the Prince of Orange and Naffau, by Virtue of our refpective Full Powers, have put our Hands and Seals to this prefent Treaty. Done at Berlin, Done at Dieren, The Counfels of this State are fo perfectly united to thofe of Great Britain, and both are fo entirely directed to preferve that univerfal Peace which (by the Bleffing of God) Europe enjoys at prefent, that we have no other political Informations from this Country to lay before our Readers. But a very extraordinary natural Event has happen'd here, which when the Report of it first broke out, caufed very ftrange Difcourfes and Alarms, both in this Country and in other Parts; it being faid, that the Worm was got into the Piles there; which, if it had been true to the Degree that was reprefented, would have endanger'd the very Being of the State. But because all our Readers may not fo perfectly under and the Nature of this ftrange Mischief, without fome additional Explanation, we shall give a more particular Account of it. Now it is well known to all Sailors, that in feveral Parts of the World, more efpecially in the hotter Regions, Ships are grievously infefted with Worms of a very ftrange and dangerous Nature. Thefe little Creatures, by the Inftruments with which Nature has provided them, joined with a firange Activity they are endued with, do in a wonderful Manner either find or make their Way into thofe Planks in the Ship's Sides, which are under Water, though at a Time when they are fo extremely fmall, that it is fcarce poffible to find out the Place they entered at. When they are once lodged, they increafe apace in Bulk and Numbers; for being particularly difpofed for that Habitation above any other, they quickly fall to feeding on the Wood, and, as it fhould feem, by the Nourishment they gain from thence, (whatever that be) they become of a very confiderable Magnitude, as of two, three, four, or fix 3 Inches Inches long, and of a very confiderable Thickness. They breed alfo very faft, and in great Numbers; and thus their Forces daily growing, and the Work going on Day and Night among fuch bufy Labourers, they will in no long Time eat out the Heart of a flout Oaken Plank. Their Method of doing this is, not by eating all about them as foon as they are entered, and fo making the Hole bigger and bigger, as they devour more and more of the Wood; but each Worm, as foon as he is able to work, begins to make a Hole of the Bignefs of his Body; and when this is done, he goes on in a right Line, making this Hole longer and longer, like a Canal or Pipe, through the Body of the Timber, 'till he is come to the End of it: Then he turns alide on either Hand, and goes back again towards the Place he fet out from, making another new Canal not far from the other. In the mean Time, in his Paffage he is always breeding young ones, which as foon as they are able to shift for themselves, do not follow their Parent in a Train, but take each their feveral Roads through the Plank or Beam, in different Lines. And thus the Timber being eaten through long-wife and cross-wife, and in all manner of Directions, by an Enemy daily increafing, becomes at last like a Spunge or a Honeycomb, and by confequence utterly unable to bear the Shocks of a tempestuous Sea. It is to be observed farther, that all the Mischief done by thefe Worms is as fecret as it is pernicious; for as they die as foon as they come to the open Air, they never, in the various Paffages they make through the Timber, pafs through the Outfide, which by that Means looks as fair and found to the Eye as if all were ever fo firm and folid within. And to prevent this Havock made by these Creatures, Ships that go to the Places where they have Reason to expect them, are fheathed; that is, their Bottoms are covered with a Layer of a Compofition made of Hair and Pitch, and other proper Ingredients; over which a falfe Bottom is faftned on to keep the fame close to the true Bottom. And thus the Worms are in good measure prevented from hurting the Ship; for though they will enter the falfe Bottom, and harbour there according to their Cuftom; yet they can't hurt the true Bottom, becaufe the Compofition that covers it being difagreeable to them, they don't care to make their Way through it, It It was always thought that these Worms were peculiar to the hotter Climates, and that the Cold of our Northern Regions was fatal to them, till this last Year feveral Rumours came from Holland that they were found among the Piles there. They could not have appeared in a worfe Place; for the Country being in a great Measure gained from the Sea by Induftry and Art, they are obliged to keep the Water from recovering its own by ftrong Banks made to refift its Force which are what they call the Dykes of Holland, And it is not more ftrange than true, that a great Part of that Country lies feveral Foot below the Level of the Sea, which were it not kept out by the Dykes would in a few Hours lay all under Water to a prodigious Extent. And yet fuch is the Force of the Dykes, that in Dependance on the Strength of them, Towns and Villages lie thick in those Parts, where nothing could fave them if the Banks fhould give way for Half an Hour. Now thefe Dykes being founded on Piles, it is eafy to fee that if the Worms fhould get into thofe Piles, and eat thro' them in the Manner above defcribed, all the Country, whofe Security depends on the Dykes, must be in the utmoft Danger that is conceivable; for they could never be fure that the Sea would not break in upon them and fwallow them up the next Moment, it being impoffible for worm-eaten Piles to ftand long against the Weight and Fury of the Waters; and what Hour they would give Way no one could tell. Befides this, another terrible Destruction was alfo threatned to them from these fatal Animals; for a great Part of their Buildings, and especially the whole City of Amfterdam, are built upon Piles driven in with vast Labour through the boggy Surface of the Earth to a great Depth, in order to reach at last to a firm Foundation. Now if the Worms fhould get into thefe Piles alfo, the Foundations of the whole City would be in danger; and it would be impoffible to prevent the Mifchief, because there could be no way of getting at it, or of remedying it if they could. What is here mentioned will, we hope, give fome Light to our Readers as to the Nature of this Alarm, and the Ground there was for it: But how far thofe Rumours were true, and whether there was any Occafion for fuch exceeding terrible Apprehenfions as thofe above-mentioned, we are not able from any authentick Grounds to inform them. Thus much is certain, that thefo 1 thefe Vermin were got into fome of the Piles; and that a Faft was order'd by the States of Weft Friesland, that this Judgment might be averted from the Country. But as the Difcourfe on this Subject is lately grown cool, it is to be hoped that there was not fo much in it as was at first imagin'd; or elfe, that the Cold of the Winter, by killing thofe Infects had removed all future Fears. However, as few of our Readers can have mifs'd hearing of this extraordinary Alarm in Converfation, we thought it neceffary to give this general Account of it a Place in our Regifter; tho' the Particulars, by the Jealousy of that State, have not been exposed to publick View; and as to doubtful Reports, the Infertion of them is not fuitable to our Defign. T SPAIN. HE Court here has taken a very extraordinary Step, which has occafion'd great Dif contents among the trading Nations, espe cially the Dutch; they having lately set up an Eaft-India Company, which is a Thing altogether unknown to this Kingdom before, which had hitherto contented itself with the American Commerce. As this Affair is of great Confequence to the Trade of Europe, and may, perhaps, make as great a Buftle as the Oftend Company has done, we shall therefore present our Readers with a Copy of the Charter granted to them. HAT forafmuch as it is conducive to his Maje jects of his refpective Kingdoms and the Philippine Inlands; his Majefty, at the Instances which have been made to him by Don Emanuel Ariaga, as well in his own Name, as in the Name of Don Francifco de Arteaga, Don Juan Martines de Albinagoufa, and Don Juan de Ledegni, Spanish Merchants, Undertakers of the faid Commerce, and Inhabitants of Cadiz, as alfo in the Name of all the other Spanish Merchants and Vaffals, whọ hall be inclined to adventure their Fortunes therein, has approved, upon the following Articles and Condi tions, tions, the Memorial prefented to him upon that Subject by the faid Don Emanuel Ariaga. I. The Spaniards alone fhall be admitted into this Commerce, and may continue it for ten Years, with two or four Ships from 500 to 800 Tons, and from 30 to so Pieces of Cannon, more or lefs, according as the Circumftances or Occafion may require. These Ships fhall fail from the Bay of Cadiz, and fhall be expedited in Form, and with a proper Regifter, by the Prefidents and Counsellors of the College of Commerce, in the fame Manner as is practifed with Regard to the Ships which fail for the Ports of America under his Majesty's Dominion. II. As thefe Merchants, at their own Expence and Hazard, open a Commerce which may be very useful and advantageous for thefe Kingdoms, they fhall pay no Duty or Cuftom, by the Ton or otherwife, call'd by the Name of Extrangeria and Media Annata, excepting only 800 Pieces of Eight Reals de Plata, which they fhall pay for each Ship, or what Burden foever, which fhall be at the King's Difpofal, to be laid out in Works of Piety, or whatever elfe his Majefty fhall think fit. III. The Captains and Lieutenants of every Ship hall bear the King's Commiffions. The two chief Officers fhall certainly be Spaniards, with Power to serve either by Sea or Land. IV. If the Officers do not execute their Inftructions, but violate the Laws and Ordinances of the Indies, they thall be feverely punish'd for it, and the Directors fhall not be answerable for the ill Conduct of the faid Off. cers. V. The faid Ships fhall be provided with the needful Artillery, Arms, and Ammunition; and there fhall be put on board them, in Cafe of Need, 30 or 40 Ma. rines, to keep the Crews in awe, who, as well as the Officers, fhall confift of two Thirds Spaniards at the leaft. VI. In Cafe the Undertakers should think fit, for their greater Security, to hire one of the King's Ships, they fhall have one of what Burden they pleafe, provi ded they agree with his Majesty's Minifters about the Freight and other Expences. VII. The Cargoes of the faid Ships fhall confist of Wines, Brandy, Dyers Wood, Oils, Almonds, Figs," Olives, and other Fruits and Produce of the Kingdom; |