Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/106

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92
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1758.
Brought over 161 2
Richard Drury, at the same place 72 0
His wife 78 0
Farmer Kingsland, joining to the park 78 0
Hammon Gooding, near the same place 78 0
Goody Blakenbury, east of the park 96 0
Thomas Burley, a little further 81 2
Mrs. Ovendon 81 2
Mrs. Spurgeon 78 0
In all 804 2

The following remarkable account is given by an Officer on board a French East-Indiaman, in a letter to a friend at the Hague.

Jan. 20, 1757.

"Just before we sailed from Pondicherry, fires broke out on the surface of the sea three leagues from that place, with the utmost impetuosity, throwing up pumice-stones, and other combustibles, and forming an island of a league long and of the same breadth, which increased to a considerable height, with a volcano, making a most hideous noise, like thunder, or great guns, and a cloud proceeding from it, breaking into small rain of sand instead of water. This prodigy was first seen by a ship's crew belonging to Pondicherry, who thought at first it had been a water-spout; but coming near it, saw a prodigious flashing of fire, which smelt of brimstone, and heard a most astonishing noise; afterwards a vast quantity of fish was perceived dead on the sea, and appeared broiled. Sailing a little further, they met with such quantities of pumice-stones, that it was hardly possible to make through them; at the same time they discerned land, but it appeared to them as a cloud of fire and smoke on the surface of the sea, and the cloud ascending into the air, distilled in showers of rain, which brought abundance of sand on their ship's deck, and being nigh the flashes of fire, and hearing the noise, they were under great consternation; but it pleased God to send them a little breeze of wind that brought them from it. Another ship failed round it, and they were so becalmed, that the ashes proceeding from the vast fire fell on their deck, and they were in great danger of being burnt."

25th. The judges report of the seven rioters convicted at the late York assizes, was laid before his majesty, when the two ringleaders, Cole for obstructing the militia act, and Berry for violently taking away corn, were ordered for execution, four of them to be transported for life, and one pardoned.

26th. Began the sale of the capital collection of Italian, Flemish, and Dutch paintings, of Sir Luke Schaub, and continued the two following days, at Mr. Langford's, in the great piazza, Covent-garden. The whole collection was sold for 7784l. 5s. many of the pictures selling for very extraordinary prices, particularly a landscape and figures of Claude Lorraine, for 105l.—A man pipeing and his children dancing, by Le Nain, for 180l. 12s.—Our Saviour and St. John, by Guido, for 157l. 10.—St. Sebastian, by Guerchino, for 54l. 12s.—Our Saviour healing the lame, by Rubens, for 79l. 16s.—A landscape with figures and cattle, by D. Teneirs, for 110l. 15s—Sigismunda weeping over the heart of Tancred, by Correggio, for 404l. 5s.—A laughingboy,