ftroyed our crazy fleet, The Exeter, of 64 guns, Commodore King, fuffered very much; the Sceptre, Capt. Graves, of 64, loft all her mafts and bowfprit; our thip preferved her mafts, but almost all her fails were blown from the throwds; the other fhips of the fleet fuffered very confiderably. After the weather cleared up, and the ftorm abated, Providence favoured us with a leading wind to the Cape; had it proved otherwife, I doubt our fickly fleet must all have perished. On board the Monarea we had already loft 65 men by the fcurvy, and the Doctor had above 200 more upon his lift, abfolutely incapable of doing any duty, and many of them in the laft ftage of that dreadful diforder. You must suppose we could fpare but few of our people to attend the fick; and, to heighten our calamity, two of the Doctor's mates were among them.

Our fhip made a great deal of water, and it was not without the greateft exertion we could keep her afloat; the men dying daily at the pump, and thofe who ftill furvived (both officers and men) were fo exhaufted with fatigue, and conRant watch and duty, that they were fcarcely able to keep the deck. The Captain and ward-room officers gave up all their fresh provifions, wines, &c. to our fick people; and the Doctor had long before exhausted all the anti-fcorbutics he had, or could at any rate purchafe before we left India. There are upwards of 1000 fick on fhore from the different fhips. We have buried in all 70 men fince our arrival."

Return of Com. King's fleet, "which arrived at the Cape of Good Hope, Dec. 10. frem Madras: Full When left

Europe

Africa

Sick. Comp. Madras.

94 31

on

Died Guns. paffage. Cumberland 74 950 620 165 19 Hero 74 750 667 334 37 Monarca 70 720 586 231 8& 64 650 947 116 64 650 523 Exeter 64 670 560 139 4% Sceptre 64 050 552 203 24 San Carlos 50 S10 463 96 21 Naiadé 32 240 870 31 7 The accounts represent, that many of the people which were not abfolutely in in the furgeon's lift, were nearly incapable of duty. Several of the fhips bu. ried from 40 to 60 men that were wounded in the late action with Suffrein, or were diseased at that time; fo that this part of the Afiatic fquadron has fuffered more confiderably than any fleet laft war.

ENGLAND.

On March 6. an account was received at the India House, that the Nancy EaftIndia packet was loft off Scilly, and that all the crew and paffengers perished. The following is the fubftance of the let, ter which gave the intelligence." A perfon, whofe bufinefs it is to attend at Scilly iflands, on feeing fome letters washed on fhore, which, on opening, he found came from India, fufpecting fome veffel from that part of the world to be loft, offered a large reward for any perfon to go off. They accordingly discover. ed the wreck under water with great dif ficulty, and got up a packet-bag, which contained several letters.-The following are a part of the paffengers known to have been on board the Nancy at the time; Mr Percy, furgeon to Sir Ed. Hughes; Mr Afhburner, late of the council at Bombay; Mr Bond; Mr Page and fon; Mifs A. Thomson; Capt. Haldane, his firft and fecond mate; Mr M'Kenzie; Mrs Cargill, and an infant child of twenty months old. The bodies were almoft naked, and fuppofed to have been in bed at the time."

Exclufive of remittances to the Company, it is faid there were upwards of 200,000l. private property, in fpecie and jewels on board.

Mrs Cargill, the celebrated actress, when found floating, had the child faft in her arms.

Capt. Haldane, who commanded the Nancy, has proved one of the most unfortunate officers that ever imbarked in the fervice of the Eaft-India Company. After undergoing a series of difficulties in a fubordinate ftation, he at length got the command of an Indiaman, which no fooner put to fea, than the was taken by the combined fleets of France and Spain, and carried into Cadiz. Twelve months after, he procured the Fairford Eaft Indiaman, which immediately on her arrival at Bombay was burnt, and with her all his property was confumed. In order to compenfate in some degree for this failure, the Governor of Bombay gave him the command of the Nancy packet, charged with particular dispatches to England, in which he terminated his difaftrous life.

On Thursday, March 11. at a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries at Somerfet Houfe, Sir William Hamilton produ ced and exhibited, for the inspection of

that

that learned body, the admirably curious Barberini Vafe, which he has lately brought from Italy, and which was found in the Sarcophagus of the Emperor Alexander Severus, having contained his afhes. It is formed of a wonderful fine compofition, resembling a gem of a deep blue colour, having figures emboffed upon it of the moft exquifite white, highly finished in the most mafterly ftyle of the beft ages of sculpture; and, from fome circumstances attending them, is believed to have been the workmanfhip of fome artist in the time of Alexan der the Great.

March 15. at twelve o'clock at night, the Lord Mayor of London received a letter from the Rt Hon. William Pitt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, relative to an execution for 180,000l. being levied on a certain capital body. Early next morning his Lordship fent for the fword-bearer, and ordered fummonfes for a court of Aldermen that day. His Lordship, the Sheriffs, and several Aldermen, had a conference for two hours on this extraordinary occafion, as the execution was faid to be not ftrictly regular. The officer who levied, notwithstanding the largeneís of the demand, executed the writ without the knowledge of his principals, and his fees being 1 s. 6 d. in the pound, amount to 13,000l. The execution was for duties to government, and it was faid that night to be withdrawn by confent of miniftry.

The Court of Aldermen fufpended the fecondary of the compter for having levied this execution on his own mere motion, and without previous authority from the sheriffs.

Early in the morning of March 24. fome villains broke into the Lord Chancellor's houfe in Great Ormond-street, and carried off the Great Seal of England, thirty-five guineas official fees belonging to it, and the hilts of two fwords, the property of his Lordship's officers. Fortunately the mace, which lay in a corner of the room, was concealed by a green cloth, and escaped notice.

The inconvenience attending this extraordinary theft, at the prefent time," was, however, foon obviated by a new one, which was finifhed next day, the 25th, and authorised to be used by the following Order of Council. At the Court at the Queen's Houfe, the 25th March 1784. Prefent the King's Moft Excellent Majefty in Council. A new Great Seal of Great Britain having been prepared by his Majesty's Chief Engraver of Seals, in pursuance of a warrant to him for that purpose, under his Majefty's Royal fignature; and the fame having been this day prefented to his Majesty in Council, and approved; his Majefty was thereupon graciously pleased to deliver the faid new Seal to the Rt Hon. Edward Lord Thurlow, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, and to direct that the fame fhall be made ufe of for fealing all things whatfoever which pafs the Great Seal. Steph. Cottrell.

The fame evening proclamations for diffolving the prefent parliament and calling a new one paffed the Seals.

The writs for the new parliament bear tefte on Friday, March 26. and are returnable on Tuesday May 18. following.

The election of the Sixteen Peers for Scotland to fit in the new parliament, is, by a separate proclamation, appointed to be at Holyroodhouse on Saturday, May 8.

An account of the Copper Ore fold in Cornwall from the year 1780 to 1783 inclusive.

s. d.

Years. Tons. 1780, 24,428 1781, 28,939 1782, 28,581 1783, 35,809,

£. 168,911

སྡུ༠༠༠。

£725,367 3 6

SCOTLAND..

Wednesday, Feb. 4. James Andrew, convicted of a robbery in Hope Park in October laft, was executed in the Grafs Market pursuant to his fentence. This unfortunate young man, from fome al

Χ

leviating

A Committee was appointed by the Landed Intereft of Scotland to oppofe the bill for increafing the falaries of Parifh Schoolmasters. The bill propofed to fix the minimum of the salaries at 161. 13 s. 4 d. Sterling, which in fome cafes may be doubled, with a house and garden of the value of 31. a-year, and as much ground as will pasture a cow. The following is the fubftance of the Reasons for oppofing the bill, which appeared in the Edinburgh papers in March.

1. As the landed intereft are to pay this additional salary, they ought to have been confulted before the bill was brought into parliament; and, upon this ground, it fhould be opposed, until it is fent back to the counties.

2. The principle of the bill is not well founded. It affumes as its bafis, That the schoolmasters are poor, and that to render them ;easy and independent, will make them more diligent and attentive to the education of youth. The reverfe is found by experience to be the fact.The act 1696 did not intend that the falary then fixed fhould be equal to the fupport of the schoolmafter and his family," but only as an aid to his induftry." until the idea of attending public fchools (then little thought of by the commonalty) should become more univerfal.

3. In populous parishes, a schoolmafter, who is capable and diligent, can gain a comfortable subsistence. But if his indolence obliges the inhabitants to fend their children to towns for education, there seems neither reafon nor'juftice in compelling the landed intereft to relieve the poverty occafioned by indolence.

4. If the falary be increased, it will make the office of parish-schoolmaster an object of attention for ftudents of divinity, who, having their own education in that line to carry on, would feldom be fufficiently attentive to the education of the youth committed to their charge. 5. There are very few parishes in the country so small as that all the children in it can attend the parifh-fchool. There are generally other schools in the parish; and frequently the parifh-fchoolmafter, Even with the aid of his falary, does not live fo comfortably as his rival: this can only proceed from his being lefs capable, or lefs diligent: And in extenfive and thinly inhabited parishes, where the mater can teach but few children on ac

count of their refidence being remote from the school, it seems unreasonable to compel the heritors and tenants to contribute more than they do at prefent to the falary of a schoolmafter from whom they can derive no benefit whatever. 6. Although the price of many of the neceffaries of life has increased fince the year 1696, when the present salaries were fixed, yet the more general defire of knowledge that now prevails, and the higher fees that are given when deferved, will more than compenfate that rise.

7. The state of the country has chan ged materially fince that period. At that time, the greater part of the nation was comprehended under two claffes, viz. the landed intereft, and their tenants; therefore the dividing the fchoolmaster's falary betwixt them, as done by that law, might then have been reasonable: but now there are several different classes, viz. the manufacturer, the trader, and the merchant, who, in general, are more wealthy than their correfponding ranks among the landed intereft; and yet by this bill they are to contribute nothing to the proposed additional salary.

8. This bill, as the blanks are filled up, will levy upon the landed interest, on or before the 1ft of November next, about 160,000. Sterling, as appears from the following calculation: ft, There are about 1000 parishes in Scotland, and fuppofe every house and school-houfe to colt 601. inde L. 60,000 2d, Suppose the value of the land for a garden 40 s. per ann. as this is to be purchased in land, fay twenty-five years purchase, 50,000 3d, Suppofe a cow's pasture equal in value to the garden,

50,000

By the bill, this fum of L. 160,000 is to be levied from the landed intereft, on or before the period above mentioned. Perhaps the schoolmasters in moft of the royal boroughs are already provided in houfes, and therefore the firft fum may admit of fome dedu&ions. But, as this burden is parochial, altho the boroughs may be relieved of it, where fuch houfes are already provided, yet in country parishes where houses are wanting, the expence will not be less than is here calculated.

9. The annual burden upon the landed intereft and their tenants will be increafed as follows:

ft, Intereft of the first fum, being for X 2 buildings

5,000

third fums, at 5 per cent. 3d, Suppofe every schoolmaster now provided in 100 merks of falary, the addition is 200 merks each at least, that is, upon the whole, 200,000 merks, or in Sterling about II,III Additional annual burden is L. 20,611 This additional provifion will be a diminution of the value of the lands of Scotland of above 412,000l.; and as in the whole of this bufinefs the fmalleft proprietor has an equal voice with the greateft, in many parishes combinations may be formed to vote the higheft falary, which they will have it in their power to bestow on any friend or relation they may wish to provide for; it may even be given to promote the education of perfons who may become feceding mini. fters.

10. There never was a more improper time than the present for laying any additional burden upon the tenants, as it is well known, that, in most parts of Scotland, they are very deeply in arrears to their landlords.

11. Although the schoolmafters complain of the fcanty provifion made for them, there are never wanting many candidates for every vacancy, perfectly qualified, and regularly recommended. And in fact, under the prefent establishment, the commonalty of Scotland are more generally taught and better educated than any populace in Europe.

12. If any further provifion is neceffary, it ought to be made by railing the fees for teaching, which can be done by an agreement among the heritors, without the aid of parliament.

Laftly, That innovations in the law and established rights of this part of the united kingdom, and which are to affect Scotland only, ought to be guarded against with the utmost attention, and oppofed with determined refolution.

ELPHINSTON, Prefs. ALEX. KIDD, Clerk. Since the above reafons appeared, the schoolmasters have published, in an advertisement, a fhort ftate of their proceedings relative to the bill in queftion, which concludes as follows. "Thefe proceedings fhow, that it was by no means the intention of the schoolmafters

to take any ftep against the fense of the landed intereft; and the fchoolmafters have already repeatedly declared, that they never prefumed to dictate, but will, with all humility, accept of whatever relief the landed intereft, and their reprefentatives in parliament, fhall think their diftreffed fituation requires."

On Thursday, March 25..the Dele. gates from the Royal Boroughs of Scotland met in Mary's Chapel, Edinburgh, for the purpose of deliberating on the propofed reform in matters of election. The names of the burghs, according as they were ranked in the rolls of the parliament of Scotland, were called over; when there appeared delegates from the following thirty-five burghs, viz. Edinburgh, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen, Stirling, Linlithgow, St Andrews, Glasgow, Haddington, Dyfart, Kirkaldy, Montrose, Cupar-Fife, Anftruther Eafter, Dunferm line, Burntifland, Kinghorn, Brechin, Irvine, Jedburgh, Pittenweem, Dumbarton, Dunbar, Lanerk, Arbroath, Elgin, Peebles, Crail, Banff, Nairn, Anftruther Wefter, Sanquhar, Dingwall, Inverury, and Lochmaben.

On a motion for chufing a Prefident, William-Charles Little of Libberton, Efq; was unanimously elected; and having taken the chair, expreffed his thanks to the Convention in a very elegant fpeech In the courfe of which he remarked, "That our forefathers were as fond of liberty, and as fenfible of their just rights and privileges, as we poffibly could be. They defired, he faid, to fee that day, but they were not permitted to fee it, a day which ushered in the dawn of freedom to the royal burghs of Scotland. He hoped that dawn fhould ere long break forth into the brighteft funfhine, and, he trufted in God, that fun fhould never fet, nor even be inter cepted by a cloud. He obferved, that, fince the gloomy year 1469, when the burgeffes were deprived of their unalienable rights and privileges, the burghs had gradually funk into obfcurity, infignificance, and flavery. In this horrid ftate, they had remained even to this day, excepting only a glimpfe of liberty, which they enjoyed by a temporary reftoration about the period of our glorious Revolution. But their intereft was foon forgotten, or probably facrificed to matters which appeared of more confe quence to the then administrators of the ftate. To redress these grievances, he