CHRONICLE. 



S3 



Mundo, guard-ship, in Hamoaze, 

 when every assistance was render- 

 ed as early and promptly as possi- 

 ble; but before any effectual force 

 could be brought to operate, the 

 flames had made considerable pro- 

 gress, and burnt with incredible 

 fury ; and, notw ithstanding the 

 good supply of water, and the ex- 

 ertions used at the engines, the 

 fire was not subdued until seven 

 o'clock. Fortunately, there were 

 scarcely any stores in the building, 

 but the machinery therein has 

 been mostly destroyed or mate- 

 rially injured. The building is up- 

 wards of 1,4'00 feet in length, and 

 the fire having broke out about 

 the center, it was found necessary, 

 in order to preserve any part of it, 

 to cut off as much as possible at 

 each extremity, whereby about 400 

 feet of the premises were saved. 



The house in which the fire 

 commenced is consumed ; and it 

 was fortunate that the cables, on 

 their being manufactured, were in- 

 variably removed to another place, 

 which prevented anyof thosevalua- 

 ble articles from being destroyed. 

 The loss sustained by the public 

 on this occasion, it is supposed will 

 not exceed 12,000/. 



11. The atrocious practice of 

 stealing arms has been lately car- 

 ried to an alarming extent in 

 the West Riding of Yorkshire. 

 On Wednesday se'nnight a num- 

 ber of persons, about seven or 

 eight, went undisguised to the 

 house of Mr. Milnes, in Horbury, 

 and rousing hira from his sleep, 

 demanded entrance. Mr. Milnes 

 not appearing inclined to obey, 

 they threatened if he did not in- 

 stantly open the door they would 

 immediately force it. Mr. Milnes, 

 finding he could make no availing 



resistance, gave them admittance* 

 They then insisted upon having 

 his fire-arms ; but on being satis* 

 fied that he had none, they de- 

 manded money and refreshment : 

 he then gave them some silver, 

 and bread, cheese, and beer. They 

 then requested that he would al- 

 low them to take some to some 

 poor fellows who they said were 

 watching at a distance ; with this 

 requisition he thought it also pru- 

 dent to comply, and they ihea 

 civilly took their leave of him. Oa 

 Sunday night following, these de- 

 predators made a farther attack on 

 several houses at Notherton (a 

 place in the immediate vicinity of 

 Horbury), where they succeeded 

 in obtaining seven or eight stand 

 of arms ; and upon this occasion 

 they behaved with peculiar atro- 

 city, by wantonly firing several 

 musket balls into one of the houses. 

 The success of these nocturnal de- 

 predators on this occasion is the 

 more remarkable, as, on the day 

 before (Saturday), the chief con- 

 stable of the district, and the con- 

 stable of Horbury, had received di- 

 rections to receive the fire-arms of 

 such of th6 inhabitants as were 

 disposed to give them up, and 

 whicii they carried into effect the 

 same day. Most of the inhabit- 

 ants readily gave up their arms to 

 the custody of the civil magistrates, 

 but some few refused. The con- 

 stables were much hooted and 

 abused by the populace whilst they 

 were executing this duty, and one 

 ofthemobhadthe effrontery to take 

 from his pocket a handful of musket 

 balls, which he threw into the air, 

 exclaiming, " Here are hailstones 

 for you." It is said there is a per- 

 son in Horbury employed in cast- 

 ing these leaden messengers of 

 G 2 death . 



