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ferious cause of regret to the country, which muft naturally be interested in the perfonal fafety of two fuch excellent officers.-The mifunderstanding alluded to, originated, it is faid, in the neglect which the latter conceived to have been manifefted towards him, by rear-admiral Nelfon being appointed to the command of the fquadron with which he vanquished the French fleet off the coaft of Egypt, although fir John was his fùperior in naval rank in the fleet of lord St. Vincent, from which it was detached. Sir John remonftrated on the fubject, and the correfpondence which paffed between him and the noble admiral on the occafion was of fo unpleasant a nature that he refigned his command, and returued to England. On his arrival he ap. plied to the admiralty to be allowed an opportunity of juftifying his conduct; but lord Spencer, in the moft handfome and becoming terms, endeavoured to diffuade him from his purpofe; at the fame time affuring him, that their lordships entertained the highest opinion of his conduct, both as an officer and a gentle man, In this fituation the affair refted, till the recent return of lord St. Vincent afforded fir John an opportunity of making a perfonal application to his lordship for the fatif faction to which he considered himfelf to be entitled

19th. Intelligence was this day received at the admiralty, from admiral Mitchell, communicating the total lofs of La Lutine, of 32 guns, captain Skynner, on the outward bank of the Fly ifland paffage. on the night of the 9th inftant, in a heavy gale at N. N. W. La Lutine had, on the fame morning, failed

Yarmouth roads with feveral

paffengers, and an immenfe quan tity of treafure, for the Texel; but a ftrong lee-tide rendered every effort of captain Skynner, to avoid the threatened danger, unavailable, and it was alike impoffible, during the night, to receive any affiftance, either from the Arrow, captain Portlock, which was in company, or the fhore, from whence feveral fchoots were in readiness to go to her. When the dawn broke, La Lutine was in vain looked for; fhe had gone to pieces, and all on board unfortunately perifhed, except two men, who were picked up, and one of whom has fince died from the fatigue he had encountered. The furvivor is Mr. Schabracq, a notary public. In the annals of our naval hiftory, there has fcarcely ever happened a lofs attended with fo much calamity, both of a public as well as private nature. The return from the bullion-office makes the whole amount to 600,000 dollars, about 140,000%. fterling, in fpecie, on board the Lutine, which had been shipped by individual merchants in this country, for the relief of different commercial houfes in Hamburgh. There were also several merchants on board.

22d. This day another common hall was held, for the election of a lord-mayor. Alderman Combe and fir William Plomer were returned by the livery to the court of aldermen; whofe choice falling upon the former, he was accordingly invested with the gold chain, &c.

23d. A grand requeim and folemn dirge were this day performed, at the chapel of the Sardinian ambaffador, on the occafion of the death of pope Pius VI. The titu lar bishop officiated at the altar; and Mr. Dignum, of Drury-lane

theatre,

theatre, fung the dirge in a masterly and impreffive ftyle. A fplendid maufoleum was erected in the middle of the chapel; and the whole ceremony was truly graceful and magnificent.

much, and was quite reftlefs. Sir George faid, " Maria, you disturb me, I will get up," which he immediately did, put on his watch-coat, and lay down on the floor, Lady Dunbar then endeavoured to conceal the anguifh of her mind, in hopes to pacify him, and being overcome with watching fell asleep. Sir George, as foon as he perceived it, left the room, and at about five or fix in the morning walked out. Her ladyship, when the awoke, being much alarmed by his abfence, eagerly inquired for him, and was told he had taken a morning walk, having a violent head ach, and thinking the air would do him good. This however, proved only a pretence; for he had gone to purchase a cafe of piftols, and ftood by while. the bullets were cafting, which, with the piftols, he brought home concealed under his watch-coat. On his return he went to lady Dunbar, who took hold of his hand, observing, at the fame time, How cold you are!' To which he answered,

DIED, 28th. At Norwich, fir George Dunbar, baronet, major in the 14th regiment of light dragoons, quartered there, and where he was unhappily involved in a difpute at mefs with his brother officers. He was a man of quick fenfibility, which may have betrayed him into error on the occafion; but, whichever party was to blame, the quarrel was of a moft violent nature, and he returned home much bruifed from blows received in the fcuffle. The next day, repairing to the mefs-room, he declared to the other officers, "that, if he had offended any of them, he was ready to make an apology; or, if that was not thought fufficient, to give them honourable fatisfaction." This propofal was refufed; and the officers infifted, "that he muft fell out; for that, as he had Yes I fhall be better prefently." abufed the whole regiment, nothing She then propofed to make breakelfe would or could fatisfy them." faft; but he declined it, faying, that To this fir George replied, "that he had a letter to write firft, and he would live and die in the regi- that he would ring to let her know ment, of which he had been an when he should have finished it. He officer for 20 years, and that a pistol then parted from her, after preffing fhould end the difpute," Here her hand very hard; went to his ended all communication; but the ftudy, wrote his will, and inftantly bufinefs made a moft deep impref- after blew out his brains. Lady fion on his mind. For two fuccef- Dunbar, who heard the report of five days he neither took food or the pistol, ran down into the room, flept, and his melancholy appear- and fell infenfible on his body, which ance filled his family with the moft lay extended on the floor, and from Jively apprehenfions. Lady Dunbar which the was taken up all covered locked up his razors, tois, &c. with his blood, and immediately reand watched him with unceasing moved to a friend's houfe. They vigilance. Her diftrefs at feeing were a very happy couple, and the him fo wretched was very great, had accompanied him in all his came night the moaned very paigns. His remains were interred, D 3

and in

with

with military honours, at St. Peter's church, the dean having refufed leave (which was applied for) to have him buried in the cathedral. He is fucceeded by his coufin-germane, George Dunbar, efq. a gentleman of the highest refpectability as a merchant and magiftrate in Liverpool, of which he ferved the office of mayor 1797.

NOVEMBER.

6th. Laft night, on the receding of the tide, the body of a middle aged man was found in an erect pofition upon the mud of the Thames near Black-friers bridge. From circumftances it is believed, that the deceased walked deliberately into the water, The body proved to be that of a watchmaker, of St. John's ftreet, Clerkenwell, who had been abfent from his family eight days. He was fkilful and ingenious in his profeffion; and has left a wife and five young children. He had been for fome weeks in a defponding way.

Nice. The funeral ceremonies of pope Pius VI. ended on the 31ft ult. They difpenfed with the ufual form of opening a conclave, for the election of a new pope, on the last day of the funeral of the deceased one, in order to know from Vienna, where they difpatched a courier, the fentiments of that court, and which of the cardinals the emperor would wish to fee elevated to the papal dignity.

The brilliant fword given by his Neapolitan majefty to lord Nelfon was made a prefent to the king of Naples by Charles III. on his departure for Spain, in the following words: With this fword I con

quered the kingdom which I now refign to thee:-it ought in future, to be poffeffed by the first defender of the fame, or by him who re ftoreth it to thee, in cafe it fhould ever be loft."

Mr. Horneman, the present African traveller, who is a young Hano verian, full of health and enterprize, has written a letter to fir Jofeph Banks, from Tripoli. He had travelled from Cairo, in Egypt, through the Lybian defart, to Fezzan, the largeft Oafis in the Great Sahara, a route hitherto unexplored by any European whofe travels have been communicated to the public. In the journey from Cairo to Fezzan he halted at Sewah, which, from the notices of Mr. Brown, fome months ago, had been clearly afcertained to be the Oafis of Ammon, Mr. Horneman's new obfervations, made at his leisure on the spot, now place the matter beyond all manner of doubt. Mr. Horneman was too late this feafon for the caravan that goes from Fezzan to Soudan, comprehending under that name Hourfes Cafhnou Bournon, the great kingdom near the Niger. Meanwhile he has fent from Tripoli, by another conveyance not yet arrived, the journal of his prefent travels; and there is every reason to hope, that he will accomplish his great undertaking of vifiting the unknown central regions of Africa, especially from the following occurrences mentioned in his letter; he was followed from Sewah by a large party fent to feize him, on fufpicion of his being a French fpy. But, his aune and behaviour were fo completely Mem, and he proved himfelf fo thorough mafter of the Koran, that he was leafed with bleffings and alms as a

od muffulman,

fulman, and fent forward on his journey.

A blackish worm, not unlike a caterpillar, has this year deftroyed whole forefts of trees in America, The oaks are the first objects of their depredation. In fome places fcores of acres are as naked as in the middle of winter.

16th. A folemn dirge was this day. chaunted at St. Patrick's chapel, Soho-fquare, for the repofe of the foul of the Roman pontiff, pope Pius VI. to whofe remains the ac, cuftomed fepulchral rites were refufed by the abbé Sieyes and his accomplices. The fervice was performed in a very fplendid ftyle by Dr. Douglas, the Roman catholic bishop of London, affifted by Dr. Huffey, bishop of Waterford, feve ral French bithops, and most of the clergy of that perfuafion in the vicinity of the metropolis.-A very eloquent and affecting funeral oration was delivered by Dr. O'Leary, who concluded by felicitating his flock on the happiness they enjoyed in this country, on which, and its conftitution, he pronounced a glowing panegyrick. Though the ceremony began at 10 in the morning, yet the audience, which, befide a great concourse of those who are numbered, but not named, confifted of feveral foreign ambaffadors, and many of the nobility of both fexes, waited patiently till half past four in the evening, when they retired highly gratified

27th. A very dreadful accident happened last night in Fitzroyfquare. The earl of Scarborough, with his fifter, lady Louifa Hartley, paffing in his lordship's carriage through that fquare, which is badly lighted, the coachman miftook his way, and unfortunately drove over

into the area which is dug on the North, for the row of houfes on that fide of the fquare. Mr. Shield, the celebrated mufical compofer, happening to pafs that way foon after, was alarmed by violent groanings, iffuing from the dark fide of the fquare. He haftened to the fpot, and procuring a light, difcovered the very melancholy accident which had taken place. He immediately got proper affiftance; and lord Scarborough and his fifter, who had both fainted, but moft providentially had received no very dangerous hurt, were removed to the houfe of a French furgeon in the neighbourhood, together with the coachman, who had his ribs broke, and the footman, whofe leg was fhattered in fo dreadful a manner, that immediate amputation was declared neceflary, Lord Scarborough very humanely ordered the beft affiftance to be procured; and Mr. Heavifide, the furgeon, was fent for, who concur ing in opinion with the French gentleman, the operation was immedi ately performed. A hackney coach having been procured, lord Scarborough and his fifter went to Mr, Hartley's houfe, in Gower-street; and we are happy to learn, that they have fufferred no material injury from the accident, except that his lordship received a fmall contufion in his head. Their escape is to be confidered as very providential, as the height of the fall could not be lefs than 10 or 12 feet.

DIED. Kien Long, upwards of 64 years emperor of China, over which kingdom he began to reign 1735. He is fucceeded by his fon Ka Hing, who has for two years adminiftered the government of that country. He was perhaps the best D 4

known

known to Europe of all the monarchs of China who had preceded him; and more particularly to England by the embally fent thence to him in 1792. The author of the "Purfuits of Literature" has addreffed a poetical epiftle to him; and Voltaire had before done the fame, on his majefty's talent for verfifying, in which he styles him " Monarque an nez camus. Peter Pindar alfo. wrote a poetical epiftle to him. The whole empire is in great distress on account of the death of the emperor, whofe virtues had endeared him to all his fubjects. He was a person of a very graceful appearance, of about five feet ten inches in height, and of a flender and elegant form; his nofe was rather aquiline; and the whole of his countenance prefented a perfect regularity of features, which by no means announced the great age he was faid to have attained; his perfon was attracting and his deportment accompanied by an affability which, without leffening the dignity of the prince, evinced the amiable character of the man. His drefs confifted generally of a loose robe of yellow filk, a cap of black velvet, with a red ball on the top, and adorned with a peacock's feather which is the peculiar defcription of Mandarians of the first clafs; he ufually wore boots embroidered with gold; and a fash of blue filk girded his waift. The emperor died in the 90th year, and the grand Choulaa, who is the prime minifter, and retained in office, ftill preferves the affections of the people. The late emperor of China, Kien Long, began his reign in 1735, and his grandfather Canghy reigned almoft as long, he having afcended the throne in 1660, and died in

1722. It was Canghy, who, with allufion to the one ftoried houses of his fubjects, exclaimed, "Undoubtedly, this Europe must be a very fmall and pitiful country, fince the inhabitants cannot find ground enough to fpread out their towns but are obliged to live up thus in the air."

DECEMBER.

2d. This afternoon two uninhabited houses, on Snow-hill, fell down. They were used as warehoufes by a wholesale grocer; but, being old, and the floors extremely overloaded, they came down, and very fortunately without any perfon receiving any injury.

4th. Six waggons, loaded with part of the treasure taken in two rich Spanish frigates, reached the Bank from Plymouth. At nine o'clock the waggons arrived at Kenfington, where they were met by a captain's guard of the grenadier battalion of the guards, and the proceffion moved along Piccadilly, St. James's street, Pall-Mall, the Strand, Fleetftreet, and Cheapfide. When the cavalcade reached the Manfionhoufe, the lord mayor, the lady mayorefs, capt. Young, &c. came in front of the house, and drank out of a golden cup, "Succefs to the British navy," the band playing Rule Britannia, while the honeft tars, who were regaled at the fame time, gave his lordship three cheers.

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6th. A numerous meeting took place at the London Tavern, for the purpofe of alleviating the wants of the induftrious poor. Mr. Devaynes, being called to the chair, recommended an extenfion of the plan commenced

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