1657. Naval battle in the harbor of St. Cruz, Teneriffe, in which Admiral Blake attacked and destroyed the Spanish fleet of 16 ships, under the protection of the batteries on shore. This was his last and greatest achievement. 1708. DAMARIS MASHAM, a learned English lady, died. She was an authoress, and deservedly respected, not only for her learning, but for every virtue. 1718. JAMES PETIVER, an English botanist, died. He collected a valuable museum, and wrote several works on botany. 1743. French seigniories on Lake Champlain. 1750. JOHN LEWIS PETIT, a celebrated French surgeon, died. He was invited to visit the king of Poland, and afterwards went to Spain to attend on Ferdinand. He invented some valuable surgical instruments, and published several works on surgery. 1775. General PUTNAM joined the patriot band at Concord, having rode his horse about 100 miles in 18 hours. 1777. First constitution of New York state adopted. 1792. French declared war against Francis I, as king of Hungary and Bohemia. 1795. Treaty between the French convention and the Chouans. 1798. JENKINS, known in London as the _tall clerk_, died. His outer coffin measured 8 feet. He was buried under the floors of the banking house which covered a part of St. Christopher's burying ground. £200 had been offered for his body. 1798. Engagement between the British ship Mars, 74 guns, Capt. A. Hood, and French ship L'Hercule, 74 guns, and 700 men. The British captured the Frenchman, but with the loss of Capt. Hood killed. 1809. Battle of Abensburgh; the Austrian army defeated by Napoleon, who took about 10,000 prisoners and 40 cannon. This defeat broke the lines of the Austrians, and exposed them to farther misfortunes. 1810. Great fire at Constantinople, 8,000 houses burnt. 1812. GEORGE CLINTON, vice-president of the United States, died. He was a member of the colonial assembly at the breaking out of the revolution, when he received the appointment of brigadier-general. He was selected governor of New York five times. 1813. The advance of the British and Indians appeared before Fort Meigs. 1821. FREDERICK CHARLES ACHARD, a Prussian naturalist and chemist, died. He is principally known as the inventor of a process of manufacturing sugar from beets, which has since been brought to great perfection. 1835. SAMUEL SLATER, "father of the cotton manufacturing business in the United States," died. The first cotton manufactory in this country was built by him at Pawtucket, R. I.; it was standing and in operation at the time of his death. 1838. A meteoric shower observed at Knoxville, Tenn.; 154 meteors being counted by two observers between the hours of 10 at night and 4 in the morning.