116 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1814. 



crew of the Amphitrite, bound 

 from Quebec to London, with a 

 cargo of timber. They state, that 

 when they were nearly two hun- 

 dred leagues from Quebec, the Am- 

 phitrite sprung a leak, which in- 

 creased upon them, notwithstand- 

 ing their utmost exertions ; that 

 four days before meeting the Que- 

 bec packet, they found the vessel 

 would shortly become water-log- 

 ged; and on holding a consulta- 

 tion, it was determined to take to 

 the boat; as, even if the decks 

 should not blow up, by the pres- 

 sure of the timber upwards, they 

 had little prospect of being able to 

 keep ou deck, .and none of preserv- 

 ing anj' provisions in the state of the 

 weather. As soon as this resolution 

 was taken, the crew ran below, 

 burst open the lock ers, and got com- 

 pletely drunk. In this state, they 

 got out the boat, which was injured 

 in doing so, and with some provi- 

 sions, committed themselves to the 

 mercy of theocean, with the purpose 

 of steering for the Azores. Whilst 

 in the boat, two persons were con- 

 stantly employed in bailing, and 

 the captain was forced to suffer a 

 cask full of spirits they had got on 

 board to run out, to keep the men 

 from getting beastly drunk, a pro- 

 pensity which even the near pros- 

 pect of death could not induce 

 them to resist. It was providential 

 that they fell in with the Quebec 

 Packet on the 14th, as the next 

 day a storm came on, which it 

 would have been impossible for 

 them to survive in a crazy boat. 



The Turkish frigate called the 

 Camel, Abdallah Hamed com- 

 mander, was recently employed in 

 collecting the annual tribute of the 

 inhabitants of the islands in the 

 Grecian Archipelago, While at 



anchor off MytilenCj the following 

 tragical circumstance took place : 

 A Greek being unable or unwilling 

 to pay the assessment, had been 

 conveyed on board a ship, and after 

 undergoing repeated bastinadoes, 

 was threatened with further pu- 

 nishment. Having nextday refused 

 compliance, his wife and daughter 

 were, by Hamed's order, put to 

 death, after treatment too dreadful 

 to describe. This scene took place 

 in the presence of the wretched 

 husband, who, maddened by the 

 si ght, devoted himsel f to destruction 

 to obtain revenge for such out- 

 rages on the common feelings of na- 

 ture. When the crew were asleep, 

 he gained the powder chamber and 

 fired it. An instantaneous ex- 

 plosion, which scattered burning 

 fragments over the neighbouring 

 islands, announced the terrible ca- 

 tastrophe to the inhabitants. What 

 remained of the frigate was speedily 

 consumed : and of the crew, 160 

 perished. The survivors, including 

 Hamed, the commander, were 

 dreadfully mutilated. 



The termination of the delusion 

 or imposture of Joanna Southcott 

 was announced to the public by 

 the following note in the papers. 

 It is to be added, that if her votaries 

 flattered themselves with any hope 

 of a revival, they were effectually 

 dispelled by her subsequent dissec- 

 tion : — 



^'Manchester-street, Thursday, 

 Dec. 29, 1814. 



" Mrs. Southcott had been con- 

 fined to her bed ten weeks last 

 Sunday. In the first three weeks 

 she took very little, almost no so- 

 lid sustenance; and during the last 

 seven weeks none, except a small 

 quantity of wine and water. She 

 ■was gradually at last reduced by 



