every method to convince their Rebel countrymen that they were their best friends; I need only mention a Post-master-General, a Surveyor-General, and our Admiralty Judges.

If the Rebels can complete their battery, this town will be on fire about our ears a few hours after; all our buildings being of wood, or a mixture of brick and wood-work. Had the Rebels erected their battery on the other side of the town, at Dorchester, the Admiral and all his booms would have made the first blaze, and the burning of the town would have followed. If we cannot destroy the Rebel battery by our guns, we must march out and take its word in hand.

BY THE KING.— A PROCLAMATION

Appointing the distribution of Prizes taken during the continuance of the Rebellion now subsisting in divers parts of the Continent of NORTH- AMERICA.

GEORGE R.

Whereas by an act made in this present session of Parliament, intituled "An act to prohibit all trade and intercourse with the Colonies of New-Hampshire, Massachusetts-Bay, Rhode-Island, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, the three lower Counties on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia, during the continuance of the present rebellion within the said Colonies respectively; for repealing an act made in the fourteenth year of the reign of His present Majesty, to discontinue the landing and discharging, lading or shipping of goods, wares and merchandise, at the town and within the harbour of Boston, in the Province of Massachusetts-Bay; and also two acts made in the last session of Parliament, for restraining the trade and commerce of the Colonies in the said acts respectively mentioned; and to enable any person or persons appointed and authorized by His Majesty to grant pardons, and to issue proclamations, in the cases and for the purposes therein mentioned;" it is, amongst other things, enacted, that all ships and vessels of or belonging to the inhabitants of the said Colonies, together with their cargoes, apparel, and furniture, except as in the said act are excepted, and all other ships and vessels whatsoever, together with their cargoes, apparel, and furniture, which shall be found trading in any port or place of the said Colonies, or going to trade, or coming from trading in any such port or place, except as are therein also excepted, shall become forfeited to His Majesty, as if the same were the ships and effects of open enemies, and shall be so adjudged, deemed, and taken, in all courts of admiralty, and all other courts whatsoever: And, for the encouragement of the officers and seamen of His Majesty's ships-of-war, it is thereby also further enacted, That the flag-officers, captains, commanders, and other commissioned officers in His Majesty's pay, and also the seamen, marines, and soldiers on board, shall have the sole interest and property of and in all and every such ship, vessel, goods, and merchandise, which they shall seize and take (being first adjudged lawful prize in any of His Majesty's courts of admiralty) to be divided in such proportions, and after such manner, as His Majesty shall think fit to order and direct by proclamation or proclamations, here after to be issued for those purposes:

We, taking the premises into consideration, do, pursuant to the said act of Parliament, (with the advice of our Privy Council,) by this our proclamation, order, direct, and appoint, that the nett produce of all prizes taken, in pursuance of the said act, by our ships-of-war, be divided into eight equal parts, and be distributed in manner following, that is to say: To the captain or captains of any of our ships-of-war who shall be actually on board at the taking of any prize, three-eighths parts; but in case any such prize shall be taken by any of our ship or ships-of-war under the command of a flag or flags, the flag-officer or officers being actually on board, or directing and assisting in the capture, shall have one of the said three-eighth parts, the said one eighth part to be paid to such flag or flag-officers, in such proportions, and subject to such regulations as are hereinafter for that purpose mentioned: To the captains of marines and land forces, sea lieutenants and master on board any such ships, one-eighth part, to be equally divided amongst them: To the lieutenants and quartermasters of marines, and lieutenants, ensigns, and quartermasters, of land forces, boatswain, gunner, purser, carpenter, master's mate, chirurgeon, pilot, and chaplain, on board any such ship, one-eighth part, to be equally divided amongst them To the midshipmen, secretary to flag-officers, captain's clerk, master sail-maker, carpenter's mates, master-at-arms, corporals, yeomen of the sheets, coxswain, quartermasters, quartermaster's mates, chirurgeon's mates, yeomen of the powder room, and sergeants of marines or land forces, on any such ships, one-eighth part, to be equally divided amongst them: To the trumpeters, quarter-gunners, carpenter's crew, steward, cook, armourer, steward's mate, cook's mate, gunsmith, cooper, swabber, ordinary trumpeter, barber, able seamen, ordinary seamen, and marine or other soldiers, and all other persons doing duty or assisting on board any such ships, two-eighths parts, to be equally divided amongst them. And in case any sea-captain, inferior commission, or warrant sea-officers, belonging to any ship-of-war, for whom any shares of prizes are hereby allowed, be absent at the time of the capture of any prize, the share of such sea-captain, inferior commission, or warrant sea-officer, shall be cast into the share hereby allowed to the trumpeters, quarter-gunners, carpenter's crew, steward, cook, armourer, steward's mate, cook's mate, gunsmith, cooper, swabber, ordinary trumpeter, barber, able seamen, ordinary seamen, and marine or other soldiers, and other persons doing duty or assisting on board any such ships, to be equally divided amongst them. Provided, That if any officer or officers on board any of our ships-of-war, at the time of taking any such prizes, shall have more commissions or offices than one, he or they shall be entitled only to the share or shares of the said prizes, which, according to the above mentioned distribution, shall belong to his or their respective superior commissions or offices. And we do hereby strictly enjoin all and every commander and commanders of any ships-of-war, taking any prize, as soon as may be, to transmit of cause to be transmitted to the commissioners of our navy, a true list of the names of all the officers, seamen, marines, soldiers or others who were actually on board our ships-of-war, under his or their command, at the taking such prize; which list shall contain the quality of the service of each person on board, and be subscribed by the captain or commanding officer, and three or more of the chief officers on board. And we do hereby require and direct the Commissioners of our navy, or any three or more of them, to examine or cause to be examined such lists by the muster-books of such ships-of-war, and lists annexed thereto, to see that such lists do agree with the said muster-book, and annexed lists, as to the names, qualities, or ratings of the officers, seamen, marines, soldiers, and others belonging to such ships-of-war; and, upon request, forthwith to grant a certificate of the truth of any list transmitted to them, to the agents nominated and appointed by the captors, pursuant to the said act, to take care or dispose of such prize; and also upon application to them, to give, or cause to be given, unto the agents, who shall at anytime or times be appointed as aforesaid by the captors, all such lists from the muster-books of any such ships-of-war, and annexed lists, as the said agents shall find requisite for their, direction in paying the produce of such prizes, and to be otherwise aiding and assisting to the said agents, as shall be necessary.

And as touching the said one-eighth part, herein before mentioned to be granted to the flag-officer or officers, who shall be actually on board at the taking of any prize, or shall be directing and assisting therein, we have thought fit, and do by these presents publish, order, and declare, that the following regulations be observed:

First. That a flag-officer commanding in chief, where there is but one flag-officer upon service, shall have to his own use the said one-eighth part of the prizes taken by ships under his command.

Secondly. That a flag-officer sent to command at Jamaica or elsewhere, shall have no right to any share of the prizes at the place to which he is sent, and actually takes upon him the command.

Thirdly. That when an inferior flag-officer is sent out to reinforce a superior flag-officer at Jamaica, or elsewhere, the said superior flag-officer shall have no right to any share in the prizes taken by them before they arrive with-in the limits of his command, and actually receive some orders from him.