annum, leaving 135,000,000%. annually for exchange, in the first instance for money, and for appropriations in about the follow ing proportions-viz. for rent, 40,000,000/; in wages, for domestic service, 4,500,000l.; for day-labour, 26,500,000; parochial assessments, 5,500,000l.; tithes, 4,000,0007; to artificers, such as wheelwrights, smiths, carpenters, masons, and others, 12,000,000l. -total indispensable charge, 91,500,000, leaving 43,500,000/. exchangeable against articles of clothing, domestic utensils, fuel, and all such articles as minister to the conveniences and comforts of domestic life.

The Shipping Interest.-The following return will exhibit the tonnage and num

ber of vessels built in the British empire during the past six years:

To the 5th Jan. Vessels.

Tonnage.

1826....... 1719....... 206,636 1827 ....... 1285 ....... 144,812

1828

1829

1830

1831

... 1474

166,396

140,913

116.872

103,031

Showing a decrease in the building of vessels amounting to 680, and the quantity of tonnage 103,605 tons, or nearly half the vessels, and more than half the tonnage, since 1826.

From an examination of Lloyd's Lists, from the year 1793 to the commencement of 1829, it has appeared that the number of British vessels alone, lost during that period, amounted on an average to no less than one and a half daily.

TheLiterary Gazette" has published a letter from Leipsig, of the 15th of Au gust, which gives a detailed account of the travels of Dr. Edward Poppig, who commenced his voyage from Hamburgh to Cuba in May 1822; went into the interior of the island, and remained some time in St. Theresa Adventura Elena, making collections in natural history. After two years he sailed from Matanzas to the United States; and during a stay of two years and a half at Philadelphia, made preparations for a visit to the south west coast of America, and also explored the interior of Pennsylvania and part of the Alleghany mountains. In 1827 he was at Valparaiso, where he met the naturalists and officers of the Siniavin (Captain von Lüttke), sent on an expedition by the Emperor of Russia. Dr. P. found the neighbourhood of Concom rather favourable to his researches; and thence departed to go by Sant' lago, Santa Rosa, and the chain of the Andes, to Mendoza. Some of his mules being unfortunately swept away by one of the violent mountain-torrents in Ajos de Agua, he lost all

his travelling apparatus, and was conse quently obliged to give up his intended visit to Mendoza; and, after a short stay at Rio Colorado, to return to the coast, and eventually to Talcahuano. Hence he set out for the province of Isla la Laja in the south-east of Chile, still so little known to naturalists. From Antuca, a small place at the foot of the cordilleras, this country-exceedingly rich in plants-was minutely examined; and the Pico de Pilque, the most considerable mountain in the vicinity, as well as the volcano of Antuco, were for the first time ascended. The latter is 2750 feet above the line of

snow, and possesses the very singular peculiarity, that the volcanic explosions are regularly repeated every four or five minutes. Having returned to Conception, our traveller embarked for Callao in May 1829; and from Lima he hastened over the steepest parts of the Peruvian Andes (the lofty Sierra Vinda, and the Cerro de Pasco, which has rich silver-mines), to the banks of the Huallaga, where he remained a considerable time in Pampayaco, near Cocheros, the extreme point of the journey of the celebrated Spanish botanists Ruiz and Pavon, and then went to the mission of Tocache, situated still further up the same river. In September 1830 he went further towards Yurimagnas, in Maynas, and remained there ten months. In August 1831 he commenced his voyage across South America, upon the Marañon, Solimoes, and Amazons; and happily arrived at Para, April 23, 1832. The troubles in the interior of Brazil

allowed only a short stay in Ega, the last place visited by Spix and Martius on the west of Brazil, and also at the Barre do Rio Negro. From Para our traveller is gone southwards to Colares, ready, if there should be any danger of popular insurrec tion, to embark immediately, but at all events in the course of this year, for Europe.

Savings Banks.-A statistical document relative to Friendly Societies and Savings Banks has just been published, in the shape of a table, showing the increase and decrease of these Societies from November 1830 to November 1831. From this it appears that there are 284 of these establishments in England, 22 in Wales, and 77 in Ireland. The individual depositors in England are 374,169, in Wales 10,374, and in Ireland 37,898. In England the population amounts to 13,089,338, and the total amount of the investments in Savings Banks is 12,916,0287., being nearly one pound sterling per head for every man, woman, and child; or, reckoning each family to consist on an average of five

persons, five pounds per family. In the amount of investments there appears to have been a slight decrease; but on the other hand there has been a decided in crease in the number of depositors, and particularly in those under 207. Those again above 2007. have in one year decreased about one-tenth-that is, those holding savings to that amount have withdrawn them from the Savings Banks in order to invest them in some other species of security. In Wales, the average amount of investments, as compared with the population, is only one-half that of England, or, in other words, 10s. per head. In Ireland, the increase has been very considerable, and the system of Savings Banks is annually gaining ground. This fact, however, is to be accounted for by the circumstance of such institutions being as yet in their infancy in that country.-On the whole, there is an increase of 14,207 accounts in one year, and the amount of investments only increased by 114,9987being about 81. for every new account. Including the deposits of Friendly and Charitable Societies, the whole sums deposited in the Savings Banks of the United Kingdom is 14,311,6477.; and the total increase from Nov. 21, 1830, to Nov. 21, 1831, was 114,9987.

A singular phenomenon recently occurred off the North Foreland, soon after mid-day. The wind was blowing fresh from the north,and dense clouds, heavily charged with rain, came from that quarter. Two or three water-spouts were seen, one, especially, which continued about twelve minutes. At first it appeared like a long narrow funnel, discharging its waters upon the sea, and in a short space of two minutes the funnel, or cone, became inverted, and appeared to draw immense bodies of water from the sea to the clouds: as the spout swept along the surface of the water the scene was awfully grand, and the forked lightning darted from different parts of the spout to the clouds: the thunder was heavy. Some fishermen were within a mile of this spectacle, and were greatly alarmed, as at that distance the water was affected by it, and they state that near the spout the agitation of the sea was frightful. Fortunately no vessel was near,

otherwise total destruction must have been the consequence. The height of this singular phenomenon was considered about eight hundred feet from the level of the sea! its diameter varying from sixty to one hundred feet.

Musk in Cholera.—Among other matters resorted to by the faculty to stay the progress of this terrible disease, one has been published of so singular a character, that we do not hesitate to extract the statement into our columns. It is contained in a letter from Mr. Richard Laming, of No. 48, Finsbury-square, a district in which the ravages of the plague have been very great. Mr. Laming says,

"I have lately employed musk in several cases of cholera, with a success so uniform and decisive, as to make its introduction desirable, without loss of time, to the notice of the whole

profession. I address you at so late a period in the week that I must confine my observations to a mere announcement of the fact, but I purpose soon to forward to you cases in detail. It may not, however, be irrelevant now to state, that the results obtained by myself have been rather

extensively corroborated in the practice of a friend, with whom I communicated on the subject,

"The salutary influence of the first dose of musk will be found to become manifest, by greatly mitigating, in a very few minutes, and, in many cases, by effectually removing, the cramps, the purging, and the vomiting. My plan has been to give at once fifteen grains, rubbed into a draught with a lump of sugar and a wine-glassful of cold water; and I am justi. fied in reporting that this first step, if taken promptly, will scarcely ever fail so to arrest the progress of the disease, as to leave the patient to easy and ordinary convalescence. This treatbers to the City Board of Health, by whom it ment has been proposed through one of its memwill be submitted to further probation; but as general deductions can be safely drawn only from extensive trials under various circumstances, I hope, through your instrumentality, that it will be adopted simultaneously throughout the country. So evident is the action of

musk in cholera, that the practitioner will experience no difficulty in determining whether he need repeat its exhibition, or whether, having the first dose, he should direct his attention to subdued the immediate cause of the disease by the removal of its consequences by the ordinary means."

This letter originally appeared in "The Lancet."

Preservation of Dead Bodies.-A singular and highly important discovery has recently been made by Messrs. Capron and Boniface, chemists at Chaillot. By a process, which they keep secret, and to which they have given the name of

"Momification," they have succeeded, after passing a number of years in experiments, in so modifying and perfecting the known processes of preserving bodies, as to reduce them to mummies, leaving all the forms unaltered. All the elements of

disorganization which show themselves in the human body so soon after death are completely destroyed, and not only the external body, but all the viscera, the lungs, the heart, the liver, and even the brain, are perfectly preserved; the features also remain so perfectly uninjured, that correct portraits may be taken at any length of time after death; and, as the body is not enveloped in bandages as in the Egyptian method, the natural forms are perfectly preserved. The operation requires but a very few days, after which the dead bodies may be preserved in a room or vault, or interred in the ordinary way, without being accessible to worms. They may also be exposed to all the variations of the air, either in a standing or sitting position, without undergoing any alteration. The inventors do not intend to make their process public, but it may be adopted even by those who reside at a considerable distance from Paris, as a body placed in a leaden coffin or bathing tub, and completely surrounded by ice, may be kept uninjured for twenty days, and the operation may still be performed. At the last meeting of the Académie des Sciences, a human body, and also two hearts, preserved in this manner, were exhibited, and the process appeared perfect; the discoloured state of the skin occasioned by the scar of an old woman was even fully perceptible, and, although these preparations had been completed several weeks, not the slightest approach to change of any kind was observable.

Humboldt's Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix Humboldt)-A pair of these extremely rare and interesting animals have been brought to England, and are now in the collection of the Surrey Zoological Gardens. They were brought from Para, on the river Amazon or Marañon. The countenance is full of intelligence, and strongly resembles a diminutive negro. They have the prehensile tact in the strongest degree, and differ from the spider monkeys by possessing a perfect thumb. They are extremely affectionate and inoffensive, and in manners much resemble the Ourang Outang, as arranging the rugs on which they sleep, are very inquisitive as to what is passing, and pushing those from them by whom they are annoyed without attempting to bite, covering themselves while sleeping, &c.

Navigation of the Baltic.-A novel kind of lighthouse has been erected in the island called the Greiswald Oie, in the Baltic, between Swinemunde and the Isle

of Rugen, in lat 54 deg. 15 min. 19 sec. and long. 13 deg. 57 min. 47 sec. from Greenwich. It will be lighted on the 1st Nov., without interruption, from sunset to sunrise. It is constructed on an eminence 62 feet above the level of the sea, and consists of an iron scaffolding, on which two lanterns, at a distance of twenty five feet, are suspended above each other. Each lantern has a siderial reflector, in the midst of which a powerful Argand lamp is placed. The light is visible on the whole circumference of the sea during the darkest nights; and, in a clear atmosphere, at a distance of one and a half German mile, it may be sufficiently distinguished from any other light.

High-eared Race of Men.-M. Dureau de Lamalle has made out the strongest evidence in proof of the existence of a variety of the human face, characterized by the position of their ears. Not only as they are represented in the Memnonium, and other Egyptian statues and coins, were the old Egypto-Caucasians remarkable for their high ears, but in more than 40 mummies which were unrolled and examined by M. de Lamalle, at Turin, the auricular foramen, which, drawing a horizontal line, is placed in us on a level with the inferior part of the nose, was in these examples found to be on a level with the middle of the eye. The elevation, as measured, amounted to a full inch and a half. The facial angle was at the same time found equal to that of Europeans, but the temporal region much more depressed than in our variety. Nor does it appear that the high-eared race is extinct: there are instances of it amongst the people of Upper Egypt at this day; and indeed there is in

Paris at present a teacher of Arabic, a Copt of Upper Egypt, who is possessed of this conformation in a most decided degree.

The Philadelphia papers mention a new discovery in the Pacific, made by Captain Covell, of the Alliance, in lat. 4° 30' N. long. 168° 40′ E., of a group of fourteen islands, not laid down in any chart. They were all inhabited, and the natives spoke the Spanish language. He called them the Covell Group.

New Gold Mines.-A French traveller, of the name of Linant, is said to have discovered a rich gold mine in the mountains on the isthmus of Suez; of the produce of which he has conveyed several chests to Cairo.

Cultivation of Annual Flowering Plants by Cuttings. A correspondent of the Horticultural Register" says, "From various trials I am satisfied that many of the best annuals, which are universally raised from seeds only, can successfully be cultivated by cuttings. A double advantage results from this mode of cultiva tion, for, first, the trouble and risk attendant on the progress of the young seedlings during the dark and humid autumnal and winter months will be obviated; and secondly, the periods of flowering will be altered and greatly extended. One recent instance I can point out with sufficient accuracy. Referring to my diary, I find, under the date September 21st, 1831, that four cuttings of coreopsis tinctoriæ were taken off from an old plant, at the axilla of the leaves, (i.e. the points where the leaf-stalks emerge from the stems,) and placed in pots in a soil composed of light loam and leaf-mould: each cutting might be about three inches long. The pots were plunged in the earth of a melonry, and covered with a small bell-glass. I could not pay the plants that attention which they really required, in consequence of an alteration that was made in the pit, and by which many of its vegetable tenants were greatly injured. I, however, succeeded well with one of the cuttings; and this was finally placed in a small pine stove during the winter. Here, the temperature was never very high, because my object was not to force any plant to grow during the dark months; and, therefore, as the climate very frequently did not exceed from 45 deg. to 50 deg., during many of the winter nights, I am confident that a good, dry green-house, or even sitting-room, would have afforded sufficient protection. The plant was kept in the stove till it attained the height of about three feet: it had one simple erect stem, and was in strong and vigorous health. In May it disclosed the first flower bud at the summit, and then the plant, which had been kept in a pot of the forty-eight size, was removed to a thirty-two. I, at that period, took it from the stove, and placed it in the dwelling-house, in a window with a southeast aspect; and in a few days afterwards removed it from the pot, and planted it in a flower-border. By so doing I acted pre

maturely; for not only was the plant exposed to frosty nights, but it suffered severe assaults from violent winds, by one of which the summit was broken off; and I thus lost my first blossom buds. The plant, however, did not suffer materially, for it threw out six or seven fine lateral shoots, and now stands four feet high with a branchy head, covered with its beautiful orange-coloured blossoms. The larger flowers are of the diameter of a crown piece, the smaller are as large as half a crown; and 20 or 30 of such flowers on a plant, so erect and well balanced as mine is, form a beautiful, and at this period of the summer, a rather peculiar object. I wish to call the reader's attention to one fact of importance; it is this: the coreopsis may not only be propagated in the autumn by cuttings, but it will endure almost any variety of temperature after being once fairly established, and in a healthy growing condition. My house was frequently heated by the sun to 85 deg., 90 deg., and 100 deg. (the thermometer suspended in the shade) during the months of March and April: and after the plant was removed into the open border, the external temperature was, in several instances, below 35 deg. The fact that various annuals, the balsam, coreopsis, and others, may be raised from cuttings, is doubtless known now to many; but the constitutional hardihood by which some can support great and sudden transitions may not be so generally known."

Cultivation of Onions in Portugal.-A correspondent of the same Journal says, "Some years ago I was acquainted with a Portuguese gentleman, who assured me, that the chief cause of the superiority of the Portugal onions arose from the node of culture, and that he grew quite as good ones in his garden in this country. He promised to give me, in writing, a full account of the method, but this was forgotten: I, however, recollect that he said in that country they sow the onions in seed beds, and always plant them out into deep drills, in which they are plentifully watered in dry weather: this not only gives them a larger size, but also renders them of a much milder flavour than those grown after the old fashion in England.

New Combination of Liquids for the production of Light.-This is the invention of Mr. Isaiah Jennings, of the city of New York. He says, "I take the spirit or

essential oil distilled from tar, or any of the vegetable essential oils, or the spirit of coal tar, which is a species of naphtha, or that obtained from the Seneca oil, or other