Lord Dalkeith, as Grand Master of Scotland, last week laid the foundationftone of a new Court-house and Gaol at Dumfries.

4. At Woodlesford, a boy about eleven years of age, was caught by the machinery of the windmill ufed for drawing upcorn, and his body mangled in fo thocking a manner that he died inftantaneously: he was literally torn to pieces!

Mr. Parry, the Serjeant at Mace for Plymouth, was attacked in Stonehoufelane by a foldier, who robbed him of a bundle. He was recognised the fame night in the Barracks, and committed for trial. Same night, at the brewery of Meffrs. Langmead and Co. the counting-house was robbed of 230l. in

cash.

7. In the afternoon, a few minutes after three o'clock, the corning mill, No. 1, part of the Royal gunpowder works, fituated about three quarters of a mile North west of the town of Faversham, blew up, with a moft tre mendous explosion, and killed fix men, who were at work therein, and three horfes. The fragments of the build ing were difperfed in thousands of pieces over the adjoining grounds, and the mally preffes and mill timbers fplintered and difplaced in fuch a manner as to prefent a heap of ruins impoffible for words to describe; but owing to the chofen fituation of the corning mills, and drying-ftoves, which were removed from the town after the dreadful accident in 1781, and the fur. ther judicious precautions of detach ing the buildings from each other, railing banks of earth between fome, and furrounding others with ftrong hedges and plantations of wood, the deftruction has not extended beyond the place where it begun; the windows of a houfe in Broad-street, and a few at Mr. Crow's, baker, in Welt street, being all the damage fuftained in Faversham; which is fomewhat fingular, as a great number of buildings adjoin ing, and others much nearer, were untouched.

The corning mills are timber buildings, of an oblong quadrangular form fomewhat like a barn, and covered with tiles, having four entrances; the internal space divided by two partitions into three compartments. The firft contains the preffes with their levers and capftan for preffing the powder into cakes; which cakes being coarfely VOL. XLII. SEPT. 1802.

granulated are conveyed in fieves, of different degrees of fineness, into the fecond compartment, containing the apparatus for fiiting; in the third compartment is the horfe-wheel, the cogs of which give motion to the whole of the machinery.

How the fatal fpark was produced, which caufed this devaftation, whether from friction or from any incautious act of the workmen, as no fire is ever employed in this part of the works, is, and ever mult remain unknown. The unfortunate fufferers by this calamity were, John Hattings, foreman, who has left a wife; John Coveney, a wife and three children; George Taylor, a wife; John White, a wife and five children; William Thuriton, a wife and three children; and William Simmons, unmarried. Three of the men were found alive after the explofion, with every article of clothing torn off, their bo dies fcorched black, and miferably la cerated-they died, however, in a few minutes. I wo others were discovered among the ruins in a fimilar condition, dead; but William Simmons, whofe employ was with the mill horfes in that part of the building which fet in motion the machinery for fifting, had his fhoulder and thigh broken, and a dangerous wound upon his head, by the falling of a piece of timber, but was not burnt -he furvived nearly two hours, during which he was perfectly collected, knew Mr. Giraud the furgeon, and anfwered feveral questions put to him relative to the accident, but could give no account of the caufe-he feemed perfectly, religned, and fenfible that death only could end his prefent fufferings, John White had tered the mill only a few minutes, and Mr. Pledger, an officer belonging to the works, had left it only ten minutes before the explosion. It was heard many miles in every direction round the country, fending forth an immenfe pillar of fmoke, fo high into the atmosphere, as to be seen from the Dane-john-hill at Canterbury, where the found resembled that of a large piece of ordnance. The prepremifeswere fuppofed to contain about ten barrels, or 1000 lbs. of powder. One of the horfes, otherwife but little hurt, had a large fplinter driven into his fkull fo falt that it could not be drawn out; it was killed on the following day.

en

The widows and children of the Hh work

workmen have the pay of their huf bands and fathers continued to them for life; Government, with a laudable humanity, adopting this rule in all cafes of a like nature. The last explofion which took place, previous to this, was on Feb. 20, 1793, when about 40 barrels of gunpowder, which were in one of the itoves in a marth below the town, were blown up, and three men killed.

The Lords of the Admiralty have directed that an increase of pay thould be granted to all the Warrant Officers in his Majesty's fervice.

At a Naval Court Martial held on board the Centaur, in Hamoaze, Commodore Danby, of the Spencer, Prefi dent, and J. Liddle, Efq. Judge Ad. vocate, Lieutenant Cannon, of the Feterell, was tried for neglect of duty on various occafions, and the charges being fully proved, the Prefident and Court Tentenced him to be difmiffed his Majesty's fervice. He was accord ingly difcharged.

9. Lieutenant Buchanan, of the Peterell, was tried by a Court Martial, and difmiffed the fervice, for disobe. dience of orders, and leaving the deck during his watch.

Capt. Jones, of the Beaver, has been dilmilled the fervice by a Court Mar tial, on a charge preferred against him by his First Lieutenant, of tyranny and oppreflion.

Early in the morning Mr. Tolerton, of Flanfbaw-lane, near Wakefield, looking out of the window, obferved a man on the other fide of the road wathing his hands, and a light in the houfe of Elizabeth Smith, one of his neighbours, living oppofite. On his giving the alarm, the light was extinguithed, and the man ran away. Mr. T. then entered the House, and found Mrs. S. covered with blood, and writhing in the agonies of death. She was quite fpeechlefs, and furvived but a few minutes. From fome fufpicious circum ftances a young man about nineteen years of age was taken up. On his firft examination he flatly denied the horrid event, but at length confeffed that he committed the murder in company with R. Heald, another young man in the neighbourhood. Undertanding the deceated was worth money, they broke open the houfe with a refolution to rob and murder her. The former held the unhappy woman while

Heald cut and beat her, and by accident wounded his accomplice's hand, which he was employed in wathing when feen by Mr. T. Heald denies the whole. The villains are both apprentices, and are committed to York Cattle for trial. The deceated was upwards of 70 years old.

10. A Court Martial was held on board the Waffenaer, at Chatham, on the Malters of the Alkmaar, Captain Poulden, and the gun brig Ferriter, when the former was acquitted, and the latter difmiffed the fervice, for felling fpirituous liquors on board.

The Nimble, Plymouth passage ves. fel, with eighteen passengers on board, was loft a few days fince, and all on board perished. She was run. foul of in coming out of Plymouth Sound, which, it is fupposed, started some of her timber heads, and the foon afterwards foundered. A part of her boom and boat were picked up off Salcome, about twenty-four miles from Plymouth.

Mr. Otto, jun. Mr. Shergold, and Mr. Coulton, being on a fhooting party near Hand Crofs, with a youth of 15, nephew of B. Edwards, Elq. Mr. C.'s gun went off and shot the young gentleman; the whole charge penetrated his fide, broke two of his ribs, and wounded the aorta, which

caufed his immediate death.

Sheriff's Court, Sept. 11.- Hurk v. Halford.-The plaintiff in this caufe was of a profeflion technically called a Nicknackiterian, that is, a dealer in all manner of curiosities, fuch as Egyp tian mummies, Indian implements of war, arrows dipped in the poison of the upas tree, bows, antique fhields, helmets, &c. and was defcribed as poffeffing the skin of the Cameleopard exhibited in the Roman amphitheatre, the head of the fpear ufed by King Arthur, and the breech of the first cannon ufed at the fiege of Constantinople; and, in fhort, of almost every rarity that the most ardent Virtuofo would with to poffefs. The defendant was the executor of a widow lady of the name of Morgan, who, in the enjoy ment of a confiderable fortune, indulged her fancy, and amufed herself in collecting objects of natural and artificial curiofity. She had been long in the habit of purchafing a variety of rare articles of the plaintiff; fhe had bought of him models of the Temple

of

ward, the Librarian, fimilar, in tafte and effect, to the regular fpa. Mr. Harward is stated to have refufed a thoufand guineas for it.

A valuable copper mine has been difcovered under Carradon, the highest mountain in Cornwall. It belongs to Mr. M'Cullan, a Surgeon in the Navy. The Directors of the Bank, in confequence of the increafing emoluments of that Corporation, have propofed that the fum of 2 per cent. on their capital (which is 11,642,400l.) fhould be divided amongst the proprietors in the 5 per Cent. Annuities. This recommendation having been adopted by a Court of Proprietors, each holder of Bank Stock has 24 per cent. addition to his capital in 5 per Cent. Annuities.

12. In the evening a fire broke out at a mufical circulating library near Warwick-court, in Holborn, which confumed that and the adjoining houfe before it was extinguished. There was a party in the house where it began, who ruthed down ftairs, and efcaped; but, fuch was their confternation, that the ladies left their cloaks and the gentlemen their hats behind them, and the only property faved was a few articles of plate.

14. At night a tremendous fire broke out at Liverpool, which confumed the whole of the beautiful and ex

tenfivewarehouses fronting St. George's

Dock.-About ten o'clock smoke was obferved to ifiue from the centre of France's Buildings; the fire bell was inftantly rung, the drums beat to arms, and the whole of the military turned out. About one the flames burst forth with tremendous fury, and continued to threaten destruction to all around till fix o'clock in the morning, when they were got fomewhat under. All thofe beautiful and extensive buildings reaching from Water-lane to Brunf wick Street, with the corresponding fore-houfes, called France's, were, at fix o'clock in the morning, one prodigious heap of ruins! The damage cannot be much less than a million of money. The shipping were, from its fortunately being flood tide, removed and preferved, but every attention was neceffary, fuch as wet fails placed before the rigging, &c. The accident was occafioned by the falling of a fnuff of candle among havings in a porter vault.

15. The commiffion warehouse of Mr. Purse, at the corner of Cloak-lane, was broke open in the night, and robbed of goods to the amount of 2000l.

15. An indictment was preferred at the Middlefex Seffions, against E. Salmon, for feloniously receiving knowing them to have been stolen, a child's cap, gown, and other articles, the property of Eliz. Impey. The mother of the child, Eliz. Impey, ftated, that the refided on the 22d of June in Red Lion Market. On that day a man, whom the did not know, came to her, and faid that he was fent by Mrs. James, of Finfbury-place, to enquire after her child and relieve her. Mrs. J. had frequently relieved her when in diftressed circumstances. He then gave her a trifle of money to go and procure neceffaries, and faid he would take care of her child till the returned. She entrufted him with her infant, but on her return the found he had decamped with it. After many ineffectual enquiries, the was advised by a neighbour to go to the house of the prifoner. She went, accompanied by a police officer, and found her child, which the recognized by "certain figns," in bed with Mrs. Salmon, who infifted that it was her own, of which he had lately been delivered. A furgeon, who was called in to examine the prifoner, stated his opinion that she had not been delivered, in confequence of which the child was given up.-The Counfel for the defendant fubmitted to the Court, that the prefent indictment could not be fuftained, as there had not been proved any intention of tealing the cloaths: and this being alfo the opinion of the Chairman, the prifoner was acquitted: but was ordered to be detained.

Bell Rock, Liverpool, to try the force A beacon has been placed on the of the fea on it; while it ftands, it will be of much fervice to the hipping paffing it.

16. J. H. Edy and T. Brannam were indicted at the Old Bailey for felonioufly stealing a chaife, the property of

Mackenzie. The facts of the chaife being obtained at Mr. Mackenzie's livery-ftables by the prifoner Edy, under the pretence of hiring it to go to Brighton, and the fubfequent difpofal of it, chiefly through the agency of Brannam, to Newman, keeper of the

George,

George, in Drury-lane, were clearly proved. The Judge did not deem it neceffary to put Brannam on his defence, he not being a principal in any part of the tranfaction; and Edy left his to his counfel, by whom no evidence in his justification was adduced. The Court was of opinion that the material question for the confideration of the Jury was, whether, at the time of Edy's gaining poffeffion of the chaile he entertained the intention of hiring it to go a journey, or whether he meant to convert it to his own ufe, as, in the latter cafe, it was clearly a felony. After a fhort conference. the Jury found Edy guilty, and acquit ted Brannam. Thefe two prifoners were tried upon a second indictment, for ftealing a grey gelding, the property of W. Hifcox. Of this charge they were both acquitted. Edy faid, his age was twenty.

18. Most of the Cabinet Minifters attended his Majefty at Windfor; when a proclamation was iffued, proroguing the Parliament from the 5th of October to the 16th November, when it is to affemble for the difpatch of business.

Nautical Discovery-The following is extracted from a letter by a Gentleman in Glasgow to his friend in Greenock, dated Auguft 2.

"An affair of fo much confequence to mankind as the following, it were criminal in me to conceal; I therefore request of you to make it as public as poffible among your fea-faring and philofophical friends.

"Our mutual friend, before his departure laft fall for Philadelphia, constructed a machine, apparently fim. ple, but which is infinitely more valuable to navigation than the compafs. It was brought to me, together with his log-book, by a fellow paffenger homewards, who unluckily had paid no attention to the use of the apparatus, which was the more unfortunate, as our friend died within three leagues

of land.

"It is a magnetic ball, floating in a bafon of quickfilver. The ball is painted all over, to keep the quickfilver from penetrating the pores, which might embarrals the evolutions, which coating, I dare not destroy to examine the materials of the ball; but from its weight it must be metallic, yet it floats high in the fluid. Since he took it from this place, I perceive he has marked it with lines of longitude and

latitude, like a geographical sphere. This, I prefume, he has done on his voyage outward, the journal of which is likely left in America. But this which I poffefs begins with the exact point of latitude and longitude of Philadelphia, and records the zenith of every day as accurately as if he had been all along on terra firma. In bed he told the Captain his distance from the Coaft of Ireland to a minute, by looking at his machine.

"The properties of magnetifm are not yet fufficiently known, and they have heretofore been applied to use only in the form of the needle. But it appears to poffefs, befides its well known polarity, a propenfity to retain its native relative pofition on the earth; that is to fay, it turns upon an axis like the earth, one point always pointing at the pole ftar. Beyond the line, this point upon the ball is below the horizon; and on the thores of America the longitudinal line, which now is its meridian, was far down the fide: fo that if he had failed round the earth his little ball would have made a complete revolution upon its axis."

The following recipe, for preferving provifions, which is eminently useful to navigators in hot climates, has appeared in a French journal :"When the aliments, from intense heatand long keeping, are likely to pafs into a state of corruption," fays the writer, "the fimple but fure mode of keeping them found and healthful, is by putting a few pieces of charcoal into your pot or faucepan where the fish or meat is to be boiled. The effects of this are, that your foup will be good, and that the fish or flesh will be both found and agreeable to the taite." This experiment has been tried, and thould not be forgotten.

Vaccine Process-Several attempts have been made to introduce the Cow pock into India, but hitherto without fuccefs: the Vaccine matter has been tranfmitted from Conftantinople to Bufforah, and thence to Bombay, but it has become unfit for ufe during the paffage.-The India Company have directed their Agent at Bufforah, to inoculate fome perfon there, and from that fresh fubject, to tranfmit to Bombay the means for extending the practice.

To parts burned or fcalded the fpeedy application of turpentine is an effectual mode of allaying pain.

MARRIAGES.