t 86 ] 
wliidi part of the town is moft healthy. In a political 
view, fuch an account would furnifli the bell means of 
denionftrating the accuracy of a table of the probabili- 
ties of life, formed from the regifler, and fupply uner- 
ring data for calculating annuities, the value of rever- 
lionary payments, and aflurances on lives. Such an old 
town as Ghefter, where the number of inhabitants has 
for many years fuffered little variation, and where the 
births and burials are nearly equal, is peculiarly well 
htted to furnhli this important information. At the re- 
queft of Dr. price, author of the very ingenious effays 
on annuities, 8cc. an improvement is made in the firlt 
table, by continuing the divilion of lives into periods of 
five years, from 50 till 80, and from that age to the ex- 
tremity of life, by marking exadly the number dying 
in every year ; becaufe for want of fuch a regifler, the 
law, according to which life wafbes after 80, is at pre- 
fent almoft totally unknown, and the values of annui- 
ties on lingle and joint lives, incapable of being calcu- 
lated with any tolerable exadtnefs, beyond 70 or 75. 
The following tables confirm the obfervation, that wo- 
men live longer than men. Of thofe-who have lived to 
above 80, only 10 are males, and 17 females; the num^ 
her of widowers this year is 17, of widows 44. The 
table of difeafes of different ages (N'" II.) confirms in ge- 
neral the obfervations of lafi: year. It is evident that no 
epidemic vifited this place in 1773 ; not one died of the 
meafies, or miliary fever, and the i c who funk under 
the chinkcough had probably lingered under the difeafe 
fince 
