356 
turned out to give assistance, every 
signal was made for the harbour, 
and the Jife-boat in readiness. Un- 
fortunately, just as the ship was en- 
‘tering the harbour, a very heavy sea 
made her strike the ground, and 
hove her out of the channel, among 
the breaker’s rocks, where the life- 
boat soon brought the crew safe on 
shore. Had I not been eye-witness 
to it, I could not have believed that 
any boat could have lived in such a 
sea and surge. ‘The storm was so 
violent, that the fishermen could not 
be persuaded to enter into the boat 
till Mr. Dempster, one of the ma- 
gistrates, and a major Horsberg, vo- 
junteered their services ; also a ship- 
master, David Stewart, who made 
great exertions indeed. The famous 
and enterprising Mr. Honey was on 
the beach, ready also for exertions. 
The ship had goods from Bour- 
deaux, for Newcastle; they will be 
saved (partly damaged). he ship’s 
bottom is out.—Please intimate this 
to the committee at Lloyd’s, for en- 
eouraging the building and keeping 
of life-hoats on different parts of the 
coasts of the united kingdom.” 
16th. A poor man was this day 
found dead in Liddington field. He 
was returning from Oakham, where 
he had been to offer himself as a 
substitute in the Rutland militia ; 
and has afforded another instance of 
the dangerons consequences of per- 
sons, in a state of inebriety, ven- 
turing to go to any distance in ex- 
cessive cold weather. Drowsiness, 
in that state, is almost irresistible, 
and the danger of being froze to . 
death, if asleep, imminent in the 
extreme. 
17th. This morning George Fos. 
ter, who was convicted, on Friday 
last, of having murdered his wife and 
child, by throwing them inte the ca. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1803. 
nal at Paddington, was executed 
pursuant to his sentence. ‘Till yes« 
terday morning, he continued to as- 
sert that his wife had by accident 
fallen into the canal; and, the water 
being deep, he was fearful of at- 
tempting to lend any assistance, Jest 
he might be drawn in also. A short 
time, however, before his execu« 
tion, he confessed to doctor Ford, 
that he actually did push her into 
the water, and then came away, and 
left her to perish. He acknow- 
ledged the justice of his sentence. 
When he appeared on the scaffold, 
he was so much overcome with the 
sense of his unhappy situation, that 
he fainted, and was obliged to be 
supported while the cord was ap- 
plied to his neck. About ten mi- 
nutes past eight he was launched 
into eternity. 
19th. A very numerous and highly 
respectable meeting was held at the 
London Tavern, ‘* to consider of 
the best means to be adopted for 
the extermination of the small pox.” 
The right hon. the lord mayor 
took the chair at about a quarter 
after one o’clock ; and explained, in 
a short, but impressive speech, with 
what pleasure he saw around him a 
meeting of noblemen and gentlemen 
so eminently respectable; how great 
he conceived to be the utility of vac. 
cination ; and how sublime the be« 
neficence that would labour to make 
it, as soon as possible, the means of 
exterminating the ills of one of the 
most terrible afflictions under which 
humanity had ever suffered. 
Mr. ‘Travers, whose zeal and in- 
defatigabie exertions im the cause of 
¥accination cannot be too much com-. * 
mended, took an extensive view of 
the importance of the subject; and, 
after a well-deserved eulogium on 
the character and services of Dr. 
Jenuer, 
