VOL. XLIX.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 55 



cottages that pay nothing. And though the number of cottages is not accu- 

 rately known, it appears from the accounts given in, that they cannot amount 

 to above "200,000. And therefore there are not in England and Wales more 

 than 890,000 houses, or 5,340,000 people, allowing 6 to a house; which well 

 agrees with what he has said in this and his former letter. For if the survey made 

 before the year 17 10 was near the truth, from which it appeared, that there was 

 not above 72^9,048 houses, besides cottages, or 929,048 houses in the whole ; 

 which will make about 5,570,000 people ; then there must have been no in- 

 crement since that time, but rather a decrease, notwithstanding the continual 

 supplies from Scotland and Ireland, and from foreigners. 



The argument from which he inferred, that there is a decrease of the inha* 

 bitauts within the bills, is this; that, before the year 1743, for 20 years, the 

 burials in them were at an average above 27,000, and the baptisms between 

 15,000 and 17,000; but since that time they are both gradually decreased; so 

 that now the burials are about 22,000, and the baptisms between 14,000 and 

 15,000, taken at an average for 10 years : and therefore these different numbers, 

 continued so long, cannot come from the same number of people ; but that as 

 the burials and baptisms are both decreased, the whole people must be also di- 

 minished. In his first letter he reasoned, and made his calculation, on the 

 same principles with Sir William Petty, Mr. Graunt, and other approved au- 

 thors. From a continued increase in the bills they inferred, that there must be a 

 proportional increase of inhabitants ; and Dr. B. from the continued decrease 

 in them, in the same circumstances, endeavoured to prove a similar decrease of 

 people. If their reasoning is just, his cannot be false ; and if the bills never 

 again appear so high, as formerly for a continuance, in healthy times, it will be 

 he thinks a demonstration. 



CXIF. A Letter to the Rev. IVilliam Brakenridge, D. jD., F. R. S. with a Table 

 - of the Value of Annuities on Lives ; by Mr. James Dodson, F. R. S. Dated 

 Dec. 8, 1756. p. 891. 



Rev. Sir, as I have made a great many calculations, relative to annuities on 

 lives, and have otherwise contributed, as much as was in my power, to facilitate 

 the performance of such, I thought it almost a duty incumbent on me, to com- 

 pute the values of them according to your curious table of the decrements of 

 life, inserted in the Philosophical Transactions; accordingly I have inclosed a 

 table of them, as follows, &c. 



