up to prevent fires in cities from having means
of communicating with other houses. The
wilful burning, when beaten out parallel to
the advancing flames, destroys all fuel for
the dreaded conflagration;—cuts off, in
short, all communication.

THE LATEST INTELLIGENCE FROM THE IRISH
CALIFORNIA.

IT will be remembered that we gave, a short
time since, some account of a new California
which had been discovered in Ireland, of all
countries of the world, and of all parts of
Ireland, in the Irish bogs. Our description of
the Hibernian "diggins" included a statement
of the process, devised and patented by Mr.
Rees Reece, for extracting their treasures.
Of this wealth, it will be seen that, on the
whole, we by no means over-estimated the
magnitude. Sir Robert Kane, the director of
the Museum of Irish Industry, has, at the
suggestion of Lord Clarendon, made an i
nvestigation respecting the chemical products
of Irish peat, and has embodied the results of
his inquiry in a report. According to the
researches of Sir Robert Kane, the average
quantity of sulphate of ammonia procurable
from Irish peat, is even somewhat larger than
that calculated on by Mr. Reece; the amount
of paraffine and oils about equals Mr. Reece's
estimate; the wood naphtha falls but little
short of it; and the only material of which
the proportion is much below the reckoning
of Mr. Reece is the acetate of lime. This
representation is borne out by the subjoined
table—

There is no doubt as to the existence, or the
extent of the riches of the Irish California; the
only question is, what will be the cost of
extracting them? This is described in the report
as being too difficult a point to decide upon
positively at present. The novelty of the
manufacture, the number and complexity of the
collateral operations which it requires, and
its establishment among races unaccustomed
to manufacturing industry, are indicated as
probable sources of large expenditure; but
these obstacles are not insurmountable—they
are the old giants that have regularly to be
conquered by the heroes of almost every original
enterprise. The practicability, on a large
scale, of Mr. Reece's proposal, to employ the
gaseous products of the peat, after having
been deprived of all their condensible matter
as fuel for conducting his subsidiary operations,
is treated as open to considerable doubt.
However, the report, though drawn up with
great caution, pronounces in the main, that
the California of Ireland is really a fact;
even though it should not prove a Tom
Tidler's ground altogether. In conclusion, the
author says—

"Although the excessive returns stated by
the proposers of the manufacture may not be
obtained, it is yet probable that, conducted
with economy, and the attention of individual
interests, the difficulty connected with so great
a complexity of operations would be overcome,
and the manufacture be found in practice
profitable; and certainly it must be regarded
as of very great interest and public utility,
that a branch of scientific manufacture should
be established, specially applicable to promote
the industrial progress of Ireland, by
conferring a commercial value on a material
which has hitherto been principally a reproach,
and by affording employment of a remunerative
and instructive character to our labouring
population."

If, therefore, by the kind permission of the
various Irish agitators, political and theological,
the Irish people could be enabled to devote
their attention and energies to wholesome
labour, in working the mines of wealth which
they possess in their peat-bogs, they would go
far towards realising those blessings which the
hierarchy they are squabbling about has so
long been invoking to such little purpose; and
Ireland might be in the way of becoming a
decent "flower of the earth," and a respectable
"gem of the sea;" instead of being, whether as
an article of jewellery, or a botanical specimen,
but indifferently ornamental, and inconsiderably
useful either to the one or the other.

FISHING FOR HERRINGS.

IN this age of "blue books," many imagine
that if a Parliamentary committee investigate
any given subject, and report thereon, the
public has from that time forward only to
examine the bulky documents in order to
obtain full and satisfactory information. Without
wishing to detract from the reputation
which Parliamentary commissions enjoy in
respect of their laborious efforts, and of the
masses of information which they collect,