violently agitated by exceffive exertions during the day, and the body fuddenly chilled by the heavy dews of the night. This difeafe, even in peaceable times, and in the crdinary courfe of things, is found to confume two thirds of an European regiment in three years. Unfortunately for the British army, the calamity was not confined to the ordinary limits of devaftation. Is malignity was aggravated by a peftilential infection, imported in a Guineaman from Africa, and communicated not only to the West India iflands, but also to America; where even the keenness of a frogen atmosphere did not stop its defolating career till the fecond winter. It was during the prevalence of this epidemic diftemper, that a imall armament of about two thouand men, from Breft, efcaping the vigilance of the English cruizers, and landing in Guadaloupe, immediately ftormed and overpowered the weak and fickly English garriJon in the fort of Grand Terre. The British Gencial, by collecting reinforcements from the other lands, endeavoured to retrieve this ils; but the ranks of every regiant were fo thinned by ficknefs, the wants of fo many iflands, and the wafte of fo active a campaign, that this was no easy task. A repectable force being at length colleted and landed, drove the enemy, Commanded by the French commiffoner Victor Hugues, after a ftout fance, from fome commanding heights that lay between him and the fort: but the purfuers, on the fame day were attacked more than once, by a reinforced multitude of all colours, whites, blacks, and mulattoes clad in uniforms, and oblig ed to have recourfe to the bayonet before they could be compelled to remain fheltered behind their fortifications. As the commencement of the rains had now terminated the feafon for military operations, the General, about the end of June, made a concluding effort to expel the French by a nocturnal attack. From different accidents and miftakes, the attempts of our men, though made with their ufual gallantry, were completely frustrated. In various rencounters five hundred brave British officers and privates were killed, wounded, and miffing. The British General retired to Martinico, leaving a force for maintaining the other pofts that yet remained in the hands of the English. This force, foon reduced by mortality to one hundred and fifty privates fit for duty, was taken (though not without a long and vigorous defence) by the enemy: and the whole ifland fell again into the hands of the republicans. From St. Vincent, the feat of the Caribbs, or what remained of the ancient inhabitants of the iflands, the paffion for liberty and equality was communicated to the minds of the mulattoes and negroes in Martinico, St. Lucie, and the Grenades; and a fpirit of diforganization and anarchy introduced into every part of the Weft Indies. Of all the French Weft India iflands, Martinico alone efcaped (and that through the vigour of the regulars and colonists) the cruel devaftation of invafion and infurrection. The contagion fpread to Dominica; but was repelled, though not without a long ftruggle, and much lofs of property. In Jamaica the the maroons, or original inhabitants living in the mountains, commenced a war of unexampled barbarity, putting prifoners to death with the moft excruciating tortures; and when reduced to extremities, cutting the throats of their own wives and children. By the vigilant and active policy of Lord Balcarras, and the military skill of General Walpole, they were at laft furrounded in the woods and fortreffes, and reduced to the neceffity of furrendering at difcretion. By the British conquefts in the Weft Indies, large additions were made to private fortunes by captures or plunder, which did not efcape the boldest change of unfeeling rapacity; and, what was of more importance, the national revenue of Britain was prodigioufly increased by duties levied on imported fugar, rum, coffee, indigo, and cotton. A new fource of revenue, was alfo opened in the Eaft Indies, by that participation of the trade of India, under certain limitations and restrictions, which was granted to individual traders of this country, by the lately renewed charter of the Eaft India company: a wife and important measure, of #bich we fhall have occafion to take more particular notice when we come to mark its effects, and the progrefs of its operation, in our future volumes. On the whole, the affairs of Great Britain in 1794, though unfortu nate on the continent, flourished on her natural element. War was evaded with America; our govern ment and poffeffions in the Eaft lately enlarged, were now, by new and judicious regulations, improved, and our commerce everywhere profperous. But this fpendid horizon was clouded by an apprehenfion that, if the French fhould retain poffeffion of maritime Flanders, make peace with the continental powers, and bend all her efforts to the con ftruction of a navy, the commerce of Great Britain would, at fome future period be diminished; that of France proportionably exalted on its ruin; and the political principles of the French prevail with their prevailing power over Europe. All the advantage, therefore, of a prefent good, and indeed infinitely more in the anticipation of national refources, was abforbed in plans for the prevention of contingent, but what were deemed too probable evils. CHRONICLE [1] CHRONICLE. JANUARY. of being in an adjacent apartment, with the folding doors open. Mr. Whitworth, being introduced by St. Petersburg, THE king if the grand mafter of the ceremo tain having been gracioufly pleafed to nominate Charles Whitworth, Efq. his Envoy Extraordinary and Minifier Plenipotentiary at this court, to be a Knight Companion of the moft Noble Order of the Bath, and his majefty being defirous that he fhould be knighted, and invefted with the enfigns of the faid order in the most honourable and moft diftinguished manner, Mr. Whitworth applied to her imperial majefty, the empress of Ruffia, by order of the king his mafter, to defire the would be pleafed to reprefent his majefty on this occafion to which her imperial majefty very readily confented, expreffing in the frongeft terms her lentiments of friendship and affection towards his Britannic majefty, and was at the fame time pleafed to appoint Sunday, the 17th, immediately after divine fervice, for the performance of the ceremony, which was as follows: Mr. Whitworth having at noon repaired to the palace, according to appointment, he was there received by the grand mafter of the ceremonies, who conducted him into the acdience-room, where her imperial majefty was attended by count Of termann, the vice-chancellor, the and Duke and Duchefs, and all the principal officers of the court, VOL. XXXVI. nies, made a low reverence on his entrance, a fecond in the middle of the room, and a third on his ap proaching her imperial majefty: and Mr. Whitworth then kneeling, her imperial majefty immediately invefted him with the ribbon and badge of the order; and then taking from a table a gold hilted fword, richly ornamented with diamonds, the empress to ched his left fhoulder three times with it, pronouncing these words, Soyez bon et honorable chevalier, au nom de Dieu; and on fir Charles Whitworth's rifing up, and kiffing her imperial majefty's hand, the emprefs added, Et pour vous prouver combien je fuis contente de vous, je je vous ai fait chevalier. Then fir vous fais prefent de l'épée avec laquelle Charles, after expreffing to her imperial majefty his respectful and grateful fenfe of those most gracious and extraordinary marks of favour, fence, obferving the fame ceremowithdrew from the emprefs's prenies as at his entrance. Leone, the Felicity, captain WenLaft week arrived from Sierra ham, with a cargo of wax, camwood, &c. The difpatches by this fhip contain very flattering accounts. of the health of this colony, and of its progress in commercial purfuits; but we are forry to add, that they bring B allo alfo an account of the death of prince Naimbonna, who died, on the evening of his arrival at Sierra Leone, of a putrid fever, contracted by him on thipboard, in the courfe of his paffage from this country. This amiable young man had been for fome fhort time in England, under the protection of the Sierra Leone company. He poffeffed a very excellent understanding, a difpofition carneft in the pursuit of knowledge, and great facility in receiving inftruction. His mental acquirements, during his ftay in this country, were the fubject of much admiration, and his eafy addrefs and fuatity of manners endeared him to all thofe to whom he was introduced. He had imbibed, and he profefled to the last moment of his exiftence, the strongest attachment to the principles of the Proteftant faith; and by his will (made in the beginning of his illness) he earneftly requefted his relations to fet their faces against the flave-trade, and to befriend the Sierra Leone company to the utmost of their power. nion of English counsel on his trial Whe After fentence was pronounced the pannel addreffed the court, fay ing, the fentence did not at all apps him, that he had long fince learned to throw afide all fear of man; bu this fentence would be rejudged and that was all his comfort and al his hope. 6th. Monday morning, at nine o'clock, came on before the high court of Justiciary, at Edinburgh, the trial of William Skirving, accused of different feditious practices. He conducted his defence without the affifiance of agent or counfel, and after a long trial, which lafted till one o'clock this morning, he was found guilty of fedition, and fentenced to fourteen years tranfportation. After the verdict was recorded, and before fentence was paffed, the pannel addreffed the court. He faid, by an unlucky accident he had been deprived of counfel yefterday on his trial, but had this morning received, by poft, what he had expected, viz. the opiately drew the carriage to the Par 6 9th. Edinburgh. This morning about ten o'clock, a vaft crowd al fembled in front of the Black-Bul Inn, where Maurice Margarot, in dicted for feditious practices, lodged He fhortly after came out, attended by three friends. When he got the length of the Regifter-Office the mob forced all the four into a chaife which they had provided, and from which they had previously taken the horfes. This done, they immedi hament ment Clofe, where Mr. Margarot and his friends alighted, and walk into the Parliament-houfe, he fifted himself at the bar. On his way home, Mr. Margarot was again forced into a carriage by the mob, along with five of his friends, and the horfes being taken from the coach, the mob drew him to his lodgings at the Black-Bull Inn. lth. The king in council figned an order for the tranfportation of Mers. Muir and Palmer to New South Wales for the term fentenced by the court of Jufticiary. 13th. Mr. Margarot was accufed different feditious practices. He conducted his own defence. After a long trial, the jury found him guilty, and the court fentenced him to fourteen years tranfportation bes yond the feas. In confequence of the proceedings on the 9th inftant, while Mr. Margarot went to the Jufticiary Court, every precaution was taken this day by the ord provoft, magiftrates, and the fhe Ti, to prevent any breach of good order and police. A great crowd affembled at his lodgings in Leithfireet about ten o'clock, and he was conducted with a wreath or arch held over him, with infcriptions of Reafon, Liberty, &c. About the midde of the North Bridge, however, the cavalcade was met by the lord provoft, fheriff, conftable, peaceofficers, &c. and immediately difperfed, the arch demolished, and its fupporters taken into cuftody. A prefs-gang attended to affift the peace-officers. Mr. Margarot then walked to the court, escorted by the lord provost and sheriff, and no difturbance enfued. 16th. At the Old Bailey, John Lyon flood indicted capitally for that he did, on the 4th of Novem ber laft, forge feveral receipts, purporting to be receipts for the pay ment of certain dividends, of a loan, to be raised under an act of parliament, for the fervice of the year 1793, with an intent to defraud the governnor and company of the Bank of England. When the clerk of the arraigns put the ufual queftion to the prifoner, "How fay you, are you guilty or not guilty?" The prifoner replied, that he fhould beg leave to decline making any defence, on account of the nature of the evidence intended to be produced against him. He was recommended by the judges to plead nos guilty, but he perfifted, and the plea was recorded; but the judge's humanity, to prevent the prifoner from being in fome degree the inftrument of his own death, urged Mr. Wood, who was counsel for the prifoner, to try his influence with him; it occurred to Mr. Wood, that as the evidence of his fifter was the ground of the prifoner's objection to plead, that he might demur to the indictment, which, by an admiffion of the facts, left it to be argued in point of law: after Mr. Wood had explained the nature of the demurrer, and that his fifter would not then be called in evidence against him, he confented to demur to the indictment. The prifoner was alfo indicted for the fame offence in another form, to which he alfo demurred. His counfel applied for copies of the indictments, which were not granted. The demurrer came on to be argued on the 29th inftant, but the decifion of it was poftponed to a future day. 17th. This morning a fire broke out in the hot-house of Mr. Parker, of South Lambeth, which confumed many valuable exotics, among which were feveral Botany-Bay plants. |