from him laft fpring from Tobolski, in Siberia; to which place he had proceeded fo far in this furprising and romantic undertaking. 7. Yesterday the funeral offices of the late king of Spain were performed in York-ftreet Chapel, Westminster, with very great folemnity. The whole chapel was hung with black, the fconces and armorial bearings of the crown of Spain placed round the chapel in the center, a magnificent canopy of ftate, with the royal crown and fceptre; the whole in a state of folemnity and elegance which did the undertaker, Mr. Eyre, of Oxford-ftreet, much honour. The concourfe of the nobility and gentry was prodigious. A part of the chapel was referved for the Spanish ambaffador and other foreign minifters. The mufic was the composition of Mr. Webbe. The late king of Spain, Charles III. was the fecond fon of Philip V. grandfon of Louis XIV. of France, whofe progrefs to the throne of Spain was interrupted in the beginning of this century, and was the cause of a long and bloody ftruggle, which was not finally terminated till the peace of Utrecht 1713.-Philip died in 1746, and was fucceeded by his fon Ferdinand VI. who dying without iffue in 1753, was fucceeded by his brother, the late Charles III.-What was remarkable of Philip, he pined fo much on account of the death of his wife, that he furvived her but a few months. The Grand Signior's favourite Sul tana died laft November, at Conftanti nople. This woman was a chriftian, and poffeffed the affection of the Sultan to fo great a degree, that he never refufed her any thing that he could reafonably grant. Having, in her illness, appeared defirous of fulfilling the duties of her religion, his highness procured an eunuch, a renegade prielt, who adminiftered to her, and faid mafs daily in her apartment; the Grand Signior chufing rather to ufe deceit, than give her the leaft uneafinefs. This Sultana was a French woman, and born in a little town in the north of Provence. 12. At the house of General Conway-died, Mifs Campbell, daughter of the late Lord William Campbell, brother to the prefent Duke of Argyle a young lady of great mufical abilities, and who excelled in an eminent degree on the pedal harp. 13. The following tragical picture prefented itself to the view of two humane gentlemen of Stockwell Place, who had made a collection for the poor of that neighbourhood. On entering the wretched habitation of a poor la bourer, they found his wife juft delivered of a fon, after having been eight days in labour, fix of which the was without any proper affiftance: befides the new-born babe, they found in the room four others, two of whom were foliciting their wretched parent for food, and the other two lying dead, evidently ftarved. At the feffions lately held at Clerkenwell Green, for the county of Middlefex, an indictment against a young woman, for affaulting her husband, a man about fixty years of age, attracted the attention of the Court. It appeared by the evidence for the profecution, that the parties by mutual confent had for fome time paft lived feparate and apart from each other, notwithstanding which the defendant had frequently molefted her husband, to whom he was very troublesome. That about a month fince, fhe paid him an unwelcome vifit; and after beftowing upon him a confi derable fhare of fcurrilous invective, offered to box with him for a crown. The old man expreffing no inclination to accept of this challenge, the knocked him down, ftruck him feveral times with her fills on the head and face, and left him in poffeffion of two black eyes, in confequence of which, he was prevented from attending his business for two or three days. The defendant called no witneffes, but faid that the profecutor had treated her with cruelty, by reprefenting her as a woman def titute of virtue, a charge of which the declared herself perfectly innocent. The jury pronounced their verdict, Guilty; after which the defendant was ordered to give ample fecurity to keep the peace. At the feffions at Chelmsford, Essex, came on a very curious caufe for trial: A carrier on the road took up a woman into his cart, who was feemingly in great agony; the reward for his kind nel's nefs was, her producing, in a few minutes, a very fine child. It remained therefore to be fettled by two contending parishes, in whofe boundaries the cart was at the time: the woman, who died, had depofed one thing, the carrier another, as to the critical pofition of the cart. The woman's evidence prevailed. A Mr. Pain, at Letton in Herefordfhire, has lately found, where fome perfons had been digging for potatoes, a gold coin, weighing five pennyweights, with a Cæfar's head, "T. I. Cæfar. Aug. F. Aug. Diri."-On the reverfe fide, a figure fealed with a lance in his right hand, and a branch of laurel in his left, "Pontif Maxim." The fpot where the coin was found, is where Cæfar conquered Caraćtacus, and carried him prifoner to Rome. About the middle of this month 13 men brought a waggon with a ton of coals from Loughborough, in Leiceftershire, to Carlton-houfe, as a prefent to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. As foon as they were emptied into the cellar, Mr. Weltjie, clerk of the cellars, gave them four guineas, and as foon as the Prince was informed of it, his Highness fent them 20 guineas, and ordered them a pot of beer each man. They performed their journey, which is one hundred and eleven miles, in eleven days, and drew it all the way without any relief. A very affecting cafe occurred this month at the Old Bailey Patrick M'Donald, a miferable poor lad, was indicted for stealing a cloth jacket, value fourteen fhillings. The evidence was quite clear; but the poor fellow urged in his defence that he came over from America, and arriving in London, the hip returned without him, and he was left entirely deftiture, and that hunger compelled him to commit the theft. One of the jury asked him if he had eat any thing that day, to which he anfwered, "No, Sir, nor a bit the day before either!" he then burst into tears, which had fuch an effect, that the theriff brought him fome filver, and the jury, before they gave in their verdiet, handed him a fhilling each: they then asked the bench whether fuch hunger could poffibly plead his excufe in a court of juftice. The learned fudge fympathized very pathetically with the jury, but was bound, he faid, to inform them, that no diftrefs whatever could, in the eye of the law, excufe the prifoner's offence. The jury then found him-Guilty. The judge then ordered, that when the boy fhould be able to find any person who would take care of him, he should be delivered up without punishment. While this child of poverty and wretchednefs was withdrawing, fhillings from all parts of the court and gallery were thrown to him, which made the amount confiderable. 14. Mr. Cleland died; the reputed, and it is faid the acknowledged, author of Memoirs of a Woman of Pleafurta work that has, perhaps, done more to corrupt the morals of the rifing genera tion, than the whole train of profligate publications fince the appearance of that offenfive production. The author was formerly conful at Smyrna, where it is fuppofed he imbibed the licentious principles which his immoral work fo earnefly inculcates. He was near ninety years of age at the time of his death. 15. The following extraordinary cir cumftance lately happened to one of the Norwich coaches.-About two o'clock in the afternoon it came into Norwich with fix horfes and a poftilion, and had got fome way into the town, before it was obferved that there was no coach. man on the box. The boy was accordingly called to, to know where the coachman was; he immediately ftop ped, and replied, that he had seen him about two miles from Norwich, and took it for granted that he was on the box. Proper perfons were immediately fent to look after him, and he was found about a mile from the city with a wound in his head, and frozen quite ftiff. He was taken to the hofpital, but it was a confiderable time before he came to himself. His legs and thighs were fɔ much froft-bitten, that his recovery is exceedingly doubtful. He has a wife and feven children; and what makes the incident the more remarkable is, that though there were paffengers in the coach, neither they nor the poftilica should mifs him, and that the hotfet fhould turn at the corners, which are rather intricate, fafe without him. NUMBER V. FRAGMENTS. INSTANCE OF SENSIBILITY AND AFFECTION began to fing, and make a number of humiliating geftures, to imprefs the crew with a favourable opinion OF THE ISLANDS ON THE NORTH of him. At length, his confidence to the Captains Dixon and Portlock off King George's Sound, on the 14th Auguft 1787, they had coafted off feveral small islands, which they named Queen Charlotte's Inlands. In fome of them, the Indians were very jealous of their women, and would feldom permit them to go on board the Englifh veffels. Others, on the contrary, though in adjacent places, not only permitted, but urged their females to go on the decks, and this with the fole view to plunder the veffels; a commiffion which, it feems, they executed with as much dexterity as if they had been educated on board the Juftitia hulk: and yet, amidst this prevalent tafte for thievery, an instance of fenfibility occurred which would not have difgraced the female fex of civilized countries. increased, he fatisfied his curiofity, and returned to his wife; who, after giving her infant a maternal kifs, got up the fide of the veffel without quarter-deck, the fignified, with a modeft diffidence in her looks, that fhe only wanted to fee the fhip: This woman was neatly dreffed after the fafhion of her country; her under garment, made of fine tanned leather, fat clofe to her body, and reached from her neck to the calf of her leg; her cloak, or upper garment, was rather coarfer, it fat loofe like a petticoat, and was tied with leather ftrings. Captain Dixon made her a prefent of a string of beads for an ornament to each ear, and a number of buttons; with which fhe was fo highly pleafed, that he made her best acknowledgments, and departed. Scarcely was fhe got into the canoe, before a number of women flocked about her; and, seeing the beads in her ears, began to talk very clamorously; most probably A chief and his wife, belonging taxing her with incontinence, for to one of thefe iflands, being very the immediately clafped the infant defirous to fee Captain Dixon's fhip, to her breast with unspeakable fondpermiffion was granted: they had a nefs, and burst into a flood of tears: little child with them, of which they at length, however, the tender foothfeemed particularly fond; and not ings of her hufband, and fome apowilling to truft it with their attend- logies from her offending friends, or ants in the canoe, the chief went on attendants, restored the fond mother board by himself, leaving the tender to her wonted cheerfulness and trancharge with his wife. When the quillity. When harmony was obtainpoor man first got on deck, he ap-ed in the canoe, the chief held up his peared to be greatly frightened, and child to the people on deck, and enX deavoured deavoured to make them fenfible, that it was equally dear to him as his wife; intimating, at the fame time, that, though he had received no present, it was his wifh that his little one fhould be remembered: Captain Dixon therefore gave the child a couple of toes, at which the father was wonderfully pleased; and a few buttons being distributed amongst the women in the canoe, it ferved to convince them, that the crew did not confider fuch trifles as a purchase of their fidelity. The women of these islands ornament themfelves by wearing pieces of wood in their under lips; a cuftom which is prevalent at feveral other iflands where these voyagers landed and for a further account of which, fee page 140. TH HE crew of the veffels being on fhore at Atoui, in February 1787, the chiefs of the island invited fome of them, one day, to partake of what was esteemed a fumptuous dinner. There were four fervants concerned in this bufinefs; and, the company being all affembled, one brought in a large calabash of water; another, a parcel of cocoa-nuts; a third, a bowl full of fine baked taro; and the last, ushered in by Tyheira, one of the principal chiefs, brought a roafted hog, laid very decently on a large circular wooden difli. This done, the head cook poured fome water over the animal, and rubbed it with his hands, at the fame time intimating, that he should foon make moft excellent gravy by that means! The appetites of the people not be ing very delicate, they made a moft excellent meal, notwithstanding this difgufting ceremony. During the whole time of dinner, attendants were in waiting to open cocoa-nuts, whenever the guests wanted to allay their thirft. The writer of this account fays, that every attention was paid with as much exactnefs as might have been expected at a guinea ordinary in England; and that the pig was done to a turn! AFFECTING CIRCUMSTANCES RELATIVE TO THE FAMILY AND FATE OF A MAHOMEDAN CHIEF, WHO CONDUCTED THE SIEGE OF TELLICHERRY IN 1782. [From "Memoirs of the War in Afia.”] ΤΗ HE reinforcements being all arrived, and every proper difpofition made for the fally and attack, the troops, fixteen hundred in number, on the 8th of January 1782, at two o'clock in the morning, were under arms, and at three marched in files, by the center, to the Brass Pagoda, an important ftation in the lines, which takes its name from a covering of brafs plates on a large and venerable Gentoo place of worship. Here the engineer had opened a space through which the troops might march out of the lines. They halted until near four o'clock, that they might arrive at the enemy's camp juft on the dawning of the day. Having blown, aocording to orders, the priming powder out of the pans of their guns, they marched in profound filence, through marthy ground, till they turned Putney Hill, where a battery was erected that fcoured the camp, fituated in its rear. This the advanced party attacked and took without fuffering the fmallest lofs. At the fame time, the main body formed the line on the fhoulder of the hill, facing the enemy's camp, which they had evacuated in the greatest confufion. Surdar Cawn, their general, was difcovered on horfeback, at fome distance, leading on a party of his men. Another party, drawn together in a confufed manner, on the extremity of Bench-Hill, adjoin ing to that of Putney, was gallantly difperfed by the lieutenants Hodges and Wheldon, with two companies of fepoys. The line, in the mean time, advanced through the enemy's camp, by files, in two columns. Surdar Cawn, after fome refiftance, being wounded in the ankle, threw himfelf, with many of his braveft and most faithful followers, into a fortified house, formed in the cavity of a rock, at Corichee, the manfion of his women and the repofitory of his treasures, determined not to furvive the difgrace of a defeat, but to defend himself to the laft extremity. The men, in token of defperation, loofing their hair, difplayed colours on the house, with the found of horns and other martial mufic. In this fituation, that refolute, body of men waited to receive our troops, when Lieutenant Wooding ton, the major of brigade, with a part of the grenadier fepoys, halted to attack the houfe; and whilst he was giving orders to his men, was wounded through both his legs with a musket-ball. The main body, under Major Abington and Captain Carpenter, foon came up, and, about the fame time, a party of marines and fepoys, under Captain Pruin and Lieutenant Bute, that had been landed from the veffels in the rear of the house, which was thus completely furrounded. This habitation, porte fires being put in the guns, and fired on the thatched roof, by the contrivance of the engineer, was fet on fire, and the defendants, after a refiftance of two hours, were compelled to furrender or to perifh in the flames. The fuccefs of this day was very great. The enemy's general, and many officers of diftinction, with upwards of two thousand men, were taken prifoners. All their guns, more than fifty in number, fell into the hands of the victors, with much ammunition, two lacks of rupees, a large collection of grain, feven elephants, a great deal of cordage and timber, and many horfes and draught bullocks. But the general joy was not a little damped by the fituation of Lieutenant Woodington, the only European officer who was wounded on this memorable occafion; and whofe lofs to the army, for he was a very meritorious and active officer, was greatly lamented. When the fortified houfe, in which the unfortunate Surdar Cawn made his laft ftand, was fet on fire, many of his family and other adherents, in order to avoid the flames, began to drop down from the walls, amidst the fire of the fepoys. Among thefe were feven of the finest women of the east, who compofed the Cawn's feraglio. Captain Chriftie, who happened to pafs by the fpot where the women threw themselves down from the battlements of the haram, immediately stopt the firing, at the hazard of his life ran up to their affistance, and received them, one after another, in his arms. In the mean time, a party of failors belonging to the Bombay cruizers, that had co-operated with the land-forces in this attack on Surdar Cawn's last refuge, came up, and for the fake of plunder began to tear off the women's ear-rings, while thefe unfortunate ladies, afraid of even ruder treatment, and uncertain of their fate, endeavoured to put an end to their exilence. But Captain Chriftie, partly by his authority as an officer, and partly by a feafonable diftribution of the jewels, in which the ladies cheerfully feconded him, was enabled, though with difficulty, to fave them from farther violence, by restoring order among the failors, The poor women, when they found X 2 themfelves |