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“ John, Wapping, the neighbourhood was alarmed with the cry of fire, which spread a general consternation among the inhabitants. The house of Mr. Hughes, sail-maker, adjoining to Gun-dock, was all in flames in an instant, and communicated itself to a biscuit baker's adjoining, and with irresistable fury burnt down 15 houses on both sides the way before water could be had to supply the engines, it being then ebb-tide. Numbers of the unhappy sufferers had their goods carried off by persons who pretended to assift them in their distress, some of whom are in custody. ”

“ But what does the greatest honour to Captain Tyrrel, the commodore, is the following incident; when the fort was demolished, a village situated close by it was a strong temptation to men flushed with victory to attack, and they sollicited warmly for leave to destroy it; but their brave commander replied, 'Gentlemen, it is beneath us to render a number of poor people miserable, by destroying their habitations and little conveniencies of life; brave Englishmen scorn to distress even their enemies when not in arms against them:' This prevailed, and saved the lives of the innocent villagers. ”

“ You are now therefore receiving the acknowledgments of the people, only in a more solemn way—by the voice, the general voice, of their representatives in parliament—The most honourable fame that any man can arrive at, in this, or any other country. It is, on these occasions, a national honour, from a free people; ever cautiously to be conferred, in order to be the more esteemed to be the greater reward; and which ought to be reserved for the most signal services to the state, and the most approved merit in them ”

“ It has pleased the Divine Providence to bless his majesty's measures and arms with success in several parts; and to make our enemies feel, that the strength of Great Britain is not to be provoked with impunity.
We have it also in command from his majesty to acquaint you, that the conquest of the strong fortress of Louisbourg, with the islands of Cape Breton and St. John; the taking of Frontenac, of the highest importance to our operations in North America; and the reduction of Senegal; cannot fail to bring great distress upon the French commerce and colonies ”

“ Make known to all the inhabitants of Brittany, that the descent on their coast with the powerful army under our command, and our formidable armament by sea, is not made with an intention to make war on the inhabitants of the country, excepting those who should be found in arms, or shall otherwise oppose the just war, which we wage against his majesty the most Christian king. ”

“ Many to the right and left sunk with the violent pressure, and were soon suffocated; for now a steam arose from the living and the dead, which affected us in all its circumstances, as if we were forcibly held by our heads over a bowl of strong volatile spirit of hartshorn, until suffocated; nor could the effluvia of the one be distinguished from the other; and frequently, when I was forced by the load upon my head and shoulders, to hold my face down, I was obliged, near as I was to the window, instantly to raise it again, to escape suffocation. ”

“ Before I hit upon this happy expedient, I had in an ungovernable fit of thirst, attempted drinking my urine; but it was so intensely bitter, there was no enduring a second taste, whereas no Bristol water could be more soft or pleasant than what arose from perspiration.
By half an hour past eleven, the much greater number of those living were in an outrageous delirium, and the others quite ungovernable; few retaining any calmness, but the ranks next the windows. ”

“ By a letter from Captain Lockhart to the Admiralty, there was advice that his majesty's ships Edinburgh, Dreadnought, Augusta, and a sloop, had blocked up the harbour of Cape François for some weeks: that on the 15th of October, all the French squadron sailed to drive the English off the coast: and the next day the two squadrons came to a close engagement, which continued till night, when the French squadron, having the land breeze, by the help of their frigates were towed into port, greatly disabled, and the Opiniatre dismasted. They had 300 men killed, and as many wounded. ”

“ We have observed upon none which we could not praise; not that we pretend to have observed on all that are praise-worthy. Those that do not deserve to be well spoken of, do not deserve to be spoken of at all.
Though we think our plan tolerably well calculated for a literary amusement, we do not pretend that the public will not have something to excuse, as well as to applaud. Our acquaintance with their sentiments in that respect will increase our employment for the ensuing year, and excite us to amend the faults which we may have committed in this. ”

“ Be this as it may, as soon as it was dark, we were all, without distinction, directed by the guard set over us to collect ourselves into one body, and sit down quietly under the arched Veranda, or Piazza, to the west of the Black-hole prison, and the barracks to the left of the court of guard. Just as it was dark, about 400 or 500 men, who were drawn up upon the parade, advanced, and ordered us all to rise and go into the barracks. We were no sooner all within them, than the guard advanced to the inner arches and parapet-wall ”

“ Admiral Saunders arrived at Spithead from the Streights, in the Monmouth, with the Revenge, Foudroyant, and Orpheus, and brought home with him above 1000 French prisoners. The Foudroyant is a surprizing 84 gun ship, her guns are on two decks, her lower tier monstrously unwieldy, and not easy to be worked, the shot weighing very little short of fifty pounds each. Notwithstanding their superiority in bulk, our thirty-two pound shot are thought by all judges to be on a par with them, and of as much efficacy when they take place. ”

“ Lord Frederick Cavendish, and Sir Charles Gilmore, Bart. arrived at court on their paroles of honour, to settle the exchange of prisoners.
The Bristol merchant ship, with wine, grocery, and spirits, ran a-ground in the road of Liverpool, and since bulged. Part of her lading was put on shore on the Welch fide, where the populace, notwithstanding all that could be done to prevent it, breached the wine and spirits, got immoderately drunk, and committed the most violent outrages. ”

“ Came on at the high court of admiralty before Sir George Lee, Knight, several trials with regard to Dutch and Danish ships taken by our privateers; and it appearing to the satisfaction of the court, that their cargoes were French property, four were condemned as lawful prizes; and the court gave orders that the freights of three of them should be paid, and the ships set at liberty; but a Dutch vessel taken by the Hawk privateer, and carried into Gibralter, had both ship and cargo condemned; she is a very valuable prize. ”

“ A court-martial was held on board the Newark, for the trial of the 15 mutineers belonging to the Namur man of war, who all received sentence of death.
Information having been given to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, that several officers were recruiting in that kingdom from Great Britain, without the knowledge of the government there, his excellency signified his pleasure to such officers, that they should immediately desist from raising men in that kingdom, and that they do immediately discharge all such as they have already enlisted. ”

“ At seven in the morning, the Dreadnought made the signal for seeing the enemy's fleet coming out the Cape François; we made sail to discover them plain; and at half past eight made seven sail of large ships, a schooner, and a pilot boat. I then made the signal for the line a-head, and shortened sail, to let the enemy come up, and to preserve the weather-gage. At noon saw with great certainty they were four ships of the line, and three large frigates. ”

“ Matthew M'Can, the second man that drew, had the unfortunate chance; and accordingly, at a gun fired as a signal, he was run up to the yard-arm, where he hung for near an hour. The reprieved were turned over to the Grafton and Sunderland, bound to the East Indies. It is said, the cause of the mutiny was only the dislike they had to quit the Namur, on board which ship Admiral Boscawen, when he took upon him the command of the intended expedition, hoisted his flag, and was to bring the crew of his former ship with him. ”

“ Before nine o'clock every man's thirst grew intolerable, and respiration difficult. Efforts were made again to force the door, but in vain. Many insults were used to the guard to provoke them to fire in upon us. For my own part, I hitherto felt little pain or uneasiness, but what resulted from my anxiety for the sufferings of those within. By keeping my face between two of the bars, I obtained air enough to give my lungs easy play, though my perspiration was excessive, and thirst commencing. ”

“ In the black-hole there is a platform [1] corresponding with that in the barrack: I travelled over the dead, and repaired to the further end of it, just opposite to the other window. Here my poor friend Mr. Edward Eyre came staggering over the dead to me, and with his usual coolness and good-nature, asked me how I did? but fell and expired before I had time to make him a reply. I laid myself down on some of the dead behind me, on the platform; and, recommending myself to heaven, had the comfort of thinking my sufferings could have no long duration. ”

“ This person was some time since master of an English vessel, trading from port to port in North America, particularly up the river St. Laurence; but being taken by the enemy, has been prisoner with the General Montcalm and others near three years, who would not admit of any exchange for him, on account of his extensive knowledge of all the coast, more particularly the strength and foundings of Quebec and Louisbourg; they therefore came to a resolution to send him to Old France, in the next packet-boat, there to be confined till the end of the war. ”

“ The plague at Smyrna has continued to rage with so much violence this summer, that by letters received from thence there is advice, that there are scarce people enough left in the neighbourhood of that city to gather in the fruits of the earth.
Bitter complaints have lately been made by the Spaniards against the conduct of our privateers, which have lately seized some of their ships under pretence of having French property on board. ”

“ In running down with the tide, she fell foul of a tier of ships, the people of whom seeing her without any body on the deck, suspected something, and going down into the cabin, found three men lying dead, and the captain and a boy near expiring. ”

“ The nation has also been made sensible, that whilst their forces are sent forth to invade and ravage the dominions of their neighbours, their own coasts are not inaccessible to his majesty's fleets and armies. This they have experienced in the demolition of their works at Cherburg, erected at a great expence, with a particular view to annoy this country; and in the loss of a great number of ships and vessels; but no treatment, however injurious to his majesty, could tempt him to make retaliation on the innocent subjects of that crown. ”

“ Twelve flat-bottomed boats, of a new construction, were launched at Portsmouth, to be employed in landing the troops then going on the enterprize to France. They carry 63 men each, are rowed with 12 oars, and draw not above two feet water.
18th. A young grenadier, aged about 27, was shot at Plymouth for desertion; what is remarkable, being to receive goo lashes by the sentence of a regimental court-martial, he chose to appeal to a general court-martial, who instead of confirming his former sentence, inflicted that of death. ”

“ Our ships had suffered so much in their masts, sails, and rigging, that we were in no condition to pursue them. Both officers and seamen behaved with the greatest resolution the whole time of the action, and were unhappy at the conclusion of it, that the ships were not in a condition to follow the French, who had frigates to tow them off. I am informed the French, on this occasion, had put on board the Sceptre her full complement of guns, either from the shore, or out of the India ship; and had also mounted the Outarde store-ship with her full proportion of guns ”

“ Lushington and Walcot undertook the search, and by my shirt discovered me under the dead upon the platform. They took me from thence, and imagining I had some signs of life, brought me towards the window I had first possession of.
But as life was equally dear to every man (and the stench arising from the dead bodies was grown so intolerable) no one would give up his station in or near the window: so they were obliged to carry me back again. But soon after Captain Mills, (now captain of the company's yacht) who was in possession of a seat in the window, had the humanity to offer to resign it. ”

“ In pursuance of the authority given to us by his majesty's commission under the great seal, amongst other things to declare the causes of his holding this parliament, his majesty hath been graciously pleased to direct us to assure you, that he always receives the highest satisfaction, in being able to lay before you any events, that may promote the honour and interest of his kingdoms. ”

“ The inventor has engraved on the boxes of the wheels, these words, Friction Annihilated, and it is assured that the carriage will go as long and as easy, if not longer and easier, without greasing, than any of the ordinary stage carriages will do with greasing. If this answers in common practice, it is perhaps the most useful invention on mechanics that this age has produced. ”

“ John Houls, a farmer at Longhope in Gloucestershire, was convicted of drawing a narrow wheeled waggon on the turnpike road with more than four horses, and paid the penalty of 5l. and his servant who drove the horses was also convicted in the same penalty, and for want of ability to pay the same, was sent to the house of correction for a month; which, it is hoped, will be a caution to others.
8th. A great storm of wind at W. and W. by S. did considerable damage to the shipping in the Downs, at Portsmouth, and in many other places on the sea coaft. ”