75 



Newfoundland and Salt trades. The latter business has attained 

 great proportions, and this ancient port shows more than ever the 

 presence of great ships and barques, sometimes as many as six be- 

 ing in port at one time. Besides this important business Glouces- 

 ter carries on quite a large business with the British Provinces, and 

 its importation of codfish, herring, wood and lumber are very impor- 

 tant. These branches of business are likely to increase in the fu- 

 ture, (especially the salt trade), and this ancient seaport may yet 

 show a greater amount of foreign shipping at its wharves than it did 

 in ancient times. 



It will be seen from these statements that not only as a fishing 

 port has Gloucester been celebrated, but as a seat of foreign com- 

 merce it has occupied a very respectable position. But Boston grad- 

 ually attracted the business of all the lesser ports such as Salem, 

 Newburyport and Gloucester, and now it looks almost as if the trade 

 of Boston itself was to be swallowed up by New York, Philadelphia 

 and Baltimore, who govern exports to Boston. 



The total value of the imports into the District of Gloucester for 

 1875 was $107,610, as follows : salt, $65,531 ; codfish, $23,100 ; 

 fresh herring, '$6,833 ; salt do. ,$1300; firewood, $6575 ; potatoes, 

 $2008 ; cigars, $746 ; coal, $620 ; fish oil, $350 ; eggs, $169 ; other 

 fish, $174 ; miscellaneous, $204. 



At an earlier period of the fisheries, the vessels fitted for the 

 Banks, then took their fares to Spain, bringing return cargoes of 

 salt, &c. Since that time there were no direct importations of any 

 note until the receipt of a ship load June 1, 1861, followed by anoth- 

 er ship load June 5th of the same year, both from Liverpool, Eng. 

 These cargoes amounted to 8507 hogsheads, of an invoiced value of 

 $4905. In 1870, 20,136 2-3 hhds. of Liverpool salt, valued at $8673, 

 and 24,879 1-2 hhds. o^ Cadiz salt, valued at $13,910, were import- 

 ed in seven brigs and ten barks. In 1875 the importations were 74,- 

 032 hhds. from Cadiz, 20,480 hhds. from Liverpool, 10,966 hhds. 

 from Trapani, and 3,008 hhds. from Turk's Island. Total importa- 

 tions, 108,486 hhds. in 2 ships, 12 barks, 12 brigs, and 16 three- 

 masted schooners. Of these 42 vessels, 34 were under the American, 

 5 under the English, and 3 under the Austrian flag. The amount of 

 salt used in the curing of fish was 106,245 hhds. 



