CHRONICL E. BE JANUARY. ETWEEN the hours of four and five in the morning, a gale commenced from N. N. W. At eight it came to blow at W. N. W. with great viclence, attended with rain. At eight the fky became ob fcured, and it blew a hurricane. At this period the houfes began to give way on both fides the river Balize, the limbs of the trees to be torn off, the inhabitants with fear and confternation to be running about for refuge, and the rain pouring inceffantly upon their heads in full tor. rents. About ten the wind fhifted to S. W. and blew, if pofiole, with redoubled violence. At that inftant the fea began to rife, and, contending with the land floods, every where overflowed the low lands. The cries of the women and children, and the floating of the dead bodies promifcuously among the logs of mahogany, exhibited fuch a icene of human mifery and diftrefs as no pen can defcribe, nor was the horror in the leaft diminished when the hurricane abated, and the waters fubfided-a melancholy fcene prefented itself to the unfortunate furvivors-not a fingle houfe, hut, or habitation of any VOL. XXX. kind, on either fide the Balize, ftanding; not less than 500 of different conftructions have been blown down, and with their furniture reduced to a heap of rubbish. The dead bodies of many who had perifhed in endeavouring to gain the heights, the carcafes of hogs, goats, and cattle, all ferved to heighten the calamity. Out of fifteen fquarerigged veffels, befides fchooners, fmall craft, and other veffels, eleven of them were totally left, and more tan 100 perfons perished. Such a deplorable catastrophe never befel any fettlement in the West Indies before. Peterburgh Gazettee, Nov. 20, 1787. "Last week the court received from prince Potemkin the following account of another defeat of the enemy's troops, commanded by the famous fheik Manfour, dated Elizabeth-Grod the 5th inflant. "Towards the middle of September, lieut. general Potemkin receiving advice that a great number of troops were affembled between the rivers Urap and Lab, and that a great many Turks of Sudfhukkle had cone to inform the Tartars of Cuban that war was declared, and to engage them to make an incurfion in the neighbouring ftates of Ruffia; he formed the defign of preventing them, and difperfing the troops which were affembled. [iv] "The "The 1st of October he paffed the Cuban with three columns, and the fourth, commanded by majorgeneral Jelagin (to cover his defign) was to pafs the river below Owetfcu-Brod, and to repulfe the enemy in cafe they fhould attack him. "Colonel Rebinder's column, which had the least way to go, arrived first at the fheik's quarters, where he found about 600 of the enemy's troops entrenched behind the waggons. When the vanguard attacked them, the Tartars, entrenched behind the waggons, repeated a loud prayer, dictated by the fheik; after which they made a defperate defence, but were obliged to yield to the valour of our troops, who made themselves mafters of the entrenchment, and left 400 of the enemy dead on the field. "On the 2d, the fheik returned with a body of troops he had raised, to attack colonel Rebinder, but was repulfed. . The regiment of carabineers, of Roften, had the greatest fhare in this attack; for whilt they engaged a troop that was detached from the reft, another party rushed from an ambufcade on their left wirg; which being immediately fuccoured by the regiment of Af tracan dragoons, and a battalion of grenadiers, the enemy was obliged to fly. "On the 3d of December, the enemy having been reinforced by fome Tartar troops from Temengai, Bellei, Keptfchak, and Aballu, made a fecond attack on our troops. Major-general prince Ratifew marched ftrait against them, and forced them, by a fiart and well-fupported fire, to fly hallily towards their habitations. The next day they fet fire to the fheik's habitation, and the 6 neighbouring villages, where they found 10,000 pieds of butter, and a great ftore of barley. "Colonel Deprerabowitfch fet out immediately to the villages of the Tartars of Cuban, and after a laborious march, during the 7th, 8th, and 9th inftant, they reached them. The Tartars made a def perate attack, and the fight lasted for feven hours. Major-general Je lagin, having marched to fuccour the colonel, found, on his arrival, the enemy already put to flight. Colonel Deprerabowitsch calculates the number of men killed in this encounter, in the action, villages, and in flying, to be two thousand. The whole body under major-general Jelagin had only one lieutenant and thirty-four foldiers killed, and two fecond lieutenants and one hundred and five foldiers wounded. booty taken confists of a great number of cattle, which they diftributed amongst the troops, who, after having humbled the Tartars of Cuban, returned fafe to their quarters." The Plymouth, Dec. 27. The Pegafus frigate, from Cork, commanded by his royal highness prince William, arrived here. His royal highnefs, after vifiving the admiral and commiffioner of the dock, took up his refidence at Mr Winne's, an eminent merchant of this town. On his paflage his highnefs experienced the effects of a very extraordinary phenomenon : a thunder ftorm broke over the fhip fo violently, as to tear fome of the fails, and fhiver the main-maft, fo as to render it neceffary for a new maft to be fupplied. The feafon of the year makes the circumitance memorable, and the more fo, as the form was more tremendous on the north coaft of France than at fea. Fanuary January 1ft. A fingular forgery has lately been committed on the Bank, by a perfon of the name of Lamb. The note by which the forgery was discovered, was for zol. and fo nicely executed that Abraham Newland, the cafhier, could hardly tell the true from the falfe note. The early difcovery, which was fortunate for the public, was by chance. Lamb, being a clerk in Doctors Commons, requested the head clerk in the office to lend him a zol. bank note, which he promised to return in a fhort time. But Lamb not keeping his word, his brother clerk was obliged to prefs him for it. The note Lamb received was indorfed; the note Lamb brought the head clerk, Lamb happened to neglect putting the indorsement on it. This, with other fufpicious circumftances, led the clerk to fuppofe there was fome underhand manœuvre in the matter. He went to Meffrs. Boldero and Co. with the note: they declared it to be genuine, and offered him cafh for it; which he refufed, confcious the note he gave Lamb was indorfed. His fufpicions proved too true; for no fooner Lamb fled, than the matter took air. It does not appear that he had paffed any number in circulation. They were drawn with a pencil and Indian ink, and the water-mark complete. Tais evening it was given 10th. out that Mr. Macklin was to appear in the character of Shylock, at Covent Garden theatre. The houfe was crowded in every part, and his performance exhibited a wonderful share of spirit and vigour, confidering his advanced age, till the fecond act, when, confcious of fome few defects, he, with much folemnity, addreffed the audience nearly in the following words: "Ladies and gentlemen, "Within thefe very few hours I have been feized with a terror of mind I never in my life felt before; it has totally deftroyed my corporeal, as well as mental faculties. I muft, therefore, requeft your patience this night-a request, which an old man of 89 years of age may hope is not unreasonable. Should it be granted, you may depend this will be the last night, unless my health shall be entirely re-established, of my ever appearing before you in fo ridiculous a fituation." This affecting addrefs from an old favourite of the town, of at least eighty-nine years of age, met with enthufiaftic reception; which feem-· ed to give new life to his drooping fpirits. He foon recovered, and the play went on with applause to the end. It is recalled to mind on the prefent occafion, that Leveredge, the finger, fung on the flage at the age of ninety-five. Plymouth, Jan. 14. Laft Tuefday evening at eleven arrived here, in a coach and fix, their royal highnefies the prince of Wales and duke of York, accompanied by prince William Henry, who went to meet them. The concourfe of people was aftonishing; the illuminations fplendid, and the demonstrations of joy on every countenance pleafing beyond expreffion. The carriage proceeded flowly through the town to lodgings prepared for the royal guefts in Fore-itreet. The marquis de la Luzerne, 16th. ambaffador from the moft Chriftian king, had his first private audience of his majefty to deliver his credentials. As had likewife the count St. [N] 2 Martin |