13.-Tour of Duty in California, including a Description of the Gold Region, and an account of the Voyage around Cape Horn; with notices of Lower California, the Gulf and Pacific Coasts, and the Principal Events attending the Conquest of the Californias. By JOSEPH WARREN REVERE, Lieutenant U. S. Navy, lately in command of the Military District of Sonoma. Edited by JOSEPH N. BALESTIER, of New York. With a map and plate from original designs. 12mo. pp. 305. New York: Charles S. Francis.

This is quite an interesting and readable volume, and we are assured by the editor, Mr. J. N. Balestier, that its entire authenticity may be implicitly relied upon, not the slightest liberty having been taken with matters of fact furnished by the author. The additions of Mr. B., derived from the most authentic and accessible data, are interwoven with the text in such a manner as not to mar the unity or interest of the work. Besides the interesting number of personal incidents and adventures of the author, we have a large amount of information touching the soil, climate, productions, manners and customs of the people, which must prove highly valuable to the emigrant, while it adds to our limited stock of knowledge in regard to California. It is one of the few books on the subject, that affords anything like accurate or reliable information; and will, we have no doubt, be found exceedingly useful to the adventurous spirits about departing for the newly acquired territory of the United States, either in search of gold, or occupation and settlement. We shall have occasion to refer to this work in a future number of our Magazine.

14.—Outlines of the Course of Qualitative Analysis followed in the Gressen Laboratory. By HENRY WILL, Ph. D., Professor Extraordinary in the University of Gressen. With a Preface. By Baron LIEBIG. 12mo. pp. 139. Boston: J. Munroe & Co. This work is designed for use in the laboratory of the practical chemist; consequently, everything which does not immediately refer to the processes of analysis is very properly excluded. It contains an accurate description of the course followed in the laboratory of Dr. Liebig, with advantage, for twenty-five years; and was prepared by Professor Will, who was Dr. L.'s assistant during a great part of that period, and at his request.

The destruction, by fire, of the establishment in which our Magazine was printed, has been a source of no small loss and inconvenience to us. The loss of our printer, GEORGE W. WOOD, the proprietor of the printing office, has been severe, amounting to some $8000, with the exception of $2500, insured. The building, being occupied by HoE and Co., the extensive press manufacturers, with steamengines, and located in one of the narrowest streets in New York, was considered very hazardous by underwriters, and it was with great difficulty that Mr. Wood obtained insurance for the small amount named, at 3 per cent premium. The great loss we experienced on account of the total destruction of nearly all the copy given out for the March number, and mostly in type, we have only been able to repair by doing our work over again, as far as that was practicable. The loss, we have the satisfaction of knowing, however, is all our own, so far as the Magazine is concerned, as our patrons will notice that our journal appears on an entirely new and beautiful type, from the foundry of Mr. JOHN T. WHITE; and although the number for March has been made up almost entirely of new or other matter than that originally prepared, we believe that it is equally as appropriate to the character of our journal, and will be found as valuable to our readers as that which was destroyed. The few days of delay in the appearance of the Merchants' Magazine could have been avoided, by employing another printer, with an office prepared for the work; but we preferred retaining our worthy, but unfortunate friend, Mr. Wood, who has been our printer for the last seven or eight years, faithfully discharging his duty to the best of his ability.

Several papers from correspondents were destroyed, but all, with the exception of two, have been replaced, and will be published in a future number of our journal. Among the former, there was, we regret to state, a paper received from the Secretary of the Norfolk County Health Insurance Compa ny, of Massachusetts, commenting upon the article on the Law of Sickness, which appeared in the number for December, 1848, analyzing the tables of Mr. ANSEL, upon which that article was based and controverting his assumption of a scale of sickness graduated by different ages. The writer pre served no copy of that communication, but will probably be able to prepare another, having in his possession the data on which his conclusions were based.

A Correspondent has requested a place in the April number of our journal for an answer to the paper in the February number, on the Coast Survey of the United States.