ECONOMIC SOCIAL 119 



"Tradesman's Magazine," vol. i, p. 21, 

 gives the number of sailors employed in 

 the British West India trade in 1807 as 

 14,000, and the tonnage as 180,000, or one 

 man to thirteen tons. Mr. Nourse, the 

 ^United States Registrar, in 1800 reports 

 that the proportion of men to tonnage in 

 the codfishing fleet of that year was one to 

 five. Two years later he reports it as one to 

 seven. 



As a matter of fact, the American sailor 

 followed the sea, left the sea, or changed 

 his service, according as inclination or 

 necessity might demand, and estimates as 

 to the number of United States sailors 

 employed in any one year are merely rough 

 guesses. 



The wages paid American seamen were, 

 as a rule, higher than those paid by any 

 other nation. From 1714 to 1775 an Ameri- 

 can seaman's pay averaged about % 10s. 

 per month. 1 After the Revolutionary War, 

 wages were higher, but varied according to 

 1 Weeden, vol. ii, p. 517. 



