivery of the Spanish Manifefto and a Spanish army blockading Gi Deficiencies in Land, 250,000l. Malt, 200,000l. Fund in 1758, 40,540l. Ditto in 1778, 98,8911. In Grants for 1778, 66,7441. 656,175 [Note. The enumerated Articles of Expence exceed the given Total, by One Hundred Thousand Pounds.] * The produce of the finking fund, at the quarter ending sth of January, 1779, was not fpecified as ufual, because the large appropriation of that fund the preceding year had confumed more than the whole. braltar. braltar. The attention of Government had been however effectually employed to put that important poffeffion into a ftrong state of defence. A numerous garrison defended the works, and an ample supply of ammunition and neceffaries were depofited in the magazines; but we fhall forbear to fpeak of the military transactions in Europe during the year 1779, until the events which turned up in the western he misphere are related. Whilft Admiral Byron's fleet blocked up the harbour of Bofton, D'Estaing dared not put to fea, but a ftorm having driven the former from his ftation in the beginning of November 1779, the latter took the opportunity to make his efcape, and proceeded to the Weft-Indies. Towards the latter end of the fame month a body of troops, confifting of HighJanders, Heffians and Provincials, which were commanded by Lieutenant Col. Campbell, embarked in transports at New York, and being accompanied by a fquadron under Commodore Hyde Parker, proceeded to Savannah in Georgia, whilft Major General Prevoft, who commanded in EastFlorida, was directed to co-operate in the defign of reducing that province, by entering it from St. Auguftine, with all the force which he could draw together; Colonel Campbel, as has been related, was made prifoner at Boston, foon after the British army left the town. He had endured a long and rigorous captivity, but he now compenfated for his inaction, by totally defeating, immediately upon his landing, the American force which was collected for the defence of the Province, and commanded by a MajorGeneral Robert Howe. He became mafter of the town of Savannah, as the first fruits of this victory, which was diftinguifhed by a conduct not very prevalent in this civil war, for no violences were committed on the inhabitants, neither did any vindictive laughter of the vanquished troops ftain ftain the glories of the day. Had Colonel Campbel been. actuated by perfonal refentment for the injuries he had fuffered, he might have converted himself into the inftrument for executing the valedictory threat of the Commiffioners, but he affociated humanity with his courage and conduct. The Province was fubdued fo foon after this decifive ftroke, that General Prevoft had only the opportunity of reducing the town of Sunbury. The chief command now devolved on that officer, and he was not backward to follow up thefe fignal fucceffes. General Lincoln had arrived at SouthCarolina with an army for the protection of that Province, and posted himself on its fouthern frontier. A detachment from this army, confifting of two thousand men, was, by an effort of fuperior generalship, so completely surprised, as to lose one fourth of their numbers in killed or made prifoners, whilft those who escaped, abandoned their arms, which, together with the ammunition, baggage, cannon and provifion, became the spoil of the conqueror t. Some time after, Lincoln having changed his pofition, Prevost entered South-Carolina with three thousand men, and gaining three days march of his adverfary, appeared before Charlestown, which he fummoned to furrender the 12th of May. No terms which he could offer, however favourable, were fufficient to induce a furrender, but it was propofed that the city and whole Province fhould obferve a neutrality during the war, which being rejected on the other fide, a general affault was expected by the inhabitants; the general, however, being without artillery, and unfupported by a naval force, defifted. He then took poffeffion *The General immediately declared the Province in the King's peace; which fhews the uselessness of the commiffion which was fent out principally for that purpose, but without exercifing such authority in any one district. † March 3, 1779. of of the ifland of Port Royal, by which he obtained a fecure footing in the Province, whilft General Lincoln, with five thoufand Americans, was unable to difpoffefs Lieut. Colonel Maitland of a strong poft which he occupied at Stono Ferry. The campaign on the fide of New-York was languid, and its operations confined to the surprise of posts and defultory excurfions. An expedition was undertaken to the Chesapeak in the beginning of May, in which Sir George Collier commanded the fleet, which effected the deftruction of vast quantities of tobacco, large magazines of provisions and naval ftores, together with one hundred and thirty fhips and veffels, which were either burnt or taken. Another expedition to the coaft of Connecticut, occafioned the deftruction of the towns of Fairfield, Norwalk and Greenfield. The lofs of an American fleet which failed from Bofton, to reduce a fortrefs lately conftructed by Colonel Macleane on the river of Penobscot, was an irreparable blow to the Northern Colonies, by reduing a maritime force, which they had ufed every poffible means to raise that human exertions could fupply. The vigilance, intrepidity, and feamanship of Sir George Collier, atchieved this great exploit. Eight American frigates, from thirty-two to fixteen guns, and seven armed brigs, were blown up; four more were taken; but the crews of the fhips deftroyed, efcaped on fhore. The arrival of D'Eftaing in the West Indies had been preceeded by a large body of troops under Major General Grant, which Sir Henry Clinton had fent for the protection of the British islands there. This force, affifted by the fleet under Admiral Barrington, made a defcent on the French liland of St. Lucia, and were on the point of be becoming |