Blackfriars, floated with the greateft eafe; and was immediately conveyed to its proper moorings within the piles drove for that purpofe

Was tried at guildhall, be3d. fore lord Mansfield, by a fpecial jury of merchants, a remarkable caufe between a merchant and a wharfinger: the matter in difpute was, whether the wharfingers are accountable for the thefts committed on board their lighters; and after a long hearing, it was unanimously determined by the jury, without going out of court, in favour of the latter; and that no goods are under the charge of the wharfinger, but remain under the care of the fhip's agent, until paffed the king's beam.

Omar Effendi, lately arrived ambaffador from Algiers, had his firft audience of his majefty, to deliver his credentials: the ambaffador brought over, as prefents to his majesty, &c. 24 fine horses, a lion, two tygers, and fome curious fheep. The ambaffador was very defirous of having the lion and tygers he brought over as a prefent, led before him, which could not be granted; however, the fine horfes and curious fheep he intended for his majefty, were admitted into the cavalcade, but could not (as he expected) be drove into the apartments for the king to fee them; at which his excellency feemed fomewhat difgufted, 'till he was aflured by the lords in waiting, that it was contrary to the custom of this country. His majesty viewed them in the royal garden, from the windows of the palace. The ambaffador being admitted into the royal prefence, the king told him he was forry that his ex

cellency had fuch a bad day for his publick entry. No, fire, fays" the ambaffador, it is not a bad day, it is a very fine, it is a glorious day for me, when I have the honour to behold fo great a monarch as your majesty.

Extract of a letter from Paris, dated May 22.

"In 1672 and 1686, Caffini, with a telescope of 34 feet, thought he perceived a fatellite which revolved round Venns: but no aftronomer hath feen it fince, till the 3d of this month, the 4th and the 7th, when it was difcovered by M. Montagne. M. Bandouin, a

member of the grand council, who put Montagne in the way of obferving it, read in the royal academy of fciences, on the 20th, a memoir, in which he determines the revolutions and distances of the fatellite; and deduces all the confequences that may refult from this theory. It follows from his calculations, that this fatellite is about a fourth of the diameter of Venus, and is diftant from it about fixty femi-diameters of that planet. It performs its revolution in nine days feven hours. Its afcending node is in the 22d degree of Virgo. Its greatest digreffion to the north, was on the 7th at nine at night. M. Baudouin hopes to fee this fatellite pafs over the fun fome hours after Venus, fappofing M. Montagne's obferva-• tion to be perfectly exact." [This fatellite was alfo feen by Mr. Short, F. R. S. in 1740, an account of which is in the philoso phical transactions of that year.

Being the anniversary of his majefty's birth, when he 4th. entered the 24th year of his age, it was celebrated with the utmost [1]4 demon

demonftrations of joy. There never was a more brilliant court on any occafion. Most of the ladies cloaths were gold and filver brocade. The guns in the park and at the Tower were difcharged, and in the evening feveral curious fireworks were played off on Towerhill, St. James's-fquare, Leicesterfields, Kew, and Richmond, with illuminations in the houses, and a grand ball at St. James's.

At the duke of Newcastle's entertainment was a curious defert, reprefenting the citadel of Palais, and his majesty's forces now befieging the fame.

The hay-makers being diftreffed by the rainy weather, near 301. was collected for them, at two feveral times, by the merchants, &c. on the royal exchange.

While fome young gentlemen were drinking lately at a tavern in Whitechapel, one of them who happened to be confiderably in debt, was informed of two bailiffs loiter ing about the door; on which they held a council, and came to a refolution to fend for two men, who lived juft by, who were ordered to nail the two bailiffs by their cloaths to the poft which they leaned a gainft. This being effected unperceived, they gave the men a crown for their trouble, and pay ing their reckoning went out; when the bailiffs going to do their duty, and attempting to move from their station in a hurry, each of them got a moft violent fall on the ftones, and before they could difengage themselves, the young gentlemen made off. The mob who were gathered about the bailiffs were highly diverted with the affair.

refolved to prefent the freedom of this city in a gold box of 150 guineas value to his royal highness the duke of York, one of the rear admirals of the blue fquadron of his majefty's fleet. Refolved alfo, that zocol. the money lately received for the city remembrancer's place, fhould be returned, and that the place should be a gift to be difpofed of by the common council, for the future.

A gentleman, who travelled laft year thro' France, obferved that in all the provinces where the chief bufinefs of the inhabitants was hufbandry and agriculture, the people in general were taller, ftronger, lefs volatile, and more populous, than those who cultivated vineyards; though no fenfible difference could be found in the climate. This remark, fupported by. a detail of natural reasons, was communicated to a member of the fociety of agriculture in France, who hath laid it before the miniftry.

This morning the long ex- 6th. pected tranfit of Venus was obferved by many curious gentlemen, with fuitable apparatufes, and by comparing notes, it appears, that it differed very little from doctor Halley's computation; which fhews the great perfection to which aftronimical obfervations have arrived, and from thence what greater ufefulness may be expected; fince it appears from the obfervations, that at two places, viz. one at the east, the other at the west of London, the time of the abfolute emersion was at one of them thirty-five minutes three feconds after eight, and the other thirty-five minutes feven seconds after eight. And the accounts

from

from different parts of England and Holland too, give the greatest fatisfaction with respect to the faid phænomenon; and to establish the truth, that there is a fatellite like our moon, which performs a courfe in twelve days about her.

This week was prefented to fir Edward Hawke, by the hands of lord Farnham, the freedom of the city of Dublin, in a gold box, as a mark of their gratitude to that gallant officer for his great fervices, particularly for his victory over M. Conflans, on Nov. 20, 1759:

The following threatening 9th. letter, directed to Mr. George Catter, being found near Haverhill in Suffolk, his majesty's par don, and a reward of 201. are of fered for the discovery of the accomplices therein, except the perfon who wrote the fame.

"On the Recept of this goo and Tell Hemfted Pickett and Milleway and all the Reftt of your Heaveril Gang of the Bandity that fo Vilinously oppose the Gorfpell being Preached that if we meet with any more affronts or abufe when we Come again as we Intend to Doo on the 17th Infant we are Refolved to Reveng itt on your Parffons or Houfes for as wee have lifted under the Baner of Christ our Captein we are on and al; deturmin'd to ftand by on another our Number is Larg and our Caus good therefor we fett all your Mallis att Defians Dont fay You had no Notis or worning for Wee are so prepar'd that we fear you not thefor tak Care what you doo I am order'd by my Brethren in the Lord to Sighne for the Reft your Friendly Moneter five Hundred or the Gofpel Legion."

Lisbon, May 5. A few days ago a prieft, whole brain was touched, but otherwise a good fort of a man, infifting that he felt the fhock of an earthquake between twelve and one in the morning of the 22d past, a foldier, who was then on duty, gave him the lye. Upon this the priest called the foldier infidel, heretic, and one who feared neither God nor man, which the foldier refenting, he laid fome heavy blows with the but end of his mufket on the prieft's back, and would probably have finished him, had not fome by-ftanders interpofed. The affair being carried before a magiftrate, the ecclefiaftic was order, ed to be confined in a madhouse for fix months, and the foldier to be exempted from night duty during the fame space of time.

A confiderable fhock of an 9th. earthquake was felt this day at Sherborne, Shaftesbury, and other places thirteen miles round, about five minutes before twelve.

At Lower Areley, in Worcesterfhire, is now living a woman 99 years of age, who can read fmall print without fpectacles, and is of great vivacity and comelinefs for a perfon of fuch an advanced age.

A letter from Madrid has the following paffage. "All livery fervants, as well thofe of illuftrious blood as of low extraction, except fuch as belong to the king, are forbid to wear fwords." [There arę nobles of Galicia, Afturias, and Bifcaye, amongst the yalets of Spain; and, notwithstanding their humble ftate, they retain a great part of the prerogatives of their birth.]

Came on at the King's bench, Weftminfter, a caufe 13th, wherein one Mr. Butler was plain

"

tiff,

tiff, and one Bell defendant, on an action for the defendant's dog being loofe, and biting the plaintiff's hand, fo that he loft the ufe of three of his fingers. The jury brought in a verdict of 2001. and advised the defendant to hang his dog, for fear of farther mischief.

Gloucester, Jan. 6. Yefterday a man, who was wathing fheep in a pool at Tibberton, in this county, let one of the fheep get from him, and, endeavouring to catch it, fell into a hole very deep in the mud and water, and was fuffocated; one of his companions, who stood on the bank, immediately jumped in to affift him, and met with the fame fate; and a third, who was with them, in endea vouring to help them, fell in alfo, and was drowned,

A letter from Stockholm gives the most melancholy account of the diffemper among the cattle, with which the province of Finland has for fome years been afflicted; it now affects even the men who at tend the fick cattle, or who flay the dead a ftout young fellow after flaying a cow dead of the diftemper, at night laid himfelf down on the fkin, wrapped it about him, but the next morning was found quite ftiff and dead. "The moft ingenious Mr. Hartman, continues the letter, has advanced, that the fymptoms of this diftemper in the human fpecies, perfectly correfpond with thote of the English fweating: we fometimes burn the liver, milt, and lungs of the dead beafts, and adminifter the powder of them to the fick beafts, on account of the voletile falts in these afhes: I hear that now they are beginning to burn whole carcafes for the fame ufe; and likewife to prevent the air from being infected by fuch a number of

putrified carcafes, the cow-houfes alfo are fumigated with fulphur, gunpowder, and vinegar."

Letters from Smyrna, dated the 6th ult. fay, "The report of the Turkish armament being deftined against the pretended ufurper of Egypt, is here looked upon as an idle ftory. It is true that Ibraham Kiaja extends his fway of government beyond the ufual limits: but it is far from being to the difadvantage of the Ottoman Porte, as, by his difinterested and fpirited exertions, he keeps the haughty and oppreffive pachas within due bounds. It is computed the revenues of Egypt amount to 100,0co purfes per day; of which enormous fum, hardly one tenth part enters into the exchequer of the Grand Signior, on account of the avarice of the pachas, and other frauds: and as the revenues have confiderably increased of late, Ibraham Kiaja will be fupported as a most useful vaffal to the Porte, by the ftrongeft political cement, which is common intereft. As nothing is fettled in Perfia, there is no hope at prefent of revieving the ftagnated commerce."

Sir Thomas Harrison `re

ported to the common council 15th.

of London, the answer that the Rt. Hon. Arthur Onflow gave him in writing, when he attended him with the freedom of this city, in purfuance of an order of this court: which was as follows:

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN,

"I receive, with the trueft fenfe of gratitude, this great mark of refpect the city of London is pleafed to fhew towards me in their gift of the freedom, and which I can only impute to the high regard the citizens of London bear to the houfe of commons, and as a teftimony for

their efteem for thofe who faithfully perform their duty to the public

there.

"The expreffions of good will and kindness to me, which are ufed in conferring this honour upon me, however little deferving I may think myself of them, do indeed affect me extremely, as an argument of the favourable opinion the city of London entertains of my fincere and dutiful endeavours to fupport, upon all proper occafions, the rights, privileges, and conftitutional independence of the communs of Great Britain.

"I beg my lord mayor, aldermen, and the whole of the common council, will accept my refpectful and humbleft thanks upon this occafion, and be affured of my constant and warmest wishes that this great metropolis may ever flourish in all profperity and dignity-in a dignity that becomes the metropolis of a great kingdom, and of which the city of London is fo confiderable and refpectable a part." The lord mayor, aidermen, 17th. and common council, &c. of this city, waited on his majefty at St. James's with an addrefs on the taking of Belleifle.

His grace the duke of Bridgwater, with the earl of Stamford, Francis Reynolds, Efq; and feveral other gentlemen, went to Bofton, to fee the water turned into the canal over the river Irwell, which drew together a great number of fpectators as foon as the water had rifen to the level of the canal, a large boat, carrying 50 tons, was towed along the new part of the canal, over the arches, across the river Irwell, which were fo firm, fecure and compact, that not a ingle drop of water could be per

ceived to pafs or ouze through any of them, although the furface of the water in the canal is 38 feet above the furface of the navigable river under it. This canal will be car ried on to Manchester with all expedition, and will be compleated before Lady-day next; and, in the mean time, the fubterraneous navigation to the colliery will be perfected.

Newcastle. June 13. Sunday morning a whale about 44 feet long faid to be a bone-fifh, ran afhore under the caftle of Burnt-ifland; where the country people with forks and other inftruments foon killed it.

A remarkable caufe was tried in the fheriffs court in 18th. Guildhall, on an action brought againft a carrier for stopping a goofe which was fent to a gentleman laft Chriftmas, because the gentleman did not pay the porter a filling for his trouble of carrying it to the gentleman's houfe. It appearing to the jury that the porter had charged as much more as he ought to do, and that the carrier had no right to stop the goofe for the por terage, the jury brought in a verdict for the plaintiff of three fhillings damages, and costs of fuit.

20th.

Thomas Higginson was tried, before his majesty's juftices of the peace for the city and liberty of Weftminster, on an indictment for a nufance, to wit, for keeping a place in James ftreet, near the Hay-market, for his lucre and gain, for boxing, cudgel-playing, cockfighting, and other diforders, to the great nu fance of that neighbourhood; of which offence be being convicted, the court fet a fine on him, and bound him to his good behaviour for five years.

A brace