Tuesday, February 28, 2006

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Freeman's Journal February 28 - March 2 1784

Foreign Intelligence

Vienna, Feb 4. During the emperor's voyage in Italy, one of the wheels of his coach broke down on the road. With much difficulty he reached a poor village. On his arrival there, his majesty got out at the door of a blacksmith; and desired him to repair the damaged wheel without delay. "That I would very willingly," replied the smith, "but it being holiday, all my men are in church : my very apprentice who blows the bellows, is not at home." - An excellent method then presents to warming one's self, replied the emperor, still preserving the incognito ; and the great Joseph set a bout blowing the bellows, while the blacksmith forged the iron. The wheel being repaired, six sous were demanded for the job ; but the emperor instead of them, put into his hand six ducats. The blacksmith on seeing them, returned them to the travellor, saying, Sir, you have undoubtedly made a mistake owing to the darkness ; instead of six sous, you have given me six pieces of gold, which nobody in this village can change. Change them where you can, replied the emperor ; the overplus is for the pleasure of blowing the bellows.His majesty then commanded his voyage without waiting an answer.

Sunday, February 26, 2006

Freeman's Journal 26th - 28th of February

India Affairs.
This Day was published,
By LUKE WHITE,
No. 16 Dame-street, Corner of Crampton-court
Mr. BURKEs SPEECH
ON
Mr. Fox's East India Bill.
This celebrated speech contains an abstract of the
Company's Transactions in India.

...

LONDON, Feb. 21

A letter from Jamaica, says, that by an advice boat put in there, they have an account that they had another shock of an earthquake at the island of Hispaniola, which had thrown down most of the new buildings there, and many lives were lost ; a great deal of damage was also done on the shore by the sea overflowing so far, that the ships that lay at anchor were forced on shore, and left, at the return of the tide, on dry land.

Last week was seized at a shop in the city, a parcel of French fans ; the penalty on each fan is 200l.

..

BLACKWELL, Gunmaker
No. 2, Great Ship-street, Dublin
Most respectfully acquaints the Public, that he has for sale a variety of Guns and Pistols, double and single barrels, twisted barrels, in the most curious manner. His feather spring Pistols, so much approved of, he will engage to shoot point blank at the proper distance. Rifle Guns for ball and shot, Pocket Pistols of all sizes, Powders, Powder-Horns, Flints. &c.
Frederick Blackwell's knowledge and assiduity to business, employing the best workmen, and using the best materials, he is bold to say, his work cannot be excelled in this or any other kingdom. All the above articles he is determined to sell on the most reduced prices for ready Money.
Old Guns cleaned and repaired ; likewise bought and sold.

Friday, February 24, 2006

Freeman's Journal 24th - 26th February 1784

Theatre-Royal, Smoc-Alley

For the Benefit of Mrs. Hitchcock.

On Wednesday the 3d of March, 1784, will be performed a new Comedy called
THE YOUNG QUAKER
Written by John O' Keeffe Esq.
End of the Play, a Concerto on the TENOR, by Mr. Kottwara.
After which will be performed a Pantomime Interlude, called
THE FAIRY REVEALS: Or
HARLEQUIN TRIUMPANT
To conclude with an Allemande of Three, by Miss Andre, Monsieur Grecco and Signora Rossignol. To which will be added the dramatic musical Pastoral called
THE POOR SOLDIER
written by John O' Keeffe


EDUCATION
A Gentlewoman who has had some years experience in the teaching line, is perfect mistress of French and English languages, &c. is desirous of becoming Governess to young Ladies in a Nobleman or Gentleman's family ; will be heard of by directing a line for S. S. at the Printer's hereof.

Tuesday arrived Three English MAILS
LONDON, Feb. 17, 18, 19.
...
Letters from Maryland, dated Dec. 20, advise that the plague rages with great violence in that state, particularly in Baltimore.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Freeman's Journal 21st - 24th February 1784

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE

AMERICA

Philadelphia, Dec 9. Yesterday, at noon, his excellency general Washington arrived here from New York. His excellency was met at Frankfort, by his excellency the president of this state, the hon. the financier, general, St. Clair and Hand, the Philadelphia troop of horse, and a number of citizens, who had the pleasure of accompanying the general into the city. His arrival was announced by a discharge of cannon, the bells were rung, and the people testified their satisfaction, at once more seeing their illustrious chief, by repeated acclamations.

The council appointed for the present government of the city of New York have ordered, that all persons becoming inhabitants of that city, do, within 24 hours of their arrival, report their names, former place of residence and number of their family, to the secretary of the council : and that all inhabitants receiving inmates or lodgers, do, in a like manner, report their names and former place of abode, &c.

LONDON, Feb. 16
...
Friday evening a duel was fought in the fields near Chelsea, between capt. Mostyn, of the navy, and lieutenant Clarke, of the African corps, which terminated most fatally to the former, who, on the second fire from his adversary, received the shot through his body, and expired immediately on the spot. This unfortunate circumstance arose from a trifling dispute at the New Exchange coffee house, and is the more to be lamented, as capt. Mostyn was only 25 years of age, and at that early period of post captain in the
navy, and possessed the most manly and endearing accomplishments.

...

A society of gentlemen are fitting out a large ship at Deptford for the purpose of making discoveries to the north pole ; she is to sail with the first Greenland ships, and after exploring those seas, is to go N. W. to Hudson's bay, where the passage into the Indian seas ( the probability of which is no longer doubted) is expected to lie. These explorers are to have the sanction of administration, but the nation is to be at no expense whatever, except they should find the so much wished for passage, in which case they will have a reward. Some of the most experienced seamen, and other necessary persons, are already engaged, and if the weather permits, they will sail the beginning of next month. The vessel is Dutch built, and equipping with every king of accommodation for the purpose.

...

The scarcity of mint halfpence, which at this time is a general complaint, is by no means owing to a less number being coined than heretofore, but to a species of traffic carried on lately, by exporting them to North America, and getting dollars in return. A profit of 28 per cent, is made by this illicit business.

Freeman's Journal 19th - 21st February 1784

In the Press, and in a few days will be published, by Luke White, No. 86,
Dame Street, Corner of Crampton-court.
Mr. BURKE's SPEECH on Mr. Fox's East India Bill

...

The new invented

ELASTIC and PATENT WIGS

The most fashionable are now at ENGLISH's Patent Wig warehouse, the only one in the kingdom, No. 28 Nassau street, made under his own inspection, and of he very vest materials and colours to suit all complexions. By his Elastic and other Springs, as made by the Patentee in London, he is enabled to fit the most difficult Head or Temples : His Grey and Bag Wigs , &c. are superior to any in this kingdom for colour and manufacture. -- As said ENGLISH spares neither time, labour or expence to have his work finished in the most superb and best manner, and so give every satisfaction to his Customers, and such Noblemen and Gentlemen as please to honour him with their commands, has brought from London a considerable quantity of the best Hairs and other materials, and of the most beautiful colours that could be got in the city ; and he always made a point of employing none but the best work men. His Natural Wigs, Curls and Descriptions are of such excellence as not to be distinguished from the real beauties of the natural Growth ; and as he lays in all his materials at first cost, he means to sell thirty per cent. cheaper than any shop in Dublin.

N.B. Chambers continued, as usual, at the rere of the Four-Courts, for
Gentlemen of Law to dress in.

....

Dublin, February 20
...
About seven o'clock on Monday night, a number of villains armed with knives, stopped a poor countryman at the Green-hills, near Tallagh, and after robbing him of what cash he had, beat and abused him in a cruel manner.
..
Thursday a great number of people, with cars, buckets, &c. were employed at low water, in gathering tobacco on the south strand, said to be part of the cargo of the vessel from America lately wrecked there.
...
A granary, a custom house, and a prison, are shortly to be erected at Naas, in the county of Kildare, in consequence of the communication now making between that town and the grand canal.
...
A humourous correspondent compares, in one or two instances, the now almost exploded measure of a parliamentary reform, to an ill-charged airballoon. Without doubt the national convention prepared a large quantity of inflammable gas, and which, it must be confessed, was rather added to rather than diminished by several garreleer scriblers, employed to keep the subject from a premature dissolution ; but alas / the parliamentary machine, plan scheme or system, call it what you will, not being rightly compacted, or in other words, not constitutionally constructed, this castle in the air, this abortion of rashness, idelness and discontent, rose only sufficiently high to be gazed at by fools and madmen for a shoty time, and then fell to the ground, from an evaporation of its inflammatory contents.

Freeman's Journal 17th - 19th February 1784

Theatre-Royal, Smock Alley
..
For the benefit of Mrs. Hitchcock,
On Wednesday the 3d of March, 1784 will be performed a new Comedy, called
The Quaker Girl.
Written by John O' Keeffe, Esq.
..
After which will be performed a Pantomime Interlude, called
The Fairy Revels or
Harlequin Triumphant

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE

Milan Jan 6

M. Venetiani, canonand professor of physic, is now employed in constructing an aerostatic globe, with the following properties: 1. It will glide with more or less velocity at the pleasure of the conductor, who is to guide it to the utmost possible height, without employing fire therein. 2. It will descend at pleasure, sustain itself in the air, or remount, without making any addition to the machine. Three persons may travel with the machine two or three days, and even whole weeks, without occasion to descend for provisions. If this experiment should be accomplished, it must be allowed that this discovery is arrived to a great degree of perfection in a short time.

DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE

Dublin, February 18.
..
By letters from Connaught and many other parts of the kingdom, we learn that the late frost has damaged all the potatoes, that great article of subsistence among the poor, and that the people look forward with regret to the wretched prospect of a threatening scarcity, such misery has the severity of the season entailed on them : and yet so great is their apprehension from the from the dissolving of the congealed snows, that they wish a continuance of frost, rather than experience the fury of mountain torrents, with which they will be afflicted by the thaws.

...
Three students were on Monday expelled from the College : one for taking books out of the library ; another for introducing bad women into the college ; and a third, for bringing in a constable, and arresting a contemporary for ten pounds.

Freeman's Journal February 14th - 17th 1784

Theatre-Royal, Smock-Alley

Feb. 17th Comedy - Love for Love with farce The Divorce
Feb. 19th Comedy - The Gamesters and a The Giants Causeway

English Opera-House, Capel Street
Feb. 18th comic Opera Love in a village and a farce called The Musical Lady
....
London. Feb 9, 10
..
Wednesday a machine, nearly upon the plan of that constructed by Mr. Moore a few days since, was exhibited upon the serpentine river. The inventor called it an ice balloon, and it travelled with amazing celerity , having a sort of keel made of iron, and being impelled forward by a spring, giving motion to a wheel at the front of the carriage. The novelty of invention induced several people of fashion to ride in the above machine, and several of them handsomely complimented the proprietor for his ingenuity ; but the price demanded was but the moderate sum of one penny from each passenger. A hog was roasted whole upon the ice the same day, and afforded an exempore to a great number of people
....

The last Amsterdam gazette gives an account of some experiments recently made at Lyons, with the large aerostatic machine, constructed there by Montgolfier and Pilatre.It had twice ascended to the height of 500 toises ; in the first ascent an accidental fire broke out, or rather the enclosed gaz took fire, and burst the balloon on the top, notwithstanding which the aerial travellers in the chariot came gradually to the ground, without receiving and injury. A handsome compliment on the occasion was paid them the same evening in the theatre.

....

Where are only to be had genuine, the following
MEDICINES
Genuine Peruvian Bark

This medicine, so universally celebratred for the cure of agues, intermittent and putrid fevers, nervous headaches, &c. &c may be had in the highest perfection, either in tincture or in powder, as faithfully prepared by Mess. Freake and Newbery, of London, and allowed to be of infinite service after the use of Dr. Jame's powder.

Freeman's Journal February 12th -14th 1784

Domestic Intelligence

Cork, Feb 9
On Saturday last arrived the brig Lively, capt. Wm. Wyer, in eight weeks from Newbury Port, New England.

Kilkenny Feb. 13
The following very singular circumstance accurred in this city, one night last week, during the very intense frost : - A cat having discovered a rat with five or six young ones in the corner of a room, made a set at them : the old rat regardless of her own safety, kept her situation for the protection of her young, and the cat not to be out-done in vigilance, remained sentinel all night, and in the morning they were all found frozen to death, in the most watchful attitudes.

Foreign Intelligence

Hague, Jan 26
Private letters from Berne being advice, that there fell lately, near Nyon, in Switzerland, an aerostatic balloon, in the gallery of which were found four persons dead, according to all appearences from cold. This event happening at the moment of the departure of the post, he could not give us any further particulars.

London

The Alexander, an American ship, is arrived in the river from New York, by which there are accounts of fresh disturbances having happened at Philadelphia, which the civil power not being able to quell, general Washington had been sent for, and was expected would shortly set out for that place.

Freeman's Journal 10 - 12 February 1784

Paris Jan. 8.
We learn that the ascension of the M de Montgolfier's globe, at Lyons, will not take place till the 20th of February. This aerostatic sphere is of an enormous magnitude, and capable, it is said, of carrying up ten persons, with provisions and baggage.

Mullingar, Feb. 7
On Tuesday the 3d inst. the frost was so intense, and ice so firm on Lough Owell, that Sir Richard Levinge ventured to drive a four-wheel chair and four ponies almost round the lake, and returned home through the middle of the lake, by the large island, with great safety.

Dublin, February 11.

Letters, it is said, are received in town, advising that Mr. Riddock's air balloon, launched on Wednesday last from the lying in hospital, fell to the ground in the earl of Clanbrassil's demesne in the county of Louth.

...
Drink and prostitutes create many robbers, is an observation as old as just. It would, therefore conduce much, not only to the security, but also to the quiet of the parish of St. Andrew, if the inhabitants could devise some mode of banishing the swarms of prostitutes that infest that parish, particularly Essex-street. A correspondent is of opinion, that if the magistrates were to take the proper notice of the house almost opposite to the Castle hotel, where these unhappy females with their bullies assemble nightly, no step would be found more conductive to this desirable end.

Freeman's Journal February 7th - 10th 1784

From the Public Register or Freeman's Journal -from Saturday, February the 7th, to Tuesday, February the 10th 1784.

What's on:

Theatre Royal, Smock Alley.
By his majestiey's company of comedians.
[Seventh Night]
This present evening, Feb. 10, will be presented a comic Opera, called
Orpheus and Euridice,
To which will be added a farce, called Barnaby Brittle.

A Grand Oratorio.
For the Benefit of the poor confined Debtors
in the several Marshalseas of this City.
On Thursday evening next, Feb. 12, 1784, will be
performed at the Rotunda, the Sacred Oratorio of
Judas Maccabeus.

Exhibition-Room, William-Street
On saturday Evening, February 14th, 1784, will be a
Concert of Music
Consisting of serveral favourite Overtures, Trios , Duets , &c.
First Violin, with a Solo, and Solo Concerto,
by Master COBHAM
(who is but SEVEN years of age)

Dublin February 9
...
A gentleman in this city, a native of the kingdom, of great knowledge in mechanics, has devised a method of managing an aerial chariot, so as to guide it in whatever direction he chooses. He proposes, if assisted by public subscription, to ascend himself, in the machine, and has no doubt of bringing it to the fullest perfection and use of which it is capable. As the power of directing this machine is the grand desideratum, and appears to be the only improvement which can render it of any particular utility, we are glad, for the credit of Irish ingenuity, that the honour of this discovery originates with ourselves.

...
James Vance
no 102 capel Street
..
Spirits per gallon

Strong Whiskey 4s 4d - 5s
Brandy 4s 6d - 8s
Rum 5s -8s
Geneva 4s 6d - 6s 6d

-----------------------
For the flourishing city of Philadelphia.
The good ship HANKEY, JOhn Cheap, Commander.
Burden 250 tons, a remarkable fine stout ship, uncommonly well calculated for passengers, being upwards of six feet high between decks, and most conveniently fitted for the purpose; such persons as wish to take this favourable oppertunity of going to America, will do well to apply in time; a few younfg healty men and boys will be taken as redemptioners :- freight reasonable to be paid here or in Philadelphia, as may be agreeable. Apply to James Eddy, Esq; at Alderman Darragh's on lower Ormond Quay.

Introduction

I have a copy of the Freeman's Journal published in Dublin, Ireland.
This blog will be made up of interesting clips on science, technology and other pieces that interest me. There are some pieces of news from America. Some mention of George Washington.