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The report of the murder foon reached to Portlaw. Rogers and his wife went to the place, and inftantly know the body of him whom they had in vain endeavoured to diffuade from going on with his treacherous companion. They at once spoke out their fufpicions that the murder was perpetrated by the fellow-traveller of the deceafed. An immediate fearch was made, and Caulfield was apprehended at Waterford the fecond day after. He was brought to trial at the enfuing allizes, and convicted of the fact. It appeared on the trial, amongst other circumitances, that when he arrived at Carrick, he hired a horfe, and a boy to conduct him, not by the ufual road, but by that which runs on the North fide of the river Suir, to Waterford, intending to take his paffage in the firft fhip from thence to Newfoundland. The boy took notice of fome blood on his fhirt, and Caulfield gave him half a crown to promife not to fpeak of it. Rogers proved, not only that Hickey was feen laft in company with Caulfield, but that a pair of new fhoes which Hickey wore had been found on the feet of Caulfield when he was apprehended; and that a pair of old fhoes which he had on at Rogers's house were upon Hickey's feet when the body was found. He defcribed with great exactnefs every article of their cloathes. Caulfield, on the cross-examination, fhrewd ly afked him from the dock, Whether it was not very extraordinary that he, who kept a public-houfe, fhould take fuch particular notice of the drefs of a ftranger, accidentally calling there? Rogers, in his anfwer, faid, he had a very particular reason, but was afhamed to mention it. The court and prifoner infifting on his declaring it, he gave a circumftantial narrative of his dream, called upon Mr Browne the priest, then in the court, to corroborate his teftimony; and faid, that his wife had feverely reproached him for permitting Hickey to leave their

houfe, when he knew that, in the short footway to Carrick, they must neceffarily pafs by the green fpot in the mountain which had appeared in his dream. A number of witneffes came forward; and the proofs were fo ftrong, that the jury, without hesitation, found the pannel guilty.-It was remarked, as a fingularity, that he happened to be tried and fentenced by his namefake, Sir George Caulfield, at that time Lord Chief Juftice of the King's Bench, which office he refigned in the Summer of the year 1750.

After fentence, Caulfield confeffed the fact. It came out, that Hickey had been in the Weft Indies two-andtwenty years; but falling into a baď ftate of health, he was returning to his native country, Ireland, bringing with him fome money his induftry had acquired. The vefiel on board which he took his paffage was, by firefs of weather, driven into Minehead. He there met with Frederic Caulfield, an Irish failor, who was poor, and much diflreffed for cloathes and common neceffaries. Hickey, compaflionating his poverty, and finding he was his countryman, relieved his wants, and an intimacy commenced between them. They agreed to go to Ireland together; and it was remarked on their paffage, that Caulfield fpoke contemptuoufly, and often faid, it was a pity fuch a puny fellow as Hickey fhould have money, and he himfelf be without a fhilling. They landed at Waterford, at which place they stayed fome days, Caulfield being all the time fupported by Hickey, who bought there fome cloathes for him. The af fizes being held in the town during that time, it was afterwards recollec ted that they were both at the Courthoufe, and attended the whole of a trial of a fhoemaker, who was convicted of the murder of his wife. But this made no impreffion on the hardened mind of Caulfield; for the very next day he perpetrated the fame crime on the road betwixt Waterford

and

and Carrick-on-Suir, near which town Hickey's relations lived.

He walked to the gallows with firm ftep, and undaunted countenance. He fpoke to the multitude who furrounded him; and, in the course of his addrefs, mentioned that he had been bred at a charter-fchool, from which he was taken, as an apprenticed fervant, by William Izod, Efq; of the county of Kilkenny. From this ftation he ran away on being corrected for fome faults, and had been absent from Ireland fix years. He confeffed alfo, that he had feveral times intended to murder Hickey on the road between Waterford and Portlaw;

which, though in general not a road much frequented, yet people at that time continually coming in fight prevented him.

Being fruftrated in all his schemes, the fudden and total disappointment threw him, probably, into an indifference for life. Some tempers are fo ftubborn and rugged, that nothing can affect them but immediate fenfation. If this be united to the darkest ignorance, death to fuch characters will hardly feem terrible, because they can form no conception of what it is, and ftill lefs of the confequences that may follow.

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Suppofed Blemishes in the late King of Pruffia's Character-?

HE extraordinary abilities of his late Majefty of Pruffia, Frederick the Great, and the fplendour of his reign, will probably, in all future ages, command admiration. If to this he poffeffed the amiable qualities of the private station, as it is now faid he did in an eminent degree, it will altogether form fuch a character as fages and philofophers will comtemplate on with delight: fome blemishes in his condu& may no doubt be found, as nothing human can be perfect; but many circumftances, however, may appear to deserve blame from being mifreprefented, or the motives mifunderstood. It is on this account that I mean to state three inftances of his conduct, in hopes that fome perfon, fuitably qualified, will be fo obliging as to correct them where they fhall appear falfe or exaggerated, and, by explaining his motives, extenuate the fault.

Baron Trenck was born in Pruffia; but, by fome chance, was brought, when a boy, to Vienna; there educated; and, when of proper age, had a commiffion given him in the Imperial army. Being a man of refpectable con

duct, he met with general efteem, and, in his turn, was promoted in rank. The Baron occafionally used to vifit Pruffia, to take care of his eftate and family affairs. At the commencement of the late war he was made prifoner; he had not thought it honourable to throw up his commiffion, after being permitted fo long to enjoy the advantage of the fervice. The King of Pruffia imprisoned him in a close narrow dungeon, almost entirely dark. He was chained to a feat in fuch a manner that, though he might stand up, he could never lie down. He remained in this fituation for years, till the end of the war, when that excellent princefs, the late Emprefs Queen, made it a fine qua non, a first point, before fhe would hear of a treaty, that Baron Trenck fhould be fet at liberty, and fent to her. The Baron, during his captivity, compofed a poem, and, for want of ink, wrote it in his blood, having contrived to get a quill and fome fcrap of paper. This poem is published, and tranflated from the German into French. It has been furmifed, that when he used to vifit his eftates, he acted as a spy, and

brought

brought intelligence to Vienna. This him, and ingratiating themselves by certainly would have been dishonour- acts of kindness. They then took the able and ungrateful in the highest de- proper opportunity to kidnap him; and gree; and, if true, was probably the having money at command, as foon caufe of the King's refentment: but as they got him out of the Venetian he should have either had the Ba- territory there was little difficulty in ron tried, and fentenced to death, tranfporting him through the ftates of or fet him adrift, and forfeited the Germany to Berlin. He was then eftate. thrown into a narrow dark dungeon at Spandaw, chained in a pofture that held his body doubled, his breast almoft touching his knees, fo that he could never lie or ftretch himself. The effects of nature not removed, overfpread with vermin, he languished in this condition eleven months; when the general deliverer, the univerfal benefactor, the friendly hand of Death, releafed him from tyranny and the extreme of mifery.-If this story be as reprefented, no terms of cenfure can be too fevere. That the criminal with the leaft poffible proportion of guilt fhould fuffer fo unequally, and with fuch deliberate cruelty, is repugnant to every instance of justice or humanity. How unworthy a great prince, to encourage the example of infulting another fovereign, and violating the laws of hofpitality, by fuch an attack on the perfonal safety of a fubject! It is earnestly to be hoped that the circumftances may admit of being extenuated, and that fuller information may produce the facts in another light.

The next inftance is fo atrocious, that it is impoffible to conceive how a hero and philofopher, and of fo noble a mind, could have been capable of fuch conduct. A great lady took a fancy to a poor young Italian, an opera-dancer. She fent him a mef fage, and an intrigue was the confequence. No irregular commerce could long efcape the vigilance of Frederick. The difcovery, however, was not fo fudden but that the young Italian had means to avoid the danger, and fly the country. His Majefty fent for the lady; expoftulated with her; reproached her feverely; and then, without much bustle or expofure, ordered her into banishment, and that the fhould be treated with decency and humanity. The unaccountable part of his proceeding follows. His refentment feems to have rifen to fury against the poor Italian; yet furely, allowing for human frailty, his fhare of the criminality was most inconsiderable. The difference of rank is felfevidence that the advances were to him, and fuch advances are commands. No man now gains by being a Jofeph; and the mode of the age would confider it as a blemish in a man. It is well if public fentiment be not more depraved, and even deem it a crime. The enraged monarch employs three trufty fervants to go in fearch of the fugitive, and by every means, by force or fraud, to bring him along captive. An obfcure.Italian is was not fo eafy to trace through Germany; but, after a long fearch, and never-ceafing in quiry, he was at laft found in his native country, Venice. The trufty ferVaats began by getting acquainted with

The laft inftance is that of a fellow who was a common foldier, who had deferted, was retaken, and condemned to hard labour at Spandaw. He contrived to get off his fetters; murdered two of the guard, and made his efcape. He came over to England; but not thinking himself in fafety there, he went in the first veffel to America. He remained in that country many years, and acquired fome property. Conceiving a longing to fee his native country, and flattering himself that both his crime and his perfon would be equally forgotten, he ventured coming to Pruflia. He there fet up a fhop,

and

long life and deftroy comfort. Some friend, perhaps, of the illufirious Fre derick may undertake his defence; if he fucceeds in the attempt, it will be the higheft gratification to the writer of this letter. Yours, &c.

and remained unmolefted fome little time. It was impoffible long to be concealed. He was feized, and confined at Spandaw; each arm and leg chained together, fo that if he raifed or lowered the one, the other of courfe muft follow. Dirt and wretchednefs furrounded him; and in this ftate he remained at the late King's death.-P. S. Baron Trenck had a print en

He, beyond doubt, was a great criminal; but one cannot but admire that the great t Frederick fhould employ his thoughts on deliberate cruelty, and refine fo much as to determine to pro

A. L. L.

graved reprefenting himfelf in the prifon. He is in chains, with a ftool, and a little pitcher, and fome ftraw. He gave this about amongit

his friends.

Experiments made on the Top of the Peak of Teneriffe, 24th August 1785. By M. Mongez*.

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HE crater of the peak of Teneriffe is a true fulphur-pit, fimilar to thofe of Italy. It is about fifty fathoms long and forty broad, rifing abruptly from Eaft to Weft.

At the edges of the crater, particularly on the under fide, are many fpiracles, or natural chimneys, from which there exhale aqueous vapours and fulphureous acids, which are fo hot as to make the thermometer rife from 90 to 34°. The infide of the crater is covered with yellow, red, or white, argillaceous earth, and blocks of lava partly decompofed. Under thefe blocks are found fuperb cryftals of fulphur; thefe are eight-fided rhomboidal crystals, fometimes an inch in length, and, I fuppofe, they are the fineft cryftals of volcanic fulphur that have ever been found.

The water that exhales from the fpiracles is perfectly pure, and not in the leaft acid, as I was convinced by feveral experiments.

The elevation of the Peak above the level of the fea is near 1900 toifes, which induced me to make feveaal chemical experiments in order to compare the phenomena with thofe

that occur in our laboratories. I fhall here confine myself mercly to the refults.

The volatilization and cooling of liquors were here very confiderable. Half a minute was fufficient for the diffipation of a pretty strong dofe of æther.

The action of acids on metals, earths, and alkalies, was flow; and the bubbles which efcaped during the effervefcence were much larger than ordinary. The production of vitriols was attended with very fingular phenomena. That of iron affumed all at once a very beautiful violet colour, and that of copper was fuddenly precipita ted of a very bright blue colour.

I examined the moisture of the air by means of the hygrometer, of pure alkali, and of vitriolic acid; and I thence concluded, as well as from the direction of the aqueous vapours, that the air was very dry; for at the end of three hours the vitriolic acid had fuffered hardly any change either in colour or weight; the fixed alkali remained dry, except near the edges of the veffel that contained it, where it was a little moift; and Sauffure's hy

[blocks in formation]

grométer pointed to 640 as nearly as the impetuous wind which then blew would permit us to judge.

Liquors appeared to us to have loft nothing of their smell or strength at this height, a circumftance which contradicts all the tales that have hitherto been related on this head; volatile alkali, ether, fpirit of wine, retained all their ftrength; the fmoking fpirit of Boyle was the only one that feemed to have loft any fenfible portion of its energy. Its evaporation, however, was not the lefs quick; in thirty feconds, a quantity which I had poured into a cup was entirely volatilized; and nothing remained but the fulphur which tinged the rims and the bottom. When I poured the vitriolic acid on this liquor, there happened a violent detonation, and the vapours that arofe had a very fenfible degree of heat.

I tried to form volatile alkali by decompofing fal ammoniac with the fixed alkali; but the production was flow and hardly fenfible, while at the level of the fea this procefs, made with the fame fubftances, in the fame proportions, fucceeded very readily and in abundance.

As I was curious to investigate the nature of the vapours that exhale from the crater, and to know whether they contained infiammable air, fixed air, and marine acid, I made the following experiments: I expofed on the edge of one of the fpiracles, a nitrous folution of filver in a cup; it remained more than an hour in the midst of the tapours which were continually exhaling, but without any fenfible altera tion; which fufficiently fhews, that no vapours of marine acid exhale from the crater. I then poured into it fome drops of marine acid, when a precipi

the form of fmall fealy cryftals, fuch as were obferved by M. Sage. Thefe were very diftin&t when looked at with a glafs, and they were even vifible to the naked eye. I think myfelf juftifiable in attributing this alteration of colour to the vapours of inflammable air, according to fome experiments that I have made on the precipitation of lunea cornea in fuch air. Lime water, expofed for three hours on the margin of the crater, and in the neighbourhood of a fpiracle, was not cover ed with any calcareous pellicle, not even hardly with any filmy appearance; which proves, in my opinion, not only that no vapours of fixed air exhale from the crater, but that the atmofpheric air which refts upon it contains very little of that air, and that the inflammable vapours and fulphureous a cids alone are fenfible and confiderable.

The electricity of the atmosphere was pretty confiderable, for Sauffure's electrometer, when held in the hand at the height of about five feet, indicated three degrees, while on the ground it pointed only to one and á half. The electricity was pofitive.

The violence of the wind prevent ed me from making, at the crater it felf, the experiment with boiling wa ter; but when I had defcended to the icy fountain, it continued to boil when the thermometer plunged in it ftood at 710 of Reaumur *; the mer cury in the barometer at this place was 19 inches 1 line.

I here found a great variety of vol canic fchorls, very varioufly cryftal lized.

M. de Preflon.

tation of luna cornea immediately en- Remarks on the Ifland of Goree. By fued but instead of being white, as that precipitate generally is, it was of a fine dark violet colour, which quickly became grey, and it affumed VOL. VII. No 37.

F

TH

HE Island of Goree confifts of a fteep mountain and a crook

Equal to 158% of Fahrenheit..

ed

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