n o r t h-c arolin a gazette vol xii saturday jani'arv 7 i 7%7 , nq 573 an account of the barks of k tvifoundland and the fifhcry thevcm t he banks.of newfoundland may be rank d ai'io g the many furprifing and wonder ful works ot nature being a mountain form ed underwater by the unne that iscontinu ally w.iiliing away from the continent its extent has never yet been afcertained but is generally reckoned to be about 160 leagues fong and 90 broad about the middle ui it is a k:nd of bay called the ditch the depth o water varies considerably being in fome places only five and in others fixty fathom 1 he fun is fcarcely ever to be dncerned a cold thick fog generally covering the whole atmofphcre which renders it extremely dan geroiis to a fleet ; for it is at times in a itate ot total darjenefs where a continual firing of guns or inceffant noife of the drum can a lone prevent the fhips runnim foul of each other 1 he winds around thefe banks are gene rally very impetuous the conftant agitation of the waves i ajii informed is occalioned from the lea being driven by irregular cur rents that beat iometimes on one fide and fometimes 0:1 the other ftriking with great force againft the borders of thefe banks which are ev.;ry where almoft perpendicular and repel them v sell equal violence ; ami yet on the banks theinlelves a little from the coaft it is as quiet as in a bay except there happens to be a itrong and forced wind com ing from a great diltance when we found we were upon thefe banks which is perceptible without found ing as the water changes from an azure blue to a white fandy colour we laid to in order to ii;s for cod the proctfs of which is no lefs entertaining than furprifing to eu ropeans alter bating the hooks with the entrails of a fowl in a minute we caught a riih when the tailors made life of fome part of the en trails as being a better bait and then drew up the cod as fait as you can poflibly ima gine ; for though we remained there only half ah hoar we caught as many as would l'erve ihe hip's crew die relt of the voyage you may wonder bv what means they are certain of having c nught a filh with fo many fathom ot line out vvhen it has been a little while in the water they generally pull it with the finger and thumb am it there is a lvih the rtruggling of i occalions a vibrati on of the line which is very perceptible though fo many fathoms deep then they haul it i • , and as loon as the filh comes in view the water magnifies it to fuch adze that it appears almoit unpollible to get it on board ; and indeed it requires fome dexterity for on ths hauling them out of the water they ftrug gle with iuch violence as frequently to work theinfelves iff the hooks by entangling the line in the rigging before they can be got up the hip's lide but thofe vefiels which particularly follow this bufineis avoid the inconvenitnee by e recting galleiies on the out lide from the main mall to the hern and fometimes the whole length of the llrp in which are placed barrels with the tops itruck out and the filh ermen get into thefe to llielter themfelves from the weather their lay i imagine cannot be long as the method of curing is equally as expeditious as the catching them ; tor as loon as the cod is caught they cut out its tongue and give it to one who immedi ately itrikrs tf its head plucks out the liver and entrails and giving it to another the bone is drawn out as far as the navel ; it is then thrown into the hold of the ihip where it is fa ted and ranged in piles the perfon who falls it is careful to leave fulficient fait between the rows of filh to pre\ent their touching each other and yet not too much as either excels would fpoil the cod 1 the right of filliing upon the great bank by the a«v of nature ought to have been common to all mankind ; but england and r ranee licn.jr die only two powers tint had colonies in nprth america made nefcruple to approp ri u e to themlelves what spain cmamly had the greateit claim to s s the o nginal ducovercr of it and who from the mnnbcv of her monks and prielts as we ll aa tier religion might have pleaded the necefli ty o keeping it yet at the conclulion of tne lait peace ihe entirely gave up all prc tentions to it : fince which tune england and trance are the only nations that frequenc thole latitudes and both have frigates con tinua.ly cruizing to prevent the encroach ments ot other nations i he produce of this lilhery is certainly a molt mexhaun.ble wealth to both countries ai'd it is no wonder they are io very tenacious ot t : yet it is furprifmg what a large circuit tne il.ips are obliged «» take before their voyage is completed and the profits refultinfc troin this hfhery returns to either nearly travelling by water half the globe for in the iirk mftance they fail from their rdpeclive ports in europe to thefe banks from whence they proceed to the mediterranean and afri can lliands where they difpofe of their fifh tor the pro luce of thole ioands then go to t.ic welt indies to exchange that cargo and return home laden with fugar and rum it appears a very fingular circumflance t mt theie banks fhould abound with cod and no other filh ; and that the greatelt philofo puers hav never been able to account for it note * 1 his account is from a letter dared s'epv temper 1776 tince which anodier peace ha utroduced am rica as an independent ltate into a participation in this filhery savannah december 9 on tuefday night the 6th inftant about 9 o'clock this city was again vilked by a dreadful hre it broke out in the ftable lofc ol john glen elq but whether by accident ordelign has not been yet afcertained in a little svhile it communicated to mr glen's dwelling houfe where the families of doctor noble w jores and mr w hunter had taken refuge after the firft rire itfoon af ter reached to ihe corner houfes on the bay the property of doctor george jones occu pied by meilrs john gibbons chas jack ion and john craig then to that owned by mr harry grant occupied by meilrs ken nedy and parker — from thence to r wayne's efq where mr george ander ion's family had taken ftielter then to the dwelling and ltore of mr saul simons : a bout the lame time the fire reached the bay it broke out at the houie ot d b mitchell efq mr bhiek the new building lately e rected by john cunningham and in which the unfortunate family of the late captain m'cullough relidedw it then confumed the houfe and ltore of capt doyle and all the buildings belonging to mr thomas hogg in the fpace of two hours the whole tithing was laid in alhes this fecond and afflicting misfortnne has not only deftroyed as valuable a part of the town as remained but thrown a number of families on the bounty of thofe who have houfes remaining and let it be toid to their praife that they have come forward with a liberality un bounded nothing but great exertions fav ed the houfes facing the tithing on the w & tj w iide from being deitroyed to which had the hre communicated the remainder of the city together with all the buildings on the wharfs mutt have fallen a prey to that deftructive clement this hre confumed about 20 houfes be fides out.houfes b l a n k s of all kinds for fale at the i'rinting-oflke executive director y public audience of october i speech oj tbt minijier plenipotentiary of the duk ' cf urt em fog ■' iti u d rech i\s t it mi lifter plenipotentiary of the l duke of w iirtenibcr i conies to pre fent ii : . . ••• 1 ials and to pay you the liu.ruge and the refpecl due to the govern nieitt of a very great nation ue belongs to a country fo happily con dituted that it can - 1 ■ but wilh well to the french republic the dukes of wurtemberg have proved that they know no other intereft but that of the state a u alio that they could make fa c.-'lites for the country the late duke charles was the firit who at the inftance of (_ tizeu mackau fanctioned the principle of in '>■: untie he forcfr.v already at bat tt.tw that by tut wll do otfte s this offer uf the national a embly would ferve as a motive foi a iiis fucceffor the late duke louise eilly exhorted thediet of the ger man . iip'.reto dopt the fyttem of pacifica t:o i he prt'feni duke whole love for the v/v.rtembergers exceeds that of all his pre r_r i j die example of a feparate peace 1 '. fyttem ( i policy and his confidence are fo in ';■;•• h .!) c dents do not in the leafl alter :. > iti tio ■» ; ud ciii e ■> ljirectors it i it ,.: pi ef iu juncture of affairs that he -.• il i rpl ■ ths greatelt eagernefs to ne pocatr i ti " r>u the completion of our mu i il ': . re , '• . l.:ix!e of iuabia of which he is the d ior h.is been lurcharged in proportion t opuldtion he willies but does not j ei cne means to fulfill ill bis engagements ; a lu i perfectly fenlible of the advantages \\ •. . i urn t iv.u'.t tr ia aclol'cr union with tb french republic citizens directors 1 flitter nitelf that the expreffion of his fe • m ntswiil i rve hen me good will of riu t i > ij:ve.le.ry and as for me [ lulkit :- ni.e iavour * t i 1 7 i th french government offered indemnities to the gorman princes whole '.,: ,. ,; j iitu lied in ' •" cidevant provinces p i r iin and alfac were agrecaoly to tiie ,. • j o ft •' a..".ial aitembly no longer j i i t • the feudal rights the prince of v lirtemberg salm baderi and hefl'e had i,k • • oft jxt'-hiiive poileilions in the above t ir a i.c . j n s iv e r of me preiident ofthe executive directory 1 / .- linijler plenipotentiary oj the duke ■ ; /;'< rlionjft ■ ■■ ' he executive directory heard with a real ; eai'u e he expreilion of the duke of wur i nber s feiitiinents for the republic — your government may rely on a fincere r urn from the part ol the trench govern ment if our republic is a terrible enemy ,. is i'i ii ii is i faithful ally '■. ,\ the example of thole governments v ho .. e wiic enough tou.iite with us in ( ; i • it lait our haughty enemies to put an j-i ia v ir whxh we have entered into ,, l to d ; urb the tranquility ofthe world i .. to i are our own and to maintain our in ■ p j«nce ; a war which notwit.utauding |. ,,-.■. il and momentary checks tne r .- .. and firmnefs or the republicans will . to i rusinate in a manner as glorious • caufefor which it was undertaken is v . '<!■ rifler plenipotentiary , ". he executive directory relies upon your pi rfo 1 loyalty in the fame manner as you , ',; to rely on their good y ill and franknefs hope that refideuce amongft us will , i • ■ you more and more of the purity of o^i -.'■•■ ntions