The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1806-01-17 00:00:00

. .

M.IRIKE Mee.

The following letter at on:e shewsahe value and
importance of the Life Boat-:
TO Ma. ()AEA [ALAN IliVII•ITCR DI TUC LIIL COAT.
SOUTIi SHIFI os.
SIR, North sh.elh, nth i n 1106.
Daring my stay at Memel, in the month of Sep.
tember, in the year 1805. an accident happened,
which has contributed to spread the fame of the Life
Boat far and wide among foreign nations. One af-
ternoon, a vessel was observed in the offing, appa-
rently in distress : it then blew hard at west, and
the sea was very high. B:te s son drifted on shore
upon the sand, which runs off from the south point
of the harbour, where the sea broke over her with
great fury. As night was Lot approaching, no
time was to be lost. Mr. .1. Johnson, Commodore
of Pilots, instantly ordered the Life Brat to be
manned ; but, to his surprise, not one of the pilots
would go with him : fortunately. several English
ships were at anchor at the lower part of the har-
bour, and two of the masters, with part of their
crews, instantly offered their service, and the boat,
steered by the Commodore, soon proceeded towards
the wreck. It was nearly dark when she reached
it. As the vessel lay with her stern diredly to
windward, she could afford but little shelter to the
boat, so that, from the awkwardne•s of the lands-
men and passergers on board the vessel, it was quite
dark before they we; e all, to the number of four-
teen received into the boat. I had two sons in the
boat, who afterwards expressed to me their satis-
fadinn at the ease and security with which they
waited for these poor people, in the midst of a sea
where no other boat could have survive, a moment.
On leaving the wreck, then going fast to piece, a
most tremendous squall of wind and rain came on,
before which they, in perfea safety, scudded into
the hat boor. Had not the Life BUM gone off when
it did, the whole of the people, thus preserved, must
have been lest in a few hours. On landing their
freight, they found they had been instrumental in
saving the lives of persons of distins9ion. The vessel
was a cutter, belonging to the Se edish navy, com-
manded by a Lieutenant, and had on boat d a Swedish
Gentleman, Chamberlain to the Queen of Sweden,
and son to the Graaf Lawenheilm, a Swedish No- •
blernan ; he was bound en a mission to the Court
of Berlin, on the then situation of affairs in Fu-
ror. Both the Count and Lieutenant could speak
Eaglish, the latter fluently, and they both expressed
to me, next morning, the high sense they should
ever entertain of the humanity and gallantry of the
English, in risking their lives to preserve a set of
people to whom they were entire strangers. They
said they were struck with astonishment, when, in
their hopeless situation, they beheld the Life Boat
coming to their relief, and saw with what ease she
set at defiance the combined fury of the boisterous
elements. So much indeed were they struck with
admiration at the performance of the Life Boat,
that they declared they would, on their return to
Sweden, use all their interest to have them or-
acted by the Swedish Government.
1 am, Sir, your bumble servant,
T. S. RICIIMOSD.
An Inquisition was taken yesterday at the Tri-
umphant Chariot, Piccadilly, before ANTHONY
Geo., Esq. Coroner for Westminster, on the body
of Miss Lila* acre BUT L ea, who expired in Bond-
street, on the preceding evening. The deceased
was a young woman of reipeßability, and re-
sided at Somers' down. Site had been at the
house of a friend in Hamilton-street, Piccadilly,
where the dined and drank tea, and on her
return homes she was observed by a gentleman
from Harrow, leaning against a po-t, apparently
very at the comer of Bulling:on Gard( it. Mr.
Tie's, a Chynaist, in Bond-street, was applied to
for assistance ; but, on examining the deceased, she
appeared quite dead, cad it was discovered she had
broken a blood-vessel. She was conveyed to St.
George's Hospital, but the spark of life was ex-
tinEl. VerdiA—Dreg tis, the Visitation of Goi.
On Monday, a Coroner's Inquest was held at the
Cock Inn, at the head of the Side, in Newcaola,
on the body of A soetw KIDD, who received his
death from a blow given in a scuffle, by a Cr.rpos al
of the 4th Dragoon Guards, of the name of Nft e-
erie, early on Sunday morning last. From the
evidence before the Jury, it appeared, that the cir-
cumstances of the unfortunate event were as fol-
low :—A woman, very much intoxicated, being
disorderly, was taken into custody by a watchman,
at the head of the Flesh-market, and while he was
taking her to the Correetion-house, she frequently
shrieked murder, which occasioned ANDREW KIDD,
the Constable of the night, and Corporal Mee en v,
II who was on duty on the High Bridge, to proceed to
the spot from whence the outcry arose. While the
Constable urged the watchman to do his ditty, the
soldier interposed, and requested the woman to be
liberated. Stnne words, in consequence, passed
betwixt them, and the Constable struck the soldier
upon the arm with his staff; the latter instants-
neoesly returned the blow with his fist, which
caused the Constable to fall backwards upon the
• pavement, and the soldier immediately fled. Upon
KIDS being lifted up, no symptoms of life ap-
peared ; and notwithstanding surgical assistance
was obtained, no means coold restore hint. It ap-
peared, on the clearest evidence of a surgeon, be-
fore the Jury, that the deceased had no marks of
a wound which could have caused his death. but
that the man was previously diseased, having an
I ossification and a contraßioa of the aorta, or great
artery leading from the heart ; this, and the
extreme age of the deceased, rendered it probable.
that his passion being excited at the moment, toge-
ther with the fall. occasioned the violent aßion,
which so soddenly terminated his existence. It also
appeared,, on the evidence of two watchmen, and
a respalable inhabitant of the town, that the Cor-
poral had no weapon in his hand, nor did the blow
Iseem such as could have occasioned his death. The
Corpotal, soon after the unfortunate event, was
takes) into custody, and a Verdi& of ,tssessriergbier
being given by the Jury, he was committed to
Newgate, to take his trial at the next Asaives.
Colpitt, the younger, of Weism»dhaen, was
lately convicted before RANDALL BUIIIROLGUES,
Esq. is the full penalty of 201. and costs, for
cutting down young trees, in the plantation of the
Right lion. Lord Woosnouse ; wracm penalty his
s Lordship very liberally caused to be distributed to
Ithe poor of Kimberley and adjoining parishes.