132 



FISHERMEN'S O IVN BOOK. 



Foreign Commerce of Gloucester. 



Gloucester, after Boston, has more foreign arri\als than an)^ other seaport 

 in Massachusetts ! While Salem and Newburyport have hardly a square- 

 rigged vessel arrive in their harbors for a year, Gloucester has sometimes a 

 fleet of five or six in port at one time. Through the kindness of Collector 

 Babson we are enabled to give the following statistics : 



For the year ending Dec. 31, 1881, there arrived at the port of Glouces- 

 ter, I ship, 18 barks, 2 brigs, and 182 schooners from foreign ports. 27 

 ships, barks, brigs and schooners arrived from Cadiz, Trapani and other 

 salt ports. Gloucester has become almost the headquarters for the salt trade 

 of the fisheries. 126 cargoes of lumber, fish, wood and potatoes were re- 

 ceived at this port last year from Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Bruns- 

 wick and other countries. About $200,000 worth of merchandise was im- 

 ported, at the foreign valuation, worth here at least $400,000. By these 

 figures it will be seen that besides its great fishing interests, and its being 

 .the great centre of fish distribution for the United States, Gloucester has 

 quite a respectable foreign commerce. Gloucester owns 10,000 tons more 

 shipping than Salem, Marblehead, Beverly and Newbur3'port combined. 

 J5ut wliile Gloucester has 473 vessels, not one square-rigged vessel is owned 

 here, while in 1828, fifty-four years ago, Gloucester had 29 foreign arrivals, 

 and collected duties on goods to tiie amount of $127,000, with one quarter 

 part of its present tonnage. 



