Jan. 22. A large fire broke out in Haverhill-street, Boston, at 101 P.M., and was not got under until 3 o'clock, A.M., Jan. 23d. Nearly 100 buildings were burned, mostly of wood, and between 70 and 80 poor families were driven from their homes.

Jan. 23. Major Borland, with 50 men, and Major Gaines and Cassius M. Clay, with 30 men, were surprised and captured at Encarnacion by General Minon.

Jan. 24. A battle was fought near Cañada, in New Mexico, between 400 Missouri Volunteers under Col. Price, and 1,500 Pueblo Indians and Mexicans, in which the latter lost 30 killed. The Americans lost 2 killed and 6 wounded. On the 29th, another battle was fought at the Pass of Embudo. Jan. 27.- By Proclamation of Governor Young of New York, eighteen persons, confined for anti-rent offences were released from prison, and all but four restored to the rights of citizenship.

66

Jan. 28.-The steamboat Tuscaloosa, when ten miles up the river, from Mobile, burst two of her boilers, by which accident nearly twenty persons were killed and an equal number badly scalded. The boat took fire, and the passengers had barely time to escape, when some powder, thirty kegs of which were on board, exploded, and shivered the boat to pieces. The wreck and passengers were beset by a set of pirates, and robbed.

Jan. 30.-The Earl of Elgin made his public entrance into Montreal. The Mayor, and Corporation of the city, and the citizens generally, received him with great honors. The Earl's commission was read, after which, he took the oaths, and the great seal was given him.

Feb. 8. The promised and long-deferred Constitution was given by Frederic William, of Prussia, to his subjects.

Feb. 12.-The British mail-steamer Tweed was lost on the northeast end of the Alacranes, and sixty of her passengers and crew were drowned.

Feb. 22, 23.-The Mexican forces, numbering 22,000 under Santa Anna, appeared on the 22d, in front of the position of Gen. Taylor, who had broken up his camp at Agua Nueva, and taken a strong line in front of Buena Vista, seven miles south of Saltillo. On the 23d, an obstinate and sanguinary conflict was maintained, with short intervals, throughout the day, when the Mexicans were completely repulsed, and in the night fell back twelve miles upon Agua Nueva. The force of the Americans was 4,759, mostly volunteers; and their loss, 267 killed, 456 wounded, and 23 missing. The loss of the Mexicans was estimated at 6,000. The American loss in officers was particularly severe, 28 being killed.

Feb. 28. A battle was fought between the Missouri Volunteers under Col. Doniphan, numbering 924 men and 6 pieces of artillery, and 4,000 Mexicans under Gen. Heredia, who were posted with ten pieces of artillery in the pass of the Sacramento. The Mexicans were defeated with the loss of 300 killed, 300 wounded, and 40 prisoners, and all their artillery and baggage. The American loss was one killed and eight wounded."

March 1.-Gen. Kearney, by his proclamation to the people of California, absolves them of any further allegiance to the Republic of Mexico, and regards them as citizens of the United States.

March 2. - Faustin Soulouque, a general officer, aged about 50 years, was chosen and proclaimed by the Senate, President of Hayti. He succeeds Jean Baptiste Riche, who died at Port au Prince on the 27th February. March 4th.-The second Session of the 29th Congress, adjourned last night soon after midnight. Before the adjournment of the Senate, the VicePresident vacated the chair, and the Hon. David R. Atchison, senator from Missouri, was appointed President pro tem.

March 4th. A telescopic comet was discovered at the Cambridge Observatory, about 7 o'clock, P. M., by G. P. Bond, Esq., assistant observer, the fourth which has been first seen in this country by this young gentleman. March 8.-The Bill for the resumption of payment of the interest on the State Bonds of Maryland passed the Senate, having previously passed the House of Delegates.

March 25.A renewal of the anti-rent outrages was made on the person of Peter Sheldon of Taghkanic, Columbia Co., New York.

March 28.-The U. S. sloop of war Jamestown, dismantled of her batteries, sailed from Boston, for Cork, under the command of Capt. R. B. Forbes, loaded with provisions for the relief of suffering Ireland. On the 12th April, she arrived at Cork, where the gratitude of all classes of the Irish people was abundantly shown. She left Cork on the 22d April, and arrived in Boston May 16th.

March 29.-The city and castle of Vera Cruz surrendered to the combined forces of the army and navy of the United States under Gen. Scott, and Com. Perry. The loss of the Americans was 65 killed and wounded.

April 2.-The town of Alvarado and its dependencies surrendered to Lieut. Hunter, commanding the steamer Scourge, who had been ordered to blockade the port. On the 3d, the combined land and naval forces, detailed for the expedition under the command of Gen. Quitman and Com. Perry, arrived and found the Americans already in possession. The enemy, before evacuating the place, burned all the public vessels, and spiked or buried most of the guns.

April 4. -A dreadful fire broke out in Bucharist, the capital of Wallachia in Turkey. Nearly the entire city was destroyed, 2,000 houses and 27 public establishments; causing a loss, it is estimated, of £3,500,000.

April 14.- At Messrs. Dupont's powder works, in Wilmington, Del., 5,000 pounds of powder exploded, destroying the buildings, and killing 18 men. The report was heard in Philadelphia.

April 18.8,500 Americans, under Gen. Scott, carried the heights of Cerro Gordo, which were held by 12,000 Mexicans under Santa Anna. Five generals, a large number of field officers, and 3,000 men, were made prisoners. The American loss in killed and wounded was 250; that of the Mexicans is stated to have been 350.

April 18.-Tuspan, the only fortified place of importance on the Gulf Coast, still in the power of the Mexicans, surrendered to Com. Perry, after a short resistance. The American loss was fourteen killed and wounded. April 26. - The Bogue forts in the China seas were captured and destroyed by the British, under Gen. Aguilar and Sir John Davis; 876 pieces of artillery were seized, and spiked in 36 hours.

May 1. The corner-stone of the building to be erected in Washington for the Smithsonian Institution, was laid with appropriate ceremonies.

May 8.-The packet ship Anglo-Saxon, which left Boston for Liverpool, May 5th, went ashore on Duck Island, near Cape Sable, N. S., in a rain storm. The passengers and crew were saved.

May 15.- Daniel O'Connell died at Genoa, on his journey to Rome, aged 72 years. According to his request, his heart was sent to Rome, and his body carried back to his native Ireland.

May 31.-The Rev. Dr. Thomas Chalmers, the distinguished theologian, died at Morning Side, near Edinburgh, aged 69.

June 1.-The Washington, the first of the New York, Southampton, and Bremen line of steamers, sailed from New York, for Southampton.

June 7.- The Hon. Abbott Lawrence gave to Harvard College the sum of $50,000, to be devoted ". to the acquisition, illustration, and dissemination of the practical sciences for ever."

June 27.-The "New Swiss Popular Association" was installed at Berne; the objects of which are, the expulsion of the Jesuits, the dissolution of the Sonderbund, or league of the seven cantons, and a revision of the federal compact.

July 5.- The River and Harbor Convention assembled at Chicago. Seventeen states and the territory of Wisconsin were represented in the Convention.

July 7.-President Polk reached Washington, on his return from his visit to the Eastern States. Augusta, Maine, was the eastern limit of his tour. July 8.-The canal from the Durance to Marseilles, which was begun in 1836, was opened. It is 83,000 metres in length, of which 17,000 are subterraneous passages through the Alps.

July 8.-The Union, the first of the French transatlantic steamers, arrived at New York, in 16 days from Cherbourg.

July 18.-The U. S. frigate Macedonian sailed from New York, freighted with breadstuffs for the starving poor of Ireland.

July 30. The boiler of the steamboat Niagara, in the Hudson River, exploded, killing two of the crew, and scalding some of the passengers. Aug. 9. -The Ship Shanunga came in contact with the Swedish bark Iduna. The Iduna sank in half an hour. Of the 206 persons on board, 172 were lost.

Aug. 14. Gen. Paredes, under the name of M. Martinez, arrived at Vera Cruz in the British steamer Teviot, from Havana, and passed through the city on his way to Mexico, undiscovered by the American authorities. Aug. 20. - The Mexican works at Contreras, near the city of Mexico, were carried by Gen. Smith's command, and many Mexicans taken prisoners. They then fell back upon the fortified position of Churubusco, where a severe battle was fought, in which the Mexicans were entirely ronted and driven to the gates of the city. The number of the Mexicans is estimated at 30,000, and their loss at 6,000. There were between 6,000 and 7,000 Americans in the battle, and their loss was 1,066 in killed, wounded, and missing. An armistice was agreed upon, to enter upon negotiations for peace, to continue until countermanded, and for 48 hours afterwards.

Aug. 27. After many unsuccessful attempts, the steamer Great Britain was removed from her resting-place in Dundrum Bay, and on the 30th was towed into Liverpool harbor for repairs. The distinguished engineer, Mr. I. Brunel, Jr., superintended the task of raising the Great Britain from her perilous position.

Aug. 31.- -The convention to revise the constitution of Illinois, that has been in session at Springfield since June 7th, adjourned. The constitution, having been enrolled, was read and signed, and adopted by a vote of one hundred and thirty-one to seven.

LATITUDES AND LONGITUDES.

We have received from Major J. D. Grah am, of the Corps of Topographical Engineers of the United States army (Astronomer on the part of the United States, for the joint demarcation of the boundary between the United States and the republic of Texas, in the year 1840; Commissioner for exploring the North-eastern boundary of the United States, under the act of Congress of July 20th, 1840; Principal Astronomer and head of the Scientific Corps, on the part of the government of the United States, for the joint survey and demarcation of the boundary, under the treaty of Washington), the following table of latitudes and longitudes of places, determined by him and his assistants, while engaged on the surveys of the Texan and North-eastern boundaries.

Some of the determinations given by Major Graham date as far back as the year 1820, when he was serving (as a lieutenant of Artillery) on Col. Long's first expedition.

We give the table, with the dates of the determinations and the authorities, as furnished to us by Major Graham.

Latitudes and Longitudes of places furnished for the American Almanac, for the Commissioner for the Survey of the North-eastern Boundary of the United Head of the Scientific Corps, on the part of the United States, for the Joint Lieutenants T. J. Lee, W. H. Emory, George Thom, A. W. Whipple, and W. F. Raynolds, tion of Major Graham on the North-eastern boundary surveys.

NOTE. Those latitudes and longitudes marked thus †, are approximate determinations, the few seconds of time. All the rest are believed to be close determinations.

1 Albany (the State Capitol),

2 Do. (the Academy),

3 Amity Post Office (Dunn's house),.

4 Aroostook River (south eastern extremity of the Ox-Bow),

5 Aroostook River (the Forks of),

6 Augusta (the "Augusta House" Hotel),

7 Bangor (the Bangor Hotel),.

8 Belgrade (on the Sabine River), 9 Calais (Thompson's Hotel),.

10 Cape Elizabeth Light. The fixed or eastern of the two lights, ..Me.

11 Council Bluff (Engineer Cantonment), right bank of Missouri

River,.

...

12 Eastport (Fort Sullivan),.

13 Fish River, mouth of, upper cape,⚫

14 Forks of the Kennebec (the Bridge), 15 Fort Fairfield (the lower block house), 16 Fort Fairfield (the lower block house),

17 Fort Kent (the block house), • •

18 Fort Preble (the flag staff),

19 Fort Scammel (the block house),

Missouri Ter.

..Me.

.Me.

.Me.

.Me.

..Me.

.Me.

.Me.

Me.

N. B.

20 Grand Falls of the St. John (Sir John Caldwell's house),..

21 Grand Portage of the Temisquata (the St. Francis River bridge), Can. 22 Grand River of the St. John (the mouth of, lower cape),

23 Great Machias River (the mouth of),.

24 Green River of the St. John (the mouth of, upper cape),

25 Hancock Barracks (the flag staff),

26 Head of Little Black Rapids, in the St. John River, 27 Head of Connecticut River (astronomical station),

28 Hickman's House (Sabine River) about half a mile south of

31 Jay Mountain (the summit of the peak, 4,030 feet above the level

of the sea),

.Vt.

32 Lincoln (True's Tavern),

..Me.

*Their chronometric connection with Major Graham's observatory at Rouse's Point, whose longitude was determined by Major G. from lunar culminations, observed with a forty-six-inch transit instrument.

Connected by triangulation, by Lieut. W., with Major Graham's astronomical point at

Portland.

§ While serving with Long's first expedition, as a lieutenant of Artillery.

year 1848, by Major J. D. Graham, of the Corps of Topographical Engineers ; States, under the Act of Congress, of July 20th, 1840; Principal Astronomer and Survey and Demarcation of the Boundary under the Treaty of Washington. United States Topographical Engineers, were attached to the scientific corps, under the direclatitudes being considered within a few seconds of arc correct, and the longitudes within a

Connected by triangulation, by Lt. W., with Major G.'s astronomical point at Portland. ¶ The longitude of this station is derived from observed azimuths and measurements, based upon Major Graham's determination of the longitude of Taschereau's House, as stated in this table.

** The point known as Hickman's Ferry on the river Sabine, is in lat. 31° 03′ 28'' N. and long. 93° 31' 11'' approximate, by survey from this Hickman's House.