DOMESTIC CHRONICLE, FOR 1816. CENSUS.-Niles's Weekly Register presents us with views of the past and probable population of the United States. According to the census of 1790, we had 3,929,326 5,303,666 York next, (being 959,049); Pennsylvania third, (being 810,091); Massachusetts, inclusive of Maine, the fourth, viz. (700,745), &c. &c. Mr. Niles has not calculated the rates of actual increase on the three last census-but the rates of the whole increase may thus be stated: Increase from 1790 to 1800-35 per cent. 1800 to 1810-36 Taking 36 per cent., therefore, as the average of our increase for every ten years, these conclusions follow: 1800, 1810, Mr. Niles calculates, that in 1820 we shall probably have a : population of 9,965,178 souls. The western states will, of course, increase much faster than those on the sea board.-Kentucky (for instance) is calculated to increase 60 per cent. in ten years; Tennessee, 75 per cent.; Ohio, 150; Lou- 1st. That the United States douisiana, 125; Indiana, 700; Missis-ble their population in twenty-eight sippi Territory, 125; Illinois Territory, 600; Missouri Territory, 500; Michigan Territory, 500; while of all the Atlantic States, the greatest increase is allowed to Pennsylvania, being but 334 per - cent. Virginia is estimated at but 15. According to these data, the states will stand in the following order, as to their gross population: New-York, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, North-Carolina, Ohio, Massachusetts, South-Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, Georgia, Maine, New-Jersey, Conneeticut, Vermont, New-Hampshire, Louisiana, Indiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Delaware, Illinois. In gross numbers, Virginia now stands first, (being 974,622); NewVOL. II. years: 2d. That, applying the same ratio of increase to the next census, we may be expected to number in 1820, about 9,846,268-only 117,910 souls less than Mr. Niles estimates. Let us say, then, in round numbers, that in 1820, our population will amount to ten millions of souls-Where is the limit to this astonishing extension? Let us suppose, what will probably be more correct, that our numbers will not advance every ten years as much as 36 per cent.-but that they increase about 3 per cent. less in that period-in other other words, that from 1820 to 1830, the increase is only 33 per cent.-to 1840, 30 per cent.-and 1850, 27 per cent. Making this allowance, 2 C (that we may sin on the safe side) | distance the buyers finding little Albany, September 2.-It gives us pleasure to learn from Captain Roorbach, of the steam-boat Car of Neptune, who made an experiment of coal in his last trip from New-York, that he is perfectly satisfied of its answering all the purposes of wood in propelling steam-boats. The Car, notwithstanding her having met with much detention in a first experiment, performed the route in 35 hours. As the use of wood on board our steam boats has greatly enhanced its price both in this city and New-York, it will have a tendency to make this necessary article cheaper, should coal in future be substituted. The facility and economy of travelling, produced by the introduction of steam-boats into our waters, is matter of surprise and felicitation. Routes that formerly required weeks to travel, are now perform ed in about as many days, with infinitely more ease and less expense. We have heard the remark often made, that steam-boats have brought New-York to within thirty miles of Albany; and that the wholesale business of our merchants has decreased in a ratio proportionable to the decrease of inconvenience or delay in going to the former to make their pur Thus a person may travel seven hundred miles in a little more than four days, at an expense of fifty dollars, or about seven cents per mile, and sleep comfortably on the way. The arrival and departure of the stages and steam-boats are so arranged, that the above route may be performed in about five and a half successive days, and the traveller tarry six hours in New York, nine hours in Albany, nineteen at Whitehall, and six at Montreal. Such expedition in travelling we believe cannot be equalled in any other country on the globe. Three steam-boats ply from Montreal to Quebec, once a week, and start Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, at 2 A. M. Two ply on lake Champlain twice a week, and exchange passengers at Ticon deroga. One starts Wednesday and Saturday, at 2 P. M. from Whitehall; and Tuesday and Fri day, at 8 A. M. from St. Johns. A steam-boat leaves Albany for New-York, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, at 9 A. M and New-York for Albany the same days at 5 P. M. Boats start from New-York for Elizabethtown twice | 18,000 frees; Berbice, 25,000 a day, 5 and 10 A. M. and for New-Brunswick, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 7 A. M.; and the passengers are received on board boats in the Delaware, which convey them without delay to Phi:ladelphia. Σ runs Buffalo, September 10.-The facility of intercommunication in this country is constantly increasing. The mail stage now from this place to Canandaigua in one day, and from thence to Albany in two days.-A short and pleasant passage carries a person to New-York in little over a day more. Thus a journey of almost 450 miles, is performed in about four days; and the greatest part of it too through a country that was but a few years since a wilderness, inhabited only by savages and wild beasts. The human mind is hardly capable of keeping pace with such astonishing improvements. A line of stages has commenced running from this place to the Niagara Falls, three times a week. This line will afford a cheap and commodious passage to persons desirous of visiting these stupendous works of nature. SPOTS ON THE EARTH. West India Slaves.-The black slaves in Dominico are supposed to be about 21,000, white people 4500, free persons of colour 3000; Demerara, slaves 7 1,000, white and free coloured 6000; New Providence, 3000 white, free and black coloured 3000; St. Vincent, slaves 22,000, whites and coloured blacks 1500; Bermuda, 5000 blacks, same number of whites; Surinam, 52,000 slaves, 500 white and coloured; Curracoa, slaves 5000, free 6000; Grenada, 29,000 black slaves, 2000 frees; Martinique, 77,000 slaves, slaves, 800 frees; Barbadoes, 69,000 slaves; Jamaica 319,000; Antigua, 30,000. USEFUL ARTS. Rectification of Flour.-As it appears by a communication inserted in the New-York Columbian of the 15th February, signed "Americanus," on the just claims of Dr. Robert Hare, of Philadelphia, to the discovery of important facts on fusion, that during the bustle of contending political parties, you still reserve a corner of your paper for those who contend for nothing but light and knowledge I hope that you will also enable me to claim for the hon. E. C. Genet, member of several American and European scientific and literary societies, the priority of a discovery reported to have been lately made in England by the celebrated sir H. Davy, on the rectification of damaged flour by means of magnesia. It is not contemplated to charge the great English chemist with plagiarism; his fame shields him against such a suspicion; but my object is purely to state, that in the year 1814 Mr. Genet, being in New-York, and obliged, as almost all the citizens were at that epoch, to eat bad bread, made in part with the sour and musty flour which the stagnation of commerce had accumulated in all our ports-that gentleman, with the assistance of Mr. Frederick Porter, made several experiments, not only to neutralize by the intermixture of magnesia alba, the oxid in sour flour; but by another process unpublished by sir H. Davy, to cure that musty taste, so disagreeable in bread made with damaged flour. Mr. Genet, after repeated experiments at his own mills near Albany, and at Mr. Wells's mills near New-York, being satisfied that all damaged flour, unless entirely rotten, could be reclaimed, endeavoured, by application to several flour merchants and capitalists in this city and in Albany, to render his discovery not only useful to the country, but also to those who would promote it: yet, it was all in vain: the flour merchants were unwilling to pay a just compensation (of one dollar per barrel, all charges and costs included) for the rectification of a kind of flour which could always be forced with a large profit, and without any additional cost, on the people, on the troops, and, now and then, on foreign nations. And the moneyed men knowing how to improve their capital without the aid of experimental philosophy, would do nothing at all! Mr. Genet hath, however, continued his researches on that interesting subject of domestic economy; and, in a memoire prepared for the scientific societies to which he belongs, he hath proved— 1st. That magnesia, in proportions which vary according to circumstances, not only neutralizes the acidity of flour, but also prevents it. 2d. That by another process, fire applied in a peculiar manner to damaged flour, destroys that vegetable substance called must, which is the production of dampness and putrefaction. 2,598,600 2,001.200 1,698,700 4 Charleston, South-Carolina, 7 Washington City, District of Columbia, 1,270,00 9 Angusta, Georgia, 11 Middletown, Connecticut, 12 Wilmington, Delaware, 13 Cincinnati, Ohio, 14 New-Orleans, Louisiana, 16 New-Brunswick, New-Jersey, Total, Government of the United States, Grand Total, 958,700 826,300 741,909 587,800 470 600 470,000 308,500 258,300 130,200 120,000 53,600 FIRE IN THE MOUNTAINS. Easton, (Penn.) May 3.-For several days the surrounding coun try has been darkened by clouds of smoke, which have evidently proceeded from the blue mout tains, the bushes and trees of which have been on fire for upwards of a week. The fire, (we are told,) first commenced in the vi cinity of Rosscommon, about four. teen miles from this place, and advanced rapidly with the wind, which blew from that quarter to wards the upper parts of the And 3d. That by more attention paid to the storage of wheat and the manufacturing and curing of flour in its original state, and above all, by the total relinquishment of the practice of several packing mills, to mix at least one-tenth of mountains, extending itself over the country, about twenty or thirty corn with the wheat flour; those miles, consuming property to the flour of maize or Indian white accidents so fatal to the character considerable amount. The fire is in the inhabitants of those towns I not yet extinguished, but rag with sist en hy is number ise to this (as the greatest fury. Albany, (N. Y.) May 1-Our city was yesterday filled with smoke and cinders, from the woods which were on fire between Albany and Schenectady. The fire commenced on Sunday afternoon, and, we understand, has extended its ravages over a distance of five or six miles. Reports state, that two or three houses on the turnpike have been consumed, and that some fears were entertained for the powder-house in the vicinity. Engines left the city yesterday afternoon to arrest its progress.When we take into consideration *the high price of fuel in our market, this fire will be considered a serious calamity. Whether it was the effect of accident or design, we have not ascertained. Providence, (R. I.) May 3.— Early in the forenoon of Wednesday last, a fire commenced in Johnston, on land belonging to Mr. John Sweet, in consequence of the injudicious burning of brush at a season when all nature is ripe for combustion. The fire, aided by the wind and the drought, was very rapid and extensive in its progress, ravaging, in the course of a few hours, more than a thousand acres of land, covered with young thrifty wood and heavy timber. Several hundred cords of fuel wood, prepared for market, were entirely consumed, and the growth of timber very materially injured.-The amount of damage, sustained by farms and lots, in Johnston, NorthProvidence, and Smithfield, cannot at present be ascertained with sufficient precision to justify an estimate. The most strenuous and disinterested efforts were made by rescue the surrounding woodland from a general conflagration. To these efforts is in a great measure to be attributed the preservation of several dwelling-houses and manufacturing establishments, which were threatened with destruction. It is a curious fact that several hundred Rabbits, those shy and harmless tenants of the woods, ran from their perilous situation, as the fire approached them; but encountering the face of man, they retreated (such is the blindness of instinct) and perished in the flames. Boston, October 8.-The smoke for a week past has been so exceedingly thick as to render the navigation of the coast exceedingly difficult. On the eastern coast as far as Frenchman's Bay in particular, it has been very thick, and during the late gale, cinders were blown aboard vessels at a considerable distance from the shore. It has also been very offensive to the eyes of persons travelling and at sea. A coaster lay for most of Saturday night at about a mile's distance from the Boston light-house, without being able to discern the light. The smoke yesterday was not quite so thick. EXTENSIVE MINE OF ARSENIC. New-York, March 29.-A few days ago a Mr. Wood brought to the professor of natural history in Columbia college for examination, a parcel of large mineral specimens, which, on examination, were found to be an ORE OF ARSENIC. It is uncommonly fine and rich. The story told of it is that the vein is several rods wide and several miles long. It is situated in the town of Warwick, Orange county, |