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only excepted. It is said, that three or four white men, and two or three negroes, lost their lives in rendering assistance during the fire; and whether any more, is not yet ascertained.

During the conflagration on Saturday night last, in four hours, 229 houses, besides out-houses, &c. were burnt, amounting to one million of dollars, exclusive of loose property; 375 chimneys are standing bare, and form a dismal appearance-171 houses only, of the compact part of the city, are standing-upwards of 400 families are destitute of houses.

New York, Saturday, Dec. 9.Dreadful conflagration. About one o'clock this morning, a fire broke out in one of the stores on Murray's wharf, coffee-house slip, and raged with such fury as to baffle all human exertion, till it had laid in ashes the whole block of buildings included between that slip, Front-street, and the Fly-market. The number of buildings consumed may be from fifty to seventy, consisting mostly of large warehouses, with some large and valuable dwelling-houses. The goods in the stores first burnt, were all consumed, with all the books and papers of the occupiers. Of this number are Messrs. Robinson and Hartshorne, Messrs. Loomis and Tillinghast, Wm. and S. Robinson, and the representatives of Nicholas Cook.

The merchandize in the stores nearer to the Fly-market was much of it saved.

Fortunately it was high water, and the wind off shore, by which means the shipping was saved.

The principal proprietors of the buildings burnt, are Stewart and Jones, John Murray, jun., John Marston, Robert Browne, John

Taylor, Carey Ludlow, Robert and Peter Bruce, and Henry H. Kip.

Other sufferers are Robinson and Hartshorne, Loomis and Tillinghast, estate of Nicholas Cook, David Wagstaff, Benjamin Strong, John Rathbone, Isaac Riley, David G. Hubbard, D. Bethune, and Co. Scheiwhauser and Co. Many others who had property stored in the warehouses, have suffered greatly, but we cannot ascertain their

names.

The progress of the fire was finally arrested by cutting down the fishmarket.

It would be imprudent at present to bazard a guess at the amount of property destroyed. It must be immense.

The warehouses were all of wood, and many of them contained large quantities of rum and spirits, which rendered the flames terrible in rapi dity and extent.

December 14. Serious cause of alarm!-Citizens of New-York, you are once more called upon to attend to your safety. It is no longer a doubt it is a fact, that there is a combination of incendiaries in this city, aiming to wrap the whole of it in flames!-The house of Mr. Lewis Ogden, in Pearl-street, has been twice set on fire-the evidence of malicious intention is indubitable, and he has sent his black man, suspected,, to prison. Last night an attempt was made to set fire to Mr. Lindsay's house, in Greenwichstreet. The combustibles left for the purpose are preserved as evidence of the fact. Another at tempt, we learn, was made last night in Beekman-street. A bed was set on fire under a child, and his cries alarmed his family.

In the course of the above conflagration at New-York, captain

Sharpe,

Sharpe, and the crew of his majesty's packet the Swallow, exerted them selves in a manner to impress with the warmest gratitude the inhabitants of New-York. They cut out of the flames several vessels that had actually caught fire, and saved the lives of thirty persons who were on board. The papers are full of testimonies to their brave and hu mane exertions. We copy the following as an example.

At a meeting of the associated underwriters in the city of NewYork, it being unanimously agreed to express the thanks of that body to captain Sharpe, of his Britannic majesty's packet Swallow, for his exertions at the late fire, the following letter was yesterday addressed to him by their president.

Sir,

JOHN FERRERs, Sec. New-York, Dec. 10, 1796.

The associated underwriters in the city of New-York take the opportunity, before your departure from this port, to express the sense they entertain of the services you rendered the commercial interests of this city,, by your ready assistance and exertions at the fire which happened in the night of the 8th instant, to which must be attributed, in a great degree, the safety of a number of vessels from the consequences of that calamity.

They also request the favour of you to distribute the inclosed sum among those persons who aided you with their services on that occasion.

I beg leave to subscribe myself In behalf of the association, With much respect, Sir, Your very obedient servant, Ć. SANDS, President. John Sharpe, Esq. commander of his Britannic majesty's packet Swallow.

To which captain Sharpe returned the following answer: Sir,

It gives me infinite satisfaction to find, that any part of my conduct during the late melancholy and distressing conflagration, should be considered as meriting, in the smallest degree, the attention of so respectable a body of merchants; at the same time, I beg to assure you, on that calamitous occasion, I felt it no less my duty than my inclination to exert my best endeavours to stop the rapid progress of an enemy which threatened the total destruc tion of so great a commercial city. I feel, Sir, deeply for the very heavy losses which many of the inhabitants of New-York must have experienced on the occasion, and lament that it was not in my power to have rendered them more effectual aid and assistance.

I cannot omit to express to you, how much I feel myself indebted to Dr. William Bache, for his indefatigable exertions and assistance on board the two first ships transported from the flames.

The sum of money which you have so liberally voted, shall be distributed agreeably to your wishes. I have the honour to be,

With the utmost respect, Sir, Your most obedient humble servant, JOHN SHARPE,

His Britannic majesty's packet

Swallow. Comfort Sands, Esq. president of the associated underwriters. December 12, 1796.

Jan. 19. A considerable change has taken place in the position of the stones which form that extraordinary relic of the ancient supersti tions of our countrymen, called Stonehenge. This change took place on the 3d instant, and is at

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tributed to the rapid thaw, which on that day succeeded a very hard frost. The following is an extract of a letter from Salisbury on the subject:

On the 3d inst. some people employed at the plough, near Stonehenge, remarked, that three of the larger stones had fallen, and were apprized of the time of their fall by a very considerable concussion, or jarring, of the ground. These stones prove to be the western of those pairs, with their imposts, which have had the appellation of trilithons. They had long deviated from its true perpendicular. There were, originally, five of these trilithons, two of which are, even now, still remaining in their ancient state. It is remarkable, that no account has ever been recorded of the falling of the others, and, perhaps, no alteration has been made in the appearance of Stonehenge for three centuries prior to the present tremendous downfall. The impost, which is the smallest of the three stones, is supposed to weigh 20 tons. They all now lie prostrate on the ground, and have received no injury from their aërial separation.

They fell flat westward, and levelled with the ground a stone also of the second circle, that stood in the line of their precipitation. From the lower ends of the supporters being now exposed to view, their prior depth in the ground is satisfactorily ascertained; it appears to have been about six feet. The ends, however, having been cut oblique, neither of them was, on one side, more than a foot and a half deep. Two only of the five trilithons, of which the adytum consisted, are now, therefore, in their original position. The destruction of any part of this grand oval we must

peculiarly lamment, as it was com posed of the most stupendous materials of the whole structure.

21. This night at 11 o'clock, a cottage at Newton Ferrers, about eleven miles from Plymouth, in which slept an industrious widow (cottager) and her two children, was overwhelmed by the bursting of a very large field and orchard on a hill above the cottage, in Memblard-lane. It totally destroyed the cottage and a barn, and suffocated the widow and her two children, who were found dead under a very great heap of earth, elm-trees, and cyder-trees. A large chasm in the field above the cottage was found, out of which issued a rivulet of water. The farmers imagine it was owing to the bursting of a spring, that this accident happened. The bodies were dug out on. Monday; and Mr. Whitford, coroner for the southern district of Devon, took an inquisition, and the jury returned a verdict, "Accidental death." From the London Gazette, Jan. 21.

Admiralty-Office, Jan. 20, 1797Copy of a Letter from Rear-Admiral Harvey to Mr. Nepean, dated on board the Prince of Wales, Fort Royal Bay, Martinique, December 4, 1790.

Sir,

You will please to acquaint their lordships, that a few hours after I anchored with the squadron in this bay, the 2d instant, I received a letter from captain Barton, of his majesty's ship Lapwing, acquainting me that he had destroyed the French ship Le Decius, and La Vaillante brig, off St. Martin's, and that two French frigates, La Thetis and La Pensée were at anchor off St. Martin's; referring me to lieutenant St. Clair for further infor:nation.

In consequence of the two frigates lying at St. Martin's, I immediately ordered the Bellona and Invincible to St. Kitt's, and directed captain Wilson to obtain such information as was necessary at that island, and then proceed towards St. Martin's and Anguilla, using his best endeavours to destroy the French frigates, and protect the island of Anguilla; and he sailed the same evening on that service.

Captain Barton having referred me to lieutenant St. Clair, whom he detached in a Danish schooner with his letter, it appears that the French had landed about three hun-' dred men on the island of Anguilla, the 26th ultimo, and that after having plundered the island, and burnt several houses, and committed every devastation possible, attended with acts of great cruelty, on the appearance of the Lapwing they reembarked their troops the night of the 26th, and the following morning, early, the Lapwing came to action with the Decius of twentysix guns, and Vaillante brig, mounting four thirty-two and twenty-four pounders, as a gun vessel; that after a close action of about an hour the brig bore away, and in half an hour after the Decius struck her colours. The brig ran on shore on St. Martin's, and by the fire of the Lapwing was destroyed; that on the Lapwing taking possession of the Decius, it was found she had about eighty men killed and forty wounded, being full of troops; that the following day the Lapwing was chased by two large French frigates, and captain Barton found it necessary to take the prisoners and his men out of the Decius, and set fire to her, when he returned to St. Kitt's, and landed one hundred and seventy prisoners.

I shall take the earliest opportunity of transmitting any further accounts which may be sent by captain Barton; but it evidently appears that captain Barton's conduct was highly meritorious by the capture and destruction of this force of the enemy, and saving the island of Anguilla from further depredation.

The French troops employed on this service were picked men from Guadaloupe; and there is great reason to suppose the greatest part of them have been taken or destroyed. Many of the soldiers were drowned in attempting to swim on shore.

The Lapwing had but one man killed (the pilot), and six men wounded.

I am, &c.

(Signed) HENRY HARVEY. Admiralty Office, Jan. 21, 1797. Copy of a letter from Sir Edward Pellew, Bart. Captain of his Majesty's Frigate, Indefatigable, to Evan Nepean, Esq. dated January 17, 1797.

I have the honour to make known to you, for the information of the lords commissioners of the admiralty, that on Friday last the 15th instant, at half past noon, in latitude 47 deg. 30 min. N. Ushant bearing N. E. 50 leagues, we discovered a large ship in the N. W. quarter, steering under easy sail for France; the wind was then at west, blowing hard, with thick hazy weather. I instantly made the signal to the Amazon for a general chase, and followed it by the signal that the chase was an enemy. At four P. M. the Indefatigable had gained sufficiently upon the chase for me to distinguish very clearly that she had two tier of guns, with her lower deck ports shut, and that she had no poop.

At

At fifteen minutes before six we brought the enemy to close action, which continued to be well supported on both sides near an hour, when we unavoidably shot a-head; at this moment the Amazon appeared a-stern, and gallantly supplied our place; but the eagerness of captain Reynolds to second his friend, had brought him up under a press of sail, and, after a well supported and close fire for a little time, he also unavoidably shot a-head. The enemy, who had nearly effected running me on board, appeared to be much larger than the Indefatigable, and, from her very heavy fire of musquetry, I believe was full of men; this fire was continued until the end of the action with great vivacity, although she frequently defended both sides of the ship at the same time.

As soon as we had replaced some necessary rigging, and the Amazon had replaced her sail, we commenced a second attack, placing ourselves, after some raking broadsides, upon each quarter; and this attack, often within pistol shot, was by both ships unremitted for above five hours: we then sheered off to secure our masts. It would be needless to relate to their lordships every effort that we made in attack, which commenced at a quarter before six P. M. and did not cease, excepting at intervals, until half past four A. M. I believe ten hours of more severe fatigue was scarcely ever experienced; the sea was high, the people on the main deck up to their middles in water, some guns broke their breechings four times over, some drew the ring-bolts from the sides, and many of them were repeatedly drawn immediately after loading; all our masts were much wounded, the main top-mast com

pletely unrigged, and saved only by uncommon alacrity.

At about twenty minutes past four, the moon opening rather brighter than before, shewed to lieutenant George Bell, who was watchfully looking out on the forecastle, a glimpse of the land; he had scarcely reached me to report it, when we saw the breakers. We were then close under the enemy's starboard bow, and the Amazon as near her on the larboard; not an instant could be lost, and every life depended upon the prompt execution of my orders; and here it is with heart-felt pleasure I acknowledge the full value of my officers and ship's company, who, with incredible alacrity, hauled the tacks on board, and made sail to the southward. The land could not be ascertained, but we took it to be Ushant, and in the bay of Brest; crippled as we were, I had no particular fears; but before day we again saw breakers upon the lee bow; the ship was instantly wore to the northward, and being then satisfied that the land we had before seen was not Ushant, the lingering approach of day-light was most anxiously looked for by all; and soon after it opened, seeing the land very close a-head, we again wore to the southward, in twenty fathoms water, and a few minutes after discovered the enemy, who had so bravely defended herself, lying on her broadside, and a tremendous surf beating over her. The miserable fate of her brave, but unhappy crew was perhaps the more sincerely lamented by us, from the apprehension of suffering a similar misfortune. We passed her within a mile, in a very bad condition, having at that time four feet water in our hold, a great sea, and the wind

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