OCTOBER 1.
2016 B. C. The call of Abraham is placed by Eusebius upon this day, A. M. 1921. The Cæsarian era used by the Syrians, commenced from the same Julian day, first of their month Tisri, B. C. 48.
325. Constantine ordered that those criminals hitherto employed by a barbarous custom in the gladiator shows, should be sent to the mines.
829. Michael II (the Stammerer), emperor of the East, died. He was of obscure origin, and dragged from prison to the throne on the death of Leo. He compelled the Christians to observe the sabbath and other holy days of the Jewish law.
1240. Dedication of the cathedral church of St. Paul's, at London.
1500. John Alcock, a distinguished English prelate, died. His great learning recommended him to preferment, and he was appointed president of Wales and chancellor of England. He founded Jesus college.
1621. By an act of the British parliament, no tobacco was to be imported after this date but from Virginia and the Somer isles, and none to be planted in England. The merchant was to receive no more than eight, and the retailer ten shillings the pound, but they who sold by the pipe might make the most they could!
1664. Articles of capitulation were agreed to between the English under sir Robert Carr, and the Dutch and Swedes, on Delaware bay and river; which completed the subjection of New Netherland to the British crown.
1670. Jaques de Paulmier, an eminent French physician, died. Besides some prose works he wrote poems in several European languages.
1684. Review of the marines at Putney heath, which were first established in England this year.
1684. Peter Corneille, the great French poet, died. His dramas were eminently successful, and his poems are among the sublimest effusions of the French muse.
1728. Mr. Philipse, speaker of the New York assembly, held a treaty with the Six Nations at Albany, and renewed the ancient covenant. He gave them great presents, and engaged them in the defence of Oswego.
1746. Battle of Roucoux, between the allies, who were defeated with the loss of 5,000 men and prince Tingray killed, and the French, whose loss was nearly equal.
1748. Action between the British fleet, admiral Knowles, 7 ships, and the Spanish fleet, under Spinola, 6 ships and a frigate. The latter were defeated with the loss of two ships.
1756. Battle of Lowositz, between the king of Prussia and the Austrians under Braun. Each army sustained a loss of about 2,500.
1761. Schweidnitz, a strong fortress in Silesia taken from the Prussians by a skillful coup-de-main of the Austrians under Laudohn. The governor and about 3,000 men were made prisoners.
1768. British troops landed at Boston from Halifax, and one regiment was quartered at Faneuil hall. (Sept. 30. ?)
1777. Alexander Sumorokof, founder of the Russian theatre, died at Moscow. He wrote a number of plays and historical works.
1778. William Butler made a successful expedition against the Indian towns, and returned to Schoharie on the 16th.
1795. Robert Bakewell, an eminent English agriculturist and cattle breeder, died. His improvements in the breeds of domestic animals were unprecedented; a single ram selling for nearly $4,000.
1796. James Fordyce died; a popular and eloquent Scottish preacher, who left behind him several excellent moral and religious works.
1799. John William Bruguieres, an eminent French botanist and mineralogist, died.
1800. Treaty of St. Ildefonso, by which Spain ceded Louisiana to France.
1802. Ratification of a treaty between Bonaparte and the bey of Tripoli, effected by Col. Sebastiana, who the same day concluded a treaty between the Swedes and the bey, by which the Swedes
engaged to pay 150,000 piasters for the captives, and an annuity of 8,000 more.
1807. The first steam boat sailed from New York to Albany. It was 130 feet in length, called the Clermont, and made 5 miles an hour.
1831. Blackhoof, a chief of the Shawnee tribe of Indians, died at Wapaghkonnetto, aged 114. He was at the defeats of Braddock, St. Clair, Harmer and Crawford, and probably the last survivor of the former disaster.
1838. The law abolishing imprisonment for debt in England went into operation.
1841. The Chinese island of Chusan recaptured by the British forces under sir H. Gough, with the loss of only 2 killed and 24 wounded.
1842. The war in Afghanistan closed by the capture of Ghuznee and Cabul, and the withdrawal of the British troops.
1847. A telescopic comet was discovered by a lady of Nantucket, Mass., in the constellation Cepheus.
1847. A violent tornado unroofed the steam factory in Portsmouth, N. H.; weight not less than 70,000 pounds. It separated into 3 sections, one falling within 100 feet, another 200, the rafters coming down endways and sinking 4 feet in the earth; the largest section weighing 30,000 pounds, was carried 300 feet.
1848. James Biddle, United States commodore, died at Philadelphia, aged 65.
1849. Hudson river rail road opened to Peekskill.
1850. Whitehall and Rutland rail road opened.
1853. The Turkish divan resolved on the most vigorous measures against Russia, and the sultan signed the declaration of war, and permitted the allied fleets to pass the Dardanelles.
1854. The shores around the harbor of Vera Cruz strewn with an immense number of dead fish, supposed to have been killed by the gas evolved in some submarine volcanic eruption.
1854. The steamer Yankee Blade from San Francisco to Panama, struck a reef of rocks, and was wrecked. Although there were 800 passengers on board, all but 15 were saved; $153,000 of specie was lost.