208 FORESTRY OF NORWAY. 



the crew, the proportion of these per thousand tons, and the 

 number of steamers, tonnage, crews, and horse-powers of 

 these; and of the annual additions made and losses sustained 

 by the mercantile navy in each year from 1861 till 1875, 

 giving the number and tonnage of vessels built in Norway, 

 of vessels purchased abroad, of vessels sold abroad, of 

 vessels lost at sea, and vessels condemned ; the means of 

 each of these particulars in the successive semi-decades, 

 and like particulars in both respects relative to steamers. 

 He gives like tabulated statements of the number and 

 tonnage of vessels entering Norwegian ports from abroad, 

 loaded and in ballast, of vessels leaving Norwegian ports, 

 loaded and in ballast, for foreign ports, and the number 

 of each of these categories entering or leaving laden ; the 

 number of Norwegian vessels sailing between foreign ports, 

 arriving and departing, and the number of these in cargo. 



From the first of these tabulated statements it appears 

 that the mercantile navy has doubled within the last pre- 

 ceding ten years, and quadrupled in the last twenty-three 

 years. The increase dates from the opening of English 

 ports in I860, and from demands arising out of the Crimean 

 war. But the second shows that while the increase in 

 numbers was made both by construction and purchase, the 

 great increase in proportionate tonnage was by purchase, 

 the average tonnage of the vessels built being 228 tons, 

 the average tonnage of those bought, 392 tons. 



The average size of the vessels has been more than 

 doubled within the last twenty years ; in 1855 it was 83 

 tons, in 1875 180 tons. 



The greater portion of the Norwegian merchant ships 

 are sailing vessels, but the number of steamers is con- 

 siderable. 



The value of the mercantile navy of Norway amounted in 



1850 to . 93 million francs.* 



1868 to . . 260 



1874 to . . 278 



1875 to . . 267 



* In round numbers 25 francs may be reckoned equivalent to a guinea. 



