Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1840-12-11
.astea,pts to FIRE the British Macy.

On Friday, the second Of October, an at
tempt was made by an incendiary to fire the
British ship Of war, Camperdown, laying In
the basin at the Sheerness dock-yard. The
fire was discovered in midshipman's berth
and ex,ingnished, but a well laid train was
discovered in the warrant-officers' store room,
consisting of rosin, oakum and lucifer matches.
At Plymouth, On Saturday, the 9th of
September, at three o'clock in the morning, a
fire, supposed TO have been kindled by an in
cendary, broke out in the dock-yard close to
the docks in which were lying the Talavera
"a, Minden "A, and Imogene frigate. Not
withstandng the utmost exerlions, the fire
communicated to these ships, and the Talave-
ra and Imogene were both totally destroyed.
Tie Minden caught several times, and has sus-
tanned serious damage, but the fire was ex-
tinguished ON board that ship.
A gallery was destroyed containing splen-
did collection of trophies and memorials of
British naval triumphs comprising the figure
head, masts, &c. OF the most celebrated men
of war, and, above all, the flag of Lord Nell
son,-that beneath which he fought, conquer
ed and died.
The loss is estimated at 100000. The
fire was stopped at the point where the de-
struction would have been the greatest. Prop
er,y to the amount of R5,O0O,0O was depos-
tied in the building next to where it progress
was terminated.
POPULATION OF RUssIA.-rhe population Of
Russia in 1888 was 1877 200; including the
army and navy, the wandering tribes, Poland
and Finland, the number of inhabitants is 81, ;
100000.
EMPIRE OF CHINA.
The Oriental Herald contains the following
curious article upon the empire of China:
''i'he empire of China is divided into 90
provinces; there are one hundred and eighty
five capitals, and as many cities Of the second
order. The taxes and duties amount annually
to thirteen millions and a quarter sterling
one million nine hundred and eighteen thou
sand tons Of wheat and rice must be deducted
for the subsistence Of the troops and the sup
ply OF the public granaries. The civil service
costs but one and half millions sterling per
annum, but tue military service is six times as
expensive, and amounts to more than eight
millions. Among the articles Of the Chinese
budget, we find eight millions for the mamie
nance of the Yellow River, two millions for
The gardens Yuen-Ming, and considerable
sums for the entertainment of the Ministers of
State of the first and second class, to the NUM-
Der of three thousand FIVE hundred and TWEEN
ty-fve. The revenue Of the nation in silver
and in products, is valued at thirty millions
sterling. The duties levied on English and
American ships entering at Canton, adds
about another million to that sum. The rev.
enue of England, which possesses but TWEEN
ty-two millions of population, amounted in
1924 to one third more than that If the Chi
nese Empire, which, according to late enume-
rations, contains no less than one hundred and
sixty -four millions of Inhabitants. The por-
ton of the population who live upon the water
amount to two millions. The persons in civil
employment do not exceed niue thousand FIVE
hundred aud eleven, and the military officers
seven thousand five hundred and sixty-two.--
The army consists of an enormous mass Of one
million two hundred and sixty-three thousand
men, of which eight hundred andstwenty- two
thousand belong TO the infantry, four hundred
and Ten thousand to the cavalry, and thirty
thousand to the marine"