894 
and Celsius. M. Swanberg, and 
three other Swedish astronomers, 
have lately measured a degree, and 
found it to be 57,209 toises, which 
gives 196 toises less than by the 
French measure. This agrees bet- 
ter with other circumstances, and 
proves that the figure of the earth is 
not so irregular as it was believed to 
be after the first measurement. M. 
Mechain has set out from Paris, for 
Spain, where he will measure a tri- 
angle of 93,000 toises, terminating 
at the Balearic isles, and which will 
complete the great and important 
measure of the meridian, which has 
‘been for some years carrying into 
execution, by Mechain and Delamere. 
Diev.—At Long Beckly, county of 
Northampton, aged 103, Mrs. Swin- 
ten. 
JUNE. 
ad. A verdict of 700]. damages 
was given against Mr. Dickie, sta- 
tioner, in the Strand, for defamatory 
reflections on the character of go- 
vernor Aris, of Cold Bath-fields. 
The same day an action was 
brought against a Mr. Shipley, for 
haying received a bribe, at the time 
of the election, from Mr. Martin, 
one of the candidates for Durham. 
He was convicted in a penalty of 
5001. 
The knights’ fete at Ranelagh was 
one of the most splendid entertain- 
ments ever given in this country :— 
there were present 2500 of the first 
characters in the kingdom. The 
supper consisted of the choicest de- 
licacies of the season ; amongst other 
rarities, there were cherries at a gui- 
‘nea a pound, and 900 quarts of 
pease, at 14s. per quart. A drama- 
tic piece was got up for the purpose, 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
18053. 
by Messrs. Fawcett and) Byrne.— 
None but court dresses and regimen- 
tals were admitted ; and those of the, 
Jadies were new and splendid in the 
extreme: the expence was 70001. 
4th. We have this day had, at 
Airds, one of the most violent thun- 
der-storms ever remembered. ‘The 
lightning struck an old thorn in the 
farm of Slogarie, in the parish of 
Balmaghie, and shivered it to pieces. 
It then divided into four branches, 
and killed nine black cattle belong- 
ing to Messrs. Bennets, tenants of 
Mr. Livingston, of Airds. One of 
the cattle had its head buried up to 
the eyes in the earth ; and the light- 
ning in its way tore up a stone which 
four men could not have moved.— 
There was no mark on any of the 
cattle, except that one of them had 
its hair singed on its hind legs and 
belly ; and they were all very much 
swelled. It also killed a very fine 
cow. Mr. L. received a slight 
shock, similar to that given by an 
electrical machine. 
A fire-ball entered the house of 
John Hubbard, the White Bull, in 
Kast Norton, Leicestershire, and 
did considerable damage; the chim- 
ney was thrown down, and many of 
the slates from the roof removed to a 
considerable distance ; the windows 
were shattered to picces, and the 
contents of the dairy and pantry 
thrown into one contused heap : the 
explosion was most tremendous, and 
a strong smell of sulphur remained 
for some time in every room in the 
house. 
General Mortier announced to the 
French government, the surrender, 
by capitulation, of the electorate of 
Hanover, to the troops under his 
command. By the articles of the 
convention, dated the 3d instant, a 
total surrender of the country was 
agreed 
