Travels Through North America 



calculations founded on the foregoing table, as well as from 

 other information, that the proportion of tonnage, employed 

 before the war in this branch of commerce, which belonged 

 to the inhabitants of Great Britain, was about four-eighths 

 and an half; and the proportion, which belonged to British 

 merchants, occasionally resident in the colonies now form- 

 ing the United States, was about one-eighth and an half, 

 making together nearly six-eighths of the whole; and that 

 the proportion of tonnage so employed, which belonged to 

 merchants, who were then natives and permanent inhabi- 

 tants of the colonies now forming the United States, was 

 rather more than two-eighths of the whole. At present 

 the proportion of tonnage, employed in this branch of con- 

 merce, belonging to the merchants of Great Britain, is 

 nearly six-eighths of the whole; and the proportion of ton- 

 nage, belonging to the merchants of the United States, is 

 rather more than two-eighths of the whole; so that in this 

 view of the subject, though the quantity of shipping, em- 

 ployed between Great Britain, and the countries now under 

 the dominion of the United States, has since the war de- 

 creased on the whole; yet, allowing for this decrease, the 

 share of the shipping which belongs to the merchants of 

 Great Britain, has increased in the proportion of one- 

 eighth and an half; (the share of the shipping, which before 

 the war belonged to British merchants, occasionally resi- 

 dent in the colonies now forming the United States, being 

 transferred to merchants resident in Great Britain); and 

 the share of the shipping so employed, which now belongs 

 to merchants, subjects of the United States, and permanent 

 inhabitants thereof, is nearly the same as it was before the 

 war. 



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