scription by Barlow of the Erie, the Ohio, the Wabash, and Illinois Canals. Barlow's poem, written, he states, (page 256,) "previous to the late war"-(meaning the Revolution) is a remarkable production. He has certainly the right, with General Washington and General Schuyler, to claim the paternity of the Erie Canal. Fulton, you may recollect, adopted Darwin's idea, in the "Lady Clinton Barge," attached to his first experiments in steam on the North River. But I am admonished not to trespass further on the pages of the Merchants' Magazine than to mention that Colonel J. Stevens, of Hoboken, said in 1811:-"I should not be surprised at seeing steam-carriages propelled at the rate of forty and fifty miles per hour, and I can see nothing to hinder one from moving on these ways with the velocity of one hundred miles an hour." The Little Miami Road runs from Cincinnati to Springfield, Ohio, and is eighty-three and a half miles long, single track, costing $2,409,748, or say $27,661 per mile, all equipped. The following is an account of its earnings for the year: 13 30 The gain in gross earnings over 1850 is $82,148 82, or about 20 per cent. The miles run in 1851 were 301,640, against 274,303 in 1850: The current expenses have been 39.02 per cent of the receipts. The following is a comparative statement of the gross and net earnings, expenses, and passengers carried, for the two past years: REVENUES FROM RAILROADS AND CANALS IN UNITED STATES. We give below a table showing the revenues of some of the leading corporate and public works in the United States, in each year from 1848 to 1851, inclusive: The following modifications in the rate of tolls on this work have been made public. In all other articles the tolls will be the same as in 1851: Merchandise, including such as is specified in schedule of 1851, pr 1,000 lbs. pr mile 10 12 The order of May 16, 1849, allowing a drawback on certain specified articles transported upon the canal, is rescinded, and the said articles will hereafter be subject to the rates of toll specified in the schedule for 1852. LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY ON THE LAKES. Captain G. W. ROUNDS, of the North-Western Insurance Company, furnishes a condensed statement of all the accidents which have occurred on the Great American Lakes during the year, as follows: Two hundred and sixty-three accidents are here recorded, thirty-four of which occurred in April; sixty-four in May, (forty-six on the first day;) twelve in June; nine in July; fifteen in August; thirty-four in September; thirty-three in October; fiftyone in November; and eleven in December. Five steamers, (not including the Mayflower,) three propellers, and thirty-seven sail vessels have been totally lost. Showing a total loss of property in four years of $2,088,046, and of lives, of 563. COST OF FIVE RAILROADS IN MASSACHUSETTS. STATEMENT OF THE ANNUAL COST OF SEVERAL MASSACHUSETTS RAILROADS, AS GIVEN BY THEIR RESPECTIVE RETURNS TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE UPON THE FIRST OF JANUARY OF EACH YEAR. Boston and Worcester..... $1,000,000 $1,700,000 $1,799,255 $1,934,981 $2,373,547 1,682,900 1,782,000 1,782,000 1,782,000 1,782,000 1,575,663 1,575,663 1,808,460 1,729,242 1,834,993 Boston and Providence... Boston and Lowell.. Western Eastern.. 1843. 1844. 1845. 5,255,026 2,267,000 1846. 1847. Boston and Worcester..... $2,726,102 $2,900,000 $2,914,078 $2,900,000 $3,485,000 Boston and Providence..... Boston and Lowell.. Western.. Eastern.... Boston and Worcester. 1,892,831 1,894,831 1,886,134 1,964,677 2,109,455 1,978,286 1,863,529 1,902,555 1,932,598 1,940,418 5,692,007 5,757,529 5,919,260 6,120,307 6,409,590 2,267,000 2,388,631 2,388,044 2,471,561 2,494,268 1848. 1849. 1850. 1851. $4,113,609 $4,650,392 $4,882,648 $4,908,332 2,544,475 3,031,106 3,416,232 3,370,269 1,956,719 2,018,687 1,945,646 1,945,666 6,987,240 7,975,452 8,032,813 7,996,056 2,937,206 3,095,393 3,120,391 3,119,265 STEAM COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ENGLAND AND NORWAY. It is now twenty-five years since Norway purchased its two first packet steamers. It has now twenty-two, and has direct communication with Copenhagen, Nyborg, Kiel, Hamburg, and Hull, and another English route will probably soon be opened. English affairs and Commerce are daily attracting more attention. 760 NAUTICAL INTELLIGENCE. DISTANCES FROM LONDON, NEW YORK, AND NEW ORLEANS TO THE PRINCIPAL SEAPORTS IN THE WORLD. Distances from London, New York, and New Orleans to the principal seaports in the world in geographical miles. Distances in statute miles are obtained by adding three to every twenty, or fifteen to every hundred geographical miles. The mean length of a degree of latitude is 69 statute miles. The first row of figures gives the distances from London, the second from New York, and the third from New Orleans. London is distant from New York, 3,375 miles; New York from New Orleans, 2,045 miles; and New Orleans from London, 5,115 miles. Cape of Good Hope Cherbourg.. Colombo.. Columbia River.. Copenhagen. Dublin... From From From 290 3,510 4,720 Liverpool. 758 3,310 4,605 Pernambuco. 185 3,475 4,650 Portsmouth ...... 16,130 15,965 15,300 St. John's (Newf'd) Constantinople.... 3,264 5,140 6,437 St. Petersburg. Feejee Isles. Galveston.... Gibraltar... Halifax Hamburg. Havana Havre. Hobart 710 3,640 5,825 Singapore 4,610 1,420 450 Swan River, (Aus- 610 Trieste. Hole in the Wall.. 275 3,210 5,975 Tripoli 12,450 12,700 12,150 Valparaiso. 4,175 1,100 950 Venice... 575 Vera Cruz... 230 3,600 5,350 Valencia.. 4,150 1,475 4,560 1,640 1,025 Victoria, (Austr'a.) 2,260 3,170 4,567 From From From London. N. York. N. 0. 10,730 11,310 10,675 1,100 3,175 4,575 650 3,210 4,950 11,585 11,850 11,275 11,250 12,500 11,950 2,412 4,325 5,720 12,425 13,675 13,120 3,475 3,825 4,900 260 5,025 1,950 2,420 4,330 5,725 14,675 14,925 14,375 1,150 980 4,200 15,100 15,325 14,775 4,450 4,760 3,925 3,540 242 2,000 4,430 4,120 3,425 315 3,060 4,800 190 3,275 4,925 12,000 12,250 11,700 3,010 1,400 8,450 12,600 12,850 12,300 5,400 5,840 5,150 15,100 15,800 14,625 4,860 5,900 5,500 4,125 1,420 1,125 1,740 3,650 5,050 5,135 2,240 12,575 12,825 12,875 820 3,775 400 1,860 DANGERS NEAR ASSATEAGUE LIGHT-HOUSE. The Superintendent of the Coast Survey of the United States, (under date, CoastSurvey Office, April 19, 1852,) has communicated to the Treasury Department, at Washington, the subjoined report of the dangers in the vicinity of Assateague LightHouse, on the coast of Virginia, derived from Lieutenant Commanding JOHN ALMY, United States Navy, assistant in the Coast Survey, who has been in charge of the hydrographic party working on that coast during the past season, as follows:— DANGERS IN THE VICINITY OF ASSATEAGUE LIGHT-HOUSE. Notes. The light-house stands on an elevation about one mile distant from the beach, and is in latitude 37° 54′ 37′′ north, and longitude 75° 21' 04" west from Greenwich. In the list of dangers, the bearings, &c., within brackets, are true; those without are magnetic, or by compass. The distances are in nautical miles. Winter-Quarter Shoal is one mile long, and one-third of a mile wide, running in a direction E. by N. & N., and W. by S. 4 S., [E. N. E. and W. S. W.,] with not over 34 fathoms water upon it. The least water is 12 feet, in several places, at low tide. On the seaward side the soundings change suddenly from 9 to 4, and then to 2 fathoms. It is 6 miles distant from the nearest land, with 10 fathoms water between it and the shore. In clear weather the lantern of Assateague Light-House is just visible from it. The center of the shoal bears from Assateague light E. by N. N., [E. by N. & N.,] distant 11 miles. This is a highly dangerous shoal, as the soundings change suddenly, and it lies directly in the track of vessels. The sea breaks upon it in heavy weather. Chincoteague Shoal is a long narrow bank or ridge, running in a direction N. E. E., and S. W. W., [N. E. † E., and S. W. W.,] 44 miles long, with an average width of a quarter of a mile, and distant from 4 to 6 miles from the shore, with from 3 to 5 fathoms water upon it. Its north end bears E. by S., [E. S..] distant 7 miles, and its south end S. E. † S., [S. E. S.,] distant 54 miles from Assateague Light House. A dangerous shoal lies S. by E. 4 E., [S. S. E.,] distant 4 miles from Assateague Light-House, with 13 feet water upon it. Another, with 9 feet water upon it, lies S. E., [S. by E.,] distant 4 light-house. Another, with 9 feet water upon it, lies S., [S. E.,] distant 3 light-house. miles from the miles from the Within a semi-circle of 12 miles, Assateague Light House being the center, the bottom is exceedingly broken and uneven. The general set of the current along this part of the coast is to the southward and westward; and vessels from the West Indies and Southern ports, bound into Delaware Bay, have been set in shore among these dangers by it. The coast in this vicinity is dangerous for large vessels navigated by persons not well acquainted with it. Vessels supposing themselves in this vicinity, after striking eleven and twelve fathoms water, should keep the lead going, and keep a bright lookout. In the daytime large vessels should not approach nearer the land than eight or nine miles, with the trees just in sight from the deck; nor at night, even in clear weather, when coming from the southward, nearer than just to keep Assateague light in sight, until it is brought to bear, by compass, to the southward of west. After that it will be necessary to keep further off, and run it out of sight, in order to avoid "Winter-Quarter Shoal." This light, in clear weather, at night can be seen at a distance of about 12 miles. Hon. THOMAS CORWIN, Secretary of the Treasury. A. D. BACHE, Superintendent. A DISCOVERY IN LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE. "The Pacific," a religious and family newspaper recently commenced at San Francisco, announces an important discovery to mariners, made by Rev. Tyler Thatcher, on his recent passage to San Francisco. The end of this discovery is to enable a mariner at sea to obtain his longitude and latitude by means of a single observation of any heavenly body, either on the meridian, or at any angle with the meridian, at any hour of the day or night, and a method, too, entirely independent of the chronometer. Hitherto navigators have depended almost entirely on meridian observations for their |