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Customs in 1830, to be no fewer than 101,595; and before the Board of Excise, 194,612. Though we are not certain that oaths are, in all cases, absolutely unlawful, we are persuaded that the frequency and levity with which they are administered in this country produce great evils.

CURIOUS SERMON.-At the church of St. Katherine Cree, Leadenhallstreet, provision is made, under the will of Sir George Gager, who was Lord Mayor in 1646, for a sermon to be annually preached on the 16th of October, in commemoration of his happy deliverance from a lion, which he met in a desert as he was travelling in the Turkish dominions, and which suffered him to proceed unmolested.

CONSUMPTION OF FOOD IN LONDON. -The annual consumption of oxen in London, is 150,000; calves, 50,000; sheep, 700,000; lambs, 250,000; hogs and pigs, 200,000; the total value of butcher's meat consumed in the year is estimated at 8,500,0007. There are 8,500 cargoes of fish, of 40 tons each, brought annually to Billingsgate, besides 20,000 tons by land carriage; 1,000,000 quarters of wheat; about 80,000l. value of poultry; 21,000,000lbs. of cheese; vegetables and spirits to the value of 1,000,0007. ; 2,000,000 barrels of ale and porter of 36 gallons each; 11,000,000 gallons of spirits and compounds; 65,000 pipes of wine; and 7,900,000 gallons of milk, the produce of 9,600 cows, are annually consumed.

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while the island of Java alone yields 20,000 tons; Cuba about 15,000 tons; St. Domingo nearly 16,000 tons; the Dutch West India colonies, 5,000 tons; the French ditto and Bourbon, 8,000 tons; and the Brazils and Spanish Main, fully 32,000 tons. Our East India colonies are capable of yielding excellent coffee to an indefinite amount.

THE SEASON.-The present autumn has proved like a second spring. Cowslips and primroses were gathered during the past month, on Clavertondown; the cabbage-rose has again bloomed ; the labernums, in various places, have flowered for the second time; nay, we have heard of an appletree, in the neighbourhood of the metropolis, in blossom; and we are credibly assured of the fact of a strawberry or two being gathered from plants which have borne two harvests during this year.

HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY.-We have been favoured by the directors of the Home Missionary Society with the copy of a spirited paper, entitled, "The Extinction of the Home Missionary Society desired," accompanied with a request that it might appear in our pages. A desire, however, of not intruding on the manors of the religious magazines, which are considered the organs of the public societies, and want of room, alike compels us to decline. We may, however, just tell our readers that the directors are very anxious that the Christian public should every where work with them, that the object at which they aim may be accomplished, and the Institution may follow the AntiSlavery Society to an honourable grave.

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LABOURERS' FRIEND ASSOCIATION. -The respectable inhabitants of Blackheath, and its neighbourhood, have recently formed a society for letting land to the poor in quantities not exceeding a quarter of an acre, to be cultivated by manual labour. The following are three of the rules by which the parties concerned are governed:

If any tenant commit any wilful injury on his neighbour's allotment, or damage the fences, or persist in frequenting the public-house, or in excessive drinking, after having been reproved and warned, he shall be dispossessed at the end of the year of his allotment, without remuneration for labour or crop.

Every occupier shall be expected to attend a place of worship on the Sabbath-day, with his family.

All labour on the allotment is expressly prohibited upon the Sabbathday.

We are happy to know that this system is being tried in different parts of the country with complete success.

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shows how readily persons may accomplish an object when they heartily try to do it.

The Primitive Methodists of Middleton, being anxious to build a chapel, but not having sufficient funds, have formed a shaving club among themselves, where the "tonsorial" operation will be performed at a penny per head, the proceeds to go towards the fund in question. A night school has also been established for the same purpose. Shaving clubs have had a long existence in Middleton, and the proceeds hitherto have been spent in liquor at the wakes.

We are informed that the tradesmen at Oldham have resolved to close their shops at half-past eight every evening, except Saturday, when they remain open till eleven. In case of the violation of this law, there is a fine of 10s., which is divided among the different Sunday-schools.

The following fact, copied from the Manchester Times, certainly deserves a permanent record :—

A short time ago, a gentleman in this town had the misfortune to become a bankrupt, and consequently the policy of a life insurance for 1,0007. he had effected came to be sold by his assignees. It was bought at the price of 2001. by a young and eloquent Dissenting minister, an ardent friend of civil and religious liberty. In a few months death followed the bankruptcy of the gentleman, and consequently the purchaser of the policy was entitled to receive 1,000l. He received it, and immediately presented it to the bereft widow, deducting only the 2007. which he had paid. To hear of so quiet and unostentatious, and yet so splendid a deed of benevolence, does one good. It cheers and gladdens the heart, iron-bound and chilled and dried up with every day's report of unrelenting oppression and grasping avarice, and malice and evilspeaking, and all uncharitableness.

On a Monday morning, very recently, no less than 140 prisoners were brought up for examination at the New Bailey, Manchester, two-thirds of whom had been found in the streets, on the pre

ceeding day, in a state of intoxication. Who after this can talk against temperance societies? Laugh at their principles who may, the country will soon be ruined unless they come into full operation.

SOMERSETSHIRE.

A recent number of the Taunton Courier says, "In one part of this country, no less than five cases have occured within the last week, of the loss of children who were burnt to death. In the space of about thirty years, during which we have conducted this journal, the almost incredible number of 2,500 children have lost their lives by fire within this county."

SUSSEX.

A plan is in embryo at Brighton for the establishment of an institution for educating the daughters of poor clergymen as governesses. It is proposed to receive 100 pupils, the daughters of poor clergymen, to be clothed, boarded, and educated as governesses, at a charge of 207. per annum to each pupil. Similar institutions have succeeded in Westmoreland and Gloucestershire.

WARWICKSHIRE.

Twelve of the leading Christian ministers of Birmingham, recently published a request to their congregations not to sanction, by their attendance, the oratorio held in that town, during the past month, but to give their contributions to the General Hospital in another way. The total receipts of the musical performances amounted to 13,4007.

IRELAND.

The population of Dublin amounts to rather more than 250,000. Upon reference to a report drawn up in 1832-3, we find that out of this 250,000 no less than 15,000 are paupers.

SCOTLAND.

BENEVOLENT BEQUEST.-Mr. Donaldson, a literary gentleman, has lately died, and left about 220,0007. for the foundation of a hospital for orphan and

destitute children in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh.

The well-known and benevolent Mrs. Fry is at present visiting the prisons of Scotland, and suggesting improvements in the airing, exercise, and discipline of the prisoners.

REMARKABLE DELIVERANCE.-We copy, from a recent number of the Edinburgh Advertiser, the following remarkable fact, as illustrating the providence of God over helpless infancy."On Friday last, as the Defiance coach, from Edinburgh, was passing through Forfar, a child, not more than two years old, toddled out so suddenly from a door, that the first that was seen of it was close at the leaders' heads. To pull up, on the instant, four high-spirited animals was impossible; besides, the smallest hesitation would have thrown the child from the position it was in, under the coach. Captain Barclay, therefore, with great coolness and presence of mind, determined at once on attempting to clear it, which he succeeded in doing in a wonderful manner-the splinterbar of the leaders first missing it, by not more than an inch, and afterwards the fore and hind wheels, by half an inchits little hands, which it held up, as if by instinct, actually touching them. The child, or rather infant, continued its course across the street, quite unconscious of the miraculous escape it had made. The guard, passengers, and all who witnessed it, were horror-struck, considering the child's fate inevitable. Captain Barclay, on arriving at the inn, gave particular directions to Mr. Ross, to have handbills posted up in the town, calling upon parents to be more careful in future, particularly at the hour when the public coaches pass; of which also due intimation is always given by the guards with their horns."

FRANCE.

The last census of the population of Paris, states the number of its inhabitants at 785,000 persons, who occupy 29,000 houses.

During the last ten years, the average number of births in France has been 997,490; that of deaths, 781,480. The

average annual increase in the popula tion, therefore, has been 186,000. During the whole of the ten years, the population of France has increased 1,860,000 persons, of whom 1,045,000 were boys, and 815,000 girls, that is to say, one fifth more boys than girls. The average number of marriages annually is 234,544.

From official accounts it appears, that in the year 1819, the number of children abandoned in France, amounted to 99,346; in 1820, 102,103; in 1821, 106,000; in 1822, 109,000; in 1823, 111,000; in 1824, 116,749; and in 1831, 122,981. During the last-mentioned year the expense for nursing and maintaining these children was 8,725,845 francs, about 350,000l. There have been no accounts made up since the year 1831.

SWITZERLAND.

A new iron suspension bridge has been constructed at Fribourg. The chains are 1800 feet long. The ravine over which they stretch is 180 feet deep. The expense has been 24,0007., of which French capitalists have advanced half.

HOLLAND.

It is said that a sailor, named Conrad Vancouver, is now living at Dort, at upwards of 135 years of age. He must surely be the oldest man in Europe.

PRUSSIA.

The Berlin States Gazette of the 24th of August states, that a fire has entirely destroyed the small Prussian town of Tutz, in the Marienwerder district: twenty-nine men fell a prey to the flames, and thirty others are lying in great danger. The population of 1000 persons only escaped with their lives. In the fortified town of Amberg, Bavaria, seventy houses have been burnt down, strongly suspected to be the work of incendiaries.

WEST INDIES.

POPULATION, &c.-The West Indies comprise 117,140 square miles; they contain 74,240 white, and 884,600 coloured inhabitants; their revenues amount to 541,500l., and their expenditure to

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THE DEAD SEA.

THE following description is by Mr. Thompson, an American missionary, who visited it in April, 1833:-"After the pilgrims had bathed in the Jordan, we left them, and turned down to the south, in company with three or four other English travellers and a guard from the governor, to visit the Dead Sea. We rode across plains of barren sand for an hour and a half, when we stood upon the bank of this memorable lake. Without any reference to what others have said, I can testify to the following facts. The water is perfectly clear and transparent. The taste is bitter, and salt far beyond that of the ocean. It acts upon the tongue and mouth like alum, and smarts in the eye like camphor, and produces a burning and pricking sensation over the whole body. It stiffened the hair of the head much like pomatum. The water has a much greater specific

gravity than the human body, and hence no efforts would cause us to sink below the surface; and, standing perpendicularly, you would not descend lower than the arms. Although there was evidence in the sands thrown upon the beach, that in great storms there were waves, yet there appeared to be some foundation of its immobility. Notwithstanding there was a considerable breeze, the water lay perfectly lifeless, causing not the slightest splashing against the pebbles on the shore. The ancient historians say, that large quantities of bitumen were gathered from the surface of this lake; and is it not quite possible, to say the least, that it formerly existed in such quantities as to spread over the

whole face of the sea, and thus effectually prevent the wind from interrupting its death-like quietude? Modern travellers state that there is very little of this substance now to be found, and certainly we saw nothing like it. We saw no fish nor living animals in the water, though birds were flying over it in various directions unharmed. We all noticed an unnatural gloom hanging not merely over the sea, but also over the whole plain below Jericho. This is mentioned also by ancient historians. It had the appearance of the Indian summer of the 'valley.' Like a vast funeral pall let down from heaven, it completely shut out all prospect, at a short distance down the sea."

Notices of Books.

A most interesting and valuable book has just issued from the press, entitled, "Missionary Researches in Armenia; including a journey through Asia Minor, and into Georgia and Persia, with a visit to the Nestorian and Chaldean Christians of Oormiah and Salmas." By ELI SMITH and H. G. O. DWIGHT, Missionaries from the American Board of Missions. To which is prefixed, "A Memoir on the Geography and Ancient History of Armenia," by the Author of "The Modern Traveller." This ample title-page does not describe the value of the book, nor does it raise half the expectations it would gratify. No class of persons can read it without advantage. The traveller, the patriot, the philanthropist, and the Christian, the old and the young, may all sit down to this work as a high intellectual feast. We shall, we confess, be disappointed and grieved if it does not extensively circulate. We congratulate the editor, the engraver, (for the volume includes a map,) the printer, and the publisher, on the manner in which they have introduced this valuable work to the English public.

The far larger portion of the books we have hitherto introduced to our readers, have been adapted for those who have comparatively little time for reading, and those who can devote but little close thought to books. We hope,

however, indeed we know, that we have some readers who enjoy sound truth presented in an impressive and original style, calling forth all their powers of thought and reasoning. To such we would most strongly recommend a most admirable five shilling volume by the Rev. John Jefferson, on "The Official Glory of the Son of God; or, a Treatise on the Universal Headship of Christ." Such a work seldom issues from the press, and it will live for many years to do great good, after the death of its author. We hope our thinking readers will test our opinion in reference to this valuable publication.

The Rev. E. STEANE, of Camberwell, has lately published a beautiful sermon, on " The Ministry of Reconciliation." It was delivered before the supporters of the Baptist College, at Bristol, and they showed the correctness of their judgment in requesting its publication. We especially commend it to our brethren in the ministry.

Many years ago, a very impressive and devout book was written by the Rev. S. BEAUFOY, which was called, "A Guide for True Pilgrims, and Touchstone for Deceived Souls." We have often heard of its usefulness, and are glad therefore to know that a new and

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