Mr. David Erskine, eldest son to the Hon. Thomas Erskine, has been lately called to the Bar. DREADFUL SHIPWRECK.-Dover, Nov. 24.-The Dutch Indiaman Vryheid, which passed Dover Roads in distress on Monday evening, having lost her mainmast, made signals for assistance, but the pilot-boat which put off never reached her, as it came on dreadfully thick and tempestuous, so that she was soon lost sight of. In this helpless situation, the crew were unable to keep her off the land, and about one in the morning she was driven on shore near Hythe, by the fury of the wind. It is supposed that out of the number on board, most of whom were troops, and which amounted, with the crew, to above 400, not more than 18 have been saved. Every officer has perished. The floating bodies of the sufferers are as distressing to the eye, as their shrieks, during a dark and stormy morning, were to the ear of humanity; and no attempt could be made to save them that was not certain to involve in a similar fate all who should undertake it. A gentleman who went from this place to Hythe to see the wreck, says that not the smallest part of the vessel is to be seen. The body of a woman was thrown upon the beach, among the rest, with an infant closely pressed to her bosom. The scene was a most afflicting one to all who witnessed it. Had the pilot-boat fortunately reached the ship on Monday, the tremendous wreck of life and property which ensued, might have been prevented. Fourteen of the poor sufferers were taken out of an excavation of the rock all together. The captain's wife was on board, and perished with her husband. A valuable correspondent gives the following statement of the number of persons on board, viz. 320 soldiers, 42 officers, 61 seamen, 22 women, 7 children, and 20 passengers-Total, 472. The vessel soon went to pieces, the cargo nearly all destroyed, and the coast from the fatal period strewed with dead bodies.One poor fellow was found jammed between two timbers; another was lacerated down the back, as if the operation had been performed by a cleaver. The captain was warned of the danger of attempting to proceed till the gale abated. To avoid paying the Downs fees of 10s. 6d. which the captain must have done had he dropped anchor, is to be attributed the sacrifice of his own life, together with those of the unfortunate victims of his obstinacy.-People were employed in collecting the dead bodies which had been cast on shore; they were laid in rows in Hythe church-yard, and sewed up in coarse cloths, till graves could be prepared for them. Several bodies were also sent to Cheriton and adjoining parishes, for interment, Statement of the ballot for the election of three foreign associates of the National Institute, in the sitting of the 2d Frimaire (23d Nov.) 1802; I. Class of Mathematics and Physical Science.-*Pallas, 206 votes-Cavendish, 157-Volta, 123. II. Class of Moral and Political Science.-Fox, 212 votes-Gaetano, 168 -Horder, 106. III Class of Literature and the Fine Arts.-Calderari, 194 votes-Cesaroti, 157--Horne Tooke, 105 *The celebrated Pallas, of Berlin, and first Professor of Natural History to the Emperor of Russia. LORD WHITWORTH'S PRESENTATION,-With a view of giving greater eclat to the presentation of the English ambassador, the monthly parade of the troops was antedated, and took place December 5. Several of the regiments had new colours given them, and the Cuirasiers, for the first time since the revolution, appeared in armour. They are not, strictly speaking, a new corps, having been in use in the times of the monarchy, but they were revived this day. The weather, however, turned out very inauspicious, for it began to rain almost the very moment the troops assembled. This contre temps, however, did not prevent the Parisians from assembling in vast numbers. The square of the Carousal was thronged, so as to render it impossible to move. The windows and tops of the adjacent houses were crowded with spectators. The apartments in the Thuilleries exhibited a greater proportion of English visitors than has ever been known before, among whom the red coats were particularly conspicuous. The First Consul was dressed, after his customary manner on those occasions, very plain. He wore a cocked hat, without any lace, and rode a white charger. Several petitions were presented to him. Half a dozen sabres of honour were distributed to such as had particularly distinguished themselves. Lord Whitworth was not present at the Parade. This, we understand, proceeded from a point of etiquette, as, till the presentation of his credentials, he could only be considered as a private gentleman, and therefore could not with propriety be introduced to the Ambassador's Hall. He arrived about half past two, in the carriage of Joseph Bonaparte, drawn by six bay horses. He was dressed in black. Then followed two carriages, with four horses; and lastly, his excellency's own carriage, drawn by six greys. It was empty. The splen dour of his retinue attracted universal admiration. He was received with distinguished politeness by the First Consul. The dinner was served up for upwards of two hundred covers. For the populace at large, one of the principal objects of curiosity was his lordship's coachman, who appeared in the true old English style, with a round hat, and a neat coachman's wig. He is a plump, jolly man, and his looks evince that he is not starved by his master. The tout ensemble of his appearance, presented a striking contrast to the French style of equipment! but a still greater contrast was furnished by the manners of the French and English servants. The moment the French attendants had put down their illustrious guests at the palace, they whipt a short pipe out of their pockets, a flint and steel, lighted their pipe with perfect non chalance, and smoked with all the calm composure of Dutchmen. A Dr. Berguillon has published a treatise at Paris, in which he maintains with wonderful ingenuity, that the canine madness is communicated solely by the power of imagination, without the intervention of any distinct material poison. A trial lately took place in the Court of Common Pleas, by the verdict in which, it was decided, that an insolvent debtor, liberated from confinement by the benefit of the late act in favour of such persons, is, nevertheless, liable to be compelled to discharge the debts for which he was confined, out of any property he may afterwards acquire. POPULATION OF FRANCE.-The following list is extracted from the catalogue of the French towns, given at the head of the Annaires, published at Paris for the year 11 of the Republic. The population of each town, included in the vast circumference of the French Republic, is set down in a table which occupies several pages; but it is evident, even from this abstract from it, that the population in many of them is given by guess, and not from actual enumeration. It is supposed that the popu lation of Paris is over-rated, and that the actual number of inhabitants does not exceed 500,000; but, be this as it may, we may assure ourselves that as the French government has devoted its attention to this subject, each year will bring the catalogue nearer the truth. Why may not our almanacks contain an account of the population of each city and town in the United Kingdom? LONDON. A general bill of all the christenings and burials, from Dec. 15, 1801, to Dec. 15, 1802. Christened in the 97 parishes within the walls 1189- buried 1305, 8878. Christened in the 10 parishes in the city and liberties of Westminster 4684buried 4977. Christened, Males 10564. Females 9354.- In all 19,918. In all 19,379. BIRTH. At Bromfield House, Clapham Common, the Lady of William Wilberforce," Esq. M. P. of a son. DIED, On Tuesday the 16th Nov. at the advanced age of 70, Dr. Allen, of Bury, in Lancashire: a man of profound erudition and unaffected picty. The fortitude he displayed during a tedious and painful illness, and the manly dignity with which he met his approaching dissolution, were just indications of a truly good nian. He was one of the last of that name of the family at Broughton in Lancashire. On Thursday, 25th Nov. at his house in Dover street, Edward Hussey Montagu, Earl of Beaulieu.-His lordship was in ill health for several years previous to his decease, and his death was owing to the decay of nature, he being in his S2d year. By his lordship's death, a princely fortune goes by will to distant relations, &c. The bulk of his estates, it is supposed, are bequeathed to Mr. Hussey, of Golden-square. Mr. Montagu, his nephew, who is now in the East Indies, will possess the estates at Ditton Park. A natural daughter is said to be handsomely provided for; and £. 200 a year has been settled on an old servant, who was 25 years in his lordship's service. At his chambers in the Temple, in the 84th year of his age, Robert Aldersey, Esq. of Aldersey Hall, Cheshire, a Fellow of the Royal and Antiquarian Societies, a Commissioner of Bankrupts, &c. On Monday morning, Dec. 6, in the 82nd year of his age, Mr. Roger Kemble. This gentleman's name will always be memorable in dramatic history, on account of those talents in his offspring, which have so eminently contributed to give lustre to the English stage. Mr. Roger Kemble, very early in life, ventured upon theatrical boards. He married Miss Ward, the daughter of Mr. Ward, a cotemporary with Quin, on the London stage, and who afterwards became the manager of a very respectable Provincial company of performers. By this lady, who has the misfortune of seeing her venerable associate in life drop into the grave before her, he had a numerous train of children, to whom he gave all the advantages of education which it was in his power to bestow, and whom he had the pleasure of seeing arrive at an height of fame and fortune, by the fair exertion of industry and genius. On Monday the 15th Nov. at Kendal, George Romney, Esq. the celebrated painter. Lately, at Edinburgh, Mr. Woods, Comedian. Mr. Woods was originally bred a printer, with Mr. Woodfall, so much celebrated for his publishing of Junius; but his love of the drama induced him to embark in that generally precarious life, which to him, however, has been a source of profit, as well as pleasure. About the year 1768 or 1769; as we are informed, he joined an itinerant company, at Southampton, where his abilities, though very young, soon commanded respect. In the year 1771, hè made his entrée on the London boards (Hay-market), in the difficult, and what in the theatrical phraseology is termed, " uphill part" of Mahomet. Soon afterwards he came to Edinburgh, where he has ever since remained, except one season, when he was at York. In sentimental comedy, his merit was of the first rate. He was a capital tragedian, in many characters of which he never had his equal there, and, we believe, few any where else, particularly fago, Glenalvon, Macduff, Velasques, Edmund, Beverly, Sciolto, Tamerlane, Dumont, Siffredi, Sempronius, Clytus, the Ghost in Hamlet, &c. At Harwich, the well-known John Robinson, Esq. in the 76th year of his age. The Right Reverend John Butler, D. D. Bishop of Hereford. John Hanter, Esq. an East India Director. Lady Dundas, Relict of the late Sir Laurence Dundas, and mother of Lord Dundas. |