CHRONICLE. 



$79 



which burnt the muslin the lady 

 of the house was working, scorch- 

 ed the chair on which she was sit- 

 ting, and lifted a flower-pan through 

 the parlour window two or three 

 yards, bursting out two of the panes 

 of glass, and cracking three others. 

 The lady, though much alarmed, pro- 

 Tidentially receired no personal in- 

 jury ; but the room retained a strong 

 smell of sulphur for many hours. 

 No lightning was perceiyed out of 

 the house, nor any thunder heard 

 but what appeared to be vet-y distant. 



A man sowing oats in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Ingatcstone, co. Essex, 

 was this day struck dead by light- 

 ning : an oak tree was at the same 

 time completely stripped of its bark 

 and branches. 



Of all the different species hitherto 

 discovered of the genus scolopax, or 

 the woodcock, belonging to the or- 

 der of Gratae, one of the most ex- 

 traordinary was shot by the game- 

 keeper of the Rev. Mr. Stephens, of 

 Ludgvan, Oxfordshire, in an inclo- 

 sure near the parsonage. house, call- 

 ed Coopers Croft. The head, tail, 

 and extremity of the wings are of a 

 milk white, the bill and legs of a 

 light yellow, and the body a brown- 

 ish ash colour. It is altogether as 

 elegant in its shape, as singular in its 

 species. The celebrated Mr. Pen- 

 nant has described this bird as rery 

 rarely seen in the Hebrides. The 

 bird has been carefully preserved, 

 and forwarded to the Lererian mu- 

 seum. 



7th. The following article ap- 

 peared in the Paris papers of this 

 date. The ci-devant general Piche- 

 gru has strangled himself in prison. 

 The following are the particulars of 

 the suicide: — his guards were at 

 night dismissed; and on the .5th, 

 having supped heartily, hs retired 



to bed at midnight. He had previ- 

 ously taken a faggot from the bun- 

 dle with which his fire had been kin- 

 dled in the morning, and tying a 

 black silk handkerchief round his 

 neck, he twisted it close to the 

 glands by means of the stick, till he 

 had stopped respiration. He then 

 passed the stick behind his ear, and 

 throwing himself on the same side, 

 to prevent its removal, he was speedi- 

 ly suffocated. On the discovery of 

 his death, eight physicians and sur- 

 geons were employed to make a re- 

 port of the state in which the body 

 was found. It was afterwards open- 

 ed in the hall of the criminal tribu- 

 nal; and the verdict was, '■^ Died by 

 strangulation.'' — He was buried in a 

 place appropriated to the remains of 

 those Avho commit suicide; aad a 

 jn'oces.verbal relative to the event 

 was ordered to be published through- 

 out the republic. — Notwithstanding 

 this specious statement, it is strongly 

 suspected, that the unfortunate and 

 gallant object of it, fell a victim to 

 the mean jealousy and fear of Bo- 

 naparte. 



11th. The gazette of this night 

 contains the following letter from 

 capt. Hardinge of the Scorpion, off 

 Vlie, to Admiral Thornborough. — 

 " Sir, Having reconnoitred the po- 

 sition of the two men of war brigs in 

 the Vlie, I resolved to attempt the 

 outermost on the first favourable op- 

 portunity. — When accidentally fall- 

 ing in with the sloop Beaver, in her 

 way to her station, on the 31st ult. 

 capt. Peliy volunteered the assistance 

 of himself and his boats. — The at- 

 tack was made the same night; the 

 intrepidity of British seamen over- 

 came every obstacle (she being in all 

 respects prepared with boarding net- 

 ting, &c.), and, after a sharp con- 

 test, we were in full possession of 



her. 



