Lucifer-match-makers 101 Lunatic asylums 2 Observe the great care in these asylums. All the asylums for lunatics furnishing only two fires in sixteen years! Printers and Engravers 72 Private houses 3352 Of the above, the immense number of 1302 were discovered to have been caused by the taking fire of curtains, dresses, airing linen, &c. Sale-shops and offices 526 Of these, 379 burnt gas; and the fires caused by gas were 129. Ships 82 Caused by stores, flues, cooking, igniting of cargo, smoking tobacco, &c. Stables 192 Caused by candles, lucifers, smoking tobacco, intoxication, &c. Tailors 81 Seventeen of the above were caused by gas; 13 by candles; and some by smoking tobacco. Theatres 20 Of the above number, 8 were caused by gas; some others by smoking tobacco, and the taking fire of curtains, dresses, &c. Tobacconists 43 Of the above, 6 were caused by gas; 6 by lucifer-matches; others by curtains, smoking tobacco, by a _cat_, and by _rats_. A word more of these incendiaries presently. Victuallers 542 Of the above, there were 21 totally destroyed; 167 much damaged, and 354 slightly. Of the causes, 83 were from the flues; 73, curtains, dresses, &c.; 65, gas; 36, smoking tobacco; 35, a candle. The remainder comes under the various heads of lucifers, hot cinders, intoxication, children playing with fire, a spark, and a monkey. Besides this ‘monkey,’ we have had occasion to mention several other ‘sparks,’ concerning whom some passing explanation may be needed. Having noticed the word ‘cat,’ occurring several times in the list of annual causes of fire,—‘Yes,’ replied Mr. Braidwood, ‘we often have a cat.’ It appears that the cat sometimes upsets the clothes-horse with things airing; or, perhaps, in creeping under the clothes to get inside the fender, drags some of them with her on her back. The fire caused by the monkey was attributable to some prank of his—meaning no harm, perhaps, but not much caring about that. The incendiarism of the rats was undoubtedly effected innocently by their investigation of a box of lucifers, which included a trial if the matches were good to eat. Their teeth exploded them—a feat very easily performed.