Ch. iii. tin Russia. 319 



(according to Table II. at the end of the 11th 



Chapter of this Book) would double the population 

 in less than 44 years ; a most rapid rate of in- 

 crease. 



The proportion of births to marriages is a little 

 above 41 to 1; of births to deaths, as 5 to 3 ; of 

 marriages to the population, as 1 to 114 ; of births 

 to the population as 1 to 25.2 ; and of deaths to 

 the population, or the mortality, as 1 to 41.9. 



Most of these proportions are essentially dif- 

 ferent from those mentioned in the earlier part of 

 this chapter ; but there is good reason to believe 

 that they are more accurate ; and they certainly 

 accord better with the very rapid increase of po- 

 pulation which is known to be going on in Russia. 



The apparent increase of mortality is to be at- 

 tributed rather to the former inaccuracy of the 

 registers, than to increased unhealthiness. It is 

 now allowed that the registers before 1796 were 

 very imperfectly kept. 



