The National Register.
London, England, 1818-01-04 00:00:00

HURRICANE IN THE WEST INDIES.

The following letter on this lamentable occasion was ad.
dressed by the Colonial Secretaay of St. Lucie to the Go.
vernor of Barbadocs

" ST. LUCIE, Oct 23, 1817.
" MY Loan.—His Excellency Major General Seymour being
unable to address your Lordship, in consequence of the very serious
injury he received during the hurricane of the 21st instant (and I sin
sorry to add very little hop,. are entertained of his recovery.) of
which his Excellency has directed me to give your Lordship the
particulars, and earnestly to entreat your Lonlship's assistance and
support towards ameliorating the situation of the unfortunate inha-
bitants of this island, not one of whom but has suffered severely
thereby.

" Scarcely a dwelling or negro house is left standing; the mills and
outbuildings either unroofed or razed to the ground ; nearly the
whole crop of canes torn up by the roots, and the face of the island,
which was luxuriant on the 20th, now bears the appearance of an
European winter.
" The town of Castrees is nearly in ruins, and the vessels, about
twelve sail, are on shore, not one of which is expected to be saved.
The whole of the buildings of Morne Fortnnee, and Pigeon island,
were blown down, with the exception of the magazine and tanks.
" His Excellency and family were taken from under the ruins of
his residence (the Commandant's quarters), whet he remained in the
hope that it would have resisted the gale, but he has unfortunately
suffered for his imprudence.
" I have the honour to be, my Lord, your Lord_ ship's most obe.
dient servant, " I. R. BAINES. Colonial Secretary.
P.S. Since writing the above, I am sorry to acquaint your lord-
ship, that great fears are entertained that General Seymour cannot
pass 48 hours."

We understand Major Burdett and family are killed.
•• Accounts have at length reached us from Dominica, whence
every vessel was driven to sea by the late hurricanes, and they had
not returned when the Robert mail boat, that arrived here on Sun-
day, left that island. The interior of the country hail likewise suf-
fered so materially, that unless supplied from other settlements, the
dread of famine appears to be entertained.
" Capt. Elliott, of his Majesty's ship Scamander. was making
every exertion with his boats, and those of his Majesty's ship Chil-
ders. to relieve the vessels on shore in Carlisle Bay.
ST. KITTS.--.SHIPS LOST.

" At Barbadocs—Crown Prince, Grayharr ; Express. ---; in
all 18 sail on shore; 5 arc got since. chiefly American and island
vessels

" At St. Lucie—The Lady Jane Ellice.
" A French frigate, armed en flute, with troops on board, foun-
dered in Fort Royal Bay, Martinique ; every soul perished.
" The Sprightly (mail boat), Adams, missing ; she sailed from
Dominica for Barbsuloes on the evening of the 20th.
" ('ol. Brown, of the 6th West Intim regiment, left St. Vincent's
about the 18th Oct. for Antigua, and had not arrived on the nth
Nov."

INGtrEsz.—Monday an inquest was held at the Horns in Shore-
ditch, on the body of of W. Williams, who died in the cellar of a
cottage in Margaret's-fields. It appeared that the deceased had been
in the habit of selling penny pamphlets about the streets, and had
obtainod permission of the occupier of the cottage to sleep in the
cellar, as he cowld not pay for a lodging. On Christen •s Day his
landlord gave him his dinner, and on Saturday morning he was
found dead is the cellar, on a bedstead, without any bisitling. A
certificate was read to the jury from a Surgeon, who examined the
body ; that there was no marks of violence on it, or any thing indi.
cause of his having died from cold or hanger. Verdict—Died a
natural death.

Upwards of 60 vessels are employed in herring fishing at Ports-
mouth. On Tnesday nearly 2000 bushels were landed. They not
only furnish cheap food to the whole neighbouring poor, but give
employment to a number of persons in curing them.
FlRE.—Monday morning a tire broke out in the Arsenal, in
Woolwich Marren, which did considerable damage before it was
got under and threatened the entire destruction of the place.
SUDDEN DEATH.—On Saturday week, as Mrs. Simons of Hare
street, Bethnal-green, was eating her lunch, in apparent good health,
she fell back in her chair, and instantly expired. An inquest was
held on the body, and a verdict returned of—Died by the visitation
of God.

A gentleman who had a ticket for an inside seat in the mail.
coach from Edinburgh to Glasgow, in August, 1815, took
with him an ordinary travelling portmanteau, which the per_
sons at the mail coach refused to carry forward, saying there
vies not room for it. In consequence of this he took a post
chaise, and raised an action before the Justices for payment
of the expence, which they found him entitled to with the ex-
pence of process. The Justices fonnd that the passenger was
entitled to have his Intmage conveyed with himself-
The erection of two more pentagons in the Penitentiary at
Millbank has commenced, and it is expected they will be
I iimpleted for the reception of prisoners in the course of a
few months.

The Austrian Government have sent some experienced and
scientific engineers to minutely survey the Adriatic and ad-
jacent coasts.
It is computed that upwards of 60cwt. of tnrkeys were con-
signed to London dttring the Christmas neck, from Norfolk
and Suffolk; more than Viewt. linving been entered at the
bookkeepers' offices at Norwich, previous to the Wednesday
fretting,

A letter af the 20th December, from Plymouth, says,
that a Gentleman who has a relation on board the In-
dian, states, that she got to the westward' Were the
date of the late necks at Ituecoff.

POLICE.

-a-
BOW-STREET.

Tuesday an investigation toqk pace before Mr. Birnie re.
specting the ilisturbaucen in Nlnt)-I.• shorme, ticniarly in
the neighbourhood of the barracks belonging to the Life-
Gum d..

Mr. Pyall, a constable, attended at the office with his head
bound up, in consequence of the wounds and braises he had
received from several of the Life-guardsmen on isturday
night. He stated, that about 10 or I I o'clork on Saturday
night, as he was passing down Adam-street, he observed a Life~
guardsman lunch intoxicated, and making a treat disturbance ;
he saw two others perfectly sober a short distance from him,
and advised therm to conduct their intoxicated comrade to the
barracks, which they agreed to. He fiillowed them a few
yards into the barracks-yard, and there met corporal Dares,
WllOlll he ibformed of what had happened ; on his return front
the barrack-yard a number of Life-guardsmen, to the iinniber
of 10 or 12, and armed with bludgeons, met him ; none of
them spoke, brit he was knocked down by several blows on
his head t he defended himself in the best manner he could
from an attack by such a number of men, gave one of thent
a severe blow with Iris metal staff; and of the man who struck
him first, he had contrived to pick up the cap, which be con-
cealed tinder his coat. His head was cut ill three places,
and be was so much wounded and bruised in different parts
of the body, that lie could not move his arms till Monday.—
He suspected the Men who attacked him to be those who had
been in custody at Marlborough-street office on Saturday on
charge of being ringleaders in the disturbances which had
taken place on Friday evening in Mary•le-boune. The Ma-
gistrate offered him a warrant against any of the parties, but
he declined commencing any proceedings till this day, when
some (tithe principal Gentlemen of the parish were to hays a
meeting upon the bitsiness, and he expected that they would
take up the attack upon him in a serious manlier.
On an investigation on Monday respecting a deserter nom
the 40th regiment, the sergeant said he had received orders
within these few days not to enlist any more Irishmen, on ac-
count of their boil* so much [deserting],

M ARLBOROUGH-STREET.
A NoveL CAM—A Mr. Brown applied to the Magistrate
on behalf of a poor girl 12 years old, whose sex was discovered
in the person of a sweep, Mr. Brown had sent to Westwood,
a sweep of St. Pancras, to have his chimney swept. The
sweep ascended the chimney habited as a boy and having
performed the job, told Mr. Brown. lie never had Ids chimney
swept so well by such another sweep. She discovered her
sex,and stated that her uncle hail tnrned her out of doors to
look for work, and she had engaged herself to a sweep rather
than be chid, as she could get no other work.
Oil the some day, Mary. Andrew, a woman who cohabits
with Thomas Westwood, was brought up to Hatton_garden
Office along with her daughter, a.girl, 13 years of age, by the
beadle, who stated, that the woman had for several years
past dressed the girl in boy's elotims, and sent lier.out with
the boys to sweep chimneys, and that she used to sleep on the
sacks in the cellar, The mother was questioned what could
induce her to treat her child in so unnatural a manner, when
she answered the Magistrate in a very impertinent manner,
he severely reprimanded her,and ordered the beadle to take the
child home, and see that she was properly cleaned from the
soot, and clothed in the dress belonging to her sex.