312 A. D. 1794, 



that I vefTel failed for it in the year 1796. But of the nature of their 

 cargoes, or whether they were advantageous or difadvantageous to the 

 commercial intcrefls of Great Britain, I have not at prefent any fufficient 

 information. 



June 26'" — A conflagration broke out in a boat-builder's yard at 

 Cock-hill in RatclifF, which commvmicating with a barge loaded with 

 faltpetre, and thence extending to fome of the Eaft-India company's 

 warehoufes full of the fame dangerous commodity, the whole blew up. 

 The wind blowing ftrong, and it being unfortunately low water in the 

 river, the fire raged with unconquerable fury, and continued to fpread, 

 till it deftroyed feveral flreets. Near five hundred houfes were burnt 

 down ; and the damage was reckoned to be the greatefl. that ever was 

 done by any fire fince the great conflagration, which deftroyed fo great 

 a part of London in the year 1666. For the immediate accommoda- 

 tion of the families, who were burnt out, government lent them 140 

 tents, which were formed into a little camp in a field adjacent to Step- 

 ney church. 



On this melancholy occafion the liberal charity of the underwriters at 

 Lloyd's and of other benevolent perfons, was again cheerfully extended 

 fbr the relief of the diftrefled, till the committee for the management of 

 the donations informed the public, that they conceived the funds put 

 into their hands to be fully adequate to the purpofcs, to which they 

 were propofed to be applied. 



In the fpring of this year the fecretary of ftate of the United ftates of 

 America laid before General Wafhington, the prefident of the congrefs, 

 an abftraft of complaints againft the belligerent powers, ftating, that 

 American veflels were carried into Britifh ports, and detained, even 

 when they could by no means be condemned, whereby the cargoes, and 

 alio the veflels themfclves, were expofed to deftruchon ; that Britifh fhips 

 of war had imprefiid American feamen ; that the Britifh regulations 

 forced the commerce of the citizens of the United ftates out ot its pro- 

 per channel, and reftrided it to the ports of the Britifn or their friends ; 

 that their veflels were taken merely for trading to the French Weft- 

 Indies in articles not deemed contraband by any law of nations ; and 

 thofe in the Britifti Weft-Indies were obliged to give fecurity that their 

 cargoes fhould be cuTied to Britifti, or neutral, ports. The admiralty 

 courts in the Britiih Weft-Indies were aUo accufed of exceftive rigour, 



and irregularity in their proceedings There were nearly the fame 



complaints againft the French privateers and fhips of war, and admiralty 

 courts ; and it was reprelented that an embargo had been laid upon 

 American veflels in the ports of France, and a payment had been made 

 in depretiated afllgnats, which ought by the contract to have been in 



coin Some outrages of Spanifti privateers, and a decifion of the 



Dutch admiralty court, were alfo complained of. 



