1836. Sir Charles Wilkins, an eminent oriental scholar, died.
1838. Zachary Macauley, a distinguished philanthropist, died at London, aged 70. He edited the Christian Observer from 1802 to 1816, with ability, and for more than 40 years dedicated his eminent talents and active energies in conjunction with other distinguished men to the abolition of African slave trade.
1839. Joseph Fresch, archbishop of Lyons, died. He was the uncle of Bonaparte, and after the fall of the emperor resided at Rome in the enjoyment of immense wealth, and one of the first picture galleries in that city.
1841. The American Bible Society celebrated its 25th anniversary at New York. The whole amount of receipts during the year preceding, was $118,860·41; the number of Bibles and testaments published and circulated through the efforts of the society since its organization, three millions.
1849. A revolution at Carlsruhe, and the grand duke of Baden fled.
1852. George Dolland, an English astronomer and optician, died, aged 78. His father and grandfather followed the same pursuits. He is the author of the Atmospheric Recorder.
MAY 14.
1097. The siege of Nice, the Turkish capital of Soliman, sultan of Roum, opened by the French crusaders, whose camps formed an imperfect circle of more than 6 miles.
1501. Amerigo Vespucci sailed with three ships furnished him by Emanuel of Portugal. This was his third voyage, which he extended as far as Patagonia.
1602. Bartholomew Gosnold, after a passage of 7 weeks direct west from England, discovered land on the American coast, and fell in with a shallop with sails and oars, manned by Indians, with whom they had friendly intercourse. They are represented as naked, "save neere their wastes seale skins tyed fast like to Irish dimmi trouses;" and the chief wore a few things of European fabric, described the coast with a piece of chalk, and "spake diverse Christian words." Their vessel is supposed to have belonged to some wrecked fishermen of Biscay.