Mr. Worcester on Longevity. 11 
William Scoby, a native of Ireland, died at Londonderry at 
the age of 110 years. It is recorded of him, that when 100 
years of age, he travelled on foot from Londonderry to - Ports- 
mouth, more than thirty-five miles, in one day ; an exploit which 
many would find it difficult to do at any,period of life-—The age 
of William Scoby is stated in the first edition of Dr. Belknap’s 
History of New Hampshire at only 104; but at 110 in the 
second edition, as it is also in the New Hampshire Gazetteer, the 
Massachusetts Historical Collections, and likewise by a corres- 
pondent of the writer at Londonderry. 
From a calculation on the bills of mortality of 32 townships, 
situated in different parts of New Hampshire,—the average length 
of the time for which the observations were made being 21 years, 
and in no instance less than 10 years,—it appears that the annual 
mortality in the State is only as 1 to 83. This ratio is so small 
as to excite, perhaps, reasonable suspicion respecting the accuracy 
of the bills. At any rate, however, the ratio of mortality in New 
Hampshire, compared with that of countries in Europe, is doubt- 
less small. The proportion between the deaths and the number of 
inhabitants, differs greatly in different countries. With regard to 
large cities in Europe it is stated at the ratio 1 to about 22; in 
France, 1 to 30; Sweden, 1 to 39; England, 1 to 49; Russia, 
1 to59; Wales, 1 to 60; and in the counties of Anglesea and 
Cardigan in Wales, 1 to 71. 
From this statement it appears that the ratio of mortality in 
Wales is much less than in the other countries of Europe, that are 
- above mentioned. But on the supposition that the climate of Wales 
and that of New Hampshire are equally. salubrious, the ratio of 
mortality in the latter must be less than in the former, for the 
