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accidental injury. This shows that the mortality, during these years, was at the rate of 17 men annually out of every 1,000 from disease, and 19 from all causes.

The enrolled Pensioners in Great Britain and Ireland, during the eight years ending March, 1852, died at the rate of 22 men annually out of every 1,000 living. The deaths among all the Pensioners in the United Kingdom, enrolled and not enrolled, between 40 and 50 of age, during the same period, were 32 per 1,000. The English Peers, between 40 and 50 years of age, die at the rate of 27 annually out of every 1,000, and the Northampton table strikes the mortality, between 40 and 50, to be 24 per 1,000.

It is therefore obvious that the mortality among the Pensioner force in New Zealand has been very low—a result which not only indicates a healthy climate, but also affords a clear indication of the comfortable condition of the men.

I will now examine into the nature of the maladies which caused the deaths of the 37 men.

TABLE Number 3 shows the number of Deaths which occurred from different classes of Diseases among the Pensioner Force stationed in the neighbourhood of Auckland, New Zealand, during the Four Years ending March, 1853, together with the annual ratio of Deaths per 1,000.

It will be seen from the above table, that there were fewer deaths from fever and diseases of the lungs, among the Pensioners in New Zealand, than among the army stationed in Great Britain; but the mortality produced by affections of the brain cannot be passed over without notice. The exact bearing of this will be seen in the following compilation:—

TABLE Number 4 shows, out of 1,000 Deaths among different classes of Men between the Ages of 40 and 50, the proportion which occurred from different classes of Diseases.

This Table is thus read: out of 1,000 deaths among the Pensioner Force in New Zealand, 27 occurred from fevers; among the same number of deaths in Carlisle, 240 were caused by fevers; and among persons assured at the Equitable Society, 166 were caused by fevers.

It will be observed, that disease of the Brain caused a very large proportion of the mortality among the Pensioners, and according to table Number 3, Apoplexy was the most common malady, a disease which is, comparatively speaking, seldom met with among the civil population in Carlisle between 40 and 50. It is more common among people sufficiently wealthy to assure their lives, but out of all proportion most frequent among the Pensioners.

Apoplexy, I may observe, is not a very common disease before men reach 50. It may therefore be asked, what is the cause of this frequency of apoplexy among the Pensioners at such an early age? I wish I could avoid this question, but the two deaths from Delirium Tremens indicate the abuse of intoxicating liquors, and, from enquiry, I have no hesitation in stating, that most of the deaths among the Pensioners from Apoplexy were directly and indirectly caused by intemperance, a vile habit contracted by these old soldiers in early life while serving in the army, and a habit which has been continued by some, although given up by many of them, since their arrival in New Zealand.

Many interesting deductions may be drawn from table No. 4, indicative of the laws which regulate our existence. The Pensioners still appear to suffer from those maladies, the seeds of which were laid in their bodies when serving in tropical climates, but I cannot imagine any country more suited for men enervated by long residences in the tropics, than the climate of New Zealand, and the Pensioners I have spoken to on this subject think so themselves.

6.—PROBABLE REASON OF THE SALUBRITY OF THE CLIMATE OF NEW ZEALAND.

I have been often surprised that the wet and boisterous weather in New Zealand, to which I have seen men exposed night and day, did not

• Carlisle Table for 1779 to 1787.
  † Calculated from 4,095 deaths.