Their return cargoes would probably amount to 93,000 From Nantucket fifty ships, which probably cost 1,350,000 Their return cargoes would probably amount to 2,342,000 From New Bedford, on this side Cape Horn, there are eleven ships and eight brigs, which probably cost 277,000 Their return cargoes probably will amount to 363,000 From Nantucket ten ships, which probably cost 140,000 And their return cargoes will probably amount to 227,000 ---------- Amounting in all to $6,000,000 ---------- _New Bedford Paper_.] _Fire-Places_. FROM THE DOWNINGSTON REPUBLICAN. _Fire-places_, for warming rooms, have been for a long time in use; and the best plan for constructing them continues to be an interesting subject of investigation. Whether or not fire-places and chimneys are of very ancient date, and mentioned by Virgil Appian, and Aristophanes, or whether they are of more modern invention, is not of much practical importance; and may be left to philosophers to determine. But as the proper construction of a chimney and fire-place is one of the greatest comforts of domestic life, I cannot doubt but that government will grant me a handsome premium for making public an unerring rule by which they can be so built as never to fail of drawing well, without emitting any smoke into the apartment. When the principle was first discovered by me, I wondered how it could so happen, that we had any defective chimnies amongst us; for I remembered to have heard that Dr. Franklin and count Rumford had devoted much attention to this subject, and must, of course, as I thought, have discovered a principle so plain and self-evident; and consequently, every mechanic must have learnt it, as not they only were interested in it, but every one of the civilized world.--After thinking of it in this way, I took an opportunity of inquiring into their opinions, and I find that the principle was never new to either of them; and as far as I know, I am the first and only discoverer of it. The principle consists simply in making the size of the flue bear a certain proportion to the size of the fire-place in front. To ascertain what would be the smallest proportion which the flue would bear to the front of the fire-place, would require some experiments. But it is probable that a fire-place 2-1/2 feet square in front, would draw well enough to carry up all the smoke, by a flue 12 by 14 inches, and probably by a one foot square: or even less may probably do.