ing mines, coal-pits, and lands from water. Private letters from Prague mention an adventurer, who keeps himfelf concealed in that city, who, after living by his wits for many years, endeavours to impofe himself upon fome zealous and credulous Jews for their Meffiah. There has been a ftrict, tho' fecret, fearch after him, and there is no doubt that if he falls into the hands of juftice, he will be treated as he deferves. The prize offered by the Imperial academy of sciences at Peterfburg for the beft differtation on the queftion thay had propofed on the Fexes of plants, has been unanimoufly adjudged to the celebrated M. Linæus, who confirms the difference of fex in plants by folid reafoning. The following tragi-comical occurrence is faid to have happened to a Spanish gentleman lately arrived in London. Being greatly enamoured with the London demoifelles, he visited a houfe in Hedgelane, near the Haymarket, but had the caution before he retired with his lady, to confider the fubftance of his pocket, where was 31 thirtyfix fhilling pieces, which according to the cuftom in fome foreign countries, where of two evils they chufe the leaft, and as it were, tolerate fuch houfes under certain regulations, he very wifely gave to the old lady of the houfe to take care of; but before he returned, her ladyflip was moved to another part of the town, and he not havnig a farthing left, was moft feverely treated by his lady, who tore his cloaths almoft off his back; and what heightened the confufion of the whole was, The following uncommon accident is faid to have happened at a place near Appledore, in Devonfhire, to the furprize of the inhabitants: a fhoemaker's wife being in labour, there were in the room with her a midwife, nurse, and two affiftants; a little after the good woman was delivered, the fell down as in a fit. One of the affiftants, who was fupporting her, immediately followed; next the midwife fell, and then the nurse, after dropping the unclad infant on the floor. The only perfon remaining ran haftily down ftairs to call a doctor, and the broke her thigh. The myftery is explained thus: there being no chimney in the room, a pan with charcoal was introduced, and from the fuffocating fumes of the charcoal, thefe diforders are fuppofed to have rifen; but, however, the amazing fits foon wore off, and no hurt is like to accrue, unlefs to the poor woman whofe thigh was broke. A late juftice of the peace for the county of Norfolk, who lived to upwards of ninety, has ordered it in his will, to be buried in his wedding fhirt, with his cloaths and wig; his filver buckles in his fhoes, a cane in his hand, and black ribbands round his wrist. Naples, January 20. The 8th inftant at night, Mount Vefuvius began to throw up in the air, with uncommon violence, trees, ftones, and bituminous matter. In the morning of the 9th, this eruption ceafed. On the 12th a very terrible noise proceeded from the mountain, and soon after it was discovered, that the whole top was fallen fallen in. At prefent it fends out neither lava, fire, nor smoke: and inftead of a vulcano, one would take it for a cultivated hill. The owners of the lands on it are labouring there with the fame unconcern, as if there had never been an eruption; yet the damage caused by the laft, amounts to a million of ducats. The proprietors of the lands on it propofe to raife a fund to indemnify fuch as fhall hereafter fuffer by eruptions. They reckon that the cultivated lands amount to 200,000 square toifes; and they compute that twenty fous yearly for each toife will be fufficient. This matter is at present before the miniftry. Bofton, Jan. 19. We have had an extreme cold feafon, whereby our harbour has been for two or three days almoft filled with ice. We have, within that time, had feveral alarms by fire, which were foon extinguished; but Tuefday evening last, a. violent fire broke out in one of the fhops oppofite the north fide of Faneuil Hall Market, on Dock-square, which entirely confumed all the row of wooden buildings from the fhore-house, occupied by the hon. Tho. Hubbard, Efq; to the Swing-bridge. These buildings belonged to the town, and were leafed to a number of tradefmen, fome of whom had their whole ftock therein, most of which was either confumed or loft. There were several schooners in the dock, but they received little damage; nor did the fire proceed to the north fide of the dock: on the contrary, it communicatd itfelf to that ftately edifice Faneuil Hall Market, the whole of which was foon entirely confumed, excepting the brick walls, which are left flanding. The fire then proceeded to a number o fhops occupied by fome tradefmen, on the fouth-fide of the market, and confumed them alfo. The wind rifing about this time, carried the flakes of fire over the houses towards King-ftreet, and the warehoufes and ftores on the Towndock, and Long - warf, wherein were the greateft quantities of the richeft merchandize in the town. Although the flames and flakes of fire fell on many houfes and ftores, yet no dwelling-houfe was confumed; though one or two near the market were confiderably damaged. Never were flates on houfes difcovered to be of so much advantage as at this time; for when great flakes of fire fell thereon, they immediately ran off without doing any damage. The loss of Faneuil market muft be great to this town: it was built near twenty years ago, at the fole expence of the late generous Peter Faneuil, Efq. This capacious hall, which bore the founder's name, could contain 1000 of the inhabitants at a meeting. There were convenient apartments for the officers of the town to tranfact their respective businesses therein; befides two offices, at the east end of the lower floor, one of which was occupied as a naval office, the other as a notary public's, the other part was very commodious for a market. The records, papers, &c. with fuch other things as could be removed, were moftly faved. There were near twenty tradef men deprived of fhops by this fire, which muft make it extremely dif ficult in this winter feafon, efpecially when it is confidered that many of thofe, who loft their fhops, in March laft, are not yet fupplied with proper places to carry on their refpective bufineffes. 23d. The two gold medals given annually by his grace the duke of Newcastle, chancellor of the univerfity of Cambridge, for the best claffical learning, were adjudged to Mr. Poft of Queen's college, and Mr. Maddifon, of St. Peter.s College, batchelor of arts, A gentleman, who had undertaken to ride one horfe 100 miles in 13 hours for 200 guineas, ftarted from Whitechapel church, and rode twice to Market End, and back again (which is 100 miles) in 12 hours. There lately appeared a moft fhocking inftance of the bad ufe often made of private mad-houfes; in a caufe brought before a fupreme court of justice, where it was moft clearly proved, that an unnatural father, in order to gratify his cruel difpofition, and to cut off his only daughter from her birth-right, caufed her to be conveyed to one of thefe infernal manfions, and to be kept under the ftri&teft confinement (though in her perfect fenfes) and where fhe would have, no doubt, foon ended her days, had not her friends, by a moft providential accident, difcovered the place of her confinement, and stirred in her behalf. They write from Amfterdam, that the Dutch governor of Surinam, finding himself unable to reduce the rebellious negroes of that colony by force, hath wifely followed the example of governor Trelawney, at Jamaica, and concluded an amicable treaty with them; in confequence of which all the negroes of the woods are acknowledged to be free, and all that is past is buried in oblivion. Six. teen negro captains fwore to the obfervance of this treaty in the Chriftian manner: but the negroes infifted, in their turn, that the other fhould fwear in their manner. accordingly each of them had a fmall incifion made in his arm, and blood being received in a kind of cup, in which was a little water and earth, the Dutch chriftians, as well as the heathens, drank of the ftrange mixture: after which a negro priest pronounced a folemn imprecation against the breakers of the treaty. A highwayman having committed feveral robberies 25th. on the Highgate road, the north ftages, to pretect their paffengers, have employed a guard to attend them till day-light, when they generally think themselves fafe; but this day two thieftakers, in hopes of entrapping the highwayman, and apprehending him for the fake of the reward, fet out early in the morning in a post-chaise, like travellers, upon the fame road, with a view of being attacked by the highwayman at the ufual place, When they had got to the bottom of Highgate-hill, they pass'd one of the ftages already mentioned, and obferving the guard riding towards the coach with fire-arms, concluded him to be the highwayman of whom they were in purfuit, and firing a blunderbufs at him, fhatrered his arm in a terrible manner, and killed a fervant who rode upon the top of the stage. Information of this affair being given to a proper magiftrate, 'warrants were iffued out for apprehending the thief takers, one of whom is already committed to Newgate, and the other is faid to have abfconded. The The mill at the Red-houfe 26th. Deptford, with a quantity of flour, &c. was confumed by fire, damage zoool. it was occafioned by the violence of the wind, which drove the mill with fach velocity that it could not be stopped. They write from Milan of 27th. the 27th ult. that the farmer general at Mantua endeavouring to raise several duties, especially on flesh, the citizens got to their arms, and fhot nine excisemen dead upon the fpot; upon which all the reft of the collectors fled immediately to the monaftery of St. Francis for refuge. Mr. Willy Sutton, after a trial of nine hours, for the murder of Mifs Bell, was acquitted at the Old Bailey. The feffions ended at the 28th. Old-Bailey, when one received fentence of transportation for 14 years, 14 for 7 years, and one was ordered to be whipped. His excellency Mark Milbanke, Efq; his late majeft'ys ambaffador to the emperor of Morocco, and commodore of the fquadron employed all laft fummer upon the coaft of Barbary, is arrived at Portsmouth in his majefty's fhip Guernsey, with the Leghorn convoy under his command, after having compleated the redemption of captain Barton, and the crew of the Litchfield man of war, and his majesty's other fubjects, flaves in thofe dominions, and establishing a peace with the aforefaid monarch, infinitely more advantageous than ever fubfifted with his ancestors. The Grand Signior has peremptorily demanded restitution of the Turkish man of war mastered by the chriftian flaves on board, and brought into Malta the 6th of Nov. laft; (See our Chronicle for laft year, (p. 152.) and the knights of SIR. Fabry 26th. 1761, I as your Mos herty well withar take this Liberty to Acquaint you with the Dark difine's Laid against your Houour's Perfon as I Viery Strangely heard of it by great Ac cedent I think it my Duty to tell you your Life is ABfalutly agreed upon to Bee taken away upon the Account you have taken the Vails from your Servts thair is A Cartin Earl or Tow that is to Share the fame fate I find when A Convenient OPertunity Sarves thair is Likewise Sir James Lowther & C. in the Lift which I am Much Affraid will End in Evel Concider your honours Life & Fortunes is all at Stake Drop that wrong Profieding & So Advise you'r Friedds I muft Concl'd with Telling you I have no interest in it my Celfe But interle for your honr Perfon & the welfare of the Englush Nation I am with All Dutifull A Trewarth. |