would permit them to exercife, to help them to the fummit.

A

The method of affording this help was fingular, and does honour to the humanity and intrepidity of the quarry-men. The diftance from the top of the rock to the cavern was at least 100 feet, with a projection of the former of about 8 feet; ten of thefe formed a declivity to the edge, and the remainder of it was perpendicular. On the very brink of the precipice ftood two daring fellows, a rope being tied round them, and faftened above to a strong iron bar fixed in the ground, behind them in like manner two more, and two more. ftrong rope alfo, properly fecured, paffed between them, by which they might hold and fupport themfelves from falling; they then let down another rope, with a noofe ready fixed, below the cavern; and the wind blowing hard, it was in fome inftances forced under the projecting rock fufficiently for the fufferers to reach it without crawling to the extremity; in either cafe, whoever laid hold of it, put the noofe round his waift, and after efcaping from one element, committed himfelf full fwing to another, in which he dangled till he was drawn up with great care and caution.

"It is but juftice in this place to fay, that the furvivors received the friendly and humane affiftance of Mr. Jones and Mr. Hawker, gentlemen refident near the spot.

"But in this attempt many fhared the fate of the unfortunate Mr. Brimer; and unable, through cold, weakness, perturbation of mind, or the incommodioufnefs of the ftations they occupied, to avail themfelves of the fuccour which was offered them, were at laft precipitated from

the ftupendous cliff, and were either dafhed to pieces on the rocks beneath, or falling into the furge, perifhed in the waves.

"Among thefe unhappy fufferers, the deftiny of a drummer belonging to the military on board the Halfewell, was attended with circumftances of peculiar diftress; being either washed off the rock by the feas, or falling into the furf from above, he was carried by the counter-feas or returning waves, beyond the breakers, within which his utmoft efforts could never again bring him, but he was drawn further out to fea; and as he fwam remarkably well, continued to struggle with the waves, in fight of his pitying companions, till his ftrength was exhaufted, and he funk, to rife no

at the houfe of their benevolent friend, Mr. Garland, they were mustered, and found to amount to feventy-four, out of rather more than two hundred and forty, which was about the number of the crew and paffengers in the fhip when the failed through the Downs; of the remainder, who unhappily loft their lives, upwards of feventy are fupposed to have reached the rocks, but to have been washed off, or to perish in falling from the cliffs, and fifty or more to have funk with the captain and the ladies in the roundhoufe, when the after-part of the ship went to pieces.

All thofe who reached the fummit furvived, except two or three, who are fuppofed to have expired in drawing up, and a black, who died in a few hours after he was brought to the house, though many of them were fo miferably bruifed that their lives were doubtful, and they are fcarcely yet recovered."

On the 2d of Angust the following Article appeared in a London Gazette Extraordinary.

"T

St. James's, August 2. HIS morning, as his majefty was alighting from his carriage, at the gate of the palace, a woman who was waiting there, under pretence of prefenting a petition, a petition, truck at his majefty with a knife, but providentially his majefty received no injury. The woman was immediately taken into cuftody, and upon examination, appears to be infane." The circumftances attending this alarming event are thus related: As the king was alighting from his poft-chariot, at the garden entrance of St. James's, the woman, who ap

peared very decently dreffed, in the act of prefenting a paper to his majefty, which he was receiving with great condefcenfion, ftruck a concealed knife at his breast, which his majetty happily avoided by drawing back, As fhe was making a fecond thrust, one of the yeomen caught her arm, and, at the fame inftant, one of the king's footmen wrenched the knife from her hand. The king, with great temper and fortitude exclaimed, "I am not hurt take care of the poor woman-do not hurt her."

k

The fame day fhe underwent an examination before the privy council, when it appeared that her name was Margaret Nicholson, daughter of George Nicholfon, of Stocktonupon-Tees; and that she had lived in feveral creditable fervices. Being asked where he had lived fince the left her laft place? fhe answered franticly, he had been all abroad fince that matter of the crown broke out."-Being asked what matter? fhe went on rambling, that the crown was her's-fhe wanted nothing but her right-that the had great property-that if she had not her right, England would be drowned in blood for a thousand

generations. Being further asked where fhe now lived, the answered rationally, "At Mr. Fik's, ftationer, the corner of Wigmore-ftreet, Mary bone. Mary bone." On being queftioned as to her right, fhe would anfwer none but a judge, her rights were a myftery. Being afked, if she had ever petitioned? the faid, fhe had, ten days ago. On looking back among the papers, fuch petition was found, full of princely nonfenfe about tyrants, ufurpers, and pretenders to the throne, &c. &c.

Mr. Fisk being fent for and interrogated,

His Majefty's most gracious Speech to both Houses of Parliament, on the opening of the Third Seffion of the Sixteenth Parliament of Great Britain, 24th January 1786.

My Lords and Gentlemen, INCE I laft met you in parliaSment, the difputes which appeared to threaten an interruption to the tranquillity of Europe have been brought to an amicable conclufion; and I continue to receive from foreign powers the ftrongeft affurances of their friendly difpofition towards this country.

At home, my fubjects experience the growing bleffings of peace in the extenfion of trade, the improvement of the revenue, and the increase of the public credit of the

make any farther progrefs in that falutary work.

Gentlemen of the House of
Commons,

ment;

I have ordered the estimates for the present year to be laid before force economy in every departyou: it is my earnest wish to enfont, and you will, I am perfuaded, be equally ready to make fuch provifion as may be neceffary for the public fervice, and particularly for maintaining our naval ftrength on the most fecure and refpectable footing. Above all, let me recomof a fixed plan for the reduction of commend to you the establishment the national debt. The flourishing fate of the revenue will, I truft, enable you to effect this important meafure, with little addition to the public burdens.

My Lords and Gentlemen, The vigour and refources of the country, fo fully manifefted in its prefent fituation, will encourage you in continuing to give your utmost attention to every fubject of national concern; particularly to the confideration of fuch measures as may be neceffary, in order to give farther fecurity to the revenue, and to promote and extend, as far as poffible, the trade and general induftry of my fubjects.

The

nourable and uncommon proof of the defire to fee juftice administered, without the partiality of prejudice.

The jury being fworn, and the Attorney General having opened the profecution with great clearnefs, propriety, and ability, the following evidence was fubmitted to the court.

[The first witness called upon was Mr. Gallagher; who, being firft duly fworn, was interrogated, and depofed as follows:]

Q. Mr. Gallagher, do you remember the 20th of February?A. I do, Sir, I have a very just right.

know Mr.

Q. Pray, Sir, did you Patrick Randal M'Donnell ?-A. I did, Sir.

Q. Is he living or dead ?—A, He is dead, Sir.

Q. Will you please to relate to the court and the jury, from your own knowledge, how he came by his death, and keep your recital as diftin&t from Hipfon as you can, as the present indictment only concerns Mr. M'Donnell.-A. I will, Sir. Mr. M'Donnell, the deceafed, and Mr. Fitzgerald, the prifoner at the bar, lived near each other; they had frequent bickerings and disagreements; in confequence whereof Mr. Fitzgerald made many attempts to be revenged on Mr. M'Donnell, for fome fuppofed offence. Mr. M'Donnell, about eighteen months ago, was fired at from a window in Mr. Fitzgerald's houfe, which fhot took place, and wounded Mr. M'Donnell in the leg; for this affault a man was indicted the affizes following at Castlebar, and acquitted; in confequence of which, Mr. Fitgerald levelled his refentment not only a

gainft

gainst Mr. M'Donnell, but alfo against Mr. Charles Hipfon, who was murdered at the fame time with Mr. M'Donnell, and against me; I fuppofe for our ufing our utmolt endeavours to bring to justice the perfon who fired at Mr. M'Donnell, the deceafed. On the 20th of February laft, Mr. M'Donnell called upon me in the morning, in company with Mr. Hipfon, and requested I would go with them to Mr. M'Donnell's houfe, as he, Mr. M'Donnell, wifhed to give fome neceffary directions to his fervants, then at his houfe in the country; for Mr. M'Donnell declared to me he could not live in his houfe at Chancery-hall, in the county of Mayo, being in the neighbourhood of Mr. Fitzgerald, whom he reprefented as a blood-thirsty, unforgiving man; and accordingly took lodgings in the town of Calebar to avoid him. We rode off together, and, as we afterwards heard, about ten o'clock, Mr. Fitzgerald getting information of our being there, fent out a party to apprehend us on a warrant, furreptitiously obtained from a Mr. O'Meally (whom I fince understand has been degraded from his commiffion) for a fuppofed affault. On our receiving information that our enemy was in purfuit of us, we rode off from Mr. M'Donnell's, Chan cery-hall, but finding ourselves purfued, we stopped at a houfe on the road; and I knowing the refentment was principally levelled at Mr. M'Donnell, perfuaded him to conceal himself under fome malt, which he did; and in a fhort time Mr. Fitzgerald's party came up to the house, and after firing feveral fhot in at us, I went out, and de, manded the reason that they behaved with fuch outrage and violence ?

To which they replied (John Fulton and Craig) that they had warrants against Mr. M'Donnell, Mr. Hipfon, and myself, but vehemently demanded Mr. M'Donnell. I informed them that he had rode off, and demanded to fee their warrants; which they refused, but burst into the houfe, and after fearching the houfe and out-houfes, they found Mr. M'Donnell, and dragged him out; they then tied and brought us bound to Mr. Fitzgerald's, at Rockfield; when we arrived there, we alledged, that the crime we were accufed of was at any rate, bailable, and demanded to be brought before a magistrate, which was refufed, and we were kept at Mr. Fitzgerald's house that night, they pretending it was too late then to bring us before a magiftrate.-We remained there that night, and were treated with the greatest indignity and infult. In carrying us prifoners to Mr. Fitzgerald's, they fuffered Mr. M'Donnell to ride, on account of the wound in his leg, but tied Mr. Hipfon and me together. On the morning of the 211t of February, we were brought out from Mr. Fitzgerald's under a guard, which flood ready to receive us; and I heard Mr. Fitzgerald, the prifoner at the bar, tell Andrew Craig, who is commonly called Scotch Andrew, "to be fure to fecure his prisoners; and if there was a refcue to fhoot them." - We were then led about two or three hundred yards from the houfe, when Andrew Craig called out, "A refcue! a rescue !" on which a fhot was immediately fired from the rear, which killed one of Mr. Fitzgerald's guard, and wounded three or four more; the fire then foon be÷ came general, and Mr. M'Donnell

received