of the throne of Poland, has gone through its bufinefs and ended regularly; whereas, for many years before, there was not one Polish diet but what broke up in confufion before they had done any bufinefs.

On the 21ft the hereditary prince of Courland did homage, and took the oaths for, and received the inveftiture of, the duchies of Cour land and Semigallia from his Polish majefty, in behalf of his father as well as himfelf.

Some time before the diet closed, on a falfe report being spread, that an act had paffed in it prohibiting the Jews from marrying under thirty years of age, all the Jews were in fuch a hurry to marry their children before the law could take place, that even the children at the breaft were not permitted to be undifpofed of.

A propofal lately made by the French to the Swedish court, to pay the arrears of fubfidies, due by the former to the latter, amounting to twelve millions of livres, in the fpace of eight years, on the footing of a million and a half per annum, has been approved by a majority of the fenate, in hopes the diet will agree to it. Some members of the fenate were of opinion, that it would be better to liften to the propofitions of the court of London. Others, again, were for having the nation renounce all fubfidies, and depend entirely on frugality and cecomomy for the recovery of their finances. But in fo cold and barren a country as Sweden, without any extraordinary means to compenfate thefe difadvantages, fuch methods alone might appear infufficient even to

keep the finances in an healthy condition.

On the 18th ultimo, the tribunal da Cafa da Supplicaçam at Lifbon pronounced fentence on the principles and accomplices of the affaffination of M. Viera de Andrade, chief judge of the Cape de Verd Iflands, and others, which was committed on the 13th of Dec. 1762. The sentence was executed the 22d. Colonel de Oliveira, a knight profeffed of the order of Chrift, was drawn at the tail of a horfe to a gibbet at the fquare du Rocio, and there hanged, together with Capt. de Fonfaca, and adju tant Oliveira.

Three mulattoes,

and four negroes, who were accomplices, were hanged at another gibbet. After this execution, the criminals were all beheaded; and their heads are to be fent to Cape de Verd, to be fixed up where the crime was committed. Major da Sylva, a clerk, a foldier, a negro, and a mulatto, were condemned to be whipped, and fent to the galleys. The captain in chief of the town of Praya was exiled to the Indies for ten years, and fentenced to pay a large fine. The eftates of all the criminals, except the laft, were given, by the king's order, to the widows and children of the perfons affaffinated.

According to private letters from Conftantinople, there have been more ftate victims during the months of October and November laft, than during all the preceding part of the prefent emperor's reign. The khan of the Tartars has been fent on board a man of war to Scio; but with his wives and concubines and all his domeftics.

The aga of

the

the janifaries was depofed and banished. Abdi Aga, formerly governor of Cyprus, loft his head, which was expofed before the le, raglio.

The wife of, Mr. Jordan, pe. ruke-maker, in Southwark, was lately delivered of two fons in one day, and the next day of another; who are all likely to live.

Died. About the middle of this month, Mir Jaffier Aly Cawn, nabob of Bengal, in which dignity, he is fucceeded by his fon.

Lately. Mrs. Carter, at Dublin, aged 104.

Mrs. Moore, at Enneskellen in Scotland, aged 120.

7th.

FEBRUARY,

Caufe was fhewn in the court of Common Pleas, in behalf of Mr. Beardmore, and Mr. Meredith, his clerk, against fetting afide the verdicts obtained by them against the earl of Halifax; when the court affirmed the faid verdicts. See page 112 of our lal vol.

At the fame time the court eftablished the verdict obtained by Meflrs. Wilfon and Fell, againit three of the meffengers, upon a writ of enquiry of damages.-See page 80 of our last vol.

Several confiderable fhocks 9th. of an earthquake were felt about this time, at Irtyfchitrom in Siberia; particularly this day, when they deftroyed all the houfes and fortifications of that place. On the 14th, a flight fhock was felt at Abbeville in France, attended with a hollow murmuring found, which came from the fea coaft, in a direction from North to South.

}

His majefty went to the houfe of peers, and gave the royal affent to

The land tax bill.

The malt bill.

The bill to indemnify perfons who have omitted to qualify themfelves for offices.

The bill for allowing further time for the importation of goods, &c. from the ceded islands, upon payment of the duties they would have been liable to, had thefe iflands remained in his majefty's poffeffion.

And to fome private bills.

The peruke-makers having petitioned the king, humbly befeeching his majefty, in confideration of their diftreffed condition occafioned by fo many people wearing their own hair, and employing foreigners to cut and drefs it; or, when they employ natives, obliging them to work on the Lord's-day, to the neglect of their duty to God, &c. that he would be pleased to grant them relief; fubmitting to his majefty's goodness and wisdom, whether his own example was not the only means of refcuing them from their diftrefs, as far as it occafioned fo many people wearing their own hair. His majesty was graciously pleafed to receive their petition, and to return for anfwer: "That he held nothing dearer to his heart than the happinefs of his people, and that they may be affured, he thould at all times ufe his endeavours to promote their welfare."

Several of the peruke-makers, who attended on this occasion, gave fuch offence by their inconliftency in wearing their own hair, that they had it cut off by the

mob.

The

The day following, the hatters petitioned his majefty for redrefs, on account of that bufinefs having been engroffed by foreigners, to the ruin of many hundreds of his majetty's fubjects.

About eleven o'clock

14th. in the forenoon Mr. John Williams, bookfeller in Fleetftreet, was brought, in a hackneycoach, No 45, from the King's Bench prifon, to ftand, purfuant to his fentence, in the pillory, in New-palace-yard, Weftminfter, for re-publishing the North Briton in volumes. A few minutes after twelve, he mounted, amidst the repeated acclamations of upwards of ten thoufand people, who never ceafed fhouting till his hour of ftanding was expired. Oppofite to the pillory were erected four ladders, with cords running from one ladder to another, on which were hung a jack-boot, an axe, and a bonnet; the laft with a label, Scotch bonnet; the boot and bonnet, after remaining there fome time, were burnt, the tops of the boot having been previously chopped off. In the mean time a gentleman, with a purple purfe, ornamented with ribbons of an orange colour, began a collection in favour of Mr. Williams, by putting a guinea in himfelf; and then carrying it round, gave an opportunity to every one to contribute according to his fancy, by which means it is fuppofed Mr. Williams got above 200 guineas; one gentleman gave 50. Mr. Williams, at going into the pillory, and getting out, bowed to the fpectators: and held a fprig of laurel in his hand all the time. The fame coach carried him back, VOL. VIII.

and the mafter of it refufed to take any hire.

The right honourable the 18th. earl of Hillsborough, touched with the very mean and deplorable condition, in which he found three Cherokee Indians, lately arrived in London, immediately took them out of the hands of a tavern-keeper and a Jew, who had advertifed them to be feen for money, at the tavern-keeper's houfe, fet his tradefmen and equipped them genteelly in the Englith fashion at his own expence. And this day they were introduced, by Mr. Montague, the agent for Virginia, to the lords of trade and plantations; and, with their ufual folemnity, had four talks with their lordships; the firft complimentary; the fecond, to tender obedience to the great king their father, and to produce famples of gold, filver, and iron ore, found in their country: the third, to complain of the incroachments of fome of his majesty's fubjects on the hunting grounds, referved by treaty for the fole ufe of the native Indians: and the fourth to exprefs their furprise, that, having often heard of learned perfons being fent to inftruct them in the knowledge of things, none had ever appeared; and to entreat, that fome fuch men might foon be fent among them to teach them writing, reading, and ether things. Their lordthips difmiffed them well pleafed, with affurances of reprefenting to the king the fubjects of their talk. His majefty was foon after graci oufly pleased to order them a variety of prefents, and to direct that particular care fhould be taken

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for their fafe return to their own country. The tavern-keeper and the Jew, who had made a fhow of them, were brought before a great affembly, and feverely reprimanded. On the fecond of March, the chiefs embarked on board a fhip in the Thames on their return home.

The mercury in a thermometer at a gentleman's houfe, in the fouth of Kent, funk within the ball. At the fame place, and at ten the fame evening, the best Farenheit's fell to 10 deg. At half after seven the next morning to 7 deg. which is 25 deg. below the freezing point, perhaps the greatest degree of cold ever felt in England, and within 7 deg. of the cold of Iceland. The fame day the difference occafioned by this degree of cold in the refractive power of the atmosphere was very remarkable.

In the morning of the day following icicles could be difcerned floating in the air, like very fmall needles, which fparkled in the funfhine, and made an appearance equally beautiful and uncommon.

On the 22d of November laft, juft before fun-fet, Farenheit's fcale, by one of Bird's thermometers, was fo low as 10 in Bedfordfhire.

Came on to be tried, in 19th. the court of Common Pleas, Weftminster-hall, a caufe between a private foldier, plaintiff, and his colonel, defendant, for the latter breaking the former from a ferjeant to a private man, contrary to the rules of a court-martial; when, the fact being proved, the plaintiff obtained a verdict for 7ol. damages.

At Dantzick, between eight, 20th and nine o'clock in the evening, there appeared in the firmament two furprizing lights in the likeness of two moons near the real moon, one towards the S. E. and the other to the N. E. with a large circle round them, which was of the colours of the rainbow; foon after nine o'clock the two moons difappeared, but the large circle lafted o'clock.

till after eleven

A poor tanner of Battle in Suffex has lately found out a method of tanning calves fkins with oak faw-duft inftead of oak-bark; which will be the means of faving a great number of oak-trees, which ufed to be frequently cut down very young, purely for the fake of their bark. In confequence of this difcovery, feveral mills are already erecting for the grinding of oak chips and fmall pieces of oak, for the purpose above mentioned; and the fociety of arts intend to give the inventor a reward of 100l.

A proclamation appeared in the London Gazette for 23d. revoking all the prefent Mediter ranean paffes within the term of two years, at which time they are to be exchanged for new paffes; except paffes granted to fhips gone or going to the Eaft Indies, or other remote places, where they cannot be timely furnifhed with new pafies, whofe paffes are to continue in force for two years after the faid term. This is done, as the faid proclamation fets forth, to prevent a mifunderstanding between us and the governments on the coaft of Barbary, feveral paffes of the prefent

form

form having, during the war, or by undue means, fallen into the hands of foreigners, who, being at war with thofe ftates, make use of them to cover their property.

An attorney, who fome time ago caufed lady Ta peerets in her own right, to be arrested, was brought up to the bar of the houfe of lords, and, after being feverely reprimanded, was difcharged, upon his making his humble fubmiffion, and paying the usual fees. At the fame time their lordships ordered, that himfelf and the plaintiff fhould pay the costs of the bailiffs.

The weavers in Spital Fields have invented a method of quilt ing in their looms. which is much neater than the quilting performed by women in the ufual way. This, however, will only be changing hands, and taking the bread from the poor quilters, to put it into the mouths of poor weavers; no very wife scheme, till women have as many ways to get a living as

men.

A grain of wheat, fown in the month of October 1763, in the garden of Crifp Molineux, efq; in Norfolk, produced 42 ftems, containing 2151 grains.

A fheep, killed fome time ago by Mr. Clayton, butcher, had on the right kidney forty-four pounds of fat, though the gut-fat weighed but two ounces:` a fingularity not remembered by the oldeft butcher living.

Mr. Timothy Helmfly, common Councilman of Breadftreet ward, has left 10,000l. to charitable uses.

A remarkable animal was lately killed at Frofhem in Weftrogothland. He was about a foot long,

His eyes were fmall, his ears very fhort, his upper lip cleft like that of a hare's, and he had a fort of whiskers about the mouth like a cat. He had only four teeth, two above, and two beneath, an inch in length, and bent inwards. The fore-feet were very fhort, fomething like a dog's, and the hind ones, which were fomething longer, refembled thofe of a goofe. The toes were very long, and armed with talons, four before and one behind, and between each there was a fine membrane. The hindfeet were placed very forward under the belly. It is thought the creature was amphibious, and that he used his tail, which was about as large as a hand, in fwimming.

A fociety has lately been formed at New York, on the plan of the fociety of arts, &c. in London, by the name of the fociety for promoting of arts, agriculture, and ceconomy in the province of New York, in North America: and they have intreated all lovers of their country, whofe fituation furnishes them with an opportunity to devote fome part of their time to the making of ufeful experiments and obfervations, to communicate the refult of them.

Some time ago, a negro at Lisbon, named Firmien da Cofta, gave the following moft furprising inftance of fidelity and affection. Hearing that his mafter, Emmanuel Cabral, was taken up for killing a foldier, he quitted the woods to which he had fled for refuge, and voluntarily furrendered himself into the hands of justice, declaring that he alone was guilty of the affaffination, and that his mafter was innocent. Accordingly, the mafter, after a long examina

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tion,