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ufual haunts, and were feen, in a great number of hands to clear great numbers, in the streets of London.

This fevere froft put a stop to feveral handicraft trades, and to all manner of husbandry and inland navigation, fo that numbers of the poor, who depended upon fuch occupations, were obliged to have recourse to the compaffion of the public, and went about the streets driving ploughs, or carrying boats on their shoulders to excite it. At the fame time neceffaries of all kinds, except flesh meat, (the graziers pouring their cattle into Londen for want of fodder) rofe to fuch a price, as to diftrefs those who before used to be more at their eafe. Collections were therefore fet on foot in moft parishes, and all ranks of people, that could afford it, contributed chearfully to them. His majesty fent a thousand pound bank note to the bishop of London for that purpofe; and the dukes of Newcaftle and Bedford, and Lord Bute, gave between four and five hundred pounds each. Another nobleman, then in the country, is faid to have provided cloathing, and all other neceffaries for the poor, not only of his own, but of feveral adjacent parishes. At laft the evil produced in fome degree its own remedy. As the water in the leaden pipes froze, and there was a greater call for that element than ufual, on account of the great number of fires, which broke out during this froft; woodden pipes were inferted into the mains in almost every treet, and those wooden pipes being often left open, the ice accumulated to fuch a degree, that at length it became dangerous to walk the ftreets, fo that there was a neceflity for employing

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them.

But though by these means few perished for want of food, several perfons were frozen to death in the treets and on the rivers, fome of the latter by the ice, on which they ventured, breaking off with them.

This froft has been proportionably intenfe, and seems to have fet in much fooner, in France, Holland, and all the other north east countries of Europe; whereas in Cornwall, Wales, and Ireland, the weather was milder than ufual.

It is very remarkable, that though great numbers of cattle of all kinds perished in the open fields, during this froft, feveral fheep, which happened to be buried in the fnow, fallen in fome parts to a great depth, continued well and alive under it five or fix weeks. It was even affured in the foreign papers, that the fervant of an officer, travelling in Germany in an open fledge, having been left behind on the road, as, in all appearance, frozen to death, recovered his vital heat, by a fall of fnow which foon covered him, fo thoroughly and speedily, that in three days time he was able to join his mafter.

Though the fires, which broke out during the froft, were very numerous, fcarce a day paffing without one, few of them, except one that happened in the Strand, near Somerfet-houfe, were permitted to get a-head. This, befides greatly damaging the back part of the faid palace, confumed eight or nine houfes; and a poor lady, aged 103, in whofe apartment it broke out, while left by herself, unhappily perifhed in the flames.

A fire likewife broke out in the vaults

vaults of St. James's church, and many bodies were burnt before it could be perfectly extinguished, which proved a work of great difficulty. It was attributed to the careleffnefs of fome undertaker's fervants, in leaving a link burning, or fticking it against fomething, during an interment there a few days before.

Hints by the late Bishop Berkeley, of the kingdom of Ireland, concerning fires.

Whether tiles and plaifter may not fupply the place of Norway fir, for flooring and wainscot? Whether plaifter be not warmer, as well as more fecure, than deal? And whether a modern fafhionable house, lined with fir, daubed over with oil and paint, be not like a firefhip, ready to be lighted up by all accidents ?"

Method of faving lives at dangerous

fires.

"Into the upper part of a window-frame drive a staple, or fcrew, in an iron bolt with an eye. Provide two blocks with two or three pullies in each (which may be had cheap, at any fhip block-maker's), pafs a rope through each pulley of a length fufficient to reach the ground from the top of the window. Provide alfo a strong bag or fack, of about four feet deep, and eighteen inches wide, with a wooden bottom, and a few hoops to keep the fack open, as in a hoop petticoat. When an unhappy occafion requires the ufe of thefe, let the hook of the upper block be hung in the ftaple; then the party muft ftand on the wooden bottom, and draw the fack up about them, and hang the ftring of the fack on the hook of the under block, when any one perfon may, with the greatest cafe and fafety,

let them down to the treet; and drawing up the fack again may, in like manner, let down a whole family, women, children, fick, old, and infirm; and, at last, lower himfelf down, by only holding the fame rope in his own hand.

The most tender and timorous must be convinced of the ease and fafety of this operation, by recollecting that it is the very fame with that, by which the most delicate ladies when they make a vifit on board large fhips, without any danger, are hoisted up in a chair from their boat, and replaced there again."

Copy of a letter from New York, Nov. 30, 176.

"Since I wrote to you, one of our privateers has fent in a prize here, taken out of a fleet of Frenchmen, bound from Cape François to France: this fleet confifted of about 25 fail of merchant veffels under convoy of three king's frigates, and a merchant frigate of 18 guns. Three privateers belonging to this place, and four Weft India privateers cruifing together, first fell in with them. In the night they took five veffels out of the fleet; and next day commodore Keppel, who was cruizing there with feven men of war, appeared in fight of the French fleet, and, with the privateers, has taken every one of them. Commodore Keppel has carried the four frigates and eighteen merchantmen to Jamaica; they are all richly laden with fugar, coffee, and indigo. Three more are or. dered here, and expected every hour."

In the courfe of the war we have taken from the French 18 fhips of the line, and 36 frigates, and deftroyed 14 fhips and 13 frigates,

and

and they have loft by accidents 5 fhips and 6 frigates; fo that on the whole their navy has been deprived of 37 capital fhips, and 55 frigates. From the Spaniards we have taken 12 fhips and four frigates. Our lofs has been only 2 frigates taken, and 3 deftroyed, and 13 fhips and 14 frigates loft by accident.

That we may lofe no time in exciting the gratitude of the pub. lic towards that brave body, which fo effectually contributed to put a fpeedy and glorious end to the war, by the ever-memorable reduction of the Havannah, we give our readers the following fpecimen of the unparalleled hardships they were now fuffering in their return to Europe, though fome of the facts mentioned in it properly belong to the year 1763.

On the 3d of November, admiral Pocock fet fail with the transports (in all about 60) from the Havannah. For three weeks they had a fine paffage, and were within 200 leagues of the Land's-end, when the wind coming about to the east, and blowing a ftorm, they were difperfed and driven out of their courfe, many of them leaky and ill-provided, and unable either to make land, or keep the fea. In this wretched condition feveral perifhed; the Marlborough bore away in the utmoft diftrefs for Lisbon, and providentially was difcovered by the Antelope from Newfoundland, juft as the ship was ready to founder, fifty men at the pumps having worked night and day inceffantly, till the whole crew was spent with fatigue, and unable to have fubfifted one night longer; the Temple man of war went to the bottom, but her crew were preserved; the Devonfhire fhared the fame fate; the

Culloden, if not perished, has fuffered the utmoft diftrefs; 12 of the tranfports went to the bottom, and the fufferings of those who rode it out, are not to be conceived; reduced by famine, and wafted by fatigue, the men appeared like skeletons, and more than half of them died of thirft, ficknefs, and fatigue. Many of the fhips beat the feas for near a month after they had made the land; and being leaky and worm-eaten when they left the Havannah, the continual apprehenfions of death were as terrible to many as death itself. The admiral himself did not reach land till the 13th of January, when he arrived at Portsmouth. Portsmouth. It is computed that, befides what perished in the paffage home, the conqueft of the Havannah has coft the nation upwards of ten thousand men.

Some time ago a man having ftolen a fheep at Mitcham in Surry, tied its hind legs together, and put them over his forehead to carry it away; but in getting over a gate, the sheep, it is thought, ftruggled, and by a fudden fpring, flipped its feet down to his throat; for they were found in that pofture, the sheep hanging on one fide of the gate, and the man dead on the other.

There is now living in Yorkfhire, one Robert Oglebie, a tinker, who at this time travels the country for a livelihood, who was born November 6, 1647, as appears by the register-book in the parish of Rippon, in Yorkshire. He is a tall, upright, thin man, and fays, he was married to his wife feventythree years, by whom he had twelve boys, and thirteen girls, and that he lived to the age of 106. He can hear, and fee to work, as well as ever he did in his life.

Died lately, Mrs. Baffet, at Haldane-house, near Exeter; who, it is faid, has left to the hofpitals of Bath and Exeter 500l. each, and 400l. to the poor of four parishes in Cornwall and Devonshire.

Mr. Evan Owens, at Denbigh, aged 100.

Mrs. Efch, at Agnes - Burton, at Agnes-Burton, Yorkshire, aged 100.

At Dijon in France, Touiffant Maratrai, aged 112: at the age of 75, he married his fecond wife, by whom he had children. He was a labouring man, and always enjoyed a good state of health.

A general bill of the chriftenings and burials in London, from December 15, 1761, to December 14, 1762.

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In the course of this year were chriftened at Norwich, Males 525. Females 570. Increafed 4. Buried, Males 586. Females 570. Increased

91.

At Liverpool, chrift. Males 438. Females 403. Increafed 51. Buried, Males 564. Females 562. Increafed 375. Marriages 375. Decreased 17.

At Dublin, chriftened, Males 1043. Females 1447. Increased 281. Buried, Males 1273. Females 1217. Increased 198.

Harlem in Holland, Born 751Died 1674. Increased 31.

Amfterdam, chriftened in the reformed and Lutheran churches 4320. Married 3316. Buried 8412.

Newcastle, chriftened 522. Increafed 101. Buried 2. Increased 131.

At Manchester, chriftened, Males 373. Females 316. Decreased 86. Buried, Males 274. Females 300. Increased 46. Married 351. Increafed 11.

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Increased in the burials this year Translation of a letter wrote by prince

5263.

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Between 2 and 5 5 and 10 936 10 and 20 918 20 and 30 2146

30 and 40 2379

40 and 50 2638 60

Ferdinand to general Sporcken, on refigning to him the command of the allied army in Germany; containing bis ferene highness's thanks to the faid army, and likewife his majelly's letter of thanks to his ferene bighness.

SIR,

Aving had honour, on my

50 and 50 2272 Hviival at Neuhaus, to write to

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the king to congratulate him on the peace he had made with France and Spain, and at the fame time to ask his permiffion to quit the army, where my presence is no longer neIceffary; his majefty was graciously pleased to give me a very favour26326 able answer, in the following letter;

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which I fend you, general, to be which I was honoured by the king. communicated to the army.

"Coufin,

I thank you for the obliging congratulations in your letter of the 23d paft, on the happy conclufion of the peace, to which your good conduct at the head of my army has fo greatly contributed. I readily confent to your demand, and am very glad, that, after fo much fatigue, you will enjoy, in the bofom of peace, that glory which you have fo juftly acquired. Being moreover, convinced how much I owe to your great merit, you may be affured of my perfevering in thefe fentiments; being, with much esteem and devotion, coufin, your devoted coufin, St. James's, Dec. 3, 1762.

GEORGE R."

In confequence of this permiffion which his majefty has graciously given me, I refign to general Sporcken the command of the army, which I fhall leave to-morrow the 24th of December. I am the better fatisfied, as his majesty has condefcended to repeat to me his approbation of my conduct: and I have the moft grateful fenfe of the favours with which you honoured me during the time that I commanded the army. Ifhall never forget with how great and happy fuccefs I fought at the head of the brave troops that compofed the army, for liberty, and for their country and mine. This I fhall always remember, and it will make me think continually on the obligations I owe to the generals and officers in particular, who, by affifting me with their experience and their good advice, enabled me to ferve my country, and to discharge, at the fame time, the truft with

I therefore defire, general, that you will return them my fincere thanks, and that you will alfo thank, in my name, the whole army for the obedience they paid to me whilft I had the honour to command them. Neuhaus, Dec. FERDINAND, 23, 1762. Duke of Brunswick.

The marquis of Granby's letter of

thanks to the British forces in Germany. Dated Munfler, Jan. 1.

"Lord Granby has hoped to have had it in his power to have feen and taken his leave of the troops, before their embarkation for England; but a fevere illness having detained him at Warbourg, and his present ftate of health obliging him to take another route, he could not leave this country without this public teftimony of his entire approbation of their conduct, fince he has had the honour of commanding them.

These fentiments naturally call for his utmost acknowledgments: he therefore returns his warmeft thanks to the generals, officers, and private men, compofing the whole British corps, for the bravery, zeal, difcipline, and good conduct, he has conftantly experienced from every individual; and his most particular and perfonal thanks are due to them for their ready obedience, upon all occafions, to fuch orders as his ftation obliged him to give.

His beft endeavours have always been directed to their good, by every means in his power; and he has the fatisfaction to think he has fome reafon to flatter himself of their being convinced, if not of the efficacy, at leaft of the fincerity of his intentions, if he may judge by the noble return their behaviour has

made

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