436 A. D. 1797. 



Whatever may ultimately be the fuccefs of this laft, and hitherto beft- 

 conce.ted, endeavour to give life to the Britifh fi{heries, the nation at 

 Iar,s:e is under the greateft obligation to the generous patriotifm of the 

 fubfciibers, who have undertaken ' to colled the weak and fcattered 

 ' rays of induftry, and bring them, for the greater public utility, invo 

 * one focus,' and who, without any view of private emolument, and 

 with Scarcely any profped of reimburfement, are zealoufly promoting 

 the highell; and molt important interefts of the public at an expenfe, of 

 which the pubHc bears no fhare. 



As fome relief from the hardfhips fuffered by the want of a fufficient 

 quantity of filver coin in circulation, a number of new gold pieces of 

 the value of feven fliillings were coined. They are much broader in 

 proportion than the quarter-guineas, which were in circulation fome 

 years after the commencement of the prefent reign. 



This year the Danifh Eafl-India company divided twelve per cent on 

 their capital flock ; and they had about ^"30,000 fterling remaining, 

 ready to anfwer any emergencies. They have made fome regulations, 

 Which, they exped, will raife their trade, at leaft during the prefent 

 war, to the higheft degree of profperity, fo as to rival in fome refpedts 

 ?hat of the Britifh Eaft-India company. 



This year 533 Britifh veflels entered the port of Peterfburg, whence 

 they carried Ruflian merchandize to the amount of ^^2,400,000 fterling. 

 The Portuguefe were the nation next to the Britifh in the value of their 

 exports froiyi Peterfburg, which amounted only to ;i(^8o,ooo ; and the 

 Danes were next to the Britifh in the number of vefTels, which, how- 

 ever, were only 86. Though the balance of trade with RufTia appears 

 to be unfavourable to Great Britain, yet it is exceedingly advantageous, 

 as the imports confiiT: of raw materials for our manufadures, of fome 

 goods manufadured by the Ruffians better and cheaper than we can 

 make them, and of naval flores, of which the article of hemp has be- 

 come much more important, fince Ruflia has acquired the countries 

 where it is produced in the greatefl plenty and perfedtion. In eftimat- 

 ing the value of this branch of our commerce it mufl alfo be remem- 

 bered, that the carriage is, with a very trifling exception, wholely in 

 our own hands, whereby from fix hundred to near a thoufand Britifh 

 vefTels, and from fix to ten thoufand feamen, are employed*. 



* This year 610 vefR-ls, whereof 5 were foreign, arrivals of Britifh veflels from Ruffia been fo lowr 



arrived in Great Britain from the different ports of as 700. In the year 1 796 they were 1019, befides 



RufTia, befides thofe which arrived in Ireland. 14 foreign veffels. 

 But in no other year fince 1789 has the number of 



