conceive than I can paint. A few days after we sailed from Chaleur, after a very great storm, we struck on the island of Sable (about forty leagues to the eastward of this place) an island barren and uninhabited, with neither a stick of wood upon it, a stone, or a spot of earth, but one entire bank of sand. After we struck, the 15th of November, we were eight-and-forty hours before we durst venture on shore, the sea being so very high: though, at the same time, we expected our vessel to fall to pieces every moment, our whole employ was tossing overboard such provisions as we could come at, for our future sustenance, in case we were any of us lucky enough to get on shore, which I began to despair of, as the only boat we had was lost in returning to the vessel, after landing a man on shore, to fix a rope in doing this, two sailors were drowned, however, it was the preservation of the rest of our lives; for, finding it impossible to stay any longer on board, we fastened an empty barrel to this rope, and so, one by one, were drawn through a very great surf (for near the space of fourscore yards) on shore, with out the loss even of one man of my party and Providence was pleased even to preserve two little infants that were on board, the one brought on shore upon the father's back, and the other on its mother's. We continued eight - and forty hours more in our wet clothes, upon the sand, without any thing to cover us: at last, we picked up some sails, and next day luckily found the officer's tent that was with me. Much more provisions were drove upon the island than expected; but the win

ter being so far advanced, did not expect to see a vessel till May, the time fishermen go upon that coast, therefore proportioned my allowance of provisions for that time; and all that we seventy persons had to live upon, was four ounces of flour a-day for each, with one gill of rum, or wine; and four pounds of pork between six, for seven days.

From this pinching allowance we were agreeably relieved by the sight of horses, which we shot; and soon after, we discovered horned cattle: we now got more sails and yards of the vessel, with which we erected ourselves houses, and thatched them with a long sedge that grows there. Notwithstanding I had given up all hopes of relief, we frequently saw vessels, who likewise saw us; but it was too dangerous for them to attempt any thing for our preservation: however, they carried a report to Boston of people's being wrecked here; and some people being missing from a fishing-town near that place, they sent a small vessel in search of them, which arrived the 8th of January: she could take on board but a few men. She returned again to me the 18th, and the 20th we all arrived here as naked as beggars; Mrs. Elliot and myself, and my lieutenant, Dalton, losing all our baggage.

Cautions to persons going to Scotland to be married.

By the law of Scotland, the names of the parties intended to be married must be proclaimed in the parish church where the parties live, three several times. But by an aft 21 of assembly, anno 1638, Presbyteries are in some necessary

exigents

exigents allowed to dispense with publication of bans; and the minister and kirk-session, upon grave and weighty considerations, are in use to dispense with part of the law, by proclaiming the parties twice in one day, and sometimes thrice, and they must be called by their name and surname.

Thus stands the law as to marriages in the kirk of Scotland.

And by the Act 10 An. chap. 7. for tolerating episcopal meetinghouses in Scotland, the episcopal ministers, ordained by a protestant bishop, are allowed to preach, to administer the sacraments, and to marry. But it is provided, that no episcopal minister, or ministers, residing within that part of the united kingdom called Scotland, presume

to

marry any person or persons but those whose bans have been duly published three several Lord's Days in the episcopal congregation which the two parties frequent, and in the churches to which they belong as parishioners, by virtue of their residence, and upon the same pains and punishments as are already inflicted by the laws of Scotland, in cases of clandestine marriage; and the ministers of the parish churches are thereby obliged to publish the said bans; and in case of neglect or refusal, it shall be sufficient to publish the said bans in any episcopal congregation alone.

From hence it appears, that no marriage can be lawfully had in the established church of Scotland but by publishing the bans three times; and in the episcopal meeting-houses the publication must be

on three Lord's Days, and in the episcopal congregations which the two parties frequent.

Now most, if not all, the marriages had in Scotland, by persons going down from England, to evade the marriage-act, have been celebrated (as I am credibly informed) in the episcopal meeting-houses, and that without the publication of the bans on three Lord's Days, and certainly not between parties frequenting that episcopal congrega tion; so that there can be no doubt but these marriages are irregular and clandestine. And what an unhappy situation must the parties to such marriages be in, or their issue, if, when the validity of these marriages come to be litigated in England, they should be deemed invalid, as not being had in pursuance of the laws in that country where they were celebrated!

It is to be hoped, indeed, that these marriages will be allowed good; as were the Fleet marriages, though very irregular ones; but what persons of common prudence would run any hazard at all on such

barrel of an old pistol happened to be in the parcel, which being load. ed, in a little time went off, and unfortunately shot him dead.We mention accidents of this kind, from time to time, to put people on their guard.

One of the French king's guards, who had given himself several wounds in the belly, and pretended that he had received them from two assassins, who would have forced their passage into the royal pre sence, in hopes of being promoted for his zeal and diligence, was lately hanged at Paris It was this affair rise to a late report, congave cerning a fresh attempt on the French king's life.

A Swede has invented a machine for threshing corn, by which two men can do the work of 16: a machine much wanted in England at this juncture.

house of

The king went to the 19th. and made a peers, speech, on occasion of his majesty's having declared war against Spain; which speech, with his majesty's answers to the addresses of both houses, the reader may see in our last, Vol. IV. p. [303].

Extract of a letter from Basque Road, dated Dec. 26, 1761, "Three fire-boats, of 50 tons each, were lately set on float, under the command of the captain of the port's son, assisted by four men of war's boats; but through precipitation, mistake, or accident, two of them blew up, and every soul perished. The explosion was terrible; they continued burning with great fury from one till day-light.

-As the wind blew when they took fire, they were in the stream of the Princess Amelia, an 80 gun ship, commanded by captain Mon

25th.

The prince of Mecklenburgh Strelitz,second brother to her majesty, arrived in London.

During the course of this month, the town was greatly alarmed by some uncommon noises heard at a house in Cock-lane, West-Smithfield; and as the manner of making these noises has not as yet been sufficiently ascertained, though several persons have smarted severely for pretending to affix a meaning to them, we think it our duty to give the reader a summary of the whole affair. But as it is of some length, we have placed it at the end of the Chronicle.

Mr. Daniel Armstrong, who died lately at Bath, has left 500l. to the Foundling and Lying-in Hospitals.

Mrs. Lawrence, of Bishopsgatestreet, was lately delivered of three

their consideration the excessive price of coals in the city of Dublin, it was, among other regulations, recommended by the committee appointed to enquire into the causes of this complaint, that the government should appoint persons to buy in a certain quantity of coals when they are at the cheapest, and to retail them out again at a moderate profit, to such journeymen, trades men manufacturers, and poor, as shall produce certificates from the ministers of their respective parishes of their actual poverty: a regulation that would be of vast utility to this metropolis.

6th. An old man standing at the fire-side of the 3 per cent. office of the Bank, was observed to pick up the coals, and put them in his pocket; and afterwards went to the books, and received his dividend upon 6001. stock. He was carried before a magistrate, where the coals were taken out of his pocket; but, by reason of his age, and his extreme penitence, he was released. An extraordinary instance of avafice and peculation has lately been discovered in France. Mons Foscue, one of the farmers-general of the province of Languedoc, who had amassed considerable wealth by grinding the faces of the poor with in his province, and every other means, however low, base, or cruel, by which he rendered himself universally hated, was one day ordered by the government to raise a considerable sum: upon which, as an excuse for not complying with the demand, he pleaded extreme poverty; but fearing lest some of the inhabitants of Languedoc should give information to the contrary, lest his house should be searched,

he resolved on hiding his treasure in such a manner, as to escape the most strict examination. He dug a kind of a cave in his wine cellar, which he made so large and deep, that he used to go down to it with a ladder: at the entrance of it was a door with a spring lock on it, which on shutting would fasten of itself. Very lately Mons. Foscue was missing; diligent search was made after him in every place: the ponds were dragged, and every method which human imagination could suggest was taken for finding him; but all in vain. In a short time af ter his house was sold, and the purchaser beginning either to rebuild it, or make some alterations in it, the workmen discovered a door in the cellar, with a key in the lock, which he ordered to be opened; and on going down they found Mons. Foscue lying dead on the ground, with a candlestick near him, but no candle in it, which he had eat: and on searching farther, they found the vast wealth that he had amassed. It is supposed, that when Mons. Foscue went into his cave, the door by some accident shut after him; and being out of the call of any person, he perished for want of food. He had gnawed the flesh off both his arms, as is supposed, for subsistence. Thus did this miser die in the midst of his treasure, to the scandal of himself, and to the prejudice of the state.

His majesty went to the house of peers, and gave his assent to,

10th.

An act for raising by annuities, in manner therein mentioned, the sum of twelve millions, to be charged on the sin.ing fund, &c. &c. An act for granting to his majesty several rates and duties [F] 3 upon