LIVERPOOL. DO OKS. 69 



other side of the river, a considerably larger extent of docks 

 is laid out and constructing. A basin for coasters, which 

 covers over sixteen acres, and in which there is twelve feet at 

 low water, is just completed there. 



Each dock has its own dock-master, custom-house super- 

 intendant, and police force. The police is the most perfect 

 imaginable. It is composed of intelligent and well-instructed 

 young men, most courteous and obliging, at the same time 

 prompt and efficient. It quite surprised me to see our fierce 

 captains submit like lambs to have their orders countermand 

 ed by them. 



There are three docks for the convenience of steamers 

 alone. The American steamers, I suppose, are too large to 

 go into them, for they are lying in the stream. 



The docks were built by the town, and besides the won 

 derful increase of its commerce which they have effected, the 

 direct revenue from them gives a large interest on their cost. 

 The charges are more moderate than at other British ports, 

 and this has, no doubt, greatly helped to draw their commerce 

 here. This is the principal ground, for instance, of the selec 

 tion of Liverpool in preference to Bristol as the port of 

 departure for transatlantic steamers. The foreign commerce 

 of Liverpool is the most valuable of any town in the world. 

 Its immense business is probably owing to its being the best 

 port in the vicinity of the thickest manufacturing district of 

 England. It is not naturally a good harbour, but a very 

 exposed and inconvenient one. The port charges at Bristol 

 have been lately greatly reduced, and are now lower than 

 those of Liverpool, or any other port in the United Kingdom. 

 The amount paid by vessels for dockage has in some years 

 been $1,000,000, and the whole is expended by the corpora 

 tion in improvements of the town and for public purposes. 



The small steam craft do not usually go into the docks, but 



