Travels Through North America 



APPENDIX, N 2 



I HAVE not been able to procure any satisfactory ac- 

 count of the tonnage cleared out of the different ports 

 of North America, in the years 1759 and 1760; owing to 

 the incorrect manner of taking the tonnage at that time, 

 and the irregularity with which the accounts were generally 

 transmitted to England: but having been favoured by G. 

 Chalmers, Esq. first Clerk to the Committe of Council for 

 the consideration of all matters relating to trade and foreign 

 plantations, with an exact statement of the number of 

 vessels and their tonnage, which entered inwards and cleared 

 outwards, in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and 

 South Carolina, in the year 1770; at which time the colonies 

 were in their most flourishing condition: a probable con- 

 jecture may be formed from it of the state of their commerce 

 ten years before, by allowing for its increase during that 

 period of peace and prosperity. The number of vessels 

 and their tonnage cleared out from New York is not speci- 

 fied in the statement; but by collating other accounts I have 

 endeavoured to ascertain it as nearly as possible. Mr. 

 Chalmers, with the greatest liberality and politeness, 

 favoured me at the same time with several tables and state- 

 ments relating to the commercial situation of the United 

 States, both before and since the American war; which, as 

 they are full of information, and cannot fail of being highly 

 interesting to the reader, I have here annexed: and I am 



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