Three Mafter's Mates. Mr. Evans, Coxswain. Mr., Surgeon's Mate. Five Quarter-mafters, the fixth (Mr. M'Carthey) being faved. Four Boatswain's Mates; about thirty Marines, and two hundred and fifty Seamen. Three English women, married on board-one Malay woman, of Amboyna. Fourteen Spanish prisoners, taken in the prize brig. Wonderful Escape of CHARLES STURT, ESQ. M. P. for Bridport, off the Coaft of Dorfetfhire, Od. 1800. On the 23d October, 1800, Charles Sturt, Efq. of Brownfea-castle, near Poole, member for Bridport, and who is owner of a faft-failing cutter stationed in the bay, went out early in the morning, and after dinner, being about two leagues from fhore, made a match for his cutter to fail against that of Mr. Weld of Ludworth-caftle. When, in the outset, Mr. Sturt's cutter having the boat fastened to her ftern, he ordered a boy to go into the boat, and put off to the shore. The fea running high the boy was afraid, when Mr. Sturt requested any man on board, but they declined the task; on which he jumped into the boat, when juft CHARLES STURT, ESQ 73 just at that inftant the rope by which it was faftened parted from the vessel, and he was, by the force of the tide drifted to a confiderable distance when the boat overfet. In this perilous fituation, left to the mercy of the waves, Mr. Sturt had the prefence of mind to pull off all his clothes, except his trowfers and ftockings, keeping his ftation as well as he could, fometimes on the keel of the boat, and then dashed off by a tremendous wave, compelled to swim and regain his station. But here may be feen the all-protecting care of Divine Providence. Some tranfports which were intended to carry the troops to Guernsey and Jerfey, by contrary winds were obliged to put back; all had paffed him but the laft veffel, when one of the mates exclaimed, "Good God! there is a man in diftrefs!" Four refolute fellows embarked in a boat, and after two hours came up with him. When they lifted him into the boat he was almost exhausted; a few minutes would have fatally closed the scene, it being nearly dark, with a heavy fea, when the failors took him up. On the 31st of January, 1798, Mr. Sturt, at the imminent hazard of his life, was the means of refcuing feveral fellow-beings from a fituation fomewhat fimilar, who were hipwrecked near Poole. Seldom it is that a noble action goes unrewarded. GENERAL PUTNAM and the WOLF, A remarkable Inftance of Extraordinary Courage. WOLVES OLVES were very numerous at Connecticut in the United States of America, foon after General Putnam removed thither: they broke into a fheep fold, and killed upwards of feventy fine fheep and goats, befides wounding many others. This havoc was committed by an old shewolf, which, with her annual whelps, had for many years been very obnoxious in the country. The young were Vol. I. No. 2. commonly L commonly destroyed by the vigilance of the hunters; but the old one was too fagacious to come within reach of gunfhot. Upon being closely pursued, the would generally fly to the western woods, and return the following winter with another litter of whelps. This wolf became, at length, fuch an intolerable nuifance, that Mr. Putnam entered into a combination with five of his neighbours to hunt alternately until they could destroy her. Two, by rotation, were to be constantly in pursuit. It was known that, having loft the toes from one foot, by a steel trap, she made one track shorter than the other. By this veftige, the purfuers recognized, in a light fnow, the route of this pernicious animal. Hav ing followed her to Connecticut river, and found that she had turned back in a direct course towards Pomfret, they immediately returned, and by ten the next morning, the bloodhounds had driven her into a den about three miles diftant from the house of Mr. Putnam; the people foon collected with dogs, guns, ftraw, fire and fulphur, to attack the common enemy. With this apparatus, feveral unfuccefsful efforts were made to force her from her den. The hounds came back badly wounded, and refused to return. The smoke of blazing ftraw had no effect; nor did the fumes of burnt brimstone, with which the cavern was filled, compel her to quit the retirement. Wearied with fuch fruitless attempts (which had brought time to ten o'clock at night), Mr. Putnam tried once more to make his dog enter; but in vain: he propofed to his negro man to go down into the cavern, and shoot the wolf; the negro declined the hazardous fervice. Then it was, that the General, angry at the disappointment, and declaring that he was afhamed to have a coward in his family, refolved himself to deftroy the ferocious beaft, left fhe fhould efcape through fome unknown fiffure of the rock. His neighbours ftrongly remonftrated against the perilous enterprize; but he knowing that wild animals OF EXTRAORDINARY COURAGE, 75 animals were intimidated by fire, and having provided feveral strips of birch-bark, the only combustible material which he could obtain that would afford light in this deep and darkfome cave, prepared for his defcent. Having, accordingly, divested himself of his coat and waistcoat, and having a long rope fastened to his legs, by which he might be pulled back at a concerted fignal, he entered, head-foremoft, with the blazing torch in his hand. The aperture of the den, on the east fide of a very high ledge of rocks, is about two feet fquare: from thence it defcends obliquely fifteen feet, then running horizontally about ten more, it afcends gradually fixteen feet towards its termination. The fides of this fubterraneous cavity are compofed of fmooth and folid rocks, which feem to have been divided from each other by fome former earthquake. The top and bottom are alfo of stone, and the entrance, in the winter, being covered with ice, is exceedingly flippery. It is in no place high enough for a man to raise himfelf upright, nor in any. part more than three feet in width. Having groped his paffage to the horizontal part of the den, the most terrifying darkness appeared in front of the dim circle of light afforded by his torch. It was filent as the house of death: none but monfters of the defert had ever before explored this folitary mansion of horror. He, cautiously proceeding onward, came to the afcent, which he flowly mounted, on his hands and knees, until he difcovered the glaring eyeballs of the wolf, who was fitting at the extremity of the cavern. Startled at the fight of fire, fhe gnashed her teeth, and gave a fudden growl. As foon as he had made the neceffary discovery, he kicked the rope as a fignal for pulling him out. The people at the mouth of the den, who had liftened with painful anxiety, hearing the growling of the wolf, and fuppofing their friend to be in the moft imminent danger, drew him forth with fuch celerity, that his shirt was stripped over his head, and his skin severely lacerated. After he had adjusted his clothes, and loaded his gun with nine buck-fhot, holding a torch in one hand, and the musquet in the other, he defcended a second time. When he drew nearer than before, the wolf, affuming a ftill more fierce and terrible appearance, howling, rolling her eyes, fnapping her teeth, and dropping her head between her legs, was evidently in the attitude, and on the point of springing at him. At the critical inftant he levelled and fired at her head. Stunned with the fhock, and fuffocated with the smoke, he immediately found himself drawn out of the cave. But having refreshed himself, and permitted the smoke to diffipate, he went down the third time once more; he came within fight of the wolf, who appearing very paffive, he applied the torch to her nofe, and, perceiving her dead, he took hold of her ears, and then kicking the rope (still tied round his legs), the people above, with no small exultation, dragged them both out together.. Extraordinary Account of MAL, or MOLL CUT-PURSE, famous in the Reign of King Charles I. 1662. MARY FRITH, alias Mal, or Moll Cut-purfe, a woman of a very masculine spirit and make, who was commonly suppofed to have been an hermaphrodite, practifed, or was inftrumental to, almost every crime, and wild frolic, which is notorious in the most abandoned, and eccentric of both sexes. She was infamous as a prostitute and procuress, à fortune-teller, a pick-pocket, a thief, and a receiver of fiolen goods. She made this trade very advantageous, having acted much upon the fame plan that Jonathan Wild did, in the reign of George I. who, it is well known, used to equip his emiffaries with genteel dreffes, and fend them to church, |