ON THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. 25 



which in the course of trade changes hands several times before reaching 

 the domestic consumer ; making, in the aggregate, an amount of traffic 

 counting by thousands of millions ; whilst the whole amount shipped to 

 foreign countries is but $140,000,000, being only one-thirtieth part of 

 the entire production of the country, which thus finds an outlet in foreign 

 markets. 



The single article of coal annually transported coastwise, and in canal 

 boats, or on railroads, is of sufficient bulk to furnish fall cargoes for four 

 times the quantity of all the American tonnage employed in foreign com- 

 merce, and probably affords the means of livelihood to a greater number 

 of persons than the latter. 



The coastwise trade to and from the American ports in the Gulf of Mex- 

 co is of itself, probably, nearly equal, in point of value, to the entire 

 export of American productions to foreign nations. 



The statistics of exports during the year 1847, when famine prevailed 

 so extensively in Europe, furnish some curious illustrations respecting the 

 home markets and the foreign ones. There was some difficulty, at that 

 time, in procuring sufficient shipping, including both American and for- 

 eign, to convey our breadstuffs to the famishing nations of Europe, and 

 yet our entire exports during that year of the two principal articles of 

 food Indian corn (maize) and flour were only about three per cent, of 

 the former, and about ten per cent, of the latter, estimated on the whole 

 crop produced in the United States ; leaving ninety-seven per cent, of the 

 Indian corn, and ninety per cent of the wheat crop, for the supply of the 

 home market, where it was actually consumed. Our exports of bread- 

 stuffs at present are only about one-third of what they were during the 

 above year of unusual demand; exhibiting, in a still more striking con- 

 trast, the immense difference between the home and foreign markets in 

 favor of the former. 



The mere tolls collected by the canals and railroads on the transporta- 

 tion of merchandise for the internal trade of the country, exceeds in 

 amount the total value of all the breadstuffs purchased from us by foreign 

 nations. 



The annual value of the crop of Indian corn, of wheat, and of hay, 

 each respectively, is fully equal to the entire value of our productions ex- 

 ported to foreign countries. The annual amount of the manufactures in 

 the States of New York or Pennsylvania, in either of those States, greatly 

 exceeds the value of such exports ; and even those of the comparatively 

 small State of Massachusetts are fully equal to all the productions of the 

 country consumed by foreign nations. The latter State probably con- 

 sumes breadstuffs that are produced in the middle and western States to a 

 greater amount than is shipped to all Europe. 



