60 3 Spain--- Ruffia---Great Britian. 
"period 2 
and the troops in the lines of 
St. Roche have been augmenting. 
There is little doubt, that it now looks 
upon‘England with a more jealous eye 
than it did upon France; and it is not 
probable, that it can make good the cef- 
fion of Half ‘the ifland of St. Domingo, 
‘to the latter power, without the aid of 
an armed force. A Spanith fquadron has 
lately failed from Cadiz to California, 
with the intention of taking pos Feifion of 
fome of the lands difcovered by MEARES 
and other Ehglith navigators——a ready 
occafion for new quarrels, if other cir- 
CES es enforce them ! 
RUSSIA. ; 
‘The ambitious and able miftrefs of 
. this overgrown empire, who from the 
commencement of the prefent difturb- 
ances, has rather kept’ in the back 
ground, contenting herfelf with ufurpa- 
tions on her wretched neighbour, Poland 
(now in rea! ity expunged from the map 
ef Bu rope) feems at prefent to be medi- 
tating {chemes of more extent and adti- 
VOR Clo! engaged in offenfive and 
detenfive al ene | with the courts of 
Vienna and London, and likewife, as it 
lately appears, with her fellow plun- 
~derer of. Pruffia, fhe probably thinks 
herfelf able to overawe her two-northern 
neighbours, Sweden and Denmark, while 
ihe renews her- often reneated attacks 
on the fplendid relics of the Ottoman 
empire. Whether, her promifed co- 
operation againit France will ever a- 
mount to more than cautious and indi- 
reét efforts, mey well be doubted, while 
the has fo much more gainful fchemes to 
puriue. ; 
Sweden and Denmark, fieadily 
vering in their plan of neutrality, and i 
J 
making commercial adva untages of the 
difficult’ ies. in which the other maritime: 
v afforded 
ferver. 
powers are involved, have late 
nothing new to the political ob 
GREAT, Beals. 
avine objects which -have principally 
occupied men’s, minds ~ this country 
4ince the commencement of the Lye efent 
vear, enane ey the fearcity of provi- 
fions, and the alternations of hepe and 
fear refpecting the equipment deftined 
for the Weft Indies ;—to which may be’ 
added, earneft longings after peace, 
from what quarter foever it may be ex- 
pected. For remedying the fcarcity, 
the chief reliance hitherto has been 
placed on veluntary affeciations among 
the higher and middi noe clafies, for a 
ninithing in thetr fami e confump- 
tion of bread, efpecially Hide from 
[ Feb. 
wheat, and employing mixtures of infe- 
rior grain, or spa er fuoftitutes. ‘Recom- 
mendations of this plan have been fent 
by the bifhops of the fevera! diecefes to 
the cler: gy of every parifh in the king- 
dom, and enforced by all the influence OF 
government. But fo inacequate have 
thefe means as yet proved, that the 
affize of bread has within the laft week 
had a confiderable rife, which has brought 
it to the moft alarming and unprecedent- 
edi hate or, 1s) 3de the quartern loaf. 
Batcher’ s meat, butter, and other articles’ 
of food have become proportionally dear. 
Yet, with this abfclute inability of the 
" poor to fubfifi their families, by the ut 
moft exertions of their induftry, the 
kingdom was never in a ftate of more 
pericét tranquillity ; and even the com- 
mon oppofition to minifterial meafures, 
when unfuccefsful or unpopular, feems 
to be fufpended. ‘The hand of neceffity 
lies heavy upon all claffes, and finks 
them in filent defpondence. A fond 
hope of better times is eagerly foftered, 
from the grand projeét of cultivating the 
wafte lands of the kingdom, warmly 
taken up by the Board of Agriculture, 
and planned for immediate execution by 
means of a general inclofure bill now be- 
fore the Honfe cf Commons. 
With refpect to the Weft India expe- 
dition, on which fo much was fuppofed 
te depend both for conqueft a defence 
in that part of the world, it has already 
been mentioned, that after long ftrug- 
gling with contrary and inclement winds, 
it was obliged to returned into harbour, at 
the time when the public g generally hoped 
that it was far on its wav towards its 
defiined ports. From the firft alarming 
accounts of its misfortunes, great Tears 
were entertained refpedting its fafe re- 
turn. Several lofles were, indeed, fuf- 
tained, and many fhips were fo thattened 
as to be rendered en tirely unfit for the 
expedition. But, on the whole, the ab- 
fol oe lofs of men and Mes was much 
lefs than could have been fuppofed. The 
intention of making one grand fleet of 
the whole is now “given up; and the 
tranfports and merchant fhips are to 
make their way in detachments, as they 
can be got ready. A confiderable num - 
ber are now fun; poted to have commenced 
their yoyage with favourable winds and 
weather. 
The earneft with for peace was lately 
evinced from an extraordinary circum- 
ftance. By the contrivance of fome 
gamblers in the funds, a forged French 
newfpaper was preduced, containing 
“1 prelaieen 
