would be extremely disheartening, and therefore the evidence that pauperism diminishes in proportion as the population is large and increasing, is full of hope and encouragement.

EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN.

MARIA S. RYE, of the Law-Copying Office, 12 Portugal-street, Lincoln's Inn, writes to the Daily News as follows: It will readily be believed that all the offices opened by or in connection with the "Society for Promoting the Employment of Women" have been besieged by ladies. anxious to obtain employment. When I state that 810 women applied (about a month ago) for one situation of £15 a year, and 250 for another place worth £12 per annum, (only a fortnight since,) it will at once be seen that, in spite of all our efforts, the work still presses most heavily. The advantages of and the difficulties in the way of the emigration of educated women are being very seriously reconsidered, and it is intended shortly to open an office for the purpose of assisting ladies to the colonies. As the scheme, however, is shortly to be brought before the public, at Dublin, it will be unnecessary to enter into details here. I shall only add, that we have, during the past year, sent twenty ladies, governesses, as pioneers, in various directions, namely, to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Otago and Natal.

UNDUE INCREASE OF THE FEMALE POPULATION.

It is far less satisfactory to notice that the increase of males in the ten years-977,627, was much less than the increase of females-1,156,489. The females increased in excess of the males 178,862. By the census of 1851, the proportion of males to females was 100 to 105; in the new population it is as 97 to 115. What may have been the effects of such a discrepancy over pauperism and crime cannot be ascertained; but in it we may find, rather than in any deterioration of the moral feelings of the nation, the parentage of the disorders which a few months back excited attention, alarm and commisseration.

EFFECTS OF EMIGRATION.

The Registrar-General and his assistants attribute the retarded rate of increase in the decennial period to active emigration. This explanation seems incorrect; and if correct, would go but a little way towards elucidating the cause of this unfortunate discrepancy. The increase of population, however, as a whole-another name for society and the relative increase of its constituent portions-are both so extremely important that the causes which impede or derange them ought to be closely and carefully investigated. A similar kind of active emigration, if not precisely equal to that of the last ten years, has been going on through the whole century; and as it did not retard the increase then, we cannot believe that it has retarded it now. Throughout the century, and even before it began, emigration to our own colonies and to the United States had the obvious effect of increasing our supplies of corn, cotton, wool, timber, &c.; and being conjoined with an active improvement in manu

facturing skill, and an extension of manufacturing industry, the increased supplies resulting from emigration increased the home population. Emigration within the last ten years has increased our supplies of gold and wool, increased our trade, our wealth and our means of subsistence, and, like emigration in the previous decennial periods, has accelerated not retarded, the rate of increase in our population.-Times.

EFFECT OF WAR.

The far more obvious causes of the retarded rate of increase are the war with Russia, the mutiny in India, and, generally, the great increase in the government expenditure. The wars and the mutiny took away and partly destroyed a considerable number of men in the prime of life, without diminishing the number of females, and all government expenditure is unproductive of subsistence and of life. Emigrants employ themselves collecting gold, growing wool and corn, and felling timber. They and those who supply their wants are productively employed. Soldiers and sailors are employed, and all who administer to them and their wants are employed only in consuming and destroying. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has stated that, in the last eight years, the government has absorbed and has expended, unproductively, the probable increase of the national capital in the period. The vast increase of expenditure in works of destruction is the cause both of the rate of retardation ascribed by the Registrar-General to emigration, and of the discrepancy between the increase of males and females.

PRESENT POPULATION OF IRELAND.

The official abstract of the census of Ireland for 1861 shows a decrease of population in that country equal to 12.02 per cent. within ten years. The following are the statistics:"

The total population enumerated on the 8th of April, 1861, as obtained from the enumerators' abstracts, amounts to 5,764,543-being 2,804,961 males and 2,959,582 females, or 787,842 less than that returned for the 31st of March, 1861-being a decrease of 12.02 per cent. during the last ten years. These numbers do not include the men of the army and navy serving in Ireland on the night of the 7th of April, but include the wives and families of such persons, and also soldiers on furlough. The present decrease is most apparent in the city of Kilkenny and town of Galway, and counties of Tipperary, Clare, Meath, Kilkenny, King's, Wexford, Waterford and Cork. The only localities in which an increase has taken place, are Dublin county and the towns of Carrickfergus and Belfast, in which latter locality it amounts to 18,941, or 18.88 per cent. on the returns of 1851.

CAUSES OF THE IRISH DECREASE· -RELIGIONS.

The commissioners attribute the decrease chiefly to emigration and the effects of the famine which extended over the first years of the decade included in the present census. The Irish census, differing in this respect from the English, included an inquiry into the "religious profes

sion" of the population, and on this point the report states that, "in only fifteen instances have complaints or objections to the enumerators' returns been made to the commissioners." The following is a summary of this portion of the report: On the night of the 7th of April, 1861, those of the Roman Catholic Church amounted to 4,490,483; those of the Established Church to 678,661; and Protestant Dissenters to 586,563; among whom those of the Presbyterian church numbered 528,992; Methodists, 44,532; Independents, 5,062; Baptists, 4,165, and the Society of Friends, 3,812. The number of Jews was 322. Those classed under the head of "all other persuasions," amounting to 8,414, were chiefly persons denominating themselves "Protestant Dissenters," (unspecified,) "Reformed Presbyterians," "Separatists," "Christian Brethren," "Christians," "Covenanters," "Unitarians," "Seceders," also members of the Moravian church, and such travellers, temporary lodgers and mendicants, (presumed to be Christians,) as to whom the enumerators, or the persons who filled the householders' schedules, were unable to obtain the necessary information.

PAUPERS.

The commissioners report, also, that there were 250,000 paupers in the Irish workhouse, and 47,019 persons in the hospital, of whom 4,545 were not workhouse inmates at the time of taking the census in 1851, while there were but 50,570 persons in the Irish workhouses the day before the recent census was taken.

It appears almost certain that those cities in the West which are situated on the western banks of the great rivers running south will always be larger and more important, as well as more numerous, than the cities on the eastern banks of the same streams. This has been the case so far, and the influences which have produced this result are likely both to remain and to increase in power. In this view it is plain that the western bank of the Missouri River must forever remain the base line of commercial operations for the vast territory which extends between that river and the Pacific coast. At present the chief places contending for pre-eminence on this river are St. Joseph and Sioux City on the east side, and Leavenworth and Omaha City on the west side. Each has its own peculiar claims, each is finely situated, and all will grow into places of influence and wealth. But, for the reason or fact above stated, it is probable that the latter towns will bear off the palm in concentrating trade. St. Joseph, we think, has, so far, had the largest population, and, by reason of its rail-road connections, is the present western entrepot for eastern goods. Still it would seem that Leavenworth is to be the Cincinnati of the Missouri valley. It is not situated in a more fertile or healthful district than its rivals. It is not as finely laid out as Omaha, which place has also some other advantages. But Leavenworth may already be said to be in the lead, and when it has completed its rail-road connections it will doubtless maintain and increase its lead.

THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION OF 1860.

OFFICIAL ACCOUNT OF THE RECENT VOYAGE OF THE UNITED STATES, BY DR. HAYES.

Exploring Schooner United States, Harbor of Halifax, Oct. 1, 1861. I HAVE the pleasure to send you the following account of the proceedings of the expedition to the Arctic seas, under my command, subsequent to the 14th of August, 1860. My letter from Upper Navik to the contributors of the expedition, bearing the above date, will have instructed you of my movements up to that time.

We sailed from Upper Navik on the 16th August, 1860; but calms detained us on our way to Tessuissak, and we did not reach the latter place until the 21st. Having there increased the number of our dogs by the addition of the interpreter's team, making a complement of twentyfive animals, and having further increased my crew by the addition of two Danes and one Esquimaux hunter, we put to sea again on the 22d, and stood northward, with a fair wind. On the morning of the 23d we entered Melville. Bay. On the following day, at three o'clock, P. M., we passed the Sabine Islands, thence we made a direct course for Cape York, which was reached at five o'clock, P. M., of the 25th.

Our passage through Melville Bay was remarkable. No field ice was seen until we reached within a few miles of Cape York, when we encountered a narrow stream, which, under a full press of sail, was bored without difficulty. We were only fifty-five hours in effecting the passage of the bay.

Standing close in under Cape York, I kept a careful watch from aloft for Esquimaux, and soon had the gratification to discover a group of them moving down toward the beach. The schooner being hove to, I went ashore, and was met by HANS, Dr. KANE's runaway boy, and other natives. HANS quickly recognised Mr. SONNTAG and myself, and having expressed a wish to go with us, I took him, together with his wife and child, his hunting equipments and two dogs, on board, and again stood northward.

At seven o'clock of the morning of the 26th we were brought up by a heavy ice pack, twenty miles south of SMITH'S Strait. There being a high sea setting directly upon the ice, and the air being thick with falling snow, we lost no time in plying to windward, and, having obtained a good offing, hove to, to await better weather.

The wind soon fell to calm; the clouds broke during the night, and on the morning of the 27th we rounded the ice, in shore, and, under a light northeast wind, stood out toward the centre of the strait, which we entered at nine o'clock, P. M. Here we met a heavy pack, through which no practical lead could be distinguished. Our examination of its margin, with the view of finding an opening, was cut short by a heavy gale, which broke suddenly upon us from the northeast. The bergs being very thick about us, we could not heave to, and we ran great risk of losing every exposed sail. The gale lasted, with very little abatement in

its volume, during the 28th and 29th. On the morning of the 30th, having carried away the foresail, we were glad to reach a small cove, twelve miles south of Cape Alexander, and there dropped anchor in four fathoms water. Here I obtained an excellent view from an elevation of 1,200 feet. The pack appeared to be impenetrable, and very little water was to be seen along the west shore. I determined, however, to attempt the passage.

I had scarcely returned from my journey to the mountain when the gale again set in from the same quarter, and with a violence which I have scarcely seen equalled. On the morning of the 31st we were driven from our moorings, and, in the effort to save our anchors, we were forced upon a group of icebergs which had drifted in with the current, and carried away our jibboom. The wind moderated soon afterward, and we once more entered the strait; but the gale setting in again, the fore gaff was broken in wearing, and being now obliged to heave to, we were a third time driven out of the strait, to seek shelter behind Cape Alexander.

Damages having beenre paired, we again entered the strait on the evening of September 1. Discovering no lead through the ice to the westward, we bore for Littleton Island, with the hope of finding, near the more solid ice higher up the strait, a more practicable opening. gale still continuing to blow with great force, and being under reduced canvass, we made but little headway.

The

The

Littleton Island was reached September 2d. Being unable to penetrate the ice to the westward, I determined to work up the coast to Cape Hatherton, with the hope of there finding the ice more open. The undertaking was necessarily attended with considerable risk to the vessel, on account of the heavy fields of ice lying off Littleton Island. schooner frequently came in collision with ice fields from fifteen to twenty feet in thickness. The quarter-inch iron plate on the cutwater was torn off, and the false stern was carried away. Soon afterward we encountered a severe (6 nip," and before the rudder could be shipped, the two lower pintels were broken off.

In this crippled condition it was impossible to make further headway, and, after extricating ourselves from the ice, we ran down into Hartstein Bay and anchored. During the 3d, 4th and 5th of September the wind blew with great force from the same quarter as before. On the 4th I reached, with much difficulty, Littleton Island in a whale boat, and obtained a view to the westward from an elevation of some four hundred feet. The ice was very heavy to the west and southwest-a thick impenetrable pack-but to the northward, along the land, it was loose, and the prospect of working westward from Cape Hatherton was encouraging.

On the 6th the wind fell to a calm. The boats were got out, and we pulled up to Littleton Island; but two days had completely changed the position of the ice. Between Littleton Island and Cape Hatherton there was no open water, nor was there any visible from the top of that island to the northwest, west or southwest. Unable to advance, and fearful of being frozen in, we again extricated the vessel from the ice and ran back into Hartstein Bay.

Everything about us now began to wear a wintry aspect. The temperature had fallen to eighteen degrees below freezing. Thick snow had