20 
got under weigh to get clear of her, 
ran down to St..Helen’s, and she 
drifted slowly to the eastward, her 
mizen-mast and top-masts having 
fallen down beiore she began to 
drift. About five o’clock the wreck 
was drifted L by the tide further on the 
spit, opposiie South Sea Castle, when 
the magazine blew up with a PeEy 
great explosion, This noble ship, 
which was only five years old, was 
completely manned and victualled 
there were also a vast number of 
women and children on board, 
many of whom, it is apprehended, 
must have perished. The men 
jumped over-board, and were 
mostly taken up by boats belong. 
ing to the fleet, which had all been 
manned on the first alarm, and or- 
dered to render every assistance. 
The port-admiral, sir Peter Parker, 
at the same time, went on board the 
Royal William, and made the sig- 
nal jor ail the ficet instantly to get 
under weigh. . The wind was very 
unfavourable, but the orders were 
executed with so much judgment 
and alacrity, thar all the other ships 
got out of her way, and very for. 
tunately, being in the day time, 
dropped down to St. Helen’s with- 
out any of them receiving the sma!i- 
est Gamage. The explosion wis 
tremendous and grand: shot, - and 
pieces of timber, were thrown to 
a very considerable distance all 
around her, and a column of smoke 
arose in the air that formed itself 
into the most sublime and pictu- 
resque appearance. . Itis melancholy 
to add, that as several boats were 
near the wreck at that moment, 
it is the general apprehension that 
some of them must have been sunk. 
‘ Richard Brothers, the pre- 
4 tended prophet, was this day 
removed. from the house of the 
Fi ry4 
he a 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1795. 
king’s messenger, and placed undeg 
the care of Dr. Simmons, physician 
to St. Luke’s hospital, at Fisher. 
house, Islington. , 
This evening a melan. 
choly accident happened on 
the Humber, opposite to Stallingbo- 
rough, in Yorkshire. As Mr. Rich- 
ard Mitchell and four others, all of 
this town, were proceeding down 
the river in a boat with sails up, 
a heavy squall came on suddenly 
and overset the boat. . On this un- 
fortunate occasion Mr. Mitcheil and 
one of the men were drowned: 
the other three saved themselves by 
swimming to the shore. The body 
of Mr. Mitcheil was taken up on 
Sunday. : 
15th. 
This night, about eleven 
o’clock, major Dundas, ac- 
companied by two other gentlemen, 
were stopped in a post-chaise near 
Slough by four footpads, who fired 
two shots into the carriage before 
they demanded the gentlemen’ s 
money, which having obtained, toa 
considerable amount, together with 
two watches, one cf them struck 
major Dundas on the arm with a 
pistol, and then cut away three 
portmantcaus which were fastened 
on the fore part of the chaise, with 
which they got clear off. 
This night that noble 
mansicn-house, Cliffden, the 
property of the earl of Inchiquin, 
on the banks of the Thames, caught 
fire. The flames were so rapid, 
that very few articlés of value were | 
saved, and only the wings, which 
were joined to the centre by a colo- 
nade, escaped,, This house was 
begun, but ieft unfinished, by — 
George Villiers, duke of. Bucking 
ham, _ in the reign of Charles IT. 
and was the counterpart of that. 
which he built in St, James’s park, 
now 
1gth. 
20th. 
4 
