68 



THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE SEA. 



and this revolution in trade stand in the relation of cause and 

 effect, or be merely a coincidence, let others judge. 



189. In 1769 the commerce of the two Carolinas equaled that 

 statistics. of all the New England States together; it was 



more than double that of ISTew York, and exceeded that of Penn- 

 sylvania by one third.'-* In 1792, the exports from New York 

 amounted in value to two millions and a half; from Pennsylvania, 

 to $3,820,000; and from Charleston alone, to $3,834,000. But 

 in 1795 — by which time the Gulf Stream began to be as well un- 

 derstood by navigators as it now is, and the average passages 

 from Europe to the North were shortened nearly one half, while 

 those to the South remained about the same — the customs at 

 Philadelphia alone amounted to $2,941,000,'!' or more than one 

 half of those collected in all the states together. 



190. Nor did the effect of the doctor's discovery end here. 

 Tiie shortening of P^forc it was made, the Gulf Stream was altogether 

 voyages. lusidious iu its cffccts. By it, vessels were often 

 drifted many miles out of their course without knowing it; and 

 in bad and cloudy weather, when many days would intervene 

 from one observation to another, the set of the current, though 



* From M^JPherson's Annals of Commerce. — Exports aiid Imports in 1769, valued in 



Sterling Money. 



1 Doc. No. 3 0, n. R., 2(1 Session, 25;h Congress. Some of its statements do not agree with those 

 taken from ?»rPiiei'son nnd pi-eviou.'ly quoted. 



