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nights, for the illumination of the streets; and in 1661 a special 

 Act of Parliament was passed to enforce the custom. The custom 

 was, for the watchmen to cry at dusk " Hang out your lantern and 

 whole candle light !" And the origin of this somewhat peculiar 

 phrase is said to have arisen from a witty citizen, who hung out a 

 lantern and no candle. When remonstrated with for having no 

 light, he hung out the lantern and a small bit of candle attached, 

 but not lighted ; and finally the order was made as above, to oblige 

 him to put in a whole candle, and lighted ; and this, or oil lamps, 

 was in use till 1807, when Pall Mall was lit on one side only with 

 gas, oil being still used on the other side. And lately, if not still, 

 some of the streets of Paris were lighted, if the term is admissible, 

 by one or two miserable oil-lamps. 



The extinguishing of fires has only within recent years been 

 thoroughly organized. Till 1866 the duty of extinguishing fires was 

 in the hands of Fire Insurance Companies, which in 1852 united 

 in support of one brigade for the whole of London, but only kept 

 a small establishment in the centre of the metropolis. Now the 

 whole is under the charge of the Metropolitan Board, and is most 

 efficiently worked. 



Since 1866, the per centage of serious fires has diminished in a 

 remarkable degree — getting less each year. In 1866, there were 

 25 per cent, serious, and 75 per cent, slight; in 1885, there were 

 7 per cent, serious, and 93 per cent, slight. The total number of 

 fires in 1885 was much larger than in 1866, being 2,270 as against 

 1,338 ; but although the fires were about 1000 more in number, or 

 one-third more than in 1866, there were only half the number of 

 serious fires, the numbers being: in 1866, 326 serious, total 1338; 

 in 1885, 160 serious, total 2270. 



The climate of London is remarkably healthy, the yearly rainfall 

 in inches is only 24-8 on an average for thirty-two years. And we 

 well know what it is at Keswick. I remember one winter at Wray 

 Castle we might measure rather by feet than inches, for in 

 December we had eleven inches, and in January thirteen inches, 

 or an average of a foot a month ; and as much in two months as 

 in London in twelve. 



