Star.
London, England, 1801-12-17 00:00:00

COUNT r NLII'S.

EDINBURG 11, DEC. 7.—On Satmday evening,
between eight and ten o'clock, thc Aurora Bo-
realis WAS f,en here, and airomcd a moil extraordi-

nary appearance. The whole northern part of the
horizon was covered with a thin, tranfparent lu-
minous cloud, which emitted almoll as much light
as the moon when three days old. This luminous
cloud appeared tometimes fettled, and totally free
from all manner of motion or agitation : at other
times the agitation WIS extremely great ; and the
enrufeations or Recants of light, which were perpen-
dicular to the horizon, flew with fuch a rapid mo-
tion from call to well, and from well to tall, as to
exhibit a frEtacle the aloft grand and fublime
which could potlibly be imagined. One of there
cotnkations, which appeared in the north-well, i•
particularly dcferving of notice. By comparing it
with the diftance between fume fixed liars in the
heavens, with which I was acquainted, ittlength
appeared to be about t ; degrees, and its breadth
half a degree. Its weflern edge was tinged with
red and violet, the moft and leaft refranlible rays
of light ; and its brilliancy was alm,,ft` equal to
that of the moon, in her tirft quarter, when the
fun is a few degrees below the horizon.
This s minus plicnotronen,which has to frequent-
ly allonithed the minds of the vulgar, and per-
plexed the ingenuity of philofindiers, teems to be
the offspring of fume caufe which the fagacity of
man may never ditcover. The ariseaninces which
it affumes are to various, the periods of its return
ate to irregular. and it a pears to be In different
from any.of the other enomena of nature, that
it teems almoft im :hie to refer it to any gene.
pcit
ral principle. Some philotophers, indeed, fuppofe
It to have a relation to the magnetic effluvia, which
they comae to circulate from one pole of the earth
to the other. Aud the celebrated EtiLllt has en.
deayoured to account for the Aurora Borealis by
ftippoting it to ai ire from the particles of the atmof-
. phere being accumulated in the polar regions by
the force of the folar rays, and there illuminated
by the light of the fun. But as this hypothefis is
only an ingenious con'leSure, and as it does not
account for thole corulcations and that undulatory
motion which univerfally accompany the Aurora
Borealis, k does not deferve the name of an expla-
nation. nom tome circumftances which took place
on Saturday evening, we nigh be kd to futile&
that this phenomenon is tome way or other con.
neßed with i:grit/0. Dining that evening a whiz.
sling kind of noife was heard in the air, c,:atclly
fimilar to the found which always accompanies the
eleftrie (park from the glafs cylinder to the con-
deter : And I was informed by a la L•nd. that,
during the time s! hen the corufeations were moll
vivid, the top of St. Giles's Ileeple teemed to emit
• rays of light in all directions, in every refpe& limi-
lar to a glafs jar wh en furcharged with die electric
fluid. During the greater part of that evening, a
large black cloud was fituateJ in the north point of
the horizon ; and, about ten o'clock, when this
cloud teparated into feveral parts,theeorettfcations
.. ' Immediately crated, and the height of the lumi-
nous cloud gradually diminifhed.
Drc. 4.—Tlii. morning about nine o'clock, a
very eNtenfive granary belonging to Lochrin dif-
tillerv, in the nelghtsourhood of this city, was tlii:
covered to be on fire. The fire-men with the fire-

engines attended imtriedietely, but although every
e xertion was m ade to ex tinguiffi the flames all proved
ineffeOnal, and that vaft pile of building was com-
pletely burnt down. Fortunately the whole flock and
premifes are infured. A part of the 3d Weft York
Militia, and a detachment of the Volunteers at-
tended on the fiat alarm, and were very ferviceable
in keeping off the crowd.
GLASGOW, DEC, to.—Laft night about nine
o'clock a molt alarming fire broke out in the ware-
haute of MelT. DAVID Pierce and Co. manufatiu-
rets, fira ftorey of that large tenement at the Crofs,
known by the name of the Trades Land, which had
a truly alarming appearance for about an hour.—
The Lord Provolt and Magifirates, with the whole
of the Edinburgh Militia off duty, attended upon
the firtt alarm. Fortunately, by the molt unremit
ted exertions of the firemen, with the fire-engines, I
the Officers and men of the Edinburgh Militia, the
police officers, and the inhabitants, the flames were
confined nearly to the warehoufe where it began.
Confiderable damage was futtained by the removal
of goods, the whole tenement being nearly occu-
pied as warchoufes and thops.
On Saturday morning a boy of the name of
Stobn, who had gone toWelthorn coal pit, in the
neighbourhood of this city, for a cart load of coalsr
while looking into it, fell down, and was fo thock-
ingly bruited that he died thoray after.
NEWCasTLII, Die. 12.—Lall week, a warrant
was iffued to apprehend a tailor named Griffin,
who lives at the Balls ft-hills near this town, for an
afranlt. The conflable took with him no lets than
trine affiftants, and this formidable pcjfr ]mocked at
the offender's door about 5 o'clock in the morning.
Our tar, •dcfpailing of conquering fo powerful an i
enemy by force, hadrecourfe to flratagem. His wife I
came down to promife admittance If the: would
wait only till the was dreffed. The affailants agreed,
and potted themfelves, part at the front, and part
at the back door, to prevent all finiller manoeuvres.
—Prefently the pretended wife opened the doer,
weeping moll bitterly at the dilemma in which her
good man was placed. and paling by the guard,
went as they thought into a neighbouring houfe.
The conftable and a follower then milled in ; and
the fuppofed tailor, fquaring his elbows, received
them with a threatning afpeet, and aCtually kept
them at bay fur a few minutes—when the farce
was dropped, and the conftable found hhnfell
completely outwitted, Griffin having efcaped in
his wife's clothes, leaving her to face the enemy in
his. He is not yet taken.
On Tuefday nibh- Litt, the body of Mr. PAL..
wet, 'rafter of a veal now lying in Shields har-
boar, was found near the four-mile flone on
Shields road. There appeared a .enntution on
his. head, his pockets had been emptied of his
cant, but the thip's papers, Ste. were found upon
him.—lt is not yet known whether the deceafedbas
b.en murdered, or net his death accidentally.
LANCASTER, DEC. 12.011 Monday ha, about
11..11 pall one o'clock, three horfes belongiug-to
JOHN WI:INSGILI of Samper, near Levens, in
Weamoreland, were killed by lightning, on Sam-
per Common. About the fame time, a man
nn the turnike-road on Hen Moor, near
Kendal, was (truck down by the lightning, and
dep: ived of his fight. And the fame day, a large
afh ir.ewas rent to pieces, in Stainton.
On Saturday lA, at dulk in the evening, veltilft
the turnkeys at Lancafler Cattle were locking up
the convicts in the firtl ward, Daniel Skinner, John
Nutcher, William Hewitt, ald Anthony Wilkin-
tbn, who were prifoners in the third ward, efcaped.
by tying together, with their handkerchief! and
flocking:, a fmall form and loofa rail, the rail be-
ing ufed in the ward during the day time, to dry
linen upon. There things formed p bridge from
the top of the day-ward to the outer:ward, Skin-
ner and Nutcher defeended by a rope made of
coarfe linen, that reached' about half way down
the wall. Hewitt and Wilkinfon, being in a great-
er hurry, on account of the alarm being given,
miffed the rope, and were precipitated from the
top to the bottom. Skinner and Nutcher were
loon after taken near the loud) part of the town ;
but Hewitt and Wilkinfon, although they were
both lamed by the fall, went over a few fields ad
joining to the Cattle, and took up their abode during
' the Suitilay,in the hay loft of an out houfe. On the
Monday they made the belt of their way through
the fields and bye.laues, towards Garltaing. On
the Tuefday morning they were apprehended by
the Serieant-maijor of the 3d battalion of the Royal
I.ancafitire Militia, who recognized Hewitt and
Wilkinfon, by the defcript ion given of them in the
advertifement. ' The Serleant-major, on delivering
them to the keeper of the gaol, received Twenty
Guineas and all expences, as a reward for his vi-
gilance and adavity is purfuing and apprehending
the offenders.

Hocc, Dic. t{.—On Friday evening forge vil-
lain fuccecded in moll dezteroufly cutting out the
corner of a (quart of glafs in the flop window of
Mr. Moor, hardwaremart in Lowgate, and Role
from thence a pocket pi4l; .there was a brace of
pißols expored for Pale in the fame part, lout the
aperture in the ears not being fufficiently large to
admit the whole hand, he could only get the one
which lay within the reach of his fingers.
The fame night, or early nett morning, the
warehoufe of Mr. Wm. Moon, liquor merchant, in
Scale-lane-quay, was broken into, and about ao
gallons of Holland' geneva taken therefrom, with
the 'Mains got clear off, and have hitherto
elu led jufiice.
Attempts at highway robbery have lately been
very frequent in the neighbourhood of Millield,
Etc. particularly on the evenings of market or
fair days.
Early on Saturday fe'nnight in the morning the
'warehoufe of Metin.ithodes and Champion, in the
Wicker, Sheffield, was broke open, and robbed of
a great quantity of fine polifhed feiffars, in &rens,
and on pattern cards, a parcel of penknives and
razors, alfo fume gmli and filver lungs, calk, *c.
to a very large amount. The villains were pro-
bably well acquainted with the nature of the arti-
cles, as they fcle&ed tholle that were of the bell
quality and the greateß value, which might be
can ied off in the imalleli coapafs.
On Sunday fe'nnight a grazier front Ahbnry,
tin Linea Whim was flopped between Daneafier

and Rotherham, by two men on horfeback, Jolo
robbed him of a fmall leather cafe, containing 41.
t ss. and immediately made off. We underhand he
had a good deal of property about him, but had.
fortunately concealed the remainder.
Committed to Hull gaol on Tuefday lift, Mary
Harnfin, charged with healing five yards of print-;
ed calico, the property of Mr. Spence, of this
town, linen-draper.
Lath week were committed to York Callle, yobs/
iffilva,charged with healing a gelding of the v able
of nil. the, property of Jonathan Trowlilale, of
Hollins Houfe, in the wills of Sighon, in the
North Riding of this County. . Alfo
and et,rifloptirr, 'Baty, of Thirfk, further charged
with fclonioufly healing from and out of a waggon'
handing at the door of John lVright, of &now-
by, fhopkeeper, two butter firkins, the property of
the laid John Wright.
LLFDS, DEC. 14.—0 n Tuefday,ft Landlady, of
Sheffield, was convided before the Rev. J. Lows
and Hut; it PARKER, Efq. for felling ale dining di•
vine fervice, and paid a penalty of five 'billings.—
At the fame time, three perlhns were conviacd
for drinking and tippling in her houre diming
fervice, and fined three 'billings and fourpence
each.
In the night of Wednefday tall, the Scribbling
Mill at Horsforth, near this town, belonging to
Mr. Haigh, unfortunately took fire, and was en-
tirely dettroyed.
Abortt fix o'clock on Friday morning a dread-
ful fire entirely confumed the Scribbling Mill of
Ramiden and Schofield, of Slaithwaite,
near Huddersfield ; the damage it is fuppofed
amounts to upwards of agool.
CHATHAM, DEC. 14.—A fely days finer, the
fervant maid of Colonel SMITH, of the Marines, in
Middle Jireet, 13rompton, was found dead in her
bed, lictAveen the two children of her mailer that
flept with her ; the complained over night of being
ill, but had, the day preceding, done htr work as
ufual.

Thu rfciay laft, as the rope-makers, &c. were
craning up lamp from the hemp fhip at the wharf,
one of the bundles of hemp, 01-a ton weight, fill
down on one of the hemp.dreffers. and fractured
his thigh ; he was immediately taken to the fur-
gery, and from thence conveyed home.
Lewes, Dec. t 4.—Lag Saturday night, fame
information having been received touching thi fiir-
plke which was a few weeks fince llolen in Mal.
ling Church, our night-guard, having a warrant
for that purpofe, fcarched the premifes of the full
peeled party, and therein found not only fundry
portions of the I'M-pike, but alb° all the effeas
which Mr. Holman's fhop had been robbed. and
other llolen property. The offenders are
.7ohn Rogers,
Rolers Mameiford, and William &rafters, three pri-
vate foldiers belonging to the fourth regiment of
foot, flatiossesi here and at Brighton. Being mar-
ried men, they had the privilege of ileeping out of
barracks. They had divided the booty, each man'
having his (hare concealed in his own apartment.
In the' chimney of one were found fix watches,
fome geld rings, and fundry trinkets, carefully
wrapped in rags. Under a board of the flooring
of another, were placed three watches, with a nun:-
her of gold rings, but during the fearch, the wife
found means to difplace the fame, and throw them
out of a window into the garden, where they were
afterwards found in an old flocking. And buried
under the bricks of the fire-hearth of the third,
three watches, and fundry articles of jewellery were
difcovered.

About four in the morning they were taken be•
fore HENRY SHELLEY, Efq. when Stratten, with
the hope of being admitted an evidence for the
Crown, made a confellion, not only of the above
burglary, but alfo of five other robberies which
the prifoners had been guilty of; the principal of
which were, thole lately committed in the churches
of Mailing and Hamfey, in which another of the
fame regiment, named Scull, was concerned, who
though at Brighton, was on Stratten's information
apprehended and brought before the above Magif-
trate. In Mailing church they found nothing of
value but the Surplice ; from the other they took
a filver tankard and a cup and cover, which,they
cut to pieces with a reaping hook, and fold to a
pawnbroker about 6o miles from this town.
The calks of contraband fpirits, Rated in our
Lilt to have been picked up near Newhaven, had
not been thrown over-board by a fmuggling cutter
under chafe, as at &ft conjeaurecl, but were the
cargo of a boat which, being ton heavily laden,
funk by the velfers fide, and left the tubs floating,
in number about four hundred. The boat's crew
had but kill time to Cave thentfelves, by getting
on board the reffel.

A barn full of corn, belonging to Mr. Thurtell,
at Bradwell, near Yarmouth, was malicioufly yet
on firs lime nights ago, and entirely confumed.
The houfe of Mrs. Price, of Middle Shropfhire,
was a few nights ago burnt to the ground. It is
fu poled the accident arofe from the carelefrnefs
of Pa fervnnt letting a burning fnuf of a candle fall
on the floor.

'Saturday fe'onight a fire broke out in a heckling
houfe, belonging to MACKINTniII, 811 AM, and Co.
Invernefo—The Pmroil and Magifirates attended
on the fiat alarm, and a party of the Rofs thin
militia with their Commanding Cfficer Lieutenant
Colonel BitODIF. and Major Weise*, we►e very
prompt in their attendance, and by their at.
tention and exertions contributed in a very ellen-
tial manner to the fupprelSon of the flames. The
materials in the houle being fo combufiible, the
lire had a very awful appearance. It was. how-
ever, got under about one o'clock in the morning,
without doing fo much damage as was appre-
hended.

Friday morning,bctween fiven and eighto'elock,
a fire broke out, at a houl finifking, No. 39, Gra(
venor.place, Pimlico. Some workmen in the up-
per apartments foielling a fire, fuddenly rased
down Rain, when they found the lower apartments
in a blaze, from what caufe it could not be difco.
vered : however, by their esertioos the &Imes
were extinguillsed, but not without doing confider-
able damage to the boufe.