Teneriff, Dec. 18. 1784. By a bark which arrived here on the 14th inftant, from the island of Hierro (one of the Canary islands fubject to Spain), we have the following moit melancholy account. On the 6th, a vefiel difplaying white colours landed thirty-feven people, amongst whom were five, or, as fome fay, feven women, fome of them with infants in their arms. They came afhore on a beach on the S. W. part of the ifland, furounded on the land fide by high inacceflible rocks, which entirely prevented all ingrefs into the country, except at one particular part, where there is a narrow defile, through which one perfon at a time may pats. This inlet was immediately fecured by fome of the iflanders who happened to be near, whilst others went to the town, and gave an account of the coming of thefe people to the governor, don Juan Briz Calderon: this officer convened the council. Unfortunately for thefe devoted people, very strict orders had been iffued (in confequence of the plague raging in fome parts of Europe) not to admit any veffels whatever, until, upon a due examination of their papers, it fhould appear there was no danger of infection. The governor, fearing, or pretending to fear, that the new comers might poffibly have the plague amongst them, propofed the horrid meature of cutting them all off. Some of the council ftrenuoufly oppofed fo fhocking a step, and pleaded the caufe of the innocent victims, and of humanity itelf. They argued, that these unhappy ftrangers all appeared healthy; that fome unavoidable diftrefs might have compelled them to feek an afylum on their fhore; that it was cruel and unjust to indict the feverest of all punishments upon

them, for tranfgreffing a temporary law of the country, which they could not poffibly be acquainted with; and that, though they should be infected, the fpot of ground they occupied effectually fecured the inhabitants from infection, by only guarding the avenue; offering to maintain thefe unhappy ftrangers until the governor-general of the iflands, refiding at Teneriff, fhould be informed of the cafe. Unhappily their humane fentiments were not listened to by Briz and others, who adopted the bloody resolution of flaughtering them. Accordingly the militia armed, and officered, with Briz at their head, marched to the place. They found the poor victims difperfed along the beach: the men, fome gathering fhell-fifli, and others walking together in fimple fociable parties; the women were, fome fitting on the fand, combing and dreffing one another's hair, others washing fome linen in the fea-water, and others fondling their infants. Thus fituated, they were found by their butchers, who, in order to gather them together to perpetrate with more ease their diabolical purpofe, threw down an empty cak upon the beach. The unhappy people, thinking it was fome kind relief intended for them, immediately flocked together where the cafk stood; and there the bloody maffacre began. In a few minutes an end was put to all their existence, except of one of the women, who took thelter with her child between two rocks, and of a man, who, af ter having a ball lodged in his arm, took to the fea, where he kept fwimming upwards of two hours, but, being obliged to cling to a rock to efcape drowning, was there cut to pieces with a fabre; the woman was alfo foon followed into her retreat, and stabbed to death with a

breaft.

That mercilefs mifcreant the governor was the first who fired his piece ; and, observing a vifible backwardness in many of the militia in following his example, he threatened them with instant death if they hefitated in the leaft; and, to fhew he was in earnest, knocked down the nearest man to him with the butt-end of his mufket, for appearing reluctant to the flaughter.

The news of this favage act of barbarity has been received at Teneriff by all ranks of people with the deepest concern and regret, and by none more than the governorgeneral, who deplores it extremely. He could not at first give credit to it; but was at length convinced of the fatal truth by letters from the infernal wretch, Briz himself. Exafperated to the highest pitch, he has given a commiflion to an officer of rank to go over to Hierro, to take cognizance of this tragical af

fair.

Dublin, May 12. This day Mr. Crofbie, who had conftructed a balloon upon principles of his own invention, mounted his car in the Palatine-fquare, Dublin, and at cended as high as the roofs of the houfes, but defcended again with a velocity that alarmed all the fpecta tors for his fafety. It was found that his weight was fo great as to overcome the power of afcenfion in the machine; but in an inftant Mr. M-Guire, a college youth, Iprung into the car, and afcended with majetic grandeur, to the astonishment of all who beheld him. It was about half after two when Mr. M'Guire mounted, with feemingly the wind at eaft. When the balloon had reached a certain height, it appeared for a few moments ftationary; but presently it was car

wards the Channel, in the direction of Holyhead. This being observed, a crowd of horfemen purfucd full fpeed the courfe it feemed to take, and faw the balloon defcending with great rapidity into the sea, at the distance of about nine miles. A wherry, and fome open boats, were immediately fent after the gallant adventurer, one of which came up moft opportunely to fave him, when he could not have struggled much longer, having already fwum more than forty minutes. balloon was found at a confiderable distance from Mr. M'Guire, who had been deprived of all fenfation on falling into the water, and en his recovery found himself totally difengaged from it. He landed in great fpirits; was received by the duke and duchefs of Rutland; and he has fince been knighted by his grace.

The

31. William Curtis, jun. efq. was elected alderman of TowerWard, in the room of Richard Atkinfon, efq. deceased.

JUNE.

St. James's, June 1. This day John Adams, efq. minifter plenipotentiary from the United States of America, had a private audience of his majesty to deliver his credentials. To which he was introduced by the marquis of Carmarthen, his majefty's principal fecretary of state for foreign affairs, and conducted by fir Clement Cottrell Dormer, knight, mafter of the ceremonies

3. The right hon. Thomas Harley, alderman of Portfoken ward, having become father of the city, by the death of Robert Alfop, efq. was tranflated to the ward of Bridge Without. A wardmote being held for Portfoken ward, on Wednesday, (C 3)

a poll

Paris, May 13. The king has named two veffels, deftined for the voyage round the world, la Bouffole, and the Aftrolabe. They are of the fame fize and force with thofe which captain Cook commanded in his laft voyage. The English admiralty, and the Royal fociety of London, have fent to M. de la Peyroufe, all the obfervations, original charts, and papers that can be of ufe to him. The admiralty has befides made him a very valuable prefent, the time-keeper and azimuth compafs which captain Cook made ufe of, Our Academy of Sciences has named a commiffion to prepare the neceffary documents and inftructions, that M. de la Peyroufe may be able to throw upon aftronomy, navigation, and natural hiflory, all the lights expected from fo important a voyage.

. 4. On Wednesday, ten malefac fors were executed before Newgate, pursuant to fentence, See May 26,

13. Derby, June 9. Friday morn ing a flocking murder was committed at Newark-upon-Trent, by William Lantern, a weaver, on the body of Hannah Stirley, his mother-in-law: he had quarrelled with his wife for not riting earlier in the morning, and high words enfuing, he feized a board on the fide of the bed, and aimed a blow at her, the children in be crying out to fpare their mother; upon which the mother-in-law ftepped in between them, and unfortunately received the blow, which fractured her kull,

and notwithstanding every affiftance from the faculty, fhe languifhed till fix o'clock on Saturday morning, when the expired.

14. On Saturday came on to be argued in the court of King's Bench, the return filed by the city of London to the writ of mandamus brought by Thomas Wooldridge, efq, to be reftored to the office of an alderman; when, after an argument of four hours, the court unanimoufly prononnced judgment in favour of the city, declaring their opinion that the court of mayor and aldermen had power to amove any one of the aldermen for a just and reasonable caufe; and that in the prefent inftance their exercite of fuch right was perfectly legal.

Galway, June 1. Yesterday morning as Mr. Anthony Horan, of this town, was on his journey to a farm not many miles diftant, he was met by three men on horfeback, who with horrid imprecations demanded his money and watch; having but two guineas about him, they compelled him to ride with them towards the ferry of Headfort, and difmounted at the old caftle near Moycullen, where taking paper and ink from a pocket-book, they extorted from him at the peril of his life, a letter, to his wife, informing her that he had bought three puncheons of rum and brandy, and dofiring her on the receipt of that, to give the bearer 6ol. 4s. 8d. who was mate of the veffel on board of which the liquor was. With this letter one of the villains was difpatched, Mr. Horan being left bound and guarded by the other two. On arriving at Mrs. Horan's, the with pleafure acceded to the demand, with which he returned to his affociates, when after flooting Mr. Horan's horfe to prevent all poffibility of a purfuit, and

wifling

part of their cargo, took two or three Mulattoes on board to work the ship, and iteered for Hifpaniola; where Keating, difpoling of all the cargo, efcaped from his companions, and got to Port Royal, in Jamaica, Dec. 8, 1784, in a very bad ftate of health. Here he took lodgings at Mrs. Dubois's, where he grew worfe, and fent for a phyfician, who, talking on various fubjects, difcovered that his illness did not proceed fo much from a bodily complaint, as from a difordered mind. Among other queftions he put to the phyfician, he asked, "if fome pirates had not lately been apprehended there?" He was anfwered in the affirmative, and, "that they were the most bloody and abandoned villains that had ever appeared upon record."-" My God! (cried he) what a pain have I in my head, and deadly ficknefs at my heart! Send for a barber inftantly, or I fhall be distracted!" The phylician now fufpected the real caufe, and Keating having been advertised, he had recourfe to the news-papers; his patient anfwering the defeription, a warrant was obtained; and, on apprehending him, he did not hesitate to acknowledge his guilt, though he was unwilling to difgrace his family. It has fince been found that he was born at Munster, and of no mean extraction. On his trial he pleaded not guilty; but he was con. demned upon his own confeffion, notwithstanding his counsel objected to the admiffibility of it. Twentyman and Johnfon had likewife been apprehended; but not having figned their examinations, their trials were poftponed. Twentyman foon after died in gaol.

Extra of a letter from Whitehill, in the parish of St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, Dec. 30, 1784.

"A dreadful tragedy was lately

acted at Windfor eflate in this parifh. One of Mr. Stirling's new Negroes fet fire to fix Negro houfes, which were burnt to afhes, murdered three black children, and wounded feven others, together. with two old women, without hav, ing received the fmalleft provocation. After this he paríued one of the book-keepers, who very narrowly efcaped, by picking up a large flone that lay in his way while running from the murderer, and throwing it with great violence at him, which brought him to the ground, when he was immediately fecured. The wretch was only three feet from the book-keeper, and had the inftrument of his bloody deeds uplifted, when he was knocked down. He was brought to a fummary trial at Lacovia, and fentenced to be burnt alive; which was carried into execution Thursday laft; and he fuftained the fiery trial with amazing indiffer ence. He declared upon his examination, that he panted after the life of his mafter, Samuel Mure, efq. or any other white man, and that he had formerly murdered fe veral people of his own colour both on the coaft of Guinea, and on board the fhip which transported him hither."

on

Kingston, Jamaica, Jan. 8. Information having been received that Hector Mac Millan and David Mac Neil, who lately murdered Mr. George Deares, were on board a fmall veffel in Cow Bay, Mr. Coakley, Mr. Lambert, Mr. Ryal, and Mr. Thomas Deares, friends of the deceafed, immediately refolved to take them. When they came alongfide the veffel, Coakley jumped on board, and took Mac Millan prifoner without refiftance. Mac Neil retiring to the cabin, was pursued by Lambert and Ryal, the former of whom fummoned him to furrender,