the number of able-bodied females having declined from 12,267 to 3,587, or 70 per cent, and of children under 15, from 18,620 to 8,569, or 55 per cent. In particular unions distinguished for their poverty, the rate of reduction has been still greater: "In Belmullet, from 1,790 in 1851 to 387 in 1853, or 80 per cent; in Newport, from 1,644 to 320, or 75 per cent; in Clifden, from 2,771 to 557, or 80 per cent; and in Westport, from 2,757 to 539, or 80 per cent." That the young and the females escape from pauperism in the poorest districts, is an evidence that the evil is drying up at its source, and that pauperism will be even more diminished than the commissioners contemplate.

The public may rejoice at that; for, with the strictest care, work-house life is fatal alike to moral and physical health. The sad picture we borrowed a fortnight ago from Dr. Forbes' work on Ireland, of the prevalence of ophthalmia in the work-houses, is proved by the Commissioners' report not to be too highly colored. The following is their statement of ophthalmia in the work houses:—

Soldiers in barracks, to whom the greatest attention is paid, as well as the inmates of workhouses, are a prey to disease and a high rate of mortality; and it may be sus pected that all such close and artificial packing of large numbers of persons is inimical to health. It is a satisfaction, therefore, to think that work-houses are likely in a great measure to be emptied. At present they assume the character of hospitals for the reception of the destitute sick, and the Commissioners, it may be hoped, will be spared the trouble of devising plans for educating and employing a “large number of children deserted or made orphans by famine." They seem, indeed, inclined to agree with those who deprecate the introduction of arrangements tending to retain paupers in the workhouse, and of making pauperism, as it were, an institution of the State, by providing for it and making it self supporting. With such a small proportion of the people reduced to pauperism, as seems likely hereafter to be the case in Ireland, the object should be to distribute the few paupers as much as possible throughout society, and not congregate them into diseased and festering masses.

We regret to see that England is not doing as well with regard to pauperism as Ireland. A return issued on Thursday of the amount of money expended for in-maintenance and for out-door relief in 608 unions and parishes in England and Wales, during the half-years ending Lady-day 1852 and 1853 respectively, shows an increase in the last half-year of £23,478. No doubt this increase is amply accounted for by the rise in the price of all the necessaries of life; but we hoped, from the isolated cases of diminution published, that the decrease in the number of paupers would compensate for the rise in the price of their maintenance, and rather lessen than increase the expenditure. The winter has been unusually protracted, and a great diminution has probably ensued of field labor. At the same time hands have been scarce. We have heard of great diminutions of pauperism at Birmingham, for example, at the same time the increase of expense in Warwick is 3.3 per cent. The agricultural population, therefore, rather than the town population, swell the expenditure for pauperism.

The deep-seated and long continued pauperism of England seems not susceptible of decrease from the generous motives which are clearing out the Irish work-houses; and the generations habituated here, through a long period of unwise restrictions and pa ternal care, to be fed by poor rates, must die out before the pauperized people of Eng land can recover their independence.

POPULATION OF CALIFORNIA.

The following is a synopsis of the official returns as far as received of the State census recently taken:

Indians, Foreign.

6,664

6,158

900

1,835

8,968

4,353

22,005

17,545

5,029

4,669

20,364

12,727

3,833

3,700

73

825

NAUTICAL INTELLIGENCE.

QUARANTINE REGULATIONS OF TURKEY.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, July 23, 1853.

Information has been received at this Department from the United States Consul at Smyrna, that the quarantine regulations of Turkey require that every vessel leaving a port of the United States, bound to Smyrna, should be provided with a bill of health from the proper authorities, in which the exact number of persons on board must appear; and in case the vessel on her voyage out should put into an intermediate port, any alteration that may take place in the number of the crew or passengers by death, accident, &c., must be noted in a bill of health given by the health officer of such port, or by a consul of the United States; in default of which the vessel is obliged to perform ten days' quarantine. Should the intermediate port be one of Greece, the bill of health from the health office is not sufficient, but it must be certified by an American Consul, or by the Consul of some other power at peace with the United States; otherwise the vessel is required to perform a quarantine of twenty-one days. When a vessel is bound from one Turkish port to another, the bill of health must be taken from the Turkish health office of the port of her departure.

AUSTRALIA, BASS'S STRAIT.

REVOLVING LIGHT ON CAPE OTWAY.

TRINITY-HOUSE, LONDON, July 20th, 1853.

The following particulars respecting the revolving light at Cape Otway, (the first exhibition of which in August, 1848, was notified from this House, on the 11th April, 1849,) having been communicated to this corporation by direction of her majesty's secretary of state for the colonies, are hereby made public for the general information of mariners, viz:

The light-house on Cape Otway in Bass's Straits, is situate in latitude 38° 51′ south, and in longitude 143° 29′ east. The light revolves, showing a bright flash once in every minute, and burns at the hight of 300 feet above the level of high water, and may be seen, by estimation, at the distance of eight leagues.

Mariners are requested to observe that the reef off Cape Otway, lies about one half or three quarter's of a mile therefrom, in a S. E. to S. S. W. direction, and extends 1 miles to the westward. By order,

LIGHT ON SORELLO POINT,

J. HERBERT, Secretary.

NEAR CAPE GRANITOLA, ON THE SOUTH COAST OF SICILY.
HYDROGRAPHIC-OFFICE, ADMIRALTY, June 9, 1853.

Her majesty's government has been officially informed that a Fixed Light, but varied by a flash every three minutes, was to be established on the 20th of this month on Sorello Point or South Eastern Point of Cape Granitola, in 37° 33′ 50′′ N., 12° 37′ 36′′ East of Greenwich, on the South Coast of Sicily.

The Light will appear at an elevation of 87 feet above the level of the sea, and will be visible, in clear weather, at the distance of 14 miles from the deck of a moderate sized vessel.

QUARANTINE REGULATIONS AT PUERTO RICO.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, July 23, 1853. Information has been received from the United States Consul at St. John's, Puerto Rico, that the government of the island has determined to enforce strictly the quarantine laws of the island, whereby all vessels coming to the different ports in Puerto Rico are required to produce bills of health, with the certificates of the Spanish Consul attached, if there is one at the port of departure; otherwise they will be subjected to a rigorous quarantine, and incur heavy expenses.

LIGHTS AT THE ENTRANCE OF MANILLA BAY, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.

HYDROGRAPHIC-OFFICE, ADMIRALTY, June 28, 1853,

Her majesty's government has been officially informed of the establishment, on the first day of February last, of two lights in the Entrance of Manilla Bay.

The first is a Revolving Light, eclipsed every minute, in 14° 23' 5" N., and 120° 33' 56" east of Greenwich: it stands on the summit of Corregidor Island, at an elevation of 648 feet above the level of the sea, and the Spanish account adds, that it is visible at the distance of 40 miles.

It bears from the Monja Rock North 86° East.

The second is a Fixed Light, and placed on the small steep Island of Caballo, at an elevation of 417 feet above the sea, about two miles to the eastward of Corregidor. This Light can be seen but nine miles, and only when it bears to the northward of East or West; so that a vessel having entered the Bay will lose sight of it as soon as she has passed Caballo Island, and will have to rely on the great Light of Corregidor to guide her to the anchorage off Manilla.

Fraile Island is 34 miles from Caballo, the Light on which is useful in dark nights to ships passing between them; but none of these islands should be approached within half a mile, as the current is strong.

SAND CAY LIGHT, FLORIDA REEF.

HYDROGRAPHIC-OFFICE, May 28, 1853.

Her Majesty's Government has received information that the Lighthouse on Sand Cay, which was destroyed by a hurricane in 1846, has been rebuilt, and that the light will reappear in the course of next month.

The Light-tower is cylindric, but stands on a square base supported by 17 iron piles, and the whole structure rises 121 feet above low water, and is all painted black, except the lantern, which is white.

The light is fixed, but varied by flashes; for one minute showing a steady light, and in the next minute a flash of ten seconds duration, preceded and followed by eclipses of 25 seconds.

It stands in 24° 27′ 9′′ N., and 81° 52' 43" W. of Greenwich, and being about 100 feet above the high-water level of the sea, may be seen in clear weather at the distance of 16 miles by an eye 15 feet above the water.

ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH, SOUTH FORELAND TO BELGIUM.

NOTICE TO MARINERS.

TRINITY-HOUSE, LONDON, June 28th, 1853,

Notice is hereby given, that the Sub-marine Cable, extending from the South Foreland to Belgium, lies in an E. by S. direction, (by compass,) with the South Foreland Lighthouses in line, bearing W. by N., until without the stream of the Goodwin Sand, passing about one mile to the southward of the South Sand Head Light Vessel, after which it takes a general E. S. E. direction across to the Flemish Banks.

Mariners are requested to observe, that it is desirable that vessels should not anchor with this mark or bearing on, lest, by so doing, they damage the Electric Cable, or lose their own anchors. By order,

J. HERBERT, Secretary.

OXO FIXED LIGHT, ENTRANCE TO CHRISTIANA, NORWAY.
HYDROGRAPHIC-OFFICE, ADMIRALTY, July 10, 1853.

The following is an extract from a notice issued by this office on the 25th February last:

Oxo, name of Light; 8° 6' 35", Lon. E. from Greenwich; 58° 3' 25", N. Lat.; existing light-Fixed Light, with a flash every 4th minute; to be altered into-One Fixed Light, 2d order; hight above the level of the sea, 135 feet; visible at the distance of 18 sea miles.

Her Majesty's Government has now been officially informed, that the above-mentioned alteration has been carried into effect, and that the light of Oxo will reappear on the 16th of the present month.

MERCANTILE MISCELLANIES.

THE GREAT HEAT IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST, 1853.

To FREEMAN HUNT, Editor of the Merchants' Magazine:

SIR:-One of the most extraordinary terms of hot weather ever experienced in this latitude was felt here on the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th of August instant. On Monday, the 8th of August, a fearful thunder storm passed this meridian about 10 P. M., and commenced the heated term; and the day following, the 9th, the temperature rose to 85 degrees, and continued rising every day until the 13th, when it reached 95 degrees: on the 14th it fell to 93 degrees, when another thunder-storm, still more fearful and appalling, terminated the heated term.

The following statement of temperature (in the shade) we copy from our thermometrical record :

The changes during each of the six days named were as follows:-
Tuesday, August 9-Change in the 24 hours, 19 degrees.

Wednesday,

Thursday,

Friday,

It will be seen by this brief statement, that the changes each day differed but two degrees from each other.

The heated air possessed peculiar properties, and was very destructive to human life. It is supposed that at least three hundred persons died from the effect of heat, during the 12th, 13th, and 14th, in the cities of New York and Brooklyn; and its effects were not confined alone to animal life-the potatoes, still in the ground, in the immediate vicinity were seized suddenly with the disease, and in three days the crops in very many places became putrid.

On Wednesday evening, and again on Saturday evening, during this heated term, thunder-storms prevailed at a distance, but the distant lightning was visible here.

We have kept an hourly thericometrical record, now covering eight consecutive years, which shows but three days in August, during that time, in which the temperature has reached 90 degrees. The first of these occurred on the 5th of August, 1846, when it rose to 904, and the next day, the 6th, rose to 92 degrees. These two days belonged to a warm term which commenced on the 27th of July, and continued till the 10th of August-duration, fifteen consecutive days-during which the highest temperature of the atmosphere was from 80 to 92. The other was on the 6th of August, 1850, when the temperature rose to 91 degrees. This belonged to a warm term which commenced on the 28th of July, and continued till the 16th of August, during which the highest temperature was from 80 to 90 degrees, for twenty consecutive days.

We have a thermometrical record extending from 1803 to 1853, in which the temperature was noted three times each day, and this does not show any such tempera

ture, either in intensity, duration, or the disastrous effects on human life, as that of the six days we have here named.

We have a correspondent, who has been staying at the Summit House, Mount Washington, since the 7th of June last; he has furnished us with a copy of the record of his thermometrical observations made there, at an altitude of 6,265 feet above the sea, by which it appears that at no time during this heated term did the temperature there rise above 62 degrees. The difference between the temperature on Mount Washington and that on Long Island, during the six heated days, was as follows:

On Mount Washington a fearful thunder-storm, accompanied by hail, was experienced at 4 P. M., on Monday, the 8th, and there was lightning in the evening at a distance; and on Sunday, the 14th, a thunder and lightning storm, still more fearful and appalling, passed that mountain-top at 2 P. M. It will be seen, by a comparison of the two accounts, that the lightning-storms of the 8th and 14th passed Mount Washington several hours before they reached here.

The pinnacle of Mount Washington is within less than four thousand feet of that portion of the atmosphere where the frost is perpetual. Beneath this frigid canopy, which extends over the whole earth, is the dwelling-place of the human race. BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, August 22d, 1853.

FRANKENSTEIN'S PANORAMA OF NIAGARA.

E. MERIAM.

We noticed this beautiful work of art in a former number of the Merchants' Magazine. We were present on the opening night, on the 18th July, in Hope Chapel, Broadway, New York, and notwithstanding we saw parts of the work while in progress, which was calculated in some measure to deprive it of its novelty to our eye, we entered heartily into the applause of the large and intelligent audience on that occasion. In naturalness and truth it possesses greater merit than any thing of the kind we have ever seen. The closeness with which the representation often approximates nature, absolutely identifies it with it, and deceives the sense. No one can look upon Frankenstein's Niagara without being impressed with the emotion of sublime awe that is felt by all who go to and remain at Niagara any length of time In the Panorama all the most picturesque, beautiful, sublime, and grand scenes, which abound as profusely at Niagara as vast ideas in a great brain, are presented vividly, life-like, real.

THE FAST MAN OF BUSINESS.

Closely upon the heels of the gambler came the "fast" man of business-in haste to be rich. impatient of labor, and, by his expenses, proving that if he did not make his own fortune, he understood as well how to spend another man's fortune as if he learned the art in our Common Council. Life to such a man was very like a Missis sippi voyage to those on the lookout for a race, consoling themselves with the reflec tion that the chances of their rival's boiler bursting and blowing them to atoms would be as great as their own. The "fast man" thought the locomotive but a " slow coach," and that the telegraph "did very well for a beginning." The "fast man" of business also looked forward with confident expectation for the arrival of the period when all days of receipt would be brought very near, and all days of payment indefinitely postponed.-Rev. Samuel Osgood.