768 CHRONOLOGY. < -
A. M. A. D.
5775 1771 A large collection of fluid matter, called the Solway
Moss, in the county of Cumberland, and situatedon the top of a pretty high hill, parted from its bed,and overflowed upwards of a thousand acres of land.
5776 1772 On the6th of January three powder-mills blew upon
Ilounslow-heath w ith a terrible explosion, the shockof which was felt in London and Westminster.
A terrible storm of hail at Girgenti in Italy, wherethe stones weighed twenty ounces, April 18.
Struensee and Brandt, Danish counts, beheaded atCopenhagen, April 28.
A storm of hail in Yorkshire, where the hail-stonesk w ere as large as nutmegs, June 20.
A storm of hail at St. Jago, where it did great da-mage, and the hail-stones were as large as oranges,July 10.
Opera-house at Amsterdam burnt, in which about30 persons lost their lives.
Revolution in the government of Sweden, and theking made absolute, Aug. 13.
A very dreadful hurricane in St. Kitts, which de-stroyed about 20 merchant-ships, tore up from theirroots many stout trees forcing them to the dis-tance of more than 100 yards from their originalsituation, and damaged more or less every sugarplantation in the island. Many small articles wereround on the neighbouring island of St. Eustatia,which had been thrown there from St. Kitts bythe storm, Aug. 31.
Vpwards.of forty persons killed at Chester by an ex-plosion of gunpowder at a puppet-show, Nov. 5.
.The famous hospital at Paris called the Hotel Dieu,set on tire by the negligence of a servant, whowas melting tallow to make candles for the useof the house: the greater part of the building wasreduced to ashes, and above five hundred personsperished in the flames, Dec. 29 .
The kingdom of Poland seized by the emperor ofGermany, tire king of Prussia, and the empressof Russia, who divide it among themselves.
5777 1773 The religious order of Jesuits suppressed by a bull
of Pope Clement XIV. Aug. 17.
Guatimalia in New Spain entirely swallowed up byan earthquake, Gee. 15, and many thousand per-sons perished.
The New Englanders throw into the sea a cargo oftea sent them by the English East India Company,because of a duty which was attached to it ofthice-pence in the pound.
5778 1774 Louis XV. king of France, dies, and is succeeded
by bis grandson Louis XVI.
Pope'ClementX IV. dies, and issucceeded by Pius VI.
The French parliament restored.
Peace concluded between Russia and the Porte, bywhich the former power obtained the right ofnavigating in the Turkish seas, and particularly ofpassing the Dardanelles.
Great storm at Alencon in France, where the hail-stones measured 18 inches round, Aug. 3.
Deputies from the different British colonies in Ame-rica form a congress at Philadelphia, and remon-strate against their being taxed by the British go-vernment.
5779 1775 Catharine II. empress of Russia, publishes her code
of laws.
First action between his Majesty’s troops and theAmericans at Lexington, April 19.
Battle of Blinker’s hill, June 27, gained by the Britishover the Americans. In the gaining of this victorythe English lost in killed and wounded 1054 men.
War declared by Great Britain against North Ame-rica, Aug 23.
Washington appointed commander of the Americanarmies.
57*0 1776 A great storm at Antwerp, &c. in Holland, where
A. M. A. D.
the liail-stones were as large as hen’s eggs, andweighed three quarters of a pound, and killedseveral horses, &c. and destroyed the fruits ofthe earth, June 11.
5780 1776 Thirteen colonies united, and declared themselves
independent of the English crown, July 4.
The English defeat the Americans at Long Island,Aug. 27, and get possession of New York.
Sea-fight on Lake Champlain, where the Provincialswere destroyed by the British forces, Oct. 11.
David Ilume, Esq. and Mr. Ferguson die in this year.
5781 1777 Battle of Brandy-Wine Creek in America, in which
General Washington is defeated by the English,Sept. 11.
The English take possession of Philadelphia, Sept. 26.
Battle ot Germantown, Oct. 4, in which the Englisharmy obtained a slight advantage over the Ame-ricans headed by Geneial Washington.
Battle of Saratoga, Oct. 7, in which the English armyunder General Burgoyue surrenders to the Ame-ricans.
5782 1778 The independence of the British colonies in America
allowed by France, Feb. 6, which causes a rup-ture between France and England.
Running sea-fight off Usliant between the Englishand French tleets, in which neither side had thevictory, July 27.
The English evacuate Philadelphia.
Buttle ot Monmouth gained by General Washingtonover the English.
War breaks out between the emperor of Germanyand king of Prussia.
Charles Limie, M. de Voltaire, and J. J. llousseau,died ill this year.
5783 1779 Spainjoins the French and Americans against England.
Captain Cook is killed by tlie savages of Owhyhee,February 14.
The English take possession of Bengal.
Sea-fight off Penobscot in New England, when theAmerican fleet was totally.destroyed, July 31).
5784 1780 Sea-fight near Cape St. Vincent between the English
fleet commanded by Rodney and the Spanishfleet commanded by Don Juan de Langara, inwhich the latter was defeated and taken prisoner,January 8.
Another sea-fight near Cadiz, between the Englishlleet under Rodney and the Spanish ileet, inwhich the latter was defeated, Jan. 16.
Great earthquake at Tauris in Persia, which throwsdown 15,000 houses, and kills a great number ofpeople, March 3.
Riot in London by which 20,000/. damage is doneto the public prisons and private buildings ; forwhich many are hanged, June.
Holland joins France, bpain, and America, againstGreat Britain, Dec. 21.
5785 1781 The new planet Georgium Sides discovered by
Ilerschel, March 13.
Sea-fight off the Dogger Bank between Admiral Par-ker and the Dutch, Aug. 5.
Great battle of York Town, in which Earl Cornwal-lis is taken prisoner by Uu* Americans, Oct. 28.
5786 1782 The inquisition abolished at Naples.
Great sea-fight between Martinique and Guadeloupe,when Admiral Rodney defeated the French goingto attack Jamaica, anil took five ships of the lineand Admiral Count de Grasse, April 12. On thesame day Admiral Hughes destroyed the fleet ofF' ranee under Admiral Suit rein in the East Indies.
Siege of Gibraltar raised by the Spaniards, Sept. 13,when their floating batteries were burnt by red-hot balls from the garrison commanded by Ge-neral Elliot. ~
5787 1783 A dreadful earthquake desolates Calabria and Sicily-
A peace concluded by the British with France,
Spain,