The National Register.
London, England, 1818-01-18 00:00:00

EAST FLORIDA.—One of the latest American pas
perm contain a description of Fast Flo' ida. The whole
number of Blacks inhabiting this portn n of the Spanish
territory ist estimated at only 3,000, and the number
of Whites at St. Augustine, the seat of Government,
amounts only to 1,000, so that the extent of the r,opula.
Lion is evidently small ; but it remains to show what
the 'intrinsic worth of this territory is. Bordered on
every side by the Atlantic, or intersected by navigable
waters in connexion with those of the United States,
its timber, in the first place, exceeding in quality env
that grows northerly, consists in forests of live oak.,
cedar, cypress, and pine, all of inexhaustible extent.—
Next may be mentioned the fertile lands which derit
from the climate such qualities as are no were else to be
flaind. Amongst these are, a large tract near Augus-
tine and St. John's, called Twelve Mile Swamp, con-
taining 14,000 acres ; with another, extending to Mos-
quito, of (i() miles long ; and a third, between Bowleg
and Pampa, more than 60 miles in length, and supposed
to contain some hundred thousand of acres. All above
Alateliawa, for several days' ride, is excellent live oak
and hickory land ; and the interior of the country, full
of pleasant orange groves, stocked with wild tattle, and
fertile and healthy, is still unexplored by the Whites.
THE STRATHFIELDSAY ESTATE.—We apprehend
that the Duke of Wellington has still to look for an es-
tate. It is reported, upon respectable authority, that
the negotiation for the purchase of this property of
Lord Rivers is broken ofi: All the chief points of it
had been settled some weeks since; but a question
arose in the making of some valuations, whether certain
cottages were or were not to be included. By this the
completion of the bargain was prevented. There was
an actual difference between the parties as to terms.—
The purchase-money was to have been about 180,0001.
but Lord Rivers bas only occasion fur two-thirds of it;
and that sum has now been tendered to him on mort-
gage, so that he is not disposed to sell. Such was the
rumour on Thursday.
Ma. ELLISTON, the comedian, appeared at Bow-
street on Friday, to answer a charge of assault made
against him by Mr. Moncreef, the author of Dori
Giovanni in London, &c. The mal-treated. bard said,
he had for the last three years supplied all the pieces
performed at the Olympic Theatre at a stipulated sum
for each piece, and it was on the refusal of Mr. Ellis.
ton, as manager, to pay for a new piece forthcoming,
and likewise his stopping same of the plaintiff's orders,
that the dispute and assault originated. The poet ex-
pressed his indignation at the conduct of the manager
in " high sounding phrase and lofty sentence," inveigh-
, ing with Shakspeare, against "man's ingratitude,"
and " benefits forgot !" The manager, not being able
to parry the argumentum ad homiucm, of the poet, had
resorted to the argumentum baeutinusn, in which, from
the stature of his adversary, he was more successful,
paying the astonished bard in notes of fist. The de-
fendant, not being able to gainsay the charge, was
obliged to give bail for his appearance at the sessions.
In the Court of King's Bench on Friday, Mr.. Mist,
late proprietor of the Bazaar in Fleet-street, obtained
9,8001. damages of the Eagle Assurance Company as
a compensation for his loss by the burning of that
building. His demand of 30001. had been resisted an
the ground that the plaintiff had no interest, and next
that he wilfully caused the premises to be distroyed by
fire. Mr. Justice Bayley, in charging the jury distinctly
acquitted Mr. Mist of any improper conduct in the of
fair.

The new process of the winter parish employment,
by two pair of Messrs. Bill and Bundy's patent ma-
chines, procuring work for from eighty to ninety peo-
ple, has begun at her Royal Highness the Princess Eli-
zabeth's cottage. In this useful and benevolent trial
her Majesty joins their Royal Highnesses the Prin-
cesses Augusta and Elizabeth. The process of pre-
paring a ton of stem of flax is divided into twenty-one
different parts. The plan is to confine, if possible, the
machinery to parishes, and is so arranged• as not to in.
terfere with any branch of trade, but to prepare mate•
rials fur manufactures.

Mr. Coutts has engaged a gentleman of profesaionak
eminence, and of extensive practice, to resign his
general patients, and confine his skill to him alone.—
The consideration for this sacrifice is stated to be an
annuity of 2.0001. fur life. The veteran banker scams
already to have benefitted by this liberal arrangement,
and actually looks as if he had taken a new lease of his
existence. The gentleman lived in Greek-street, Soho,
where he practised very extensively as a surgeon and
accoucher. He is succeeded by Mr. Fisher, who was
many years his assistant.
Mr. Dillon, the author of the new tragedy of " Re-
tribution," has published a very modest preface to it,
in which he mentions a fact relative to the Managers
of Covent Garden, which is so hotrairuble to them and
so useful to the interest of dramatic literature, that we
think it right to circulate it : he says, that the manna.
script was sent to them witholt iltrudttetion or personal
interest, yet it received their immediate notice, and
that the utmost exertions were instantly made to give
the most striking effect t•, his unpatroni2ed poem.
The German Gazette has revived the report, that
a kingdom of Armenia will he created, with the con.
sent of Itu.s.sia, aal Persia.