558 



BRISTOL. 



Bristol, bour cost upwards of L. 300,000, which waa raised 

 -v by shares of L. 135 each. 



Bristol has long been distinguished as one of the 

 first commercial cities in the kingdom, and trades 

 with more independence on the port of London than 

 any other place in Britain. At a very early period, 

 it carried on a considerable traffic with every part of 

 Europe. Its harbours were filled with vessels from 

 Denmark, Prussia, and the Hauseatic towns, which 

 imported much foreign wealth into the country ; and 

 this city has alway been ready in furnishing ships and 

 money for the service of the nation. Many vessels 

 were fitted out at this port for the purpose of disco- 

 very; and its merchants were among the first that en- 

 tered into the West India trade, and engaged in the 

 cod fishery on the coast of Newfoundland. Before 

 the country was intersected with canals, the home 

 trade of Bristol was greatly supported by its exten- 

 sive communication with the Severn, Wye, and the 

 other rivers on the west side of the island ; and hence 

 it enjoyed the export and import traffic of a large part 

 of the kingdom. Whatever exportations they made 

 to any part of the vvoild, they could import the full 

 returns, and find a market, without consigning their 

 cargoes to any other port. But since the canal na- 

 vigation was established, this trade has consider- 

 ably decreased, as the goods of Liverpool and Lon- 

 don now find their way into the very heart of the 

 country. Its foreign commerce, however, is in a more 

 flourishing state, the principal branch of which is 

 with the West Indies. They carry out materials for 

 building, and every article necessary for clothing and 

 maintaining the inhabitants ; and bring in return the 

 productions of the islands, such as cotton, rum and 

 Sugar, &c. with which they supply all South Wales, 

 and the western counties of England. They furnish 

 the western cloth manufactories with wool from Spain, 

 f which they annually import from 4 to 6000 bags, 



and give in exchange a variety of goods, particularly 

 tin, lead, and copper. Great quantities of glass ware 

 are exported to Ireland and America, especially bot- 

 tles, of which nearly the half are filled with beer, cy- 

 der, perry, and Bristol water. Bristol carries on 

 also a general trade with the north of Europe, Portu- 

 gal, the Mediterranean, Africa, and Newfoundland. 



In 178", there were entered at the custom-home of 

 Bristol, 



Intvard. Outward. 



Ships. Tons. Ships. Tons. 



British, 416 48,125 British, 382 4<>',72<) 



Foreign, 69 11,112 Foreign, 66 10,445 



In the same year, the number of vessels belonging 

 to this port amounted to 365, and their burthen to 

 55,809 tons : Of these, 328 were engaged in the fo- 

 reign trade, 30 were coasters, and seven fishing ves- 

 sels, &c. The following year they had considerably 

 increased ; as we find, by another computation, that 

 they then amounted to 392 vessels ; of which 34 were 

 employed to Jamaica ; 38 to the Lee\vard Islands ; 50 

 to North America ; 37 to Africa ; 33 to Newfound- 

 land ; 200 to London, Ireland, and the Continent ; 

 besides 103 trows employed in the trade on the Se- 

 vern and Wye. The commerce, however, of this 

 port received a severe check during the last and pre- 

 sent war. The hand of industry was paralized, and 

 the spirit of adventure almost entirely extinguished. 

 But it is again beginning to revive, from the new im- 

 provements and conveniences of its harbour, and has 

 rather been in the increase during this year or two 

 (1812): for, notwithstanding the distress that has 

 occurred in the commercial world, not a single bill 

 has been returned by this city on the West Indies. 

 In order to give our readers some general idea of the 

 nature and quantity of the commodities imported into 

 this city, we have collected, in the following Table, 

 the weekly imports of the three last months of 1811. 



