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many of the inhabitants are obliged to purchaſe corn at the exhorbitant price of a bit for ſix ears, meerly to keep their ſlaves from periſhing until other proviſions can be procured.

It is yet impoſſible to ſay what number of lives have been loſt in this dreadful calamity; but they muſt be numerous; in one plantain boat only, the perſons periſhed; as did the crew of the Ruby's boat, at Port Reval, in endeavouring to aſſiſt a veſſel in diſtreſs ſoon after the ſtorm came on.

Edinburgh Advertiſer, Nov. 6, 1781.

Tornado in Scotlund, July, 1799.

TOrnado. The following intereſting account of this awful phænomenon, which took place at Whitelaw, in the pariſh of Ednam, Berwickſhire, of the 3d curt. we copy from the Kelſo Mail.

"The weather through the day had been calm, with ſoft ſhowers. At ſeven o'clock in the evening there was obſerved by many people, a little to the ſouth-weſt of Mr. Tod's houſe at Whitelaw, a denſe light coloured cloud of a very uncommon appearance. It reſembled an inverted cone, reaching from the ground to a conſiderable height in the atmoſphere. Its motion towards the houſe was ſlow and majeſtic. a perſon of no great agility on ſeeing its approach could eaſily have eſcaped from it. It began at length to whirl round with great rapidity, accompanied with a loud, rattling noiſe. The effect of its amazing power was firſt exhibited upon a large sack of ſtraw in the barn-yard, which it raiſed in one maſs to a conſiderable height in the air. A beam of timber, lying flat on the ground, was hurled from its place ſeveral feet; and it will be thought oft to exceed credibility when it is mentioned, that this beam was thirty-three feet long! Small stones were heaped together in mounds as if by (illegible text)ood. The farm-offices were materially injured;