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ANNUAL REGISTER For the YEAR 1772. 

from Mr. Burnes at Rome, that he has found an old MS. in the Vatican, in which is written part of the 91st book of Livy, supposed to be lost. Mr. Burnes has transcribed it, and finds it contains an account of the Sertorian war in Spain; people and places are mentioned in it, which have not been noticed by any other author. The MS. is thought to have been written in the second century.

In digging a grave near the communion-table in Chatham parish, it is said, a hand entire was found among the crumbled bones, except the extreme joint of the 
fore-finger, which was fallen off. It had the flesh, sinews, nails, and veins like those of a living person, and grasped the handle of a dagger, which it is thought preserved it. 

On the 22d past, some men were perceived on a barren rock off St. David's, making signals of distress, but nobody durst venture to their assistance till the 25th, when some resolute sailors, at the hazard of their lives, undertook to bring them on shore. On their approaching the rock, the surge and suction were so great, that they were forced to throw ropes to the sufferers, and to drag them on board through the sea, by which means nine lives were saved, who otherwise must have perished in another day. They belonged to the Libertas, Peter Zittenberg, master, from Stockholm, for Dublin, laden with tar and iron, and wrecked on the rocks, called the Bishop and his Clerks, where four of the crew perished. Those who were brought on shore, were treated with the greatest humanity by the clergy and gentry of the place. 

The members of the Sçavoir Vivre Club, have resolved to give the following premiums in Feb. 1774, for the best performances in their different kinds, which shall make their appearance in the course of the year 1773, viz. For the best poem, a gold medal, and 100 guineas. - For the best picture, ditto, ditto. - For the best sculpture, ditto, ditto. - For the best musical composition, a gold medal, and 50 guineas. - For the best engraving, ditto, ditto. - As soon as the club have adjudged the different premiums, their treasurer is to wait on the author or artist, and to beg his acceptance of the fame, as a token of their approbation and regard. 

Petersbourg, Dec 18. Notwithstanding the appearance there was some days ago of the frost being set-in, and that the Neva would have been immediately frozen, it still continues open; which has never before happened in the memory of man so late in the season. The only instance that is remembered of its remaining unfrozen so long as the 1st of December, was in the year 1717. 

Warsaw, Dec. 16. They write from Pizeminst, that provisions there are at an immense price; and to increase the misery of the inhabitants, the lands are so infested with mice, that the wheat and rye in the ground are devoured by them; insomuch, that in some places they have been obliged to sow their corn three times over. These animals likewise destroy great quantities of hay and corn in the barns; and there are such multitudes of them, that it seems as if they were collected there from all parts of Europe. 

The French consul at the Dardanelles

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danelles has turned Mahometan. This Frenchman is the first christian officer who has so far disgraced christianity. The French minister here immediately sent orders to take his authority from him, as likewise all his accounts. 

A pamphlet lately appeared in Holland, intitled, "Observations on the declarations of the courts of Vienna, Petersburg, and Berlin, concerning the partition of Poland;" in which the author has taken such liberties with the character of the King of Prussia, that his minister has obtained a suppression of the sale of this work. 

The disturbances which have lately happened at some of the Portugueze settlements on the coast of Africa, particularly Arverri, Mogador, and Arebo, are now intirely settled, through the bravery and conduct of the Portugueze commander at Benin. who, with about 700 Europeans, (most of them irregulars) and about 800 friendly negroes, gave battle to an army of between 30 and 40,000 negroes, under the command of the King of Whidah, a negro prince, and obtained a compleat victory; since which, peace has been effectually re-established."

The ships and troops intended to quell the disturbances that prevail in the Spanish settlements in South-America, are already sailed under the command of Don Juan Antonio del Castro, from whose powers, the Spanish ministry have formed very sanguine hopes of success. 

Letters from Holland mention, that there is such a scarcity of provisions in several parts of the province, that the states have ordered a considerable bounty over and above the market price, to be paid to such persons as will supply them with live cattle, wheat, rye, &c. It is further added, that a great number of poor die daily for want of the common necessaries of life. 

In some of the provinces of Sweden, the scarcity is so great, that the poor people have pounded bran and the bark of trees together, and made the same into bread. 

Vienna, Nov. 22. The inhabitants of Bohemia having reaped a very fine harvest, the government again laid on the duty paid on transportation from one hereditary province to another, which had been suspended during the late great scarcity; but this imposition having occasioned great distress among the people by the price of grain, the duty has again been laid aside for an unlimited time, and grain is permitted to be brought free from Hungary to Bohemia. The fertility of Hungary is so great, the it is reckoned the granary of the hereditary provinces, as Sicily was formerly to Rome. This country is so vastly prolific, that there is no occasion, in many parts, for further husbandry than that of slightly turning up the earth; and in many places the scattered grain produces fine crops. 

The present distress of the East-India Company, cannot be deemed surprizing to those who consider one moment the causes which have contributed to hasten their ruin: Let us attend to the following fact. - Our colonies sent annually to England 600,00 l. for the single article of tea; but when it became a question, whether they should be slaves under that importation, or freemen importing it from a foreign market, the tea remained in the 
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Transcription Notes:
There are many misspellings within the text as many of the lowercase "s" are printed as "f". Since the directions for transcribing says to type exactly what you see I kept the misspelling in. I thought I would put a note here explaining why I kept them that way in case I understood the directions incorrectly. ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-21 19:27:06 Change what may appear to be an "f" to an "s" where appropriate. This is a different style of print and cursive, not a different way of spelling words. I talked with SI TC Staff on 5-19-23 about this. --Jlch ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-21 23:15:11