THE French Letters say , and the Dutch Letters confirm , that Five French Ships laden in the Port of Dunkirk with all sorts of Munitions of War , and going under the Convoy of two of their small Frigats design'd for Ireland , were intercepted and taken by three Dutch Men of Wat ; the French Convoys , after receiving the first Broad-side , sheeting off , escaped ; and they are now actually brought into Rotterdam , where being examined into , are found to be Freighted with these following Particulars , viz.

In one of them are 16 Demi-Culverins upon Carriages , with Sponges . Ladies and all other Materials thereto , as Traces , and Harness for the Draught of Horses 236 Barrels of Gunpowder . 6000 Iron Bullets . 120 Quintals of Match . 500 Barrels of Musquet . Carbine , and Pistol-shot . 1500 Chevaux de Frize . 400 Tunespiks . 8 Gabions , and other Baskets . 7000 Mattocks , as many Shovels . 300 Wheel Barrows . 2 Mortars 600 Bombs , from 60 to 100 l. weight each . 6000 Horse-shoes . 2000 Saddles , as many Bridles , with Holsters for Pistols , and Cruppers . 4000 New Tents . 3000 Firelock Musquets . 2000 Matchlocks . 1000 Fusees 6000 Swords , Bandaliers , Belts , &c. with much other Materials , too long to insert , all which are condemned as Prize , and are to be brought to Amsterdam , and the greatest part order'd to Maestricht and Breda for the use of the States Army . And this direful Misfortune ( as the English Proverb denotes , seldom Comes Alone ) is ushered in with another worse than that before mention'd ; whereof take the Particulars .

At Dunkirk there happen'd a Terrible and Surprizing Disaster in the French Garrison there : For the same being look'd upon the Metropolitan over all the French Garrisons in the New Conquests in Flanders , whereby mighty Stores of all sorts of Munitions of War were Reposited , for the carrying on the Designs of Leuis the XIV , was by one Fatal Blow and Disaster , through the Negligence of a Drunken Workman , or Soldier , with a lighted Pipe of Tobacco , entirely Blown up and Destroyed .

The certainty of the Occasion cannot be authentickly known , because the Powder gave no minutes for Enquiry , but precipitatly carried all before it into the Region of the Air , which as it was more Inclusive , had greater Extensive Essicacy on the Garrison , it having destroyed and wholly mined one Third of the Interiour Fortifications , and made a large Breach in the Wall of the Side towards the Sea , there being computed 2000 Barrels of Powder to be lost , which is an extreme Injury to France , the same being valued at eight Pounds ten Shillings Sterling each Barrel , besides the Store of Arms and Ammunition adjoining , are either broke to pieces , or burned in the Ruines , there not being one part of the said Garrison , but what received its dreadful Effects , either by the destruction of the House , 〈…〉 some People therein , the tops of all the Buildings , being either carried away , or broke down afterwards with the Stoues , or other ponderous weight which fell thereon . And the Damage is almost Irreparable , one hundred thousand Pounds Sterling being not sufficient to put it into its pristine Condition , for the terrible Shock which it made , has created a great many Cracks and dismal Casma's in the very Wall of the Fortifications , which must be wholly taken down to the ground to be repaired , otherwise Untenable ; and upon a strict Examination , about 530 people , as well Soldiers as Inhabitants , have perished in this Catastrophe , among them 43 Officers , and above 300 others are miserably shatter'd or wounded with the Stones : And there are some which conclude that it was occasioned by the Treachery of sevetie new Convert Soldiers , but considering that the person which perpetrated it , was a Companion in the misery which ensued ; we believe that it was more Misfortune than Design ; and the rather , for that it was known , that a considerable Quantity of Powder brought from Foreign parts , had , by the Saline and Vaporous Quality of the Sea received some Detriment , whereby it was drying , and making again serviceable . However it was ( as all Advantages with Enemies are best ) it betokens a lucky progress of Affairs to all the Confederates in the ensuing Campagnes especially in the Kingdom of Ireland , to which place the said Powder was principally design'd , and where we do not doubt the French Rhodomantado's as soon as appear , will vanish in Smoke .