DISPOSAL OF FOREST PRODUCTS. 



195 



Forest-Master, special mention is made of wood suitable 

 for shipbuilding. Such is chiefly made use of in the 

 country. It may be the case that to a great extent iron 

 is now used instead of wood in shipbuilding in Finland as 

 elsewhere ; but the consumption of wood produced in the 

 country in this industry is far from being inconsiderable. 

 About 70 per cent, of the exports and imports of Finland 

 are made in Finnish vessels. The mercantile navy of 

 Finland in 1876 consisted of about 1900 vessels, of an 

 aggregate tonnage of 150,000 Finnish lastes, or 285,000 

 tons, exclusive of sailing boats of less than 10 lastes' ton- 

 nage, and of that number 125 were steam vessels of an 

 aggregate tonnage of 8819 lastes. 



The commerce of Finland has been steadily increasing 

 of late years. The following is the number of vessels and 

 their tonnage, entering and leaving Finland in the years 

 cited : 



The imports and exports in the same years were, with 

 the duties in marks, equivalent to francs, or tenpence 

 sterling : 



