The National Register.
London, England, 1817-12-15 00:00:00

DREADFUL FIRES IN NEWk'OUNDLAND.

—ems-
By his Majesty's sloop Pike, Captain Buchan, which ar-
arived at Portsmouth, on Saturday week, from St. Jelin's
Newfoundland, in II days, we have received the following
accounts of two most awful and destructive fires, which ra-
vaged the town of St. John's on the night of the Ith and
moruineof She 21st ult. The property destroyed is immense,
and the distress of the sufferers already alinest beyond de-
scription ; which will no doubt be dreadfully increased by
the rigout-0 of the approaching winter. Unfortunately, the
provision stores have principally suffered ; but to alleviate
the evil as much as possible, Vice Ad " al Piekmore. Com-
mander in Chief on that station, has imposed a temporary
embargo on the export of provisions floats St. John's, in order
that an extent of the evil may be ascertained, and, if possi-
ble, provided against.
St. Jowls's, Nov. tB.—Painful is the task which da volves
epos us of relating the distressing fire with which this iildated
tows was again visited on Friday night the 7th inst. The
Mantes were first discovered about half-mist ten o'clock, issn
ing film an uninhabited house, about 39 yard. lions The
Rept Gazette Office, in front of Mr.W. ll.Thonmaes dweiliewt
and iu ten minutes communicated to the swim a ling bidlll-
- ; by this time the inhabitants hail avo,ernli:eal, but the en-
pries seemed el little use in checkitag the devouring element,
which now began to assitme all appearance that struck every
beholder with terror and dismay. In the centre of the town,
between two streets not exceeding twenty feet in width, all
exertion was unavailing to stem the current of conflagration;
the flames epreall in every direction with the rapidity of
lightning. until about six o'clock on Saturday morning ;
when the exertions of the more respectable pair of the cum.
mauity, Isiah al by the army and navy, suceeeded in arresting
its progress at the Ring's wharf. Ti else an adequate de•
scription of the aefai grandeur of the scene, we confess our
inability. When the moroing dawned a scene of desolation
Presented itself, extending nearly a quarter of a mile in
• length, and 300 yards in breadth, was clea.red of the houses
which stood thei eon. From the dissenting Meeting-house to
t'n church yard, on the west side : all the buildings from
tie Cnurtmouse to the north-east boundary of Cravh-
f'ord's premi-es (lioth inclusive) on the east side of Dock-
worth street ; from the corner of Church-hill to W.
F;ndlit. 's ou it e upper side, and from J. anal R. Brines shop
to the King's 11 hart on the lower side of Water-street,
im-
c :ding die stores anal wharfs, were reduced to ashes, and
with nem the greater part of a very large stock of provisions
swath which they were stored.
What rendered it more trails distressing is, that most of those
w'oo suffered so severely in the fire of the 11th of February,
Idi6, are again unsolved in the distress which we now at.
tempt to describe—in that calamity, many respectable Mali-
vi don's lost their all, and are again reduced to a Similar situ-
wool, withoet shelter or covering, at this advanced season of
tt,e year. Winter is approaching—a long, dreary, Newfound
land Minter—and the prospects before us are now gloomy in
. the extreme. Amongst the causes of distress, not one has
produced in our minds more powerful effects, or more um
pleasant tidings, titan the alarming depravity manifested in
toe extensive depredations rot iiiii ined during the honors and
contiasion of the night, by wretches devoid of all religious
feeling —of all sense of mond obligation.
So far as we Lave heel) able to kicertain, 12 mercantile es-
tablishments, and among them the extetedve concerns of
Hart, Rubinson. and Co.; Hunters and Cu. ; P. liewlerson
elate J. Mat-hairs and CO.): Batik:VS, Job, Mid Cross :
P....rker. Clive% er, seal Co.; W. B. flifillids; Attwooal and
Maples ; P. 1.43 Mestarier ; and at least 135 divellingdmuses,
occupied by not Irss thou 1100 persons,have been consumed ;
and it is calculated brat the amount of property destroyed
cetinot be less than from 4 to 500,9001.
111 1' of a prociamatioe i.siied by ws Excellency
the Governor, all vessels anal bums are prevented from
caving this port till the quantity a l pi ovisione in the town
ii,c,Trehied ; this, we are in hopes, will have the good ef-
feet oat sa curing to the community whatever may be yet re
moaning, but that itse.f, with the addition of oliat is expected,
ili nut, sae apprehend, lie ewer sufficient to sit ;aply our wants
fiat our navi.zation opens in the epring of the ye-or. In rattai-
l; JP.vai:.g to the tiatti..tity of far I consunted,there is a scarcity
or Let valuable article.

ANOTHER CALASIITOLs AND DIsTREASING FIRE.
From the Mercantile Journal, Nov. :21.)
Alopid h‘or.ligl•l three o'clock this 1111 l as we
were about to put our Paper to press, e alarmed by a
C..nal for tire ; and we have now the liaiorril task to record,
atti E so short a lUIISP at tntle, another extensive and distres.t.
nootta..;•. tom.
" It appears tha the Ore was °llse, v cri in the premises of
and Co. in Wit ii•l .siri et, and sumo ex•
bmicil its ravages to the west vi aril.l4" Mr as the house of Mr,
It '.tuwlinr. oil the tipper side, awl the store of Mr. R. Ne_
on the lower side, where by every powerful exertions,
is 'r as stopped in its westerly ihreelion, but continued ad-
vanish,: .rd anal Nouns hail past nine o'clock, by which
tour it lied burnt the premises of Mr. J. Clint, where great
etertions were were lialli.liy•exertrd, to save
• tie premises of Means. Perkins and Winter itpon which de
pen•leil the safety of the whole range of ll ses me the
Chore,' Intl, on the upper side, and the stores of Itlr•sois.
irtintiiii:iglianis and Co. on the lower side,jo,,t s, here the 1,,t,,
fire was P.t.pped in its prostrtss ws:Asens(l; all Of which
bolidings narrowly escaped on 'the ill, inst. Thos a great
pail of tne western half of the town, which we contemplated
as a stivltcr for the then distressed, is lain in ashes, And many
fe Hine% herr to lament and Ii el the painful distress of a *c-
oital time being holm oat of their dwellings :11 the shirt
apace 01 14 days. Ry what un au. many of them will last
Shelter duriag the approaching winter, we are al a loss to
t0:0,4401e, should they even be fortunate enough to have tbl
weans o) purchasing necessaries.
"In that .sre., eininut enter fully into particulars,
Nor can we at this Slant notice pretend to estimate the a:
g agate amount of the damage dour ; the very extensive
41 ,v. r. mid dwelling of Memo,. COnningliunis, Hl 11, and Co.
and thosi of Messrs. Rule, Reed, and Co. ; Ryan and Sons ;
Mr. R Nevins, Mu. J. Cld.l ; Mr. J. Rorke, and several
otli•-r met csiabd•iiments, have talleu a sacrifice to
the ileyouring flames ; the dwelling-hunse, shop,ace. of Ms
Nevins were presri veil.
Various conject Ines are afloat as to the cause of this
disaster; but we will not at present hazard an °Minot!. 11
have ureat confidence that the Proclamation of his Excellime,
the (inventor, Wild the decisive ineasnies adopted by the
4,30 Authorities, Lela eto demi dainins colimialtr•d on the
. .
cf.ect o
the re

Tift NATIONAL A3 GIST

A Strasburg Parer of Dec. 6, utile..." A frightful
cause, the details of which make us shudder with horror,
was brought, to day, before the Court of Assizes of this
city. ,*.A person named Guth, a day-labourer, left his
village on the 14th of July last to go a begging on the
other side of the Rhine with his eldest son. leaving with
his wife two orher children; a girl and a boy of 13
years of age. At his return, on the 16th of the same
month, not seeing the youngest of his children, he asked
his wife where he was, and she answered be was at rest.
The father insisted. She at last replied, that the child
was iu the kitchen. He went thither, and opening a
cupboard, discovered in a tub the unfortunate child
bathed in blood, wanting the right leg, which had been
totally amputated. At this horrible spectacle the father
cried t'Utt to his wife, " Ah, wretch, what have you
done r's. and went immediately to declare the deed to
the Mayor.
The woman, being interrogated, declared that, driven
by famine, she had cut the infitnt's throat with a prun-
ing knife, and had detached the thigh, a part of which
she had cooked with cabbage and eaten. There were
found, in fact, boiled greens which she pointed out,
with a gnawed bone, beside them, which was recognized
to be the tensor of the infant. It was not hunger which
armed the hand of this unnatural mother. It was prov-
ed that she had rtill fowls, a goat and vegetables. But
skilful physicians, examined on the trial proved that so
monstrous an action on the part of a woman who had
till then lived an irreproachable life could only be the
effect of a sudden attack of delirium. The judge, in
addressing the jury, after summing up the evidence,
said, " You will declare, without doubt, the accused
guilty of voluntary homicide, and with premeditation,
e.numitted on her own child, because this fact, with its
horrible circumstances, is but too well established;
but on the question whether she was in a state of
mental alincation at the time of the action, which the
lave requires you to determine, and which is the only
defence in this case, you will not do human nature the
injustice ofdoubting,. No ! human nature cannot pro.
duce monsters capable of the crime imputed to the prie
muter. Not even among the cannibals do they kill their
own children to devour them. No, no ! this unheard
of crime, which can never be imitated, must be the ef-
fect of derangement. We may lament her fate, but we
cannot dispense with the necessity of separating her
from societ.s far ever, that she may never cease to be an
object of horror, as she is at this moment to every one
of us."
The verdict of the Jury was, that she was guilty of
assassination, but that she waain a state of rlaranframont
at the time of the action. She was, therefore, acquitted,
but put at the disposal of the authorities, fur confine-
ment, and in a nical-house.

01'171C E OF 0111).V.4NCE, Dec. eth, 1817.
THE Principal (Veers of his .11ojesty's Ottlnonce
do hereby give -Yoh e, Th.lt OCT will sell by A.-etion, at the Totece,
on Monday, the 221/ instant, at Eleven o'ehrd: in the jiocnocit pre-
Sandra Lots of New and Old Stores, eansistiag of
Tarpaulins. Blocks, double and single, Powder limns and Pieres.
Casks of sizes, Saddle Bags and Pieces. Accoutrements of Sorts ar.d
Pieces, Old Ryes Furniture front Arms broken up, Copper. Solder.
&e. included. Nlited Metal, Swords. !lilts and l'ieces, and also rine
lots of refined Brimstone, which will be de:ivered at the Royal Pow-
der Mills at Waltham Abbe!.
The whale of the nrtieles snay be t4etec3 upon I,nplieation at M
te
Principal Storrkceper's tele.% the Tetar, until the day of Sa
e 9 npd the artiele.of Brimstone,' which may be inverted upon appli,
r,ti.ntfry the respective Offleers of the Ordrastee,at the Royal I'vleder
at Waltham .11.1/4y. Printed Lists of the Lots will he deli.
.• • red l'..runos who may epply.f9r the sante, at the Orrice of
Pri:teipal Stereleeeper in the Tywr....
Ry Order of Me Word, R. 11. CREW, Secretdry.
IT !la, ing. been cow:Meted by nary of the Customers
rf I (Iti E :cut co. 43, lIAVKAItII:T. tact tile Notice given
of the advance of rowr WINE'S was not so liberal r.o given by
larger Concerns, and too short for many to avail themselves of the
ch,dice of piirehssing. 11. 'Clio* PII CO. OMCOlfillly inform their
ruetonunS:tll4l the Public, that they will extent their time ef
selling
Port Wines at :P.A. lag !town. to the loth inuaut. after which th.y,
the price must positively be 385.. After the 19111 of Jr.nuary is must
he 41,4. withal it further no,ice.—N.U. Whitt:Spanish Dinnc: Wilk!
of 50s. pet De-en, ausual.

RICH WDEEL.—FOI7II PRIZES OF £2o,one.
Aixl only one Day more to Draw.
G.
C,‘RROLL„ the Contractor, has the pleasure of
announcing to the Publhe Vie State of the Wheel. which con-
tains FOlll OF Xte.ooe! and w hieli must he all drawn
on Saturday, December 20.
The present Price of Tickets and Shares arc as follows, viz.—
Ticket C2l 19 0
t 1 9 0 I Eighth 2 18 6
Quarter
The following Capital Prizes were drawn on Friday. Dec. 5,
and sold by C. Caniter.r, at his Offices. 7, Comhill and 26. Ox-
ford Street, where the fortunate holders may receive dieir Money on
demand. viz.-
4,349 a l'rize of .220,000, in Sharer
5.K 4.2
4.720
ton 2OO Guineas, in Shares.

ONLY ONE DAY MORE. NEXT SATURDAY, 2nTit DEC.
J. & J. SIVEWRIGHI' have the pleasure of calling
the attention of the Putyhe to the rich state of the wheel which con-
tains FOUR Prizes of ARO,OOO, and which must be all drawn on Sa-

turtlay next.
Those Persons whey Tickets were drawn Supplementary Num-
bers, will have them re-drawn an Sattuday next, aul will possers the
same Chance as benne, of obtaining the Fot:r izes of Ci 0.001).
Should they not choose, however, to take the hazard of a sccond
Drawing. they may receive them as Prizes of 121. each, provided
they present them for payment bctwe the mil Datmher.
'fick.:ts and Shares are ••,;ria at the fortunat Mikes of J. and J.
SIVEWRIGHT, No 7, Cnathill; 38, Haymarket ; No. tt, Hol-
born f and 141, Oxford Street:. where t,317, a rtige of £20,000, in
the loot Wary, wawa iu Nana.

DEC. 11.

THE NOTlCE,being espirea, which THE COME
MERCIAL HAIL WINE COMPANY gasp to their Friends
and the Public to Furnish themselves with PORT WINES at Osne
Perces. the Company take the earliest opportunify of stating their
present Prices for Wines of the following fivourite Vintages
Ports of the Vintage of 4813. 421. Od. per Doz.
Ditto the Vintage of telt. 4135. Od. per Doz.
Ditto the Vintage of 11108, 30$. Od. per Doz.
It is scrtain that the Wines ef 1313 and of 1813 out be
still further advanced, and the 1808 will soon all be in din
bands of Private individuals.—The Company return thanks to their
very numerous. independent. and respectable friends fez elk their
favours and recommend the folloiring White Wines es siettisc et.
their notice
• per Dos.
Fine Old soft rind high flavoured Sherries 465. Od.
Ditto ditto East India, matchless 00s. ud.
Towline. of full Madeira flavour • -48 s. 041.
Bronti Maderin, very old - - SOs. Od.
West India Maderia - - • 611 s. Od.
East India. ditto matchless - - Od.
The Company also offer the following Cape wines as being dietinct
in quality from any other that have been offered, except what km
lately been sold only by the Company., White Cape Skein Wine, Soc.
White Cape Wine, the finest Madera Grape transplanted, and the
old way of producing the Wine improved by experimental high wt.
tivation of the Grape Lands and superior process m racking and me-
liorating, 345.
C. C. ('ape, the only parcel ever imported, made from Grapes.
selected purposely from different Vine Growers, who are the most
noted for the high cultivation of their Grapes, and is what is termed the
Stum.Vat Wine, being kept by the Wine Makers for the purpose
of improving New Coarse Wines, 465.
Red Pollute. in French bottles, and far superior to most Franck
Wines. 365.
Red Capc.—This Win,- is from the Maderia Tints Grape tram-
planted, and produces a dry full bodied high brilliant coloured
tae, 425.
No. lu. Skinner-sleet, and 349, Oxford•street, London.

BIRTH.
The lady of Lieut. Col, Mansel, C.B. of the 53d regiment, of to •
sons.
MARRIED.
At Ballenstadt, Prince Frederick of Prussia, to the Prince's
Louisa, of Anhalt fternbourg.--At Paris. a son of Count &Osmond.
the French Ambassador here, to Mademoiselle PEstillier, the rich-
est heiress in France.—U. Corbett. Esq. of Lincoln's-inn, to Mary
Anne Jane, only dau. of the late J. Lyon. Esq. of Bloomsbury-
square.—R. F. Jameson. Esq. of the Inner Temple. barrister at law,
to Isabella, dau. of B. Blacken, of the Green, High Wycombe,
Bucks.
DIED.
In Bond-street. aged 63, Vice Admiral Wm. Bligh,
Woolwich, W. Thomas, Esq. of the Civil Department of the Ord►
nance.—At Paris. Foley. son of the Hon. Capt. G. Elliott, R.N.—
At West Park, Hampshire, aged 23. Catharine, dam of Sir Eyre
Come, M.P.—At Woodford, Essex.aged 69. Major Wright,
Esq.—
In the Adelphi. lady Anderson, relict of Sir J. W. Anderson, Bart.

pro! et t}• of alarms it, the late •ire, %ill have the
prega,marog, iu a great degree, siurtlat eittocitics ou
nut mum."