Annual Register: A Review of Public Events at Home and Abroad, for the Year ...

pouring into the harbour: it had subsided previous to the hurricane, which blew from the South.

16. Vienna.-It was last Wednesday evening that an express from Count Trantmansdorff, the Austrian minister at Stutgard, brought the afflicting news of the death of the Queen of Wurtemberg to the Prince Metternich, who immediately waited on their Majesties with the mournful intelligence. It has excited universal regret, as the greater part of our nobility had an opportunity, during the visits of this excellent Princess, in 1814 and 1815, to become acquainted with her extraordinary endowments.

19. Madrid. The bands of malcontents begin to show themselves in old Castile. One of these bands, consisting of 200 men, has posted itself between Burgos and Valladolid, and has committed disorders in the clothmanufactory of Escaray.

Lately, one of the bands that infest the Sierra Morena, composed of about 50 persons, the greatest part mounted on mules, penetrated as far as Mentiel, a place become celebrated by the adventures of the hero of Cervantes, the famous Don Quixote. In this troop there was remarked a Franciscan, who had doffed the frock to follow this honourable profession: this good father had still his gray cloak, shortened indeed for the purpose of allowing him greater facility in mounting his mule. These honest people limited their demands to some fanegas of grain, and leathern bottles of wine, with which they regained their haunts.

ST. LOUIS (Senegal) Jan. 19.

(Extract of a Private Letter addressed to a Merchant at Caen.) A great number of ships have arrived here from Europe, and several others are expected, exclusive of those forming the expedition. The colony is incumbered with merchandise, and nothing is selling.

The arrival of the expedition is anxiously looked for, to see what course things will take. It is hoped that the projects of government will open fresh resources to trade. Some millions of pounds of cotton have been shipped for exportation. It is very fine, and from its ameliora. tion by the care of its cultivation, it perhaps cannot be excelled. It is worth 45 sols a pound, when shredded; but this new branch of industry wants encouragement; and I do not perceive that any thing has been done to promote this. We find here cotton of a nankeen colour, which grows, like the other, without cultivation, and which may be advantageously used in our manufac

tures.

Our Galam expedition has not been attended with all the success which we anticipated. It left this on the 17th of August, 1818, to the number of nine vessels, under convoy of three. Royal brigs of war; they were three months in proceeding up the river, about 300 leagues. The navigation is dangerous, because it must be attempted during the hottest and worst part of the season. This flotilla, with the exception of the Argus Royal brig, and a merchant-vessel, des

tined to pass the year at Galam, returned about the middle of December. They effected nothing, except bringing away some grain. The most grievous part is, that all the Europeans to the number of 30, were taken sick, and 15 of them died. Fears are entertained for those who remain. An express just received announces the death of the Governor, M. Chatellux, geographical engineer.

The English expedition under Major Grey, which set off last year from Gambia to explore the Niger, has been detained at Galam by the rains which prevail during the months of August, September, and October, and also by other unforeseen obstacles. However this may be, it is now united to ours, which is not established at the ancient fort St. Joseph, but at a few leagues below the river Faleme.

Major Grey dispatched Adrian Partarieux, a mulatto of St. Louis, attached to his suite, to bring him a supply of men and effects from Gambia; they will join him by land; the journey is 21 days. An English officer has arrived with an escort of blacks at Sego, where Major Grey is desirous of constructing a galliot, with which he purposes to ascertain the course of the Niger.

Guernsey, Jan. 23.-Wednesday night last, about eight o'clock, we experienced one of the most violent storms that ever happened here, in the memory of the oldest person; the lightning fell on the pinnacle of St. Martin's church, and damaged it greatly; the weathercock, and the large stone on which it was fixed, were beaten down; it penetrated into

the belfrey, following a wire that was fixed to a small bell, which conducted it to the pulpit; almost all the pews were damaged, the seats in the galleries torn up, as well as the stairs, and the plaster torn off the walls in several places: the pillar where the ten commandments were placed, as also several of the pillars which supported the arches of this edifice, have cracks in them more or less large; in short, there is scarcely a part of the church which has not felt the effects of the storm; all the windows have been broken; the entire of the east window, wood-work and all, was driven into the church-yard. Several persons who were on the roads at the time were thrown down on the ground, and the windows of a house opposite to the church were nearly all broken.

Leipsic, Jan. 23.-The new year's fair has turned out very ill, and though some business was done towards the conclusion, it was not sufficient to have much influence. Money is scarce; and many limit their expenses more than is advantageous; others must limit them in order to struggle through life with misery and want. The badness of the fair was chiefly caused by the new Prussian tariff of customs, and the consequent regulations which were put in force exactly during the fair, and may be said to beleaguer Leipsic on three sides. Every thing may, indeed, be imported into Prussia; but the duties on importation and consumption are so high, that every body hesitates to import any thing. The market people who bring provisions to the city take no goods back with

them.

them. Many persons think that, by degrees, things will be so managed, that many of the disadvantages will be avoided: but others are of opinion that the system of high duties will be modified or even abolished, because it will not produce to Prussia the revenue it expects, and is besides as inconsistent with a confederation of states as with the act of the confederation. The Russian and Polish merchants thought of conveying their goods through Bohemia, but first applied at Berlin, and another regulation was immediately made with respect to Russia and Poland.

Greenock, Jan. 25.-Arrived on Saturday last, the Highlander, Donald, from Charleston, in 32 days; experienced continued gales of wind during the passage. On the 8th inst., in lat. 39.48. N. long. 39. 4. W. spoke the Mondera, 7 days from Philadelphia. On the 14th, in lat. 45. 32 N. long. 26. 4. W. at 7 A. M. saw a sail apparently in distress; bore down, and found her to be the Triton, Hogarth, of North Shields, from St. John's, N. B. She had sprung a leak on the 14th ult., and on the 5th inst. became completely water-logged; same night carried away her foremast, bowsprit, and main top-mast, boats, and every thing on deck, and stove in her counter. At nine A. M. Capt. Donald lowered down his boat (a heavy sea running) and took Capt. Hogarth, eight men, and four boys, off the wreck, reduced almost to skeletons, having been ten days without either meat or drink. James Gould and Andrew Graham died the day previous to the rest being picked up, from fatigue, cold, and hunger. At

11, spoke the brig Mexican, from New Orleans, 33 days out, and bound for Havre-de-Grace; sent a boat on board her with six of the stoutest of the Triton's men, all in a fair way of recovery.

FEBRUARY.

1. Monday week being the day appointed to appeal against the supplementary charges on windows in Bath, the commissioners of that city unanimously decided against the extra charges, declaring all Venetian windows made previously to the year 1785 chargeable only as one window, and Venetian windows made subsequently to that period chargeable as two windows only. The appellants, to the number of upwards of 700, are, by this decision, relieved; subject, however, to a case for the opinion of the judges.

Portsmouth. An experiment has been tried in this dock-yard, to ascertain if a grass, the common produce of New Zealand, and which may be cut down three times a year, is applicable to making large and small ropes. A favourable report, we understand, is made of it. The article is strong and pliable, and very silky in its nature. It can be brought into this country at less than 81. per ton; one-seventh of the cost of hemp.

The quantity of fish caught and cured this season at Newfoundland does not amount to more than two-thirds of an average supply; which circumstance has caused a great demand for the cured fish of this country. Portsmouth herrings have obtained a

great

great preference in this demand, from the care taken in packing them; they are found to reach even the West India islands in a better state than the Scotch herrings, which being roed, and very luscious, do not keep so sound. The French boats have purchased large quantities at Portsmouth, at a higher price than the curers of that town can afford to give; but as they are not allowed to salt them after the 1st of February, the whole which may be subsequently caught will come into the market.

London, Feb. 1.-The solemn and magnificent requiem of Mozart has seldom produced so deep an impression as at the Spanish chapel on Saturday morning, associated as it was with the sacred offices of religion, and the funeral obsequies of the young queen of Spain. The chapel was hung in black, and the coffin placed in the centre with the crown over it, and the arms of Spain and Portugal at each side. The Catholic Bishop, Dr. Poynter, officiated. The presence of the Duke of San Carlos, Duke of Wellington, the French, Portuguese, Dutch, and Neapolitan ambassadors, accompanied by their secretaries, the Spanish officers, all in their state dresses, and the Spaniards residing in this capital, dressed in deep mourning, added to the grandeur and solemnity of the

scene.

2. Died lately, at Notter, near Landrake, lieutenant-col. O'Dogherty, of the Royal Marines, one of the most eccentric characters in England, who for more than 20 years occasionally visited Plys mouth-market on an old white

horse, lean as Rosinante, whose lank appearance, combined with his own singular habiliments, formed together a spectacle of wretchedness fully equal to any thing described of the celebrated Elwes. In his last visit to Plymouth, a few weeks since, he seated himself on the steps of the Plymouth Telegraph office to eat an apple. His dress then consisted of a dirty night-cap round his head, surmounted by the poll of an old hat without a brim, a rough waistcoat patched all over, greasy leather smallclothes, kept up by listing braces outside the waistcoat, with wads of straw round the bottoms of his legs. In his hand he wielded a large hedge-stick. Amidst all this seeming penury, he possessed some very excellent freehold estates in the above parish, well stocked; yet he chose to quit the family mansion, and lived in a small cottage in its vicinity, without a pane of glass in the windows. He nightly entered it by a ladder, which he drew after him, and slept in a corner of one of the rooms upon a wretched pallet.

The brig Ann, of Jersey, from Whitehaven for St. Michael's, has been brought into St. Ives, in distress. She had been out 22 days, and was driven 600 miles to the westward of her course, and had carried away her foremast and main-topmast. She was prevented from going on shore to the westward of St. Ives, by the intrepidity of the pilots, who ventured to her assistance in a tremendous sea, and thus saved not only the vessel and cargo, but, in all probability, the lives of the crew; as, had the vessel grounded,

there

Greenock, Jan. 25.-Arrived on Saturday last, the Highlander, Donald, from Charleston, in 32 days; experienced continued gales of wind during the passage. On the 8th inst., in lat. 39.48. N. long. 39.4. W. spoke the Mondera, 7 days from Philadelphia. On the 14th, in lat. 45. 32 N. long. 26. 4. W. at 7 A. M. saw a sail apparently in distress; bore down, and found her to be the Triton, Hogarth, of North Shields, from St. John's, N. B. She had sprung a leak on the 14th ult., and on the 5th inst. became completely water-logged; same night carried away her foremast, bowsprit, and main top-mast, boats, and every thing on deck, and stove in her counter. At nine A. M. Capt. Donald lowered down his boat (a heavy sea running) and took Capt. Hogarth, eight men, and four boys, off the wreck, reduced almost to skeletons, having been ten days without either meat or drink. James Gould and Andrew Graham died the day previous to the rest being picked up, from fatigue, cold, and hunger. At

11, spoke the brig Mexican, from New Orleans, 33 days out, and bound for Havre-de-Grace; sent a boat on board her with six of the stoutest of the Triton's men, all in a fair way of recovery.

FEBRUARY.

Portsmouth.-An experiment has been tried in this dock-yard, to ascertain if a grass, the common produce of New Zealand, and which may be cut down three times a year, is applicable to making large and small ropes. A favourable report, we understand, is made of it. The article is strong and pliable, and very silky in its nature. It can be brought into this country at less than S/. per ton; one-seventh of the cost of hemp.

great

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