316 British Association for the Advancement of Science. 
many as 1000 British and American sailors have been seen at the 
Northern island at one time. There was no estimate of the mixed 
race, which is greatly on the increase; but the total population 
is decreasing, from a variety of causes, and chiefly from the in- 
troduction of European diseases.. The natives are a noble race 
of men, capable of attaining a high degree of civilization, but in 
Mr. B.’s opinion, wren was no — of their being addicted to 
cannibalism. 
Mr. Rawson reads a report on the Fires of London. 'The e total 
number of alarms of fire attended by the Lond. Fire Engine Es- 
tablishment during five years up to the end of 1837, was 3,359, 
or 672 on the yearly average: of these, 343, or 68 per annum, 
were false alarms, and 540, or 108 per annum, were fires in chim- 
neys. Thus, the number of alarms was 13 per week, and of 
actual fires, 4 in every three days. Some of the false alarms had 
arisen from displays of the Aurora Borealis. Of the 2,47 6 fires, 
the premises were wholly consumed in 145 cases ; séfiot 
aged in 632; slightly’ damaged in 1699. An analysis wa 
of the siidneisrscid causes of total destruction, and it was observed 
that the number of fatal fires had greatly increased. The winter 
months do not show so large a preponderance of fires as might be 
expected. December. presents the largest average, but the next 
in order is May. On comparing the number of fires occurring on 
each day of the week, it,appears that there is a slight excess, on 
Friday, and a decided falling off on Saturday. In relation to 
hours, the number of fires is atthe minimum, from 5 to 9 a. M., 
when it begins slightly to increase until 5 p. m., at which hour 
the rate of increase becomes considerable, and continues until 10 
or 11 Pp. m., when the number is at the maximum ; from this time 
it gradually declines until the dawn. The nuanibes of wilful fires 
in the five years, was 31, or 6 per annum, which is as 1 in 64 to 
the number of fires of which the causes were: discovered. i 
_ Rev. J. M’Alister gave a Statistical notice of the Asylum for 
the Blind, recently established at Newcastle.—Mr. Heywood, 
announced that he had received .the last Annual Reports of the 
Regents of the University of the State of New York, from the 
Rev. Dr. Potter, with an explanatory letter,—which was read.— 
Next was read Mr. Rawson’s abstract of the second Report of the 
Railway Commissioners for Ireland.—Statistical tables were 
exhibited of the nine principal: collieries in the county of Dur- 
