A very curious difcovery has lately taken place at Blackwall, near the river Thames, where Mr. Perry, the fhip-builder, had appropriated about feven acres of land for the purpose of making a wet dock. In digging the ground, regular ftrata of fand, clay, &c. have been found, proper for making bricks; and, 12 feet below the furface, hazle-trees, with the nuts upon them. DIED, in the ifle of Sky, Mrs. Flora Macdonald, famed in the annals of the late pretender. In the 19th year of his age Geo. Haftings, efq. only fon of Mr. Haftings of Folkftone, to whom the title of earl of Huntingdon is fupposed to have lately devolved. At Ipfwich, in his 100th year, Alexander Dean, efq. In her 108th year, and in full poffeffion of all her faculties, Mrs. Bridget Scaver, late of Treay, county of Armagh. APRIL. A duel was lately fought in .ant. Luttrelftown between Mr. Corran, M. P. and major Hobart, fecretary to the lord lieutenant, occafioned by fome words fpoken in parliament. The meeting was at the Hermitage, one of lord Carhampton's feats; Mr. Corran was attended by Mr. Egan; major Hobart by lord Carhampton. Being put to their ground, and agreed to fire as they chofe, Mr. Corran fired firft, without effect; whereupon major Hobart faid, "He hoped Mr. Corran was fatisfied." Mr. Egan than called out to major Hobart that he had not fired, as did Mr. Corran, The major, advancing a ftep or two towards Mr. Corran, repeated what he had faid before. Mr. Corran replied, "I am forry, fir, you have taken this advantage; but you have made it impoffible for me not to be fatiffied." On the 14th inft. advice was received at Edinburgh, from William Pulteney, efq. who has inftituted a profefforship for agriculture in the university there, that he had fixed upon Dr. Andrew Coventry to fill that office. Lectures are to be delivered annually.-The fubjects are, refpecting the nature of foils and manures, the conftruction of implements of hufbandry, the beft and moft fuccessful known practices, the manner of inftituting experiments to afcertain the effect of a practice in any given foil or climate, and the beft manner of introducing or training fkilful labourers and country artificers, where thefe may be wanting. The patronage of this inftitution, after the deceafe of the founder, is vefted jointly in, 1. The judges of the courts of feffion and exchequer ; 2. The magiftrates and town council of Edinburgh. 3. The univerfity of Edinburgh. One delegate from each of thefe bodies is to meet in a hall in the univerfity; and a majority determine the election, in cafe of a vacancy. A duel was fought at Muffelborough Links, near Edinburgh, on the 14th inft. between fir George Ramfay, and captain Macrae; the circumstances stated are precisely as follows: A fervant of fir George, keeping a chair at the door of the Edinburgh theatre, was ordered by capt. Macrae to remove it; on his objecting, fome words enfued, and the fracas concluded in captain Macrae's chaftifing the fervant very feverely. Meeting the next day with fir George Ramfay, he infifted on his difmiffing the man from his fervice. This was fefufed, on the ground, that whatever was the mifconduct of the fervant, he had already received a fufficient punishment. A challenge was the immediate confequence of this refufal. The parties met on Muffelborough Links; fir George Ramfay accompanied by fir William Maxwell of Moncrief; and capt. Macrae by Mr. Hay. The former fired firft, but without effect. Capt. Macrae returned the fire, and lodged his ball fo near the heart of his antagonist, that every art to extract it was fruitless. Sir George languished in much agony until Friday morning, when he expired. The deceased was a gentleman of the most amiable character and difpofition, and had but lately married a beautiful young lady, the fifter of lord Saltoun. The lord chancellor com17th. mitted the rev. Mr. Stevens to the fleet prifon, for carrying a young lady of the name of Jefferies to Gretna-Green, where he was married to her, fhe being a ward of the court of chancery. The mother, aunt, and other relations and friends of the lady, all bore honourable teftimony, by their affidavits, to the character of Mr. Stevens, and depofed that they approved of the marriage, although it was contract ed without their privity. The lord chancellor faid, there could be no excufe for a clergyman of the eftablifhed church carrying a ward of the court to Scotland, and there being married by a blacksmith. The protection of the wards of that court was of great importance. His lordfhip, however, paid due attention to the affidavits, which he faid might become a fubject of future confideration. Stephano Apologi, Antonio Marini, and Jacintha Farari, 19th. for the murder of their companion near Belfont; and Thomas Hewet Mafters, for the murder of his mif trefs's daughter, Mary Loveden, near Whitechapel, were executed before the debtor's door at Newgate, pursuant to their fentence, The three former having received · the Sacrament according to the ceremonies of the Romish church, about fix o'clock they made a full confeffion of the horrid deed. An、 tonio Marini (who profeffed himfelf to be the fon of one of the Ve netian nobleffe, and spoke Latin, Spanish, French, and Italian very elegantly and fluently) declared to the priest who attended them, that they had all agreed to kill their comrade as he slept in his bed two nights before the murder was committed; but that he, Marini, was fg fhocked at the idea of it on reffection, that he determined to abandon it, and from that time never failed to pray fome hours each day, that the deity would strengthen him in this refolution. That at the time the murder was perpetrated, he was walking more than a hundred yards before them, when he heard the deceafed cry aloud, " Antonio-Oh Antonio!" That he ran back and found him lifelefs, with one arm broken, broken, and his skull fractured, which he learnt was done by Apologi in knocking him down; and that his throat was cut in two places by Farari with a knife which he had borrowed of him that morning. That he was in great horror at the fight of fuch a fpectacle! but affifted in burying the body, for fear of a discovery, and that he fhould be deemed an acceffary in the murder. -Apologi and Farari acknowledged all he thus faid was ftrictly true. On afcending the fcaffold, Apologi and Farari difcovered great perturbation of mind, and wept abundantly. Marini deported himfelf with more fortitude, and yet with becoming decency. Thomas Hewet Masters likewife fhewed a becoming contrition. After a few minutes fpent in devotion with their refpective minifters, the drop fell, when they expiated (it is hoped) their offences, in the prefence of an incredible number of fpectators. After hanging the ufual time, their bodies were cut down, and fent to furgeons' hall for diffection. At Warwick affizes a perfon was indicted for ftealing a horfe. It was proved, that he hired the horse at London, to go a fhort journey; that he rode him to Birmingham, and there fold him, and converted the money to his own ufe. These circumftances were fubmitted to the confideration of the jury; who brought in their verdict, "guilty of felling the horfe." The judge told them, he knew no law that made the felling a horfe a capital crime; and referred back to the charge in the indictment. They then laid their heads together again, and, after mature confideration, brought in their final verdict," not guilty," Mr. Erfkine on the part of fir James Marriot, judge of 25th. the high court of admiralty, moved the court of king's bench for a criminal information against David Parry, efq; governor of the ifland of Barbadoes, for an infult offered to fir James in his character as a judge. A caufe had been tried in the court of admiralty, in which the governor was concerned, and, in giving judgment in that caufe, fir James made feveral obfervations on the conduct of the governor, which the governor refented, and called upon fir James in the character of a gentleman. The rule was granted. But on the 8th of May, the governor, by his counfel, fignified his defire of apologizing to fir James for his warnith. The apology was accepted; the rule difcharged. DIED, 16th, at the houfe of a relation near Paris, in the diocese of Bayonne, M. Bourgelais, author of fome very curious remarks on metaphyfical and hiftorical chrono:ogy. He was born a cripple, and fpent his life in ftudy. The various fyftems of facred chronology he treated upon with great ability. He was well verfed in most of the European languages. With all his abilities, however, he exifted in the fhade of poverty. 17th. At Philadelphia, aged 84 years and 3 months, Benjamin Franklin, efq. LL.D. and F.R.S. He was born in 1706, and brought up in the profeffion of a printer; in which capacity he worked fome years as a journeyman with the late Mr. Watts. His love of fcience can be traced from an early period. A letter of his to Sir Hans Sloane, dated June 2, 1725, is printed in vol. L. p. 459, of the Gentleman's Magazine. He He appeared here in the line of his bufinefs; but had procured letters to, and was well received by, Martin Folkes, efq. afterwards Prefident of the Royal Society, and, through him, was known to Dr. Clarke. In 1735, Mr. Franklin had a fevere pleurify, which terminated in an abfcefs on the left lobe of his lungs, and he was then almoft fuffocated with the quantity and fuddennefs of the difcharge. A fecond attack of a fimilar nature happened fome years after this, from which he foon recovered, and did not appear to fuffer any inconvenience in his refpiration from thefe difeafes. In 1759, he published " An Hiftorical Review of the Government of Penfylvania;" and in 1760, "The interefts of Great Britain confidered, with regard to her colonies." In 1773 he attracted the public notice by a letter on the duel between Mr. Whateley and Mr. Temple. On the 29th of January, 1774, he was heard before the privy council, on a petition he had long before prefented, as agent for Maffachufets Bay, against their governor, Mr. Hutchinfon; when the petition was abruptly difmiffed, and Mr. FrankJin removed from the office of deputy poftmafter-general for the CoJonies. Previous to this period, it is a teftimony to truth, and bare juftice to his memory, to obferve, that he ufed his utmost endeavours to prevent a breach between Great Britain and America; and it is perhaps to be lamented that his counfels were difregarded. He from this time entertained fo ardent a refentment, that neither politenefs nor moderation could reftrain the most pointed and bitter farcafms against the conduct of England in mixed companies. In the fummer of 1775, he returned to Philadelphia, and was immediately elected one of their delegates to the Continental Congrefs. In December that year, being now near 70 years of age, he arrived at Paris, and foon after took the houfe which Lord Stormont had occupied. In February, 1777, he had the regular appointment of plenipotentiary from the Congrefs to the French court; but obtained leave of difmiffion in 1780. His pafiport to Capt. Cook bears date March 10th, 1779. In 1783 he caufed a medal to be ftruck to commemorate the independence of America. July 24th, 1785, he embarked at Havre, and on the fame day landed at Southampton; whence, after a flight refreshment, he failed for Cowes, where a veffel was ready to convey him to Philadelphia. He was received there, Sept. 15th, with univerfal acclamation. The memories of the aged are not fuppofed to be retentive. Franklin was an excep, tion to this rule; he acquired French after feventy; he spoke fluently, and even scientifically, in that language. In his French embaffy Dr. Franklin became the ton, the fashionable topic of modifh converfation; the ladies had hats à-laFranklin; and crowds of belles and beaux often fluttered after him in the garden of the Thuilleries. The ftone, with which Dr. Franklin had been afflicted for feveral years, had for the last 12 months confined him chiefly to his bed; and during the extreme painful paroxyfms he was obliged to take laudanum, to mitigate his tortures; still, in the intervals of pain, he not only amufed himself with reading, and converfing chearfully with his family, and a few friends who vifited him, but was often employed in doing bufinefs of a public as well as private nature; and in every initance diplayed, not only a readinefs and difpofition of doing good, but the fullest and cleareft poffeffion of his mental abilities. About fixteen days before his death, he was feized with a feverish indifpofition, without any particular fymptoms attending it till the third or fourth day, when he complained of a pain in his left breaft, which increased until it became extremely acute, with a cough, and laborious breathing. In this frame of body and mind he continued till five days before his death, when his pain and difficulty of breathing entirely left him, and his family were flattering themselves with the hopes of his recovery; but an impofthumation, which had formed itself in his lungs, fuddenly burst, and difcharged a great quantity of matter, which he continued to throw up while he had fufficient ftrength to do it, but as that failed, the organs of refpiration became gradually oppreffed, a calm lethargic ftate fucceeded, and on the 17th of April, about eleven o'clock at night, he quietly clofed a long and useful life. He has left iffue one fon, Governor William Franklin, who was a zealous and active loyalist during the late revolution, and now refides in London; and a daughter married to Mr. Richard Bache, a merchant in Philadelphia. To the two latter he has bequeathed the chief part of his eftate, during their refpective lives, and afterwards to be divided equally among their children. To his grandfon, William Temple Franklin, efq. he leaves a grant of fome lands in the state of Georgia, the greatest part of his library, and all his papers, befides fomething additional in cafe of his marriage. He has alfo made various bequests and donations to cities, public bodies, and individuals; and has requested that the fol lowing epitaph, which he composed for himself fome years ago, may be infcribed on his tombitone: "The body of BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, Printer, (like the cover of an old book, its contents torn out, and ftript of its lettering and gilding) lies here food for worms: yet the work itself thall not be loft, but will (as he believed) appear once more in a new THE AUTHOR." Philadelphia never difplayed a fcene of greater grandeur than was exhibited at his funeral. His remains were interred on the 21ft; and the concourfe of people affembled on the occafion was immense. The body was attended to the grave by thirty clergymen, and men of all ranks and profeffions, arranged in the greatest order. All the bells in the city were tolled muffled, and there was a difcharge of artillery. Nothing was omitted that could fhew the refpect and veneration of his fellow-citizens for fo exalted a character. The Congrefs have ordered a general mourning for one month throughout the United States; and the national affembly of France have alfo decreed a general mourning of three days. The principles and qualities of electricity were fcarcely known in the laft age. The electric fluid was barely mentioned at the end of Newton's Optics. It was referved for |