orded.

A new Crystal Palace was erected at Sydenham, which excited a
wide-spread interest, that even the thunders of war could not distract.

The friends of literature were gratified by the erection of a monument
to Thomas Hood, in the cemetery at Kensal Green. No writer of modern
times, in prose or verse, possessed his facility for touching the hearts
of his countrymen, and leaving his words deep in their memory.

In the autumn the public were much affected by tidings concerning the
fate of the great arctic navigator, Captain Franklin, which left no
longer a hope that he had survived the perils of the polar seas. Dr.
Rae, the celebrated American traveller, landed at Deal, in October, and
made a communication to the admiralty to the following effect: that the
captain and his whole party had, according to the testimony of certain
Esquimaux, perished of cold and famine in the spring of 1850. Dr. Rae
and his party purchased various articles from these people, which were
undoubtedly relics of the unfortunate expedition. During September, the
screwsteamer, _Phoenix_, had arrived at Queen's Town, on her return from
a searching voyage in connection with the gallant captain. This vessel
was the remains of the little squadron, commanded by Captains Collinson,
McClure, and Belcher. Captains Collinson and McClure succeeded in
establishing the fact of a north-west passage. They were, however,
unable to discover any traces of the Franklin expedition, such as would
lead to any certainty as to his fate.

During the summer and autumn the cholera smote London and the provinces
with great severity. During the quarter ending September, about thirty
thousand persons perished in England of cholera and diarrhoea; during
the three months ending with December, several thousands more were added
to the sad enumeration.

One of the events of the year which most interested the commercial
public, was the great loss of property by shipwreck. The coasts of
the United Kingdom were strewn with wrecks in every direction, but
especially along the north-east of England. There were upon the coasts
of Great Britain and Ireland nine hundred and eighty-seven wrecks.
During the first month of the year the greatest havoc was made. During
that month four hundred and sixty-seven lives were lost. The total
number lost by shipwreck during the year was one thousand five hundred
and forty-nine. Such was the report of the Admiralty's register; but
it is certain