interpositions of Providence, the following circumstance stands almost unparalleled :-During the height of the storm on Thursday se'nnight, a stack of chimnies belonging to Mr. Bignel, of Shepherd's Bush, without the slightest notice to afford preparation for escape, fell through the roof of the house into his bedroom, with a most tremendous crash, breaking a beam which lay lengthways over the bed, through which it was forced, and at last rested against the floor: the other part destroying at the same instant a child's bed, placed immediately opposite. The ends of the wall fortunately remained fixed. At the first alarm, Mr. Bignel directed his aid to the protection of his youngest child (only three months old) lying by his side, and succeeded at length in escaping from the ruins, with his wife much bruised, and the infant unhurt; and afterwards he extricated the child in the other bed from its perilous situation, who had remained asleep during the whole of this terrific scene. When it is added, that the brick work, wood, lath, and mortar that fell weighed nearly two tons, it will give an imperfect idea of this miraculous escape.

10th. In the hurricane of wind, lightning, and hail, a most melancholy accident happened to the launch of the Hibernia, of 110 guns, which had been sent on shore, at Plymouth, for stores: returning to the ship in Cawsand Bay, in the evening, it then blowing a violent gale of wind, notwithstanding every exertion was made by the crew, she was obliged to bear away, it is supposed to put back to Plymouth, or to endeavour to weather the Menstone, and get into Winbury river. However, be it what it may, she

capsized near the land, and all hands, upwards of thirty-six, were swamped in this dreadful weather. The lieutenant and several men reached the shore, and were saved; but the midshipman and 18 poor fellows were drowned, and their remains washed on shore near Winbury.-The coroner's inquest sat on their bodies, and a verdict-" Found drowned," was returned by the jury.

11th. A man was executed at Dublin for cow stealing. At the commencement of the fatal ceremony, the rope broke, and the unfortunate wretch fell upon the railing before the entrance of the prison.Ile was brought up to the place of execution, dreadfully bruised and cut, and the awful sentence of the law was completed without any further obstruction.

13th. At the Clerkenwell sessions, J. L. Barrow, G. Wintle, S. Davis, J. Marryat, and Sarah Grover, in usurious connexion, were convicted of conspiring to prevent a bankrupt, named Hathaway, from obtaining his certificate, because he would not connive with them to let them put in their claim for money lent him at an exorbitant interest, and which they wished him to swear was a transaction for goods. On the 17th sentence was passed on them as follows: Marryat, Barrow, Wintle, and Davis, to be imprisoned two years, and pilloried, within the first month of their imprisonment, in Finsbury-square. Sarah Grover to be imprisoned six months.

15th. A dreadful accident happened to Thomas Whittington, esq. of Hamswell House, near Bath, by the machinery of his threshing-mill catching his hand, which tore off his arm, and fractured the opposite collar bone. He is since dead.

The

The society of arts have been engaged in investigating the genius of a child, only nine years of age, who has the extraordinary talent of staining glass in a manner that surpasses belief, and is equal to the productions of the first masters. His mother was fifty years of age at the time of his birth, and he at present supports her, together with his sister, by the exertion of his premature abilities.

Dr. Ashbury, of the Methodist church in America, in a late publi. cation, speaking of the increase of that religious sect within thirty-five years, announces, that in the United States, 120,000 persons were in their fellowship, and that 1,000,000 attended their ministry; so as to include a seventh part of the population of the United States. in America 400 travelling preachers, and 2000 local preachers.

It has

It ap

street, Grosvenor-square. peared, by the evidence of Mrs. J. Beard, at whose house the deceased lodged, that he was taken ill of a fever on Sunday last, and on Monday he appeared in a state of high delirium. About ten o'clock he requested the witness to procure him some porter, which was done, and on her return he was sitting upright in the bed, having cut his throat during her absence. The witness did not perceive what had happened at the moment of her return, for he had covered himself over with the bed-cloaths, and threw himself on his back. He, however, groaned bitterly, and on the witness moving the covering of the bed, she discovered him weltering in his blood. She perceived a razor by the bed-side. Mr. Davies, an apothecary in Dukestreet, was sent for, and also a surgeon.

Mr. Davis stated, that the deceased had procured some medicines of him in the morning of Sunday, personally, and he supposed him to be deranged. The surgeon confirmed the opinion of Mr. Davis; for although the deceased appeared sensible some time after the wound had been bound up, on being interrogated, he seemed ignorant of what Lad happened.-Verdict-Insanity.

16th. An inquisition was taken at the Triumphal Car, Piccadilly, on the body of Miss Elizabeth Butler, who expired in Bond-street on the The deceased preceding evening.

resided at Somer's Town. She had

been at the house of a friend in Hamilton-street, Piccadilly. On her return she was observed by a gentleman leaning against a post, and vomiting, at the corner of Burlington-gardens. Mr. Tibbs, a chymist in Bond-street, was applied to for assistance, and on examining the

deceased

red at Fern House, Wilts, the seat of Thomas Grove, esą. The muslin dress of Miss Mary Ann Grove, an amiable young lady, thirteen years of age, fourth daughter of Mr. Grove, by some accident caught fire, when there was no one in the apartment with her but a younger sister, who was incapable of assisting her. Terrified by her alarming situation, Miss Grove ran out of the house; but unfortunately no one was at that instant on the spot; and when she again entered, flew to an apartment in which Mr. Henry Bankes of Salisbury happened to be on business; she was entirely enveloped in flames, and though Mr. Bankes used every possible exertion, with the assistance of two servants, to extinguish them, and was much burnt in those laudable efforts, they were unavailing, till the young lady's clothes were nearly consumed. Surgical assistance was immediately procured, but she survived the accident only till the morning of the 24th, when death relieved her from her sufferings.

26th. SINGULAR BET.-Lately a bet of 5s. was decided in the Castleyard, York, between Thomas Hodgson, and Samuel Whitehead, both debtors: it was, which of them was to appear as the most singular and original character. The former was decorated with a ten guinca bank note on his waistcoat breast, a number of five guinca notes down the same, and on both sides of his coatbreast, with guinea notes on his shoulders and arms of his coat; round his hat-band were a great number of five guinea notes, and near the top of the hat-crown was fixed a purse of gold, which went round the same; on his back a paper with the words, "John Bull"

Whitehead appeared in a woman's dress on one side, with a silk stocking, a neat slipper, and that side of his face painted. The other side of his face and body resembled a negro with a man's dress, with a new boot and spur. The wager was given in favour of Hodgson, whose bills amounted to 375 guineas, independent of the gold. We are extremely sorry the whole of the mo ney cannot be converted (as it cer tainly ought) to the use of his lawful creditors.-Fye, fye honesty! but probably thou wilt be remembered in the next insolvency act.

The storm was very violent at Liverpool on Friday se'nnight. It came on at N. about one p. m. preceded by the heaviest thunder, and the most vivid lightning ever seen. For upwards of one hour the whole of the northern hemisphere was in a complete blaze of the most forked, angry, and blue flashes of electrical matter that can well be conceived, attended with a strong sulphurous smell that was extremely offensive. The storm continued with nearly unabated violence for 36 hours, and closed with an electric discharge, similar to that of a cannon. A fishing-boat, with six fishermen in it, belonging to North Meols was lost. One of the crew of the Sarah, Lightfoot, was struck on the back of the head by the electric fluid, which passed between his clothes and his body, and suffocated him instantly; no other damage was done to the ship or crew. Several vessels were forced from their anchors and driven on shore, and it is greatly feared much shipwreck has happened on the western coasts of the kingdom.

27th. On opening the vault belonging to the family of J. Norris, esq. in the church of St. Peter's Mancroft,

Mancroft, Norwich, a live bat was found therein, of a greyish colour, where it had probably laid in a torpid state, a solitary companion for the dead, more than 32 years, the distance of time since the vault was before opened.

COTTON.-In January, 1806, the stock of cotton, in Great Britain, exceeded that of the same period in 1805, from 20 to 30,000 bags. Our informant adds, that the import will not be less from Orleans this year, than from 50 to 60,000 bales, and the increase from Carolina and Georgia, at least one third more than in 1805.

The following is taken from the New York Evening Post, of December 13: On Friday last the well known Leib, one of the representatives of Pennsylvania, and the leader of the Duane party, and Joseph H. Nicholson, one of the representatives of Maryland, met in the congress lobby, about one o'clock, when Leib immediately called Nicholson a liar, and thereupon commenced one of the best fought battles recorded in the an. nals of congressional pugilism. The fight continued until the 64th round, when Leib had received such blows as deterred him from again facing his man. He protracted the fight, falling after making a feeble hit. In the round which ended the fight, those who backed him advised him to resign, which he did, after a combat of one hour and seventeen minutes. The combatants were both very much beaten.”—An admirable picture of American legislators.

29th. About two o'clock in the afternoon, the earth from the roof of a coal-pit, at Horsforth, near Leeds, about twenty yards deep, fell in; two men and a boy were at

out.

work in the pit; the boy was killed by the earth falling upon him; the men lived some time after, and could plainly be heard by the people who flocked from every part to dig them One of them survived till four o'clock the next morning, at least he was never after heard. He had previously said that both his fellow sufferers were dead. No labour was spared to get them out; but as the people increased their exertions, the earth fell in more and more, and at last completely buried the poor colliers in her bowels.

RAIN GAUGE. It appears that the quantity of rain which fell during this month, was 3 inches 27. 100ths. That of the corresponding month, in 1805, 2 inches 44-100ths; in 1804, 4 inches 18-100ths; and in 1803, 2 inches 29-100ths. The quantity of rain in the preceding month, exceeds that of any other during the last two years, excepting the month of November, 1804, when it measured 5 inches 44-100ths.

The freedom of the city of London, and a sword of the value of 100 guineas, have been voted by the common council, to captain Thomas Masterman Hardy, captain of the Victory, (the late lord Nelson's flag-ship). The lord-mayor delivered into the court his majesty's warrant, respecting his lordship's rank in the procession at lord Nelson's funeral. The court voted their unanimous thanks to the lord-mayor for his conduct on the occasion.

A court of directors, held at the East India House, came to an agreement to wear mourning for one month, in compliment to the memory of the deceased marquis Cornwallis.

DIED.-Dec. 29th. Sir Beversham Filmer, bart. of East Sutton Place,

near