COMMERCE. 



imported direct from Great Britain. The 

 port of Hamburgh for a time possessed 

 he principal share of the of trade Europe, 

 but the unusual flow of business in this 

 direction encouraged a spirit of adven- 

 ture and speculation, which in 1799 pro- 

 duced great embarrassment, involving 

 not only the merchants of Hamburgh, 

 but also some of the most considerable 

 houses in Bremen, Frankfort, Amsterdam, 

 and London. The trade with Germany, 

 however, continued of great importance, 

 till the influence of France obliged them 

 to break ofi their intercourse with this 

 country. 



The trade with Holland and Flanders, 

 one of the most ancient branches 01 the 

 commerce of this country, has not in- 

 creased in proportion with the trade to 

 other parts : it is, however, still conside- 

 rable in time of peace. The total value 

 of the exports to Holland in 1792 was 

 1,516,449Z., in 1802 they amounted to 

 4,957,99/7. 



France, enjoying great natural advan- 

 tages, and having for a long time many 

 colonial possessions, had not occasion to 

 receive much merchandize from this 

 country. The frequent hostilities be- 

 tween the two countries has likewise pre- 

 vented the formation of permanent com- 

 mercial connections, but some intercourse 

 of this kind always subsisted even in time 

 of war, particularly with the ports of Ca- 

 lais, Bourdeaux, Havre, and Rouen, till 

 the reign of Bonaparte, who resorted to 

 a new mode of warfare, by prohibiting all 

 intercourse whatever with Great Britain, 

 even through the intervention of neutral 

 vessels. 



The commerce with Spain and Portu- 

 gal has not ot late years been of great ex- 

 tent ; the export to the latter country, 

 however, consisting almost wholly of Bri- 

 tish produce and manufactures, has ge- 

 neraily been considered a valuable branch 

 of foreign trade, and measures have been 

 frequently adopted for its preservation. 

 In j 801, when Portugal was threatened 

 with invasion, the wines of that country 

 were allowed to be imported and ware- 

 housed, on bond being given for the pay- 

 ment of the duty when taken out for 

 consumption. The removal of the go- 

 vernment to the Brazils, and subjugation 

 of the country by the French, mwst 

 cause a great revolution in this branch of 

 trade. 



The Mediterranean trade suffered 

 great interruption from the war which 

 began in 1793 ; and in the war of 1803, 

 it was reduced to little more than the 



supply of the islands of Sicily and Mal- 

 ta. 



The exports to the coast of Africa 

 must experience a considerable diminu- 

 tion from the abolition of the slave trade, 

 till a more reputable species of traffic is 

 cultivated with the inhabitants of that 

 extensive continent, who will be induced 

 to furnish a greater quantity of their na- 

 tive commodities, in order to procure the 

 cheap manufactures and luxuries to which 

 they have been accustomed. 



The East India trade has always been 

 deemed very lucrative; but from the risks 

 of such a distant voyage, the necessity of 

 a large capital, and other circumstances, 

 most ot the states of Europe have deem- 

 ed it expedient to vest this trade in the 

 hands of an exclusive company. From 

 about the year 1750, the mercantile con- 

 cerns oi the English East India Company 

 have become blended with tiie revenues 

 derived from the territorial possessions 

 which they have acquired in India, and 

 which have been augmented to an im- 

 mense extent, as the nett amount of these 

 revenues, as well as the fortunes acquir- 

 ed by their officers and servants, are in- 

 vested in merchandise, in order to be re- 

 mitted to Great Britain. The imports of 

 the Company have therefore increased 

 very considerably, and in the year IV 97, 

 Mr. Irving, the inspector general of im- 

 ports and exports, gave his opinion, that, 

 including the private trade of individuals, 

 carried on through the medium of the 

 Company, and the proceeds of the terri- 

 torial revenues, Great Britain derived an 

 actual profit from the East India trade of 

 about ^,300,000/. per annum. The prin- 

 cipal articles, imported from the East In- 

 dies are, % from China, teas, nankeen cloths, 

 and raw silk ; from Bengal, piece goods of 

 various kinds, raw siik, pepper, saltpetre, 

 spices, drugs, sugar, coffee, &,c. The to- 

 tal value of all the goods sold at the Com- 

 pany's sales, in the year ending 1st 

 March, 1806, was 8,,'81,442/. 



The West India trade, in the year 

 1787, employed about 130,000 tons of 

 shipping ; and in the year 1804, above 

 180,000 tons, navigated by 14,000 sea- 

 men. In 14 years, ending 1804, the va- 

 lue of the imports had increased nine 

 millions sterling, and the revenue deriv- 

 ed from them had increased above three 

 and a half millions, including the con- 

 quered colonies ; but, exclusive of these, 

 the imports from the West Indies were 

 about a fourth of the whole imports of 

 Great Britain. This branch of trade is 

 however subject to great fluctuations, of 



