fidered an handful of European fugitives, as an acquifition of the greatest importance, and fuch as might turn the ballance against any weight of Indians, which might be thrown into the oppofite fcale. In fact, it was to Mr. Law he attributed the reduction of feveral confiderable provinces to his obedience.

Elated with thefe fucceffes, Law perfuaded him to turn his arms against Bengal, which had not acknowledged him; it was a rich and flourishing country, and the poffeffion of it, would undoubtedly contribute more than all the reft to fet him on the throne of the Moguls. Here, unfortunately for him, the evil genius of Law impelled him to encounter again with thofe arms, by which the intereft of his country had been before ruined in this part of the world, and which indeed were thofe only, from which he had a great deal to fear. Sha Zaddah entered the kingdom of Bengal, at the head of an army of 80,000 Indians, and fomething

more than 200 French.

The French fupport was more prejudicial to his title in the eyes of the English, than any other objection, and as they were now become the arbiters of crowns in the Eaft, they joined the Nabob of Bengal to oppofe his progrefs. About 20,000 blacks, fupported by 500 English foldiers, formed the army against him. A major (major Carnac) commanded that body, which engaged, and totally routed an army of fourfcore thousand men, commanded by the Mogul in perfon That prince was taken pri. foner; Mr. Law was alfo taken, and the party of French adventurers difperfed for ever. It is

not yet known with certainty, in what manner they mean to difpofe of their captive monarch. It was fome heightening to the fatisfaction of this great event, that it happened, on the fame day in which the French agreed to the furrender of Pondicherry.

A little before this, Jaffiar Ali Cawn, the Nabob who, in 1757. had been placed in that dignity by general Clive, notwithstanding the terrifying example of his predeceffor, by his weakness and mif-government, drew on himself the hatred of his fubjects, and loft the protection of the English. But as his ambition was the feebleft of his paffions, he confented quietly to quit the throne. The revolution was effected without bloodshed, his fonin-law was appointed in his room; and as the whole tranfaction was with the confent and co-operation of the English governor Vanfittart, the old privileges of the company were confirmed, and new were acquired: the English in Bengal were become neceffary to the government of that country, and every change produces fomething to their advantage.

It is certain, that the period of this war in the Eaft Indies, has been marked by as many ftriking events, uncommon circumstances, and fingular reverses of fortune, as any that have happened from the time of our knowledge of this part of the world. We are forry that the accounts we have hitherto had are fo broken and imperfect, that it is impoffible to treat of them in a manner in the leaft fuitable to their dignity and importance. Here we only touch them flightly.

It can hardly be faid, that this feries of profperity was interrupted

by

by the fuccefsful attempts of the count d'Eftaign. This lively adventurer, with the command of no more than two ordinary frigates, had, in October 1759, taken and deftroyed the English fettlement of Bender-Abaffi, on the Perfian gulph, he then ftruck over to the island of Sumatra, where we carry on our moft confiderable commerce in pepper; and before the end of the following April, reduced Bencoolen, the principal fettlement, and all the reft of our forts and factories on that ifland, which made a defence altogether as unworthy of the reft of our conduct in India, as that of the count d'Eftaign was fuperior to the efforts of his countrymen in that quarter. This bold adventurer, however, could not derive fo much

honour from the vigour of his enterprize, as difgrace from having made them against the moft fucred laws of arms: if what is faid is true, that he was at the very time a prifoner upon parole.

In America the island of Dominica, one of thofe iflands called Neutral, but which the French had fortified and fettled, was reduced by a fmall armament under lord Rollo and Sir James Douglas. North America was perfectly quieted by a peace with the Cherokees. Colonel Grant reduced them to this neceffity, by penetrating with great courage and perfeverance into their country, and deftroying fifteen of their towns, and almoft their whole harvest.

1ft

JANUARY.
UARY

HE London bill of mortality for laft year, by the fociety of parifh-clerks, comes pretty near the calculation of thirteen males to twelve females, the numbers being 7778 males, and 7173 females; an obfervation long fince made by Dr. Davenant, Sir William Petty, and other political arithmeticians.

Christenings in Stockholm laft year, 2120. Burials, 3378. Weddings, 804.

Births in the city of Caffel laft year, 567. Burials, 8c6.

Christenings at Francfort laft year, 816. Burials, 1781. Weddings, 240.

Births at Koningsberg laft year, 1649. Burials, 2014. Marriages, 726. Ships arrived there, 478. Ships failed from thence, 515.

It has been computed by the French that the number of their ships taken by us last year, amount ed to 944; and the number of our fhips taken by them,to 2539.

During last year the following hips arrived at Cadiz, viz. 157 Spanish, 26 of which were men of war; 11 Neapolitan; 9 French; 19 Portugueze; 29 Swedes, 13 of which were fhips of war; 6 Genoefe; 8 Imperial; 2 Venetian; 6 Ragufan; 6 Maltefe; 42 Danes;

to3 Dutch, 16 of which were men of war; 100 English, 18 of which were fhips of war, and 3 English prizes.

During last year 370 fail of fhips of feveral nations arrived at Gottenburg, and 355 failed from thence carrying away 8866 fhip-pound of iron. 1118 fhip pound of fteel, 1436 barrels of tar, 320 barrels of pitch, 102, 525 barrels of herrings; and goods, the product of the East Indies, to the value of 2,554, 961 dollars.

According to an account taken in Holland, the number of veffels which were loft by ftorms from Michaelmas laft, to the firft of Jan. amounted to upwards of 300.

There are now in and near London, a breed of bulls and cows, brought from fome of the countries. bordering on the gulph of Perfia, whofe ftature, although at their full growth, is inferior to a Lincolnshire theep. They have a large camel-like protuberance of fat on the top of their fhoulders.

5th.

The learned and ingenions Stephen Hales, D. D. F. R. S. clerk of the clofet to the princess dowager of Wales, departed this life. See a short character of this excellent man in our article under that title for this year, p. 46.

Letters from the Eaft Indies, by the way of Holland, advise

that

A contagious diftemper having broke out at the town of Sarlata, in the ifland of Cephalonia, and the quarantine upon fhips coming from the iflands of the Levant, fubject to Venice, having thereupon been increated to forty days: it was ordered in council, that the quarantine at prefent fubfifting upon all fhips and veffels coming from thofe parts, and from, or through the Mediterranean, be duly and punctually complied with.

6th. His majefty went to the chapel royal, and offered gold, myrrh, and frankincenfe, as ufual, On account of the mourning, there was no playing at hazard at night, nor any ball.

The wind having fhifted to the eaft, upwards of 450 fail of fhips, outward bound, which had been detained by the wefterly winds many weeks, failed from the Downs.

8th. Sailed from Spithead, the Sea-horfe frigate, capt. Smith for Bencoolen, with the astronomers, named by the Royal Society, to obferve the tranfit of Venus over the fun. See our laft volume, P. [143.

Leeds, Jan. 6. On Thurfday night laft the wind blew a perfect hurricane at N. N. E. by which a great number of our chimnies, corn and hay-ftacks, were blown down, and flates torn off houfes; but the greatest damage was done to ftraw

thatch'd buildings. A poor man at Holbeck in this parish, finding his houfe ready to fall, immediately ftept out of bed, and fetting his fhoulder to the beam that folely fupported the roof, held up the houfe till his wife and children crept out between his legs (having no other way) and he had but juft time to get off himself before the whole fabrick fell to the ground.

This day died the right 10th. hon. Edward Bofcawen, a lord of the admiralty, admiral of the blue, general of marines, &c.

A man being lately detected in cutting people's cloaths in the gallery of Covent-garden playhouse, was taken before a magiftrate, and obliged to pay feventeen guineas for the damage he had done feveral women, who appeared against him.

The following inftance of a feries of repeated acts of compaffion and benevolence reflects great honour on every person concerned in it. -The wife of an honeft tar, whofe hufband was on board the late intended expedition, being obliged to take her leave of him at Portsmouth, on the fuppofition of their immediate failing, (no woman being allowed to go with them) came up to London, in order to proceed from thence to Northamptonshire, where her friends refided. - -Being reduced very low, and not in a condition to walk it, the applied to the mafter of the Northampton ftage, which fets out from the Bull in Bishopfgate-street, intreating him to give her credit for an outfide paffage, till he could get down to her friends, and be enabled to repay him. Perceiving her to be very big with child, he made her an of fer of an infide place in the coach,

gratis,

gratis, which was to fet out the next day. That very night, however, the poor woman, who lay at the inn, was delivered of a fine child. Thus difappointed of her paffage, and in this critical circumftance, her diftrefs was much greater than before: but the affair coming to the ears of fome gentlemen who happened then to be in the inn, they formed a collection among them to the amount of between 13 and 141. Not fatisfied with this, they fent for the churchwardens of the parish, who contributed 40 s. towards conveying the mother and child home. Added to this; two worthy failors, who happened to come into the inn, hearing that the wife of a brother tar was in diftrefs, threw in their mite of all they had about them. which amounted to about 3 s. s. 6 d. This money having been depofited in the landlord's hands, every neceffary both for the woman and infant were with difcretion and ceconomy purchased out of it; her lodging for the whole time was beftowed on her by the houfe; the mafter of the coach scorned to withdraw his former promife; and with a fum of money in her pocket, fhe and her child fet out on Monday morning laft at free coft for her own country.

The regulations that have been lately made in that miferable manfion of mifery, Newgate in Bristol, muft fenfibly affect every breaft with pleafure that has the leaft fpark of humanity unextinguished in it. Filth, ftench, and wickedness, that have fo long infefted these doleful regions, have, by the unprecedented diligence of the prefent keeper, been entirely eradicated; even the very pit, where the felons are con

fined at night, may vie with the decency and cleanliness that is preferved in a gentleman's house; no fighting or brawling, no lewdness or drunkenness is now permitted to add to the crimes of the unfortunate inhabitants; nay, idleness itself, the ufual concomitant of thefe vices, is likewife banished, nor is the want of tools or materials made any excufe to indulge it, as they are provided partly by the keeper at a very moderate profit; partly by the alms occafionally given, and which are divided with the utmost prudence and impartiality; the greatest care is alfo taken in their religious concerns, nor are they ever permitted to infringe the duties of the fabbath.

In an addrefs lately prefented to the king of Sweden, by the fpeaker of the houfe of Peasants, affembled in diet, we find the following paffage: "A fincere and fubftantial proof of your majesty's love to your fubjects, and of your majefty's zeal to promote their happinefs, for which we cannot fuffi. ciently exprefs our gratitude, is to fee the northern countries, which have lain hitherto wild, uncultivated, and uninhabited, known by the name of the Lappmarcken, wear at present a quite different face. They are now covered with dwellings, the lands are cultivated, and, for the first time fince the creation of the world, this new people appear in the diet with us by their reprefentatives. How agreeable would it be to us, how would it rejoice our hearts to fee our dear country extend its bounds more and more, by the draining off moraffes and other lands covered with water, and the peopling of deferts."

The