THE LATE FIRES IN THE METROPOLIS. -The public journals have recorded the particulars, since our last, of the destructive effects of fire in various parts of the country, but more particularly in this metropolis, among which stand foremost in their ruinous effects, those which destroyed the extensive premises of Davis's Wharf in Tooley-street, and the Royal Exchange of London. We shall not waste our limited space in useless remark, but devote as much as we can to a few short particulars concerning them. On the morning of the 28th of December, the extensive oil and turpentine stores of Davis's Wharf, (the stock 3,000 barrels, besides sperm and common oils, and marine stores,) were discovered to be on fire. Before assistance from engines could be obtained the fire had spread so effectually as to render them useless. A grand and imposing scene ensued. Flames from the oil and spirit rising to a fearful height, followed by volumes of black smoke. An adjacent granary caught fire, and flames communicated to two vessels by the wharf. Land engines and floating engines combating the flames with streams of water. About nine roofs of buildings successively fall in, and tottering walls follow, the oil flowing in burning streams in various directions, till about three in the afternoon, when the fire was subdued. The extent of damage done is estimated at 125,000l.

On the 10th of January, soon after ten at night, a fire broke out (it is stated in the captain's room) at Lloyd's coffeehouse, at the N.E. corner, opposite the bank, spreading rapidly to the various offices and buildings of the Royal Exchange, which at midnight presented one mass of

flame, rendering every object as visible as at noon-day. Bank-engines, city-police, watchmen and soldiers, busy,-expresses to fire-engine stations, tradesmen removing their effects, thawing hoses of engines, (necessary from intense frost,) and the vast concourse of people assembled, presented a busier scene than ever Cornhill saw before. The fire continued throughout the night, and was not got under until the afternoon of the following day, leaving a heap of black and shapeless ruins. Some few papers of underwriters have been saved. The building, it is said, with the various offices, was insured for 47,000l. The business of Lloyd's is to be carried on at the South Sea house until a new building is erected on the site of the old one. As a kind of contrast to these fires, the river Thames, on the banks of which they may be said to be situated, is frozen so as not to be navigable above Gravesend; and above the bridges the ice is fixed about the banks, leaving only a narrow open stream in the middle.

We refer our readers to our meteorological register for the weather.

PAUMBAN PASSAGE, Ceylon.-The work of widening and deepening this pas sage, gets on very well, and it is already opened to a depth of seven feet at high water, which appears enough for all the coasting craft. On the 28th of July. there were eight vessels there at anchor, six of them belonging to Colombo, or Galle, and one employed between Colombo and Jaffora. At high water (ordinary tides) there is a clear passage of eight feet in depth through the middle of

the channel (which is now straight.) On the 21st July, a brig, drawing 63 feet water, went through the channel under sail, in gallant style (this is a triumph of art over nature without unshipping any of her cargo; so a ten feet channel, as this will be in a few months, will satisfy all.-Extract from a Letter.

HONOURABLE TESTIMONIALS.- It is always satisfactory to record the good services of our "sea worthies," as old Purchas used to call the seamen of his time; and it is still more so, to note down the proofs of those services being duly appreciated. We therefore proceed to record the presentation of a gold medal to Captain Tune, of the Commercial Steam Packet Company, at Boulogne-sur-Mer, December 15.-A very numerous meeting of the members of the Chamber of Commerce, took place at the Museum, for the purpose of presenting to Captain Tune, (the commander of the Grand Turk, London and Boulogne steamer, belonging to the Commercial Steam Packet Company,) a splendid gold medal, which had been unanimously voted to that enterprising commander, in testimony of the signal services he had rendered, upon several occasions, to the town and port of Boulogne. The chair was taken by Mons. Pamart, who addressed the captain in an appropriate and eloquent speech, at the conclusion of which, he invested Captain Tune with the medal, (a description of which is annexed,) amidst the hearty congratulations of those who witnessed the ceremony. The chairman likewise handed to Captain Tune, at the same time, a document under the hands and seals of the members of the chamber, most elaborately and ornamentally executed by a celebrated French penman, recording their estimate for his services. The gold medal, which is about six inches in circumference, and of considerable substance, contains on one side a beautifully executed bust of Louis Philippe, the King of the French; and on the reverse, an inscription, of which the following is a translation:

"The Chamber of Commerce of Boulogne-sur-Mer, to Captain Tune, commander of the packet-boat, the Grand Turk, October 31, 1837, left the port of Boulogne, at midnight, with 100 passengers, in a violent tempest, with contrary winds, blowing strong towards the coast. Arrived in London the 1st of November, at one o'clock; thus proving, by its departure during so violent a storm, the ad

NEW YORK LINERS.-Those who are acquainted with the luxuries of these vessels will appreciate the following account of the packet ship Cambridge:-We gratified ourselves yesterday, by passing half an hour in examining the splendid cabin of the new packet, in company with several other visiters, ladies and gentlemen, (or men and women, as Miss Martineau would insist upon calling them,) among them several packet captains of established reputation and long experience. shall not attempt to describe the impression made upon us by what we saw; by the spacious state rooms, the numberless and most ingenious contrivances for comfort, the exquisite beauty of the rich and highly polished cabinet work, of which the entire cabin is composed, the ample munition of the steward's room, and the

We

general perfection of every thing we saw and tasted. The conversation during our stay on board, was but a continued succession of epithets and expletives. "Beautiful," "superb," "magnificent," “ admirable," "wonderful," and every other term of admiration and delight, were flying about like the corks from the champaign bottles. "Do look at this love of a sofa," cried one. "Oh what a sweet little boudoir is this family state room," murmured another. "Steward, some more cakes and champaign glasses," "Fifty can dine with ease at this long table," "Thirty berths engaged already," "Joiners' work alone cost nearly 4,000 dollars," "Arrive in ample time to eat their Christmas dinners in London," "We did not build such ships as this ten years ago," "Success and a pleasant voyage to the Cambridge." Such were the fragments of discourse that were bandied to and fro; and if they convey but an imperfect idea of the glorious new ship's unrivalled beauties, we can only say to such as would have a better, "Go on board and examine for yourselves."-New York Commercial Ad

vertiser.

ROCKEN END LIGHT.-A new lighthouse is about to be built at the south part of the Wight, near Rocken End. Mr. Thomas Dashwood's estimate of 5,0007. for that purpose is accepted. We hear that Wheeler, who has been the means of saving so many lives at the back of the island, is promised by a noble lord to have charge thereof, of which he is undoubtedly deserving. Mr. Holford has kindly given a piece, of land for the purpose of the site of the intended light being not far from the place where the unfortunate Clarendon was lately wrecked.-Hants Advertiser.

Mariners are hereby informed, that since the 1st of November, 1837, a single fixed light has been shown on CAPE GRINEZ, in the Departement du pas de Calais. The lighthouse stands in lat. 50° 52′ 10′′ N. and long. 1° 35' 9" E. of Greenwich. The light is forty-nine English feet above the ground, and 193 feet above the sea, at high water. In clear weather it may be seen at the distance of seven leagues.

And another single fixed light, called the Light of CAPE DE LA HAGUE, has been shown on the Gros de Raz Rock, Hear that Cape, in the Departement de la Manche. The lighthouse stands in lat. 49° 43′ 22′′ N. and in long. 1° 57' 8" W.

CAUTION.-Boulogne, Jan. 1.-The resemblance of the light at Grinez with that of Dungeness, has occasioned two more accidents this week. The Swedish ship, Storfursten, is wrecked near Ambleteuse, crew saved; and six hours after, the English schooner, Lord Wellington, got on shore near the Swede, crew and cargo saved. Grinez is likely to cause further and fatal mistakes if some alteration in the lights be not made.-Commerce de Paris.

DEAR SIR,-I have much pleasure in having had an opportunity of trying your Code of Signals, and I have the satisfaction of stating to you, that from the trial made between her Britannic Majesty's

Packet, Linnet, and this ship, I am convinced that were they generally known, they would prove a great advantage to the maritime world.

HURRICANES -In our last number we inserted another paper on the subject of hurricanes. We learn that a volume now in the press, composed of papers by the corps of Royal Engineers, contains one on this subject, in which the numerous facts that are adduced, prove to demonstration, that hurricanes are progressive whirlwinds, the study of which opens a new subject of an interest and importance little suspected by most persons.

We here repeat our former entreaties of attention to this subject, and, to those who have not read it already, we recommend an attentive perusal of our number for April, 1836, containing an article on the subject, by Mr. Redfield, of New York.

ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY.-Prizes Awarded.-Mr. Nathaniel Morgan, a silver medal, for saving a boy named Thomas Lewis, fallen from the Margarita, off the Nore. George Philpott, and four other Deal boatmen, silver medal for saving four men from the ship Crown, wrecked on the Goodwin. Lieut. W. C.

Hall, R.N., for saving J. Whittington, a silver medal. Mr. J. Ross, for saving Mr. M. Ross, at Cromarty, a silver medal. Lieut. A. Mc. Donald, for saving three fishermen, a silver medal. Mr. S. T. Le Batt, a silver medal, for saving a young lady at Ramsgate. Captain Walsh, silver medal, for saving eighty-two lives from the wreck of the Glasgow. Mr. D. Spence, for saving eight lives at Kirton. Lieut. Clayton, for saving a female and eight other persons at Hull, a silver medal. Mr. A. Blackwood, for saving a man, named White, at Margate, a silver medal. Mr. Shea and Mr. Forman, silver medals, and the mate of a Russian ship, for saving part of the crew of the Caledonia, a bronze medal.

FOG SIGNALS.-Commander Smith, R.N., who is well known to our readers as the inventor of the lever target, and several other ingenious contrivances, has produced a machine for making signals on board vessels, to indicate, not only their proximity to others passing, but

also the direction in which they are steering, with reference to the four cardinal points.

This is effected by wheel work which acts upon a gong or drum, and requires no further attention than to be wound up occasionally. It is deposited in the Adelaide Gallery, for the inspection of those interested in such matters.

THE MIRAMICHI.-This river is considered by Captain Bayfield as second to the St. Lawrence, in Canada, and after adverting to the great inaccuracies, and necessarily dangerous tendency of the existing charts of it, he observes

"Nineteen feet of water can be carried into the river in ordinary spring tides, and twenty or twenty-one, by watching for opportunities.

"Miramichi is a place of rising importance; the great fire of 1823 gave so severe a blow to its prosperity that it is still felt, but the place is recovering fast, and nearly two hundred sail of large vessels, exclusive of coasters, will load with timber at the several towns and settlements on its banks this season. The attention of the population is at present almost entirely turned to the timber trade, although the salmon and gasperiaux

fisheries are also carried on in their sea sons. The improvement of the natural capabilities of the country is but little attended to, yet there is nothing to prevent success in agricultural pursuits, whenever the attention of the people shall be turned that way, by a failure in the supply of timber. The few families which at present live by farming succeed perfectly. Cod-fish are abundant a few miles out from the bay, and the cod-fishing therefore lies open to them whenever they may find it their interest to carry it on. At present American schooners are almost the only vessels fishing upon those banks either for cod-fish or mackarel. The country is low, but everywhere well drained by

numerous streams.

It is based upon a sand stone, which is either the new red,' or one more immediately belonging to the coal measures. This sandstone is traversed occasionally by thin veins of bituminous coal, and contains the usual vegetable remains of the coal formation, but no vein has yet been found large enough to repay the labour of working."

CHRONOMETERS.-The following notice to captains of vessels, appears in a Cape of Good Hope paper.

The commanders of ships, and others connected with the shipping interest, are

informed, that a Ball has been erected before the south front of the Observatory, for the purpose of daily communicating to the ships in the harbour, the instant of one o'clock, Cape mean time, which corresponds to eleven hours, forty-six minutes, five seconds, Greenwich mean time.

The present contrivance furnishes a convenient method for obtaining this important object without any calculation or difficulty. All that the observer has to do is, to point the common ship spyglass to the signal ball a minute or two before one o'clock, and to note the instant of the fall of the ball from the top of the staff, by chronometer. Then eleven hours, forty-six minutes, five seconds, subtracted from the time by chronometer, gives the error of the chronometer, or Greenwich mean time, which, compared with the crror obtained at departure, will give the rate during the interval.

ADMIRALTY, 23rd Nov., 1837. MEMORANDUM.-The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty are pleased to direct, that the first engineers of Her Majesty's steam vessels shall wear the same uniform as the gunners, boatswains, and carpenters of Her Majesty's flect. By command of their Lordships,

C. WOOD.

PRESENTATION OF A PIECE OF PLATE, AND A PUBLIC DINNER, TO CAPTAIN A. RUSSELL.-On Wednesday, the 3rd instant, a number of the committee and shareholders in the Belfast and Glasgow Steam Shipping Company, entertained Captain A. Russell, at a public dinner, in Davis's Hotel, William Pirrie, Esq., in the chair; when they presented him, through the chairman, with a very handsome piece of plate, bearing an appropriate inscription, in testimony of their approval of his conduct, and esteem for his character, as an able seaman and experienced commander; in which capacity he had most satisfactorily served them for The plate was upwards of eight years. beautifully executed by our esteemed fellow-citizen, Mr. R. Neill, and bore the following inscription:

"Presented by the Trustees and several of the Proprietors of the Belfast and Glasgow Steam Shipping Company, to Captain Arthur Russell, as a testimonial of their high respect for his character, and approval of his conduct as a commander of their steam vessels; in which