unanimoufly of opinion that the faid cutter was an illegal capture, it being proved that the was taken in the harbour of Vigo.,

A falt-officer at Droitwich and another man having lately laid a trifling wager which could drink moft neat rum, the falt-officer, after he had drank a quart, dropped down dead.

The prize queftion for the year 1762, propofed by the Peterburg academy of fciences, is, How far the defects of telescopes and microscopes, arising from the different refrangibilityof the rays, and the spherical figure of the glasses, may be amended or diminished,bya combination of several lenses? the theory to be adapted to practice, and demonstrated by experiments.

The prize is a hundred ducats. The memoir to be in Latin, with a motto prefixed, and a fealed billet inclofed, containing the author's name, station, and place of abode. It is to be tranfmitted, free, to the fecretary of the academy at Peterburg, before the Ift of June of the current year.

Concerning the queftion for the year 1760, viz. To investigate, by experiments, the refraction of the rays of light, in several bodies, both solid and fluid; and thence to find out how far the greatness of the refraction is owing to the different specific gravity of bodies, the various cohesion oftheparticles, or the constituent principles of bodies; illustrating the whole byatheory.correspondingwith the experiments?The academy has received only one memoir, and as that contained no new experiments, the collation of the prize has been deferred till fomething more fatisfactory be offered.

The queftion for the year 1761

was, To determine the theory of the disturbances[perturbationum in the motion of the comets from the attraction oftheplanets,and todemonstrate the conformity of this to the observation on the comet of the year 1759?

Repeated experiments at Lyons have fhewn that the semoir, or fowing inftrument, invented at Geneva by M. de Chateauvieux, faves half the feeds, augments the produce of the land, fhortens the fowing time above three-fourths, and leffens the charges in proportion.

me

Paris, May 27. Father la Borde, the inventor of the electrical fpinette, has found a thod of procuring a firong electricity at a fmall expence: Take a plate of Alfatia or Bohemia glafs, or a circular piece of looking-glafs a foot diameter: at the centre on one fide cement a fmall wooden pully fourteen or fifteen lines in diameter, on which the wheel-cord is to pafs; and, on the other fide, a fmall piece of wood turned to the diameter of the pully. This plate is to be moved round between two points, like a globe, rubbing it with a final fkin cushion, and the fringe of the conductor touching the furface which is rubbed: This will produce ftrong feintillations, which may be increafed by cementing, as above, fix, feven, eight, and even twelve plates of glafs, at an inch diftance from each other, and with little (kin-cushions between.

Mr. Benjamin Wilfon's experiments in clectricity, contained in the laft volume of the Philofophical Tranfactions, tend to fhew that glafs is permeable by electricity; in thefe experiments wood properly dried or baked till it became very brown, and then boiled in oil to prevent the return of moiflure into its pores,

was

was used as a non-conductor, and afforded ftronger appearances than glafs. In this article Mr. Wilfon, befides the experiments which confirm the principles proved by thofe of the Tourmalin, relates the following, which he fays has been lately made by his friend Mr. Hamilton, profeffor of philofophy in the univerfity of Dublin, which, befides that it seems to illuftrate the doctrine of refiftances fo far as respects the air, may afford an agreeable amufement to fuch of our philofophical readers as have conveniences for repeating it.

Let a flender brafs or iron wire, five or fix inches long, be fitted in the middle with a circular brafs cap, fuch as that in the middle of a magnetic needle, by which it is fufpended on a vertical point; let both ends of this wire be finely pointed, and then let half an inch at each extremity be bent in oppofite directions till they are perpendicular to the rest of the wire, and in fuch a manner, that when the wire is fufpended like a needle by its cap on a point of metal, they may be in a plane parallel to the horizon. The pointed metal on which this wire is fufpended muft be two or three inches long, and muft have ts other end fixed into a fmall block of wood; then let the block with the wire fufpended on the point, be fet in an electrifed body, and the wire will turn round with great velocity in a direction contrary to that in which the electric fluid iffues from its points. Mr. Hamilton thinks this happens from the refiftance of the air to the fluid that if fues from the points of the wire, and that an electrometer might be confirusted by caufing this wire to turn round in a vertical direction, VOL. IV.

and loading the wire with fome fmall weights near one of its extremities, which will be raifed to a greater diftance from the perpendicular line as the motion of the electric fluid is more forcible.

This day the new road 29th. from Iflington to Old-street, was opened for all paffengers and carriages, and the Doghoufe Bar taken away. This road is called the City Road, has a foot path on each fide, is well lighted, and is indifputably the finest road about London.

On Sunday last the following extraordinary affair happened at an eminent gardener's at Walworth: Two young birds being put into a fmall wired cage, and fet in the gardens for the old ones to feed them, a fnake about 40 inches long worked his way thro' the wire of the cage, and fwallowed both the young birds, but by fwallowing them he could not return the way he came when cut open the birds were found in him intire and perfect, without any alteration.

Bourn, Lincolnshire, June 27. On Thursday laft about half an hour before five it began to rain very large drops, having been black and cloudy for two hours or more in the weft, which was followed by very large hail-ftones, and in five minutes it increafed and was mixed with large pieces of ice (a more proper appellation, we think, than hail-ftones) of extraordinary fize, and irregular fhapes: fome were taken up and meatured eight inches in circumference,numbers fiveinches and a half, and buthels might have been gathered in the ftreets as big as pigeons crgs; the confequence of which was, that in lefs than five minutes all the windows on the wefi

ern afpect was entirely broke to pieces, the damage whereby, upon the neareft calculation, will not be repaired for 1501. Several dozen of pigeons have been killed by the hail-ftones; all our fruits and flowers are destroyed, the trees being stript of their fmall branches and leaves: but what is much worfe, our corn fields are demolished entirely, the principal part of the ftorm falling on them, fo that the damage is prodigious. It came in a line about three miles wide, but was moft violent here, and in the fields on each fide of us. Four fheep were killed by the lightning, which was accompanied with the most dreadful thunder claps that were ever heard. In fhort, it is impoffible to describe our fituation; it can only be imagined by thofe who have feen or fuffered by fuch a terrible misfortune.

Extract of a letter from Gibral

tar, May 16. "A few days ago arrived his majefty's cutter, captain Ferritur, from- Tetuan, who fays, that when he was there, it being the Moorish feftival, the governor, and all the heads of the town, dined with Jofeph Popham,- Efq; his majefty's conful-general; there was in the middle of the table a large difh of Cuffcuffu, the general food of the country, the reft of the victuals was in the English manner; their drink was butter-milk and lemonade; there was no wine at the table for fear of giving offence, it being contrary to their law to drink wine (though many will drink it to excels in private) they ate hearty, and tafted almoft of every difh. After dinner each drank a glais of Spa water, and then coffee and tea. Capt. Ferritur faid, they all feemed to be well pleafed, and declared they never few fo good a

dinner, though many had been in different parts of Europe) fome being faints or religious men, faid their dining with Mr. Popham was an honour they never did a Chriftian before, but the great regard they had for the English nation, and particularly for the conful-general for his prudence fince he has been in the country, induced their accepting his invitation, and that on all occafions they would protect and ferve him. By all the accounts, there never was a conful that maintained the dignity of his function, or protected his majefty's fubjects, better than the prefent."

A merchant of Copenhagen, who died the beginning of this month, has left his fine houfe in that city, and a fun of money to endow it,

for the maintenance of twelve merchants daughters.

By a lift publifhed, we find that the Dutch have no fewer than 152 veffels employed in the Shetland herring fifhery, and 122 in the Iceland.

Mrs. Cox, of Clerkenwellgreen, was lately delivered of 3 girls. And

20th.

The wife of Mr. Bandon, page to the late king, aged 58, of a fon, her husband is 70.

Died lately. Robert Arnot of Fifefhire, within 15 days of 100 years of age.

A peatait, at Millet, in Italy, aged 105.

Jean Jacquement, curate of Barrois, in the county of Bourbon, in France, aged 107, who had been curate of the parith 75 years.

At Potten, in New England, Mr. Wilks, merchant, aged 109.

Near Athy in the county of Kildare, Mrs. Norton, aged 109. At a time when old age is often a burthen,

At Chateauroux, near Embrun, there is a boy about 13 years of age, whofe name is William Gay; and who, if we may believe a number of perfons, has neither eat nor drank any thing fince the 14th of April, 1760. His mouth has a little tincture of vermillion; a pale red overfpreads his cheeks; and he has a fmiling countenance. His belly is, as it were, joined to his backbone, and he voids neither urine nor excrement; he fleeps regularly and foundly nine hours every day. Since he has ceafed eating and drinking, he has had the fmall-pox very violently, which has not in the leaft impaired his conftitution. He used to be ailing during the time of his taking nourishment, and has often been thrown into a lethargy of three days continuance. All the food which they endeavoured to give him afterwards, he voided thro' his nofe and ears. M. Fournier, the curate of Chateauroux, took him home to his houfe for a whole month, and ap

pears perfectly convinced of the reality of this extraordinary fact. An account of fo furprizing a phenomenon has been communicated to the royal academy of fciences.

Rome, Jan. 7. There has happened a very odd affair in the great convent of capuchins at Afcoli, where the monks having punifhed their cook a little too feverely, he mixed a quantity of opium in their fauce at fupper, and when they were faft afleep, fhaved their reverences beards, and made his escape before they were able to rife in the morning. The poor monks are confined to their convent, till their beards have acquired a decent fize, to render it practicable for them to appear in public.

Letters from Algiers inform us, that the Moors who inhabit certain diftricts of the mountains to the east of Algiers, having for three or four. years refufed to pay the tribute impofed on them by the dey, that prince had fent fome troops against them, under the command of an aga, who had already made his mafter a prefent of a number of their heads, and was in purfuit of the reft, who, to the number of 3 or 4000, had taken arms, and feemed determined to perish in their rebellion.

All the members of the pri4th. vy-council were fummoned to meet at St. James's on the 8th, when the king was pleafed to make a moft gracious declaration of his having chofen for his confort the Princefs Charlotte of MecklenburgStrelitz, and likewife to appoint Tucfday the 22d day of September next, for folemnizing his coronation: and to order, That a prociamation fhould be iffued for notifying the fame. See a full account of thefe [K]2

auguft

5th.

auguft ceremonies of their majefties nuptials and coronation, and all the proceedings relating thereto, in a feparate article after the Chronicle. A violent shock of an earthquake was felt in the Madeiras. Paris, June 23. Our agriculture and manufactorics will neceffarily derive fome benefit from the ufes made by M. Rouviere, his majefty's furrier, of the plant known by the name of Alpocynum or Asclepias. It is originally a native of Syria. From the filky wad it affords we call it Soyeuse. The above-mentioned artifan has found out a method for ren dering it capable of being fpun; and for encouragement of his ufeful invention, a patent has been granted him for making Soyeufe velvets, fays, and flannels, which (as they fay) exceed the English. For a pound of this wad, ready picked, he gives a petit ecu (about 2s. 10d.) the feeds he gives away gratis, and calls on land-holders not to neglect this commendable way of getting wealth. This plant, very probably, is our dogs-bane, or silky cecily.]

6th.

Admiralty Office. Extract of a letter from captain Innes, of the Enterprize, to Mr. Clevland, from the Downs. "I cannot help informing their lordships of the bad behaviour of the mafters of the convoys in general; for the whole voyage,they never obeyed any onefignal that tended to keep them in their ftations, and it was in vain to fire fhot to compel them, because they took care to be fcattered about fo much, that they were feldom within gunfhot; and when I fhortened fail for the bad failing fhips, moft of the others kept a-head, and to windward, often fo far off as we could but fee their hulls, and frequently in

the mornings, the Enterprize was the hindmoft fhip of the fleet, except one or two bad failing fhips, that I made my ftudy to keep fight of. In the night-time I did fire fome fhot at them, in hopes it would put them in mind of doing their duty, according to the inftructions they received from me, but inftead of that, I had the mortification to fee my fignals, which were made in the king's fhip, difobeyed with contempt, and found it was in vain to throw away any more powder and fhot at them, as I might have fired all that was in the fhip, without anfwering any end. I may venture to fay, if the ships that lott company with me, had kept to their ftations as they ought to have done, fo many fhips would not have been taken, as I brought home fome of the worft failing thips in the fleet."

More complaints of this kind have been made within the course of this year.

There were lately dug up in Kintbury church-yard, in Berkshire, fome hundreds of ancient filver pieces of coin, which were found under a fkull. The grave-digger fold thofe that fell to his fhare for 16s. 6d. Many of them are much valued by the curious.

A lady of the dauphinefs's houfehold, having lately ftolen fome of her lace and jewels, is to be confined the remainder of her life in at cloifter at Rennes. Of three other ladies who were fufpected, one died of the fright, one has loft her fenfes, and the third is at the laft extre

We hear from Madrid, that on the 22d of May, a royal edict was published there, with orders that all the fireets of that capital are to be paved in the fame mannes

a