316 British Association for the Advancement of Science. 



man^T- as 1000 British and American sailors have been seen at the 

 Northern island at one time. There Avas no estimate of the mixed 

 racCj 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, there was no doubt of their being addicted to 

 cannibalism. 



Mr. Rawson read a report on the Fires of London. The 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 Auro7^a Borealis. Of the 2,476 fires, 

 the premises were wholly consumed in 145 cases ; seriously dam- 

 aged in 632; slightly damaged in 1699. An analysis was given 

 of the presumed 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 at the 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 p. M., when the number is at the maximum ; from this time 

 it gradually declines until the dawn. The number 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. 



Rev. J. M'Alister gave a Statistical notice of the Asylutn 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- 



