The City of London Gas-Light Company, Dorset-street:—­The number of retorts fixed 230; the number of gasometers 6; the largest 39,270 cubic feet, the smallest 5,428 cubic feet; two large additional gasometers nearly completed, contents of each 27,030 cubic feet, making in the whole 181,282 cubic feet.  The number of lamps lighted 5,423 private, and 2,413 public, through 50 miles of mains.  The greatest number of retorts worked at a time (in 1811) 130, the least 110, average 170.  The quantity of coals carbonized amounted to 8,840 chaldrons; produced 106,080,000 cubic feet of gas.

The South London Gas-Light and Coke Company, at Bankside:—­The number of retorts was 140; gasometers 3; the contents of the whole 41,110 cubic feet; and their mains from 30 to 40 miles in length.  At their other station in Wellington-street, they had then no retorts in action; but three large gasometers were erected, containing together 73,565 cubic feet, which were supplied from Bankside till the retorts were ready to work.

The Imperial Gas-Light and Coke Company were erecting at their Hackney station two gasometers of 10,000 cubic feet each, and about to erect four more of the same size.  At their Pancras station they had marked out ground for six gasometers of 10,000 cubic feet each.

In the year 1814, there was only one gasometer in Peter-street, of 14,000 cubic feet, belonging to the Chartered Gas-Light Company, then the only company established in London.  At present there are four great companies, having altogether 47 gasometers at work, capable of containing in the whole 917,940 cubic feet of gas, supplied by 1,315 retorts, and these consuming 33,000 chaldron of coals in the year, and producing 41,000 chaldron of coke.  The whole quantity of gas generated annually being upwards of 397,000,000 cubic feet, by which 61,203 private, and 7,268 public or street lamps are lighted in the metropolis.  In addition to these great companies, there are several private companies, whose operations are not included in the foregoing statements.—­Abridged from Matthews’s History of Gas-Lighting, and the London Magazine, Dec. 1827.

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SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

* * * * *

LONDON LYRICS.

MAGOG’S PROPHECY.

  Pastor cum traheret per freta navibus.

HOR. lib. i. od. 15.

  As late, of civic glory vain,
  The Lord Mayor drove down Mincing-lane,
  The progress of the baimer’d train
    To lengthen, not to shorten: 

  Gigantic Magog, vex’d with heat,
  Thus to be made the rabble’s treat,
  Check’d the long march in Tower-street,
    To tell his Lordship’s fortune.

  “Go, man thy barge for Whitehall Stair;
  Salute th’ Exchequer Barons there,
  Then summon round thy civic chair
    To dinner Whigs and Tories—­
  Bid Dukes and Earls thy hustings climb;
  But mark my work, Matthias Prime,
  Ere the tenth hour the scythe of Time
    Shall amputate, thy glories.