The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-03-04 00:00:00

NEW roRK, NOVEMBER V, 1802.

Extract of a Letter from Madiira, (laud Slpt. 18.
We have had, within this week past, two severe
thunder storms—severe for this place. The first was
at night, during which Bannyer s Pillar, et thud on
our beach, was struck with lightning, and the mast
at the top splintered. The natives were very muc!i
terrified, this being the only instance ever knowa
here of damage done by iightning. In America
we should nut have thought any thing of the thun-
der, and the Portuguese were astonished that I was
nut alarmed at it, whilst they were invoking all the
Saints in the calendar to pruted them from the
minent danger with which they were threatened.
Ofi the .ctla instant, at half past raelve A. M. a
more melancholy catastrophe happened. The
Aurora, a Portuguese ship of 5.50 tons burden, and
36 guns, lately arrived from Lishon, blew up.—
She had about 40 casks of powder on board. The
explosion was dreadful. I was at the moment sitting
at my doer with my friends, the ship in full view,
only 500 yards off. Anxious to render every assis-
am:e in my power to the miserable sufferers, I im-
mediately ran down to the beach, procured a boat,
and obtaining three men and two boys, put 0.1 to-
wards the wreck, whi-h by this time was eaveloped
in flames. Mine was the second boat that arrived.
On enquiry, I found only two poor fellows had
escaped, out of 34 souls on board. They were found
on board, and immediately taken, by one of its
beats, on board an -English frigate. The quarter-
deck, with the mizen and main-masts, were blown
into the air, and the ship fairly split in two ; the bal-
last and guns, most of which were stowed in the hold,
went to the bottom. The ship, by this means, was
thrown on her side : the fire increasing, it became
necessary to tow the wreck clear of the shipping.—
One of the English frigate's boats fastened a tow-
line to the foremast. We were seen joined by
the boats of the other vessels in the harbour, with
one or two from the shore. My situation was
intolerably hot, as you may suppose. '1 he
very fortunately, was perfedly calm, so that not
the least injury happened to any other, vessel in
the harbour. The scene dining the night was
awful; bat that which presented itself at day-
light, was truly .horrid. The pour wretches were
lying in every postien on beard the wreck,
some with half their skulls blown off, some with-
out a leg, and others w ithout arms ; several of
them were aZtually roasting in the flames. Eigh-
teen of their bodies only were found About six,
1 got home, much fatigued and distressed in body
and mind. Various opinions are circulated respect-
ing this disaster. The most prevalent is, that the a&
was designedly perpetrated by a desperate villaia-
ous sailor, one of the crew, who had sworn ven-
geance against the Captain for having confined
him, a few days before the event, for mal-pratiices.
He belonged to Lisbon, where he had been
im-
mured in the condemned-hole, for murder. He was
heard to declare, that the ship should never depart
from this port ; and the wretch was satficiently des-
perate to sacrifice his own life with his ship-mates.
from motives of private resentment. The ship ant
cargo were estinaated at 60,0001. sterling.

A law has been proposed to the Legislative Body
relative to Physicians, Surgeons, and Officers of
Health. They are to undergo very striet examina-
tions, and are to take the title'of lloaols in Physic
or Surgery.
The Fcench Ftinds continue .to rise. They are
now 63,—a rise of 3 per cent, in less than a week.

Prince D'Es rERHAZY, of Hungary, the richest
subje& in Europe, who is said to possess an income
of four* millions of livres (160,0001.) is about to
give an entertainment at Paris, which will cost hint •
at least 20,090 L lie LAS hired the Theatre FeYdeau.
for this purpose.
On Wednesday night, about ten o'clock, a man,
genteely dressed, hired a hackney-coach at Charingl.
cross, and ordered the coachman to drive to St.
John's Farm, near the one-mile-stone on the &f p.
ware-road. When the coach got to the top of the--
lane leading to St. John's Farm, the man in the
coach pulled the string, and told the coachman to
let him ont, for he had passed the house he wanted
to go to; upon which the coaclunan got off his but
and let him out of the coach, The man then asked
the coachman what his fare was? lie told him five
shillings and sixpence ; when he put his hand into a
side-pocket and pulled out a pistol, and swore he
would immediately shoot him, if he,did not deliver
his money, which the coachman complied with ; the
robber then demanded his watch, which the coach-
man likewise delivered ; and the robber made his
escape across some fields.
' On Monday night, about twelve o'clock, as a
gentleman was passmg through Charles-street, Soho-
square, he was accosted by a man, habited tike a
sailor, who enquired his way to a street and while
the gentle m a was directing h im, he snatc herd his watch
out of his pocket and ran off with it; the gentan
pursued him, and, being very nimble, came up with
him, and would have secured him, but a comp*.
nion of the robber came behind bins, and knocked
him down, which caused his hat to fall off, and the
robbers go: clear .Of wills the UM as well as the
watch.


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