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ITALY.

All the vines and cotton within 14 miles of Mount Vesuvius were destroyed, on the 12th of September, by a volcanic eruption. Every thing else within eight or ten miles was also destroyed. The lava, in some places, was 100 feet deep. GERMANY.

HAMBURGH, LUBECK, AND BREMEN, ARE ANNEXED TO FRANCE, after the most solemn assurances and pledges to the contrary. Buonaparte has done with them as he did with Holland. He squeezed all their wealth from them first, under the pretence of respecting their independence; and then, when they have nothing more to give, he seizes their territories, and unites them to France. The French Papers talk of the joy expressed at this union; assertions which we know to be false. So indignant were the inhabitants of Bremen, Lubeck, and Hamburgh, that they shut up the theatres and all places of amusement. Let Denmark look now to herself. Buonaparte has pushed his fangs close to her frontier. Schleswic and Holstein will be his next prey.

A prodigy of precocious acquirement has appeared in Germany, in the person of John Spitzler, a youth only 13 years of age, but who is said to be well acquainted with ten different languages, most of the mathematical sciences, and to be a proficient in musick. He is a native of Lower Austria, and the son of a reduced Clergyman: for the last six months he has been blind. The Emperor Francis has settled a pension on him. The base of the Carpathian mountains, near Makonitza, fell on the 6th of November, with a report so loud that it was heard at the distance of twelve miles. Six villages have been destroyed by this precipitation, and 34 lives lost.

M. Parea, inspector of woods at Ravenna, has discovered the secret of extracting from the plant-seed of the thorn (ramus paliurus of Linnæus) a clear sweet oil, without smell, and fit for domestic purposes.

PRUSSIA.

A letter from Berlin, dated Dec. 4, says, “The embarrassments under which our Government labours, arising from the stagnation of trade, and the difficulty of finding money to pay the contribution, occasioned his Majesty lately to dispose of valuable jewels to the amount of 600,000 florins, in order that his faithful subjects might not be burthened with fresh taxes. This mark of consideration has greatly endeared him to the citizens; and a voluntary contribution is on foot to prevent the recurrence of re sacrifices."

The accounts from Berlin, which reach to the 26th, give a melancholy picture of the state of the Prussian dominions. Trade was quite dull; and it was ap prehended that the slightest rupture be tween France and Russia would be the signal for their political extinction. The projected family alliance between his Prussian Majesty and the Emperor Alexander (the former is to receive the hand of one of the sisters of the latter) is not considered as by any means likely to per petuate the existence of Prussia as an independent State.

SWEDEN AND DENMARK. Extract of a Letter from Stockholm, dated Nov. 28, 1810.

"In transmitting to you the Swedish Declaration of War against England, I wish to communicate to you some de tails with regard to the motives which have induced Buonaparte to order it,

Extremely irritated by the loss of the Isle of Bourbon (seeing it thus every day become more difficult to make good his promise to France, of preserving her colonies), as well as by the resistance which he has met with in the Peninsula, Buonaparte sent for the Baron de Lagerbjelke, the Swedish Minister at Paris, and, in presence of Champagny alone, spoke to him as follows: "The election of the Prince of Ponte Corvo to the throne of Sweden has alone restrained my just resentment against your Court for the last three months. It has not ceased to give provocation to France since 1808; at one time preventing England from making peace for three years together; and at another, seeking the alliance and protection of France in order to desert it afterwards. I knew (added Buonaparte) how to provide against the hatred of Gustavus Adol/phus he was my declared enemy; while the present Government of Sweden has only sought my friendship for the purpose of recovering Finland, an event that will never take place. It has besides continued to trade with Great Britain, in contravention of the treaty of peace with France, by permitting colonial produce to be introduced into Sweden, for the purpose of being afterwards re-exported to the Continent!

"In consequence of all this," continued Buonaparte, "my Minister at Stockholm has orders to demand, that war be declared against England-that English manufactures be burnt, and that colonial produce be subjected to a duty of 50 per cent.; and, in case of refusal, he must quit Stockholm immediately. It is I who ordered it--such is my plea sure."-Whenever the Baron De Lagerbjelke attempted to reply, Buona

parte

parte ordered him to be silent, crying Hold your tongue."

"The Council of State at Stockholm, and, which will surprise you still more, Bernadotte himself, were of opinion, that war should not be declared against England. The declaration of the Danish Minister, that he would depart from Sweden if Buonaparte's demand, through his own Minister, were not complied with, and the fear that the King would experience the fate of the unfortunate Gustavus Adolphus, should he have a war with France, Russia, and Denmark, produced submission to the pleasure of Buonaparte. The soundest and most numerous part of the nation highly disapprove of such a system.

"They cannot proceed to burn the English manufactures, and to impose a duty of 30 per cent. on colonial produce, without first convoking the States of the realm. The Baron de Lagerbjelke having mentioned that objection to Buonaparte, received for answer, "Let me hear no more of these silly (the expression is much more coarse in the French) laws of Sweden."

"It is believed here, that Buonaparte, during the spring, will put the Swedish fleet in requisition, for the purpose of making it act with that which he is equipping in the Texel; but it is the general opinion, at the same time, that this Country will not act hostilely against England, if the latter does not attack her."

Letters from Anhalt assert, that not only is it designed to restore Finland to Sweden, but also to annex to the latter country the greater part of Norway. Denmark, it is said, however averse to compliance, will be unable to resist the mandates of France: her prompt obedience may procure her an indemnity, but resistance would seal her ruin. Other political arrangements were in contemplation; but they would not be made public for some time.

A new Decree has been issued by the Danish Government, by which all trade with England is prohibited, under more severe penalties than any yet inflicted by the cruel Napoleon. It is declared a felony, punishable by death, in the captain of a ship maintaining intercourse with England.

Norway is said to be in a state of revolution, in consequence of the attempt made there to enforce a conscription of seamen for the French service. The report rests on the authority of the Captain of the galliot North Star, of Pappenburgh, arrived at Aberdeen, froin Christiansand; who adds, that the ports on the Norway coast were all in the pos

session of the insurgents, comprehending the whole military and naval force of the country. TURKEY.

Extract of a Letter from Constantinople,

Νου. 18.

"The Pacha of Bagdad had for several years past refused to pay the greater part of the contributions which he was bound to send to the Imperial Treasury. The Government was in consequence obliged to resort to measures, secretly adopted, in order to reduce to obedience this rich and powerful Governor, whose distance from the centre of the Empire rendered him the more dangerous. Halet Effendi, formerly Ambassador to the French Court, was accordingly on this occasion charged with an important mission. He was sent to Mussul, where, in secret with the Pacha of that city, he concerted measures for surprizing the Pacha of Bagdad. Halet, very early one morning, appeared at the head of 6000 men, before the gates of Bagdad, which he found undefended, and immediately made his troops enter.

"The Pacha, who was generally detested by the inhabitants, observing that the alarm had spread through the whole city, took flight with a small number of his friends; but, a price having been put upon his head by the Pacha of Mussul, he was betrayed by his own servants, and massacred in a village where he had hidden himself. The Pacha at Mussul sent the head of this rebel to Constantinople, where it was exposed for three days on the gates of the Seraglio. It is asserted, that in his coffers upwards of thirty millions were found, which are expected to arrive soon at the Imperial Treasury. The Pacha of Damascus, suspected of intriguing with the Vechabites, would have shared a similar fate; but, having received timely notice, made his escape in disguise."

REBELLION AND MASSACRE OF THE JANISSARIES AT CONSTANTINOPLE.

BULLETINS.

"Constantinople, Dec. 2. "The turbulence and sedition of those who should be our defenders, has once more stained the pride of cities with blood and slaughter. The events of the war with the Infidels are known to every true believer, Notwithstanding the great efforts made by his Sublime Highness (whom may God ever bless!) to inspire his army with an invincible spirit-to impart his foresight and skill to its valiant leaders; that success which may be merited, but which it is not in the power of feeble mortals to command, has not attended our arms. The Rus

sians, at the commencement of the war, possessed themselves by surprise of Moldavia and Wallachia, the advanced posts of the Empire: aware of the incalculable advantages of obtaining possession of the fortresses on its banks, their armies were reinforced-their men goaded to hazardous and destructive enterprizes, and a populous but treacherous province (Servia) urged to rebellion. His Sublime Highness made incredible efforts to stem the torrent, which threatened the Empire and the religion of the Prophet with ruin. He succeeded; for, though Selistria, Rudschuk, and Nicopolis fell, it was not until after great waste of blood, and the Enemy had been so weakened as to be incapable of pursuing his advantage. The keys of the Danube may be its fortresses; but the stay of the Empire is a numerous and gallant army, led by experienced Chiefs, and sustained by a population preferring death to subjection. After all his successes, the Enemy has not dared to advance; our Vizier, with the main army, continues at Schumla; the coasts of the Black Sea are secured from invasion or insult, and our rebellious subjects, the Servians, driven back with shame and loss. Nevertheless, as the events of war are uncertain, and as the blessed Prophet has himself recommended that policy should be used where force may fail, we thought it right to listen to the overtures for negotiating a peace. We dispatched Officers to make known our conditions: we did not think that this, our laudable anxiety to procure so great a blessing, would be misinterpreted.

"But wicked and ungrateful men, forgetting the submission they owed to us as the lineal descendant of the Prophet, artfully prepared a tale for the ear of the credulous, that we had renounced the glories of our illustrious line, and destined the subjection of the crescent. Immediately these Janissaries, those sworn foes to discipline and order, were seen hastening from every quarter with arms in their hands. They instructed their partizans to declare, that reform, and the removal of obnoxious men, were their objects; and when by these artifices they had swelled their forces to 40,000 men, they avowed their real intentions, called out for "War," and to be restored to all their former privileges. His Sublime Highness witnessed these proceedings with affliction, but not with dismay. He could have relied on the affections of his people, but was desirous of sparing the effusion of blood. He retired on the night of the 24th on-board the Ottoman fleet, having previously

dispatched trusty messengers to the different Pachaliks with intelligence of the revolt. All attempts to bring those deluded men to reason proved ineffectual. They violated the Seraglio, plundered the treasures, and forced open the houses of the citizens for valuables. In the wantonness of their anger, they fired one of the quarters of the city, by which many houses were destroyed. At length, on the 27th, the troops who were to quell this rebellious spirit began to arrive. The Janissaries marched out to meet the advanced body; but, though they were double in number, the imposing attitude of those brave men made them fall back. On the following day, dreading to be attacked in their quarters, they drew up in order of battle-they advanced to the charge with fury, and fought like men animated by despair. After a few hours contest, their ranks were broken, and they filed: being pursued from street to street, scarcely any escaped. It is computed that 18,000 of these traitors have been slain.

(Signed) IBRAHIM, Reis Effendi."

"Constantinople, Dec. 3.

"His Sublime Highness, to quiet the minds of his faithful subjects, has commanded it to be made known, that the negotiations with the Emperor of all the Russias are in the most favourable train; and that every disposition has been shewa to concede the points in dispute. The pay of the army will be transmitted regularly in future. The Grand Vizier has been reinforced. The Pacha of Serai continues to defend Varna.

(Signed) IBRAHIM, Reis Effendi." (From the Supplement to the Abeille du Nord, of Jan. 3.)

PROCLAMATION,

Constantinople, Dec. 4. By the blessing of the Prophet, the formidable rebellion which threatened even the exis tence of our Empire, and the mainte nance of its holy religion, has been terminated. The streets of our capital were crowded with the carcases of the dead, who expiated their crimes by the scymeter; and the scaffold is yet reeking with the blood of the victims sacrificed to the juctice of our cause. Ten thou sand Janissaries suffered by the swords of our brave and loyal subjects, three thou sand bled beneath the hands of the public executioner, and an equal number by the just laws of our sacred religion have been condemned to imprisonment, until they are released from the torment of this world to succeed to the tortures of the next. The blessed Prophet, who constantly watches over our welfare, knows with what anguish we beheld this

scene

scene of terror and desolation. He knows that every Mussulman that fell gave a pang to our paternal heart; but Justice, who never calls in vain when she does demand satisfaction, must be obeyed; and to her dictates we bowed, while the fatal sentence was pronounced. It was thus that the Divine Power exterminated those who ventured to disturb our tranquility, and from whom we have now nothing to fear. On the love of our faithful people we shall always seeurely rely, to detect and expose those traitors, who, unawed by this dreadful example, may still endeavour, by their insidious art, to weaken that authority which the blessed Prophet has confided in our hands.

Peace being then restored in our capital, his Sublime Highness cannot avoid repeating his ardent wishes for the restoration of tranquillity to his beloved subjects in the distant provinces of his Empire. Terms were offered in our name to the Commander of the Russian armies, which it was expected would meet with immediate acceptance. But the hope was vain. Late successes made our Enemy haughty and untractable; and although the whole of the province of Moldavia was offered to be ceded to Russia, and to be annexed to her Empire, yet the proud and vain-glorious General rejected the offer, and insisted not only that Moldavia, but that the entire fertile province of Wallachia should be comprehended in the grant. Yet this was not all the neutrality of Servia was not to be allowed; and she was to be compelled as a separate power to treat with Russia, and full indemnity was to be granted under her former seditious treason and impiety. Thus circumstanced, our faithful people will not be surprized, that in our name the Commander in Chief, the GRAND VIZIER, hesitated. He dispatched Couriers to our capital; and in return we commanded him to break off the negotiation, and to act on the offensive. Then at length it was that our Enemies repented of their presumption, and under this feeling they have again offered to treat. If, on any terms that are consistent with the glory of our Empire, the blessings of peace can be obtained, our dear people, whose interest alone is our guide, may remain in the perfect assurance that those blessings shall be secured to them.

(Signed) " IBRAHIM, Reis Effendi."
ASIA.

A forest in India, 65 miles in length, and 28 in breadth, was set on fire in June last, through the negligence of some wood-cutters. At the date of the account, the conflagration had conti

nued five weeks, and 50 villages in the vicinity of the forest had been destroyed. Many of the unfortunate and idolatrous natives, believing the calamity to be a direct visitation of some vengeful deity, and not choosing to survive the loss of their property, precipitated themselves into the flames.

AMERICA AND THE WEST INDIES.

Intelligence has been received, via America, of an attempt having been made by French emissaries to shake the allegiance of the people of the Philippine Isles to Ferdinand the Seventh; which was, however, frustrated by the Governor. The emissaries came originally from the Isle of France, and, being furnished with the necessary instructions, obtained, in the disguise of Japanese merchants, permission to settle some time at Manilla, About 360 of the native inhabitants suffered themselves to be seduced: some of the soldiery were also bought over; but the number and competence of the conspirators were still unequal to the execution of their plan. They had been flattered with an assurance, that a French naval force would, in the month of July, visit the Chinese Seas, and give them both assistance and protection. Disappointed in this expectation, they made a premature effort to seize the arsenal, and disarm the garrison, but were easily counteracted by Don Ferdinand de Folgueras, the Governor. They then surrendered at discretion, and 70 of them had since expiated their treason with their lives.

The Presidency of Chili, according to advices from the river Plate of the 13th Oct. had declared itself independent, and renounced its allegiance to Fer inand VII. At the Caraceas, all the Europeans had been put into confinement.

Letters from various places on the island of Cuba give a melancholy detail of the combined effects of a hurricane and earthquake, experienced there at the close of October. The hurricane commenced at the Havannah on the 24th, by a gale from the Southward, which continued till the night of the 25th, when it fell for a few hours. On the following day two slight shocks of an earthquake were felt: the wind changed to the Northward, and during the ensuing 48 hours the contention of the ele ments was truly dreadful. The waves rose to a tremendous height, washing over the flag-staff of the castle, though 40 feet from the level of the sea, and sweeping the pier, a church, and 60 buildings away. Thirty-two vessels were driven on shore, and wrecked; out of which number, four were carried three miles up the country, and two nearly

into the heart of the town. Five Americans were driven over to the Florida shore, where they went to pieces; but the greater part of their cargoes was preserved.

At St. Jago de Cuba the hurricane and earthquake were simultaneous in their destructive operation. There was a lapse of three days between the two principal shoeks, which occurred both in the middle of the night. The inhabitants, on the first alarm, fled, half naked, into the open plain to the East of the town; but, though the danger appeared to cease for some time, the hurricane, by seattering the ruins of the buildings in various directions, rendered it too hazardous for the people to make any effectual effort to save their property. On the morning of the 28th the greater part of the town, which had escaped the fury of preceding shocks, was swallowed up; and a chasin, 80 feet broad, remained the only vestige of this frightful ruin. The river Aquadore, near which St. Jago was situated, was for some time agitated like the waves of the sea; but, though raised in the centre many feet above its ordinary level, did not overflow its banks.

At Quito, Spiritu Santo, and Choa, the hurricane has done great damage, pro

strating the sugar-cane and plantain, and tearing the coffee-trees up by the roots. It is supposed that not more than half a crop will be averaged throughout the island.

The damage to the shipping at the Havannah is computed at 600,000 dollars; the injury at St. Jago cannot be correctly estimated; but the loss of lives at both places is believed to be not fewer than 350.

A lamentable occurrence took place in Port Royal Mountains, Jamaica. The dwelling-house, &c. and from 25 to 30 acres of full-bearing coffee, on the plantation of Mr. Robert G. Dalhouse, sunk down and disappeared on the 15th of November, and nothing but the ridge of the house was discernible. Some days previous to this accident, the earth was observed to crack, and sink in a trifling degree, and the house to be affected by it, when Mr. Dalhouse was advised to remove with his furniture; which he fortunately did. The cause is not well ascertained; but it is supposed to have been occasioned by a hollow or subterranean passage in the earth, which swallowed up the buildings, &c. as there was not the smallest symptom of an earthquake at the time.

MEMORIAL respecting the Establishment of a Seminary for the Promotion of British Interests, Commercial and Political, in the Island of MALTA; submitted to the Consideration of his Majesty's Honourable Privy Council, Notaries and Proctors and Civilians, Ship-Owners and Merchants, individually and collectively; and particularly the Honourable East India, Russia, and Levant Companies; to the Consideration also of the African and other Societies, engaged in the Improvement of Geography, the Exploration of unknown Regions of the Earth, and all Manner of useful and liberal Investigation.

The reciprocal advantages of a commerce between Great Britain and the Coast of Barbary having become evident to Muley Solyman, the present Emperor of Morocco, who has the reputation of being more learned in the Mahomedan commentaries on the Koran, as well as of being of a more mild and generous disposition than any of his predecessors, wrote a letter with his own hand, not

many years ago, to his present Majesty, our good King, on this subject *. This letter remained in the Secretary of State's office here for some months, as no one could readily be found capable of translating it. This delay in returning an answer, naturally considered as a mark of disrespect, gave great offence to the Emperor.

An Institution of the kind now pro

* In this letter, Muley Solyman gives his Majesty the sacred title of Sultan, and shews him greater respect than had ever before been paid by any Mussulman to a Christian. This circumstance coming to the knowledge of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Right Honourable Spencer Perceval, that gentleman expressed a wish to a friend of Mr. Grey Jackson's to have a translation; and the letter was transmitted to Mr. Jackson for that purpose. "Dr. Buffe," says Mr. Jackson, who delivered it, "assured me, it had been sent to one, if not both Universities, and to the Post-office; but that, either from a difference in the punctuation of the characters; or in the language itself, no one could be found capable of rendering it into English. This statement, however unaccountable it may appear to many, was afterwards further confirmed by passports, and other papers in African Arabic, being sent to me for translations, the want of which had detained vessels in our ports, and caused merchants in London to suffer from a loss of markets.”—An Account of the Empire of Morocco, &c. By J. G. Jackson, Esq. p. 219.

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