[3] A correspondent writes to the editor of Scots Magazine under date of June 21, 1767 (see Scots Magazine for 1767, pp. 305, 306) the following: “By an advertisement in the Daily Advertiser of the 13th instant, notice is given to the officers and soldiers who are intitled to share in the capture of Manilla, that they will, on the 3d of July next, be paid their respective shares of the sum of 8053 l. 17 s. 8d. arising from sales of stores taken at Manilla, and other prizes; ‘one third part of the sum being first deducted, as the proportion allotted to the East-India company.’ And as many disputes have arisen concerning the right of the East-India company to share in those conquests, permit me to state the matter in its true light. In the years 1757 and 1758, the East-India company’s principal settlements in that part of the world, were in the utmost danger of being totally ruined, and their trade destroyed, by the superior forces of the French; and on a proper representation to government, a fleet was fitted out at a very considerable national expence, to save them from the then impending ruin. The forces sent out in the year 1758 for this purpose, met with the desired success: Calcutta was retaken; Pondecherry, Vellure, Arney, and several other principal forts, cities, and garrisons, were taken from the French, with money, stores, ammunition, and other effects, to the amount of some millions, which the East-India company, or their servants, took the entire possession of, and have appropriated to their own use, though by the laws of conquest, as well as by his Majesty’s gracious declaration, the whole of the booty belongs to those brave officers, soldiers, and seamen, who were at the reduction of those important conquests. After the uncommon fatigues and hardships of his Majesty’s troops in the reduction of those places, they were ordered to the siege of Manilla; which they took by storm: and that city being afterwards ransomed by the Spaniards for one million Sterling, this powerful and generous ally, the East-India company, was modest enough to demand only one-third part of the entire ransom; and one-fourth part of the said million Sterling being paid shortly after the conquest, and hostages delivered to his Majesty’s commanders, as sureties for payment of the remainder, the East-India company were accordingly paid one third part of 250,000 l. and the hostages delivered over to their governor there; but, for reasons best known to themselves, their governor thought proper to deliver up the said hostages to the Spaniards, without taking any further security for the payment of the remainder of the ransom, being 750,000 l. and therefore not one shilling thereof has been since paid. This, Sir, is the true state of this shameful and scandalous transaction, which I have no doubt but you will speedily communicate to the public.” [↑]
[4] Published with the first two of the following “Proposals” and “Conditions” in London Gazette, April 16–19, 1763; London Chronicle, 1763, pp. 369–370; London Magazine, 1763, pp. 212–214; Dublin Magazine, 1763, pp. 245–248; Universal Magazine, 1763, pp. 199–201. [↑]
[5] This date is given as the 7th in Colonel Draper’s Answer, and in Draper’s Plain Narrative; but all other sources available give the 6th. [↑]
[6] These signatures are omitted by Scots Magazine; we take them from The Universal Magazine. [↑]
[7] These signatures are taken from The Universal Magazine. [↑]
[8] Possibly for Orden tercera, referring to the tertiary branch of one of the religious orders. [↑]
DRAPER’S JOURNAL
A journal of the proceedings of his Majesty’s forces on the expedition against Manila
The troops allotted for this enterprise were the 79th regiment, and a company of the Royal Artillery. The auxiliaries furnished by the gentlemen at Madrass, consisted of thirty of their artillery, six hundred Seapoys, a company of Caffrees, one of Topazes, and one of pioneers; to which they added the precarious assistance of two companies of Frenchmen, inlisted in their service, with some hundreds of unarmed Lascars for the use of the engineers and park of artillery. As a compensation for this feeble supply of men, they favoured us with some very good officers in every branch of the service. Rear Adm. Cornish reinforced our little army with a fine battalion of five hundred and fifty seamen and two hundred and seventy good marines. So that the whole force for the land operations amounted to two thousand three hundred men; who, with the necessary stores, were imbarked on board of his Majesty’s squadron, and two India ships employed as transports, with an activity and dispatch that did great honour to all concerned in those arrangements.[1] The preparations were commenced, completed, and shipped, in three weeks, through a raging and perpetual surf, by which some lives were lost.