Feb.] 



CHRONICLE. 



25 



was, he laid himself down, and 

 rolled to the botton, and appears 

 to be the last person who escaped. 

 The two overlookers succeeded 

 in getting all the children to the 

 top of the stairs (which were 

 only a few yards from the door), 

 and some of them were dragged 

 down when the stairs were on 

 lire : the remainder, it is sup- 

 posed, were so terrified, that 

 they ran back into the mill, and 

 I were instantly suffocated ; for as 

 soon as it was known they had 

 j returned, a ladder was imme- 

 i diately placed to a window at 

 the opposite end of the mill, to 

 , which it was thought they would 

 I flee for safety (and near which 

 place 14- were afterwards found), 

 which was forced open ; but the 

 smoke and flames issuing out 

 with such violence, totally pre- 

 cluded all possibility of any 

 assistance being given ; nor could 

 any thing be heard of them, 

 although every exertion was 

 made to stimulate them to ap- 

 proach the window. After this 

 attempt to save them, no idea 

 could be formed what point the 

 poor children had fled to, and 

 immediately a scene ensued 

 amongst those without, which is 

 beyond description, as the floors 

 gave way, and all in an instant 

 was one volume of fire. Fifteen 

 bodies are found. 



On Saturday afternoon his 

 Serene Highness the Prince of 

 Hesse- Homberg had the honour 

 of being introduced to her Royal 

 Highness the Princess Elizabeth, 

 by the Prince Regent, at the 

 Queen's palace. The Prince 

 Regent at the same time in- 

 lroduc(;d his Serene Highness to 

 Jher Majesty, the Princess Au- 



gusta, and the Duchess of 

 Glocester. The latter had pre- 

 viously arrived for that purpose 

 from Glocester-house. His Serene 

 Highness was most graciously 

 received by all the Royal person- 

 ages ; he continued his visit an 

 hour and a half, and then left the 

 palace with the Prince Regent. 

 Apartments are preparing in St. 

 James's palace for the residence 

 of his Serene Highness, who is 

 expected to stay some time in 

 England. 



We have the pleasure to an- 

 nounce to the public, that the 

 examination of the Crown-room 

 and chest, supposed to contain 

 the regalia of Scotland, took 

 place on Wednesday last, at one 

 o'clock, and was attended with 

 complete success. The commis- 

 sioners present were, the Lord 

 President, Lord Justice Clerk, 

 Lord Chief Commissioner, Ge- 

 neral Hope, Lord Provost, the 

 Solicitor-General, Mr. Walter 

 Scott, Mr. Henry Jardine, Mr. 

 Wilham Clerk, and Mr. Thom- 

 son. Apologies were made for 

 his Grace the Duke of Buc- 

 cleuch, who was confined by in- 

 disposition, and for the Duke of 

 Gordon and the Lord Advocate, 

 who were absent from Edinburgh. 

 The Commissioners met in the 

 Governor's house in the Castle, 

 and were received by the guard 

 under arms and the mihtary band. 

 After reading the royal commis- 

 sion and other official documents, 

 they proceeded to the Crown- 

 room, when the King's smith and 

 carpenter removed the fasten- 

 ings of two doors, the outer of 

 oak and the inner composed of 

 grates of iron, after previously 

 ascertaining that they had not 



been 



