Reported On This Day 280 Years Ago (July 3 1739): Huge flotilla of war troops set to sail from Belfast to Britain

The ten regiments of foot from Ireland, are to be embark’d on board 200 transports at Belfast, and other northern ports in that kingdom, for Great Britain.

DUBLIN. June 19

Several vessels are taken up here, to transport the regiments from this kingdom to Great-Britain.

We hear from Waterford, that on Friday last there were 37 seamen impress’d there, and put on board the Hound man of war, for his majesty’s service.

LONDON, June 12.

We hear that all able-bodied seamen who are or shall be press’d or enter voluntarily into his Majesty’s service, shall be allow’d six months pay certain.

We hear from Leghorn, that the Corsairs of Barbary have been so insolent as to take two Tartanes bound from that port to Corsica, with provisions and other goods for the Most Christian Mediators in that island. [Barbary corsairs were pirates from nth Africa. Tartane was a small ship]

Bristol, June 9. Last Friday one Campden, a soldier belonging to the regiment quarter’d here, was severely whipt by the Drums thereof, and afterwards drumm’d out of the regiment, for daring to curse his Majesty, and uttering blasphemy against the Holy Trinity.

LONDON, June 12.

We are informed that as a vessel in her passage from Hull last week bound for London, laden with cheese and other goods, met with a French man of war, who sent their boat to her and took four tons of cheese, and carried it on board the French ship, the captain of the English ship expecting to be paid for it, received no other answer, but that there was money enough in France.

On Saturday last died at his house at Hoxton-square, Mr. Daniel Mustapha Fidalgo, an eminent Jew Hamburgh-merchant of this city, very much lamented by all that knew him, especially the poor, as well Christians as Jews, to whom he was a generous benefactor.

Friday last an odd accident happen’d at Kensington gravel-pits, where Mr. Roberts, an undertaker in the sanctuary of Westminster, being sent for to take orders about the funeral of Charles Benefold, Esq; formerly in the East-India company’s Service; he had no sooner measured the corpse, but he fell down in a fit of apoplexy, and did [sic] immediately.

We hear that his grace the duke of Devonshire, lord lieutenant of Ireland, will soon embark for the said kingdom.

Last week died in a very advanced age, at his seat near Braintree in Essex, that eminent and learned virtuoso Dr. Samuel Dale, licentiate and physick-fellow of the royal society, and author of several treatises on plants, shells, and other parts of natural philosophy.

SCOTLAND.

Edinburgh, June 5. By private letters from Paris we hear, that the chevalier Ramsay, author of the travels of Cyrus, was so near the point of death, that extreme unction was administred [sic] to him. [Chevalier Ramsay, aged 53, was a Scottish writer who converted to Catholicism and lived in France, where he knew the philosopher Montesquieu. His 1727 book Travels of Cyrus made him a best-selling author]

ITALY. Venice, June 6. A confirmation of the great earthquake that has lately been at Smyrna has been received here; almost half the city has been destroy’d by it, and most of the inhabitants are so terrified with it, that they at present live in tents. It’s added, that the plague makes great havoc in those parts.