The Natural History of Selborne

Paid for four wasps-nests.  On this day the Duke of Kingstone India man, outward bound, Captain Nutt, was burnt at sea off the island of Ceylon.  Mr Charles Etty, one of the mates, was wonderfully saved, tho’ he could not swim an inch, by clinging to a yard-arm that had been flung over board; by which he was kept above water about an hour & 1/4, ’till he was taken up by a boat, & carryed, naked as he was, aboard the Vansittart India-man Captain Agnew, who treated him with great humanity, & landed him in a few days at Madras.  This ship, cargoe, & more than 70 lives were lost by the carelessness of a mate in drawing rum, who permitted the candle to catch the spirits; so that the whole vessel was in flames at once, without any chance of extinguishing them.  She burnt about four hours, & then blew up: so that nothing was saved except what cloaths some had on their backs.  She had soldiers aboard, & some passengers, & a few women, & children.  Potatoes very fine, tho’ the ground has scarce ever been moistened since they were planted.  They were also very good last year, tho’ the summer was mostly wet & cold.  Fern-owl glances, & darts about in my garden in pursuit of phalaenae, with inconceivable swiftness.