what with the fuperiority of our fleet, and the ftorms that have raged of late, the unfortunate Carnatic derive little or no benefit from the plenty in Bengal. About a month before the floop of war left the Eaft Indies, a fleet of tranfports, laden with provifions, appeared off Madras, but was difperfed by a dreadful storm, in which most of the fhips were loft, and with them an immenfe quantity of rice, which the governor-general of Bengal was fending to Madras. It was computed when the dispatches came away, upwards of 300,000 perfons had perifhed by famine in the English territories, and thofe of Hyder Ali Khan; fo that if this fcourge fhould rage for any length of time, as dreadful confequences may be apprehended from it, as were produced by the famine in Bengal fome years ago, which carried off two millions of people.

28. This day began the exhibition at the Royal Society's Rooms Somerset-place.

31. The feffions began at the Old Bailey.

April 18. Died at St. Giles's work-house, Grace Clements, aged 103. She retained her fenfes to the laft moment. In the parish of Alva, near Bamff, in Scotland, James Smith, a farmer at that place, aged 106; he has left 4 children, 17 grand-children, and 16 great-grand

children.

MAY.

Extract of a letter from Rome. The famous father Beniflowski, the ex-Jefuit, having concluded the bufinefs which he was charged to negociate with his Holinefs, in the name of the emprefs of Ruffia, namely the reviving of the lately diffolved order of Jefuits, in the dominions of her majefty, fet out for

Warfaw, to be confecrated a bishop, by Monfignore Archetti, his holinefs's nuncio to the court of Poland, whence he is to repair to Peterf burgh, where the ceremony of confecration is to be performed in the prefence of her imperial majefty, who expreffed a curiofity to fee the cere mony.

2. Letters received from Sicily, dated the 7th of April, give an account of another fevere fhock of an earthquake there on the 28th of March, which has in many places deftroyed the remaining houfes, and about 290 inhabitants. The unfortunate furvivors have loft their all, and expect their lives will follow. The earth had been more or lefs agitated every day for fix weeks before, and there was an appearance as if the whole ifland would in the end be deftroyed.

The Kington Gazette, received May 2d, contains the following ar ticle:

Sunday the 2d of March, his majefty's fhip Refiftance, James King, Efq. commander, coming through Turk's Ifland paffage with the Du Guay Trouin in company, difcovered two fhips at anchor, which cut their cables, got under way, and flood to the fouthward. The Re fiftance immediately gave chace to the fternmoft flip, of 20 guns, which loft her main-top-maft, by carrying a prefs of fail, and then hauled her wind. The Refiftance presently came up with her, gave her a dofe from her upper-deckers, and flood after the other fhip of 28 guns, which foon after began to fire her ftern chaces, and continued fo doing for about 15 minutes when the Refiftance running along fide to leeward, the truck the white rag after difcharging her broadfide, and poffeffion was taken of the French king's frigate La Coquette, pierced

for 28 guns, five of which had been left afhore at Turk's Ifland, and carrying 200 men, commanded by the marquis de Graffe, a nephew to the celebrated count de Graffe.-The Refiftance difcharged only a few guns, and had two of her officers wounded by the Frenchman's fire. La Coquette and her confort, were two tranfports, failed from the Cape about three weeks before, with troops on board, bound on an expedition against Turk's Ifland, which they reduced and fortified, leaving a garrifon of 530 men in the place. A day or two after the capture of La Cequette, the Refiftance fell in with his majesty's frigates Albemarle and Tartar, and the Drake and Barrington armed veffels, when it was refolved an attempt fhould be made to retake the island; for which purpofe 250 men were landed, under the command of capt. Dixon, of the Drake; and the two brigs were ftationed oppofite the town, to cover the difembarkation, and to diflodge the enemy from the houses; but a battery of four 24 pounders, and five 6 pounders, being unexpectedly opened against them, they were compelled to retire: the Drake having feven men wounded and the Barrington two. Captain Dixon, at fame time, finding it impoffible to diflodge the enemy, who were advantageoufly posted behind a strong work, and greatly fuperior in numbers, drew off his men, and re-embarked them without lofs. The following night the Tartar was drove off the bank and went to fea with the lofs of an anchor. It was next determined upon, to attack the battery with the large fhips; but the wind coming about to the weftward, and blowing hard, fo that it was with great difficulty the fhips could be cleared of the lee flore, the project was abandoned.

By the Jamaica arrived here from New York, we have the pleafing intelligence of the capture of the French king's frigate La Sybille, commanded by le compt de Kergariou, after an obftinate fight, by his majesty's fhip Huffar, captain Ruffel, of 20 guns: it appears that the count, by fhewing French colours under English, and difplaying a fignal of diftrefs, induced the king's fhip to bear down upon him, and when captain Ruffel hailed him he anfwered with a difcharge of his whole battery; the action, though very unequal, then commenced, and was maintained with great vigour on both fides, till M. de Kergariou thought proper to ftrike. For his behaviour, fo contrary to the law of nations, captain Ruffel put him in clofe confinement.

2. Mr. Recorder made his report to his majesty of the convicts under fentence of death in Newgate, when the following were ordered for execu tion on Wednesday the 14th inftant, viz. James Weit, Edward Wootten, and Edward Muflin.

The following were refpited dur ing his majesty's pleasure, viz. Tho mas Hughes, Michael Nowland, and George Clare.

The duke of Bridgewater's canal broke the banks near Warrington, and carried two coal-boats and a flat into a meadow at a confiderable distance; a great number of hands were immediately employed, and the breach was repaired in a few days.

The court-martial affembled to try lieutenant-colonel Cockburne, having duly confidered and weighed the evidence given in fupport of the charge, and alfo that produced by him on his defence, were of opinion that he was guilty of the whole charge; and adjudged that he the faid lieutenant-colonel Cockburne,

be

be cafhiered, and declared unworthy of ferving his majesty in any military capacity whatsoever; and that the fame be declared in public or ders, and circulated to every corps of his majesty's fervice.

The English frigate the Brilliant arrived at Tangier, having on board Sir Roger Curtis, as envoy from his Britannic majesty to the court of Morocco. He took with him, as prefents to that African monarch, three 26 pounders, and one of 18, with 400 balls, befides feveral other things not afcertained. The emperor appointed a commiffary to conduct Sir Roger either to Mequinez or Sallee, where his majesty was expected to arrive.

3. The feffions at the Old Bailey ended on the Middlesex fide, on account of the effoign day of term, when 12 convicts received fentence of death, one of whom, viz. Thomas Littlepage, for ftealing naval ftores, was refpited, and ordered to be tranfported for feven years; fif teen others were likewife ordered to be transported for feven years, and one for 14 years; eleven to be imprifoned and kept to hard labour in the houfe of correction, and likewife to be whipped; four whipped and difcharged, and eighteen delivered on proclamation.

5. About eleven o'clock in the morning, a most terrible fire broke out at Neufol, in Hungary; the flames fpread on all fides, fo as within a few hours nearly to confume the whole town.

A petition from the county of Suffolk was prefented to the house of commons, praying the houfe to take into their most serious confider ation the prefent inadequate reprefentation of the people in parlia ment, &c.

The petitions relative to a more equal representation, prefented to

the houfe of commons this feffion, are from the following places, viz.

Suffex, Launcefton, Poole, Tiverton, Yarmouth, Winchester, Cambridge town, Lynn Regis, northweft divifion of Devon, Derby county, St. Edmund's Bury, Derby borough, York city, Carmarthen county, Gloucefter city, Somerfet, Southwark, Penryn, Cornwall, Rochefter, Lymington, Scarborough, Surry, Nottingham, Flint county, Denbigh, Droitwich, Southampton county, Portfmouth, Chichefter, Montrofe, London, Middlefex, Dum barton, Kent, Westminster, freehold ers of London, burghs of Irvene, Tower hamlets.

6. The feffions on the London fide finally clofed, when feven convicts received judgment of death, feven were fentenced to be tranf ported for feven years, 11 to be im prifoned and kept to hard labour in the houfe of correction, and four in Newgate, eight to be whipped, and two difcharged by proclamation.

The bill for raifing a certain fum of money by annuities, and for eftablifhing a lottery, the bill to repeal an act of the last feffion of parliament relative to recruiting, the Burton upon Trent navigation bill, the St. Ann's paving bill, the St. Paul's Covent Garden paving bill, the Tetbury road bill, the Markfield road bill, the Hefkett road bill, and three private bills received the royal af fent by commiffion,

7. At Pontefract feffions, John Seaton, Efq. the treasurer for the Weft Riding of York, delivered to the justices of the peace there affembled, an account of the number of pieces of woollen cloths made in that Riding from the 25th of March, 1782, to the 25th of March, 1783; when it appeared there had been manufactured 131,092 pieces of broad woollens, measuring 4,563,376

(B 3)

yards;

yards: and 108,641 pieces of narrow cloths, meafuring 3,292,002 yards. Increafed this year 18,622 pieces of broad, and 11,892 pieces of narrow woollens.

12. As his royal highnefs the prince of Wales was returning to town on horfeback this evening, and Mr. Thomfon, furgeon, of Kenfington, was returning from Knightsbridge, they rode violently against each other, and were both thrown a confiderable diftance from their horfes. His royal hignefs efcaped unhurt, and Mr. Thomfon was but flightly bruifed.

The American intercourfe bill, the militia pay bill, the Clerkenwell poor bill, and Mr. Grefley's cftate bill, received the royal affent by virtue of a commiflion under the great-feal.

13. Seventy houfes were reduced to afhes at Loholm.

14. An order was made by his majefty in council, in confequence of the act lately paffed for prevent ing certain inftruments from being required from hips belonging to the United States of America, and to give his majefty, for a limited time, certain powers for the better carrying on trade and commerce between the fubjects of his majefty's dominions, and the inhabitants of the United States, for the admiffion until further order, of American or British fhips laden with oil, or any unmanufactured goods or merchandizes, the growth or production of any of the territories of the faid United States, into the ports of Great Britain, upon payment of the like duties as are paid on the importation of fuch commodities from the British Colonics or poffeffions in America, without the ufual certificates or documents heretofore re quired by law; alfo that the fame drawback fall be allowed, and the

fame exemptions and bounties on goods exported from Great Britain to America, as are allowed upon exportation of the like goods to any British colony in America; and allo that all American fhips and veffels which fhall have arrived in any port of Great Britain, fince the 20th of January, 1783, fhall be admitted to an entry, and afterwards, together with their ladings, be intitled to the fame benefit of the said order.

16. The Eat India company received a confirmation of the retreat of Tippoo Saib from colonel Macleod's army at Madras, by letters received over land from Bombay, dated the 24th of January last.

Madras, O. 17. This coaft has been vifited by as fevere a gale of wind as ever was known by the oldest inhabitant of Madras. About noon, on the 15th, it began to blow, and before night it was a perfect hurricane. The furf was fo high, that it was impoffible any boat could either go off, or come on fhore. Very fortunately, Sir Edward Hughes had anchored in 15 fathom water, and finding the gale increafe, he put to fea in the afternoon. He had an entertainment on board the Superbe, and was obliged to take his company to fea with him. In the night the Hertford, the Free Trade, the Shannon, the Nancy, the Effex, and a Moorman's fhip, were all drove on fhore. The Free Mafon foundered at her anchors; and near one hundred fnows and donies were entirely loft. It is impoffible to defcribe a fcene of fuch horror and distress.

Bencoolen, April 13. On Monday the 18th of March, at half past two in the morning, it having been exceeding ftormy the evening before, our magazine and laboratory were fired by lightning, the former conTaining about 400 and the latter 100

barrels

barrels of powder, and every implement of artillery were totally destroyed.

A letter from Bafia in the island of Corfica, fays, that they have received advice, that great part of the town of Fiorenzo, in that island, had been deftroyed by fire, which was occafioned by a form of thunder and lightning; and that fome of the inhabitants perished in the flames by endeavouring to extinguish it.

20. The total deftruction of the fortifications of Minorca was re folved on in the king of Spain's council.

23. A caufe of the utmost importance in the hofiery branch was tried at Guildhall before the right ho nourable lord Loughborough, lord chief juftice, and a moft refpectable jury of merchants, refpecting an exclufive right to an invention, for which a patent was granted for a machine to be added to a stockingframe, for making knotted and double looped work, which invention is the property of Meffrs. Horton, March, Wright, and Kemp. Thefe ingenious manufacturers had to contend with a moft formidable combination, entered into by fome opulent Nottingham hofiers, for working the plaintiffs' machine, which they formerly announced under their hands. During the courfe of the trial, feveral artful manoeuvres were fet up by the defendants, notwithstanding which, a few of the plaintiffs' witneffes, out of a great number which were employed in the framefmiths and hofiery branches, as well as fuch of the defendants' witneffes who were equally culpable for working the plaintiffs' machine, and were indulged by the court to give their evidence, fully proved the plaintiffs' invention to be new and complete, and their fpecification to be fimple and clear, after

a conflict of four hours, without any reply, or fumming up of evidence, the jury, without going out, found a verdict for the plaintiff, to the en tire fatisfaction of the chief justice and the court.

The town of Miefbach, 10 leagues diftant from Munich, was reduced to ashes; nothing was faved but the electoral palace, and two houfes of little value.

Advice was received from the Gulf of Venice, that on the 26th of March laft the island of St. Mary was almoft entirely deftroyed, and particularly the caitle, by a violent earthquake. It is computed that 26 perfons loft their lives, and 43 were maimed. This earthquake was felt with equal violence in the other iflands belonging to that republic, viz. Zante, Cefalonia, Previfa, and Veniza, where, however, we do not hear much damage has been done.

Peterburgh, May 30. On Saturday laff at noon, a fire broke out in the Admiralty in this city; and in lefs than four hours near one half of that building was confumed. Fortunately feveral large fhips on the ftocks were faved; and as the stores in that part where the flames began. had lately been removed, the lofs was not very confiderable.

Vienna, May 3r. Our laft accounts from Hungary report, that on the 13th of this month there happened a moft violent storm, which has been attended with great damage in feveral parts of the kingdom. The city of Cremnitz was entirely deftroyed. The lightning fell in nine different places, and the city was fet on fire and reduced to afhes in fpite of the endeavours of the inhabitants; 70 persons loft their lives.

Lately died at Rotterdam, Ra. chel Solomon, a Jewels, aged 110 (B4)

years