1 2 Mr. y. C. BoU7'inot on Canada! s Marine and Fisheries. 



The increased demand for steam and iron vessels has of late years 

 interfered very materially with the construction of the wooden craft built 

 in the provinces; but nevertheless that branch of industry ia flourishing, 

 as the following return for 1871 shows : — 



Ontario built . 

 Quebec built 

 New Brunswick built 

 Nova Scotia built 



55 vessels of 7,777 tons. 

 80 „ 20.(i6t „ 

 108 „ 33,355 

 146 „ 44,307 





But the provinces now chiefly build vessels for their own trade, and 

 consequently own and sail a large amount of tonnage. In 180(5, all 

 British America only owned a tonnage of 71,943 ; ia a quarter (tf a cen- 

 tury it had reached 176,040 ; in fifty years it had more than doubled, 

 $399,204. In 1867 the mercantile marine of Canada showed an increase 

 of 224,000 tons over 1801, and was distributed is follows : — 



Total for B. N. A. 



7,659 



776.343 

 82,939 

 40,000 



899,282 



23,583,062 

 3,117,560 

 1,000,000 



$28,300,622 



We have not the complete returns of the Census of 1870 at hand, 

 but it is estimated ou good authority that the total tonnage of 

 the Dominion at the present time is at least a million, and that 

 of all British North America one hundred and fifty thousand greater. 

 Of this aggregate there is a considerable part made up of small ves- 

 sels engaged in the fisheries. Of late years the maritime provinces 

 have embarked more largely in the fisheries in the gulf and on the 

 banks, which can only be prosecuted in schooners. Still a great proportion 

 consists of vessels of large class, not a few of which are classed as A 1 at 

 Lloyd's, and carry freights in every quarter of the globe. Propellers are 

 rapidly taking the place of sailing vessels on the lakes, and many of them 

 are of a size beyond the capacity of the canals. It was a Nova Scotian, 

 Sir Samuel Cunard, who established the most efficient and successful line 

 of steamers that has ever carried the Britsh flag across the ocean. A firm 

 of Montreal merchants, the Messrs. Allan, are also the proprietors of another 

 line of ocean steamships, equally famous for their speed and safety. This 

 company was formed in 1833, and now owns some twenty steamers, those 

 of the main line ranging from 4,000 to 2,000 tons, and not surpassed by the 

 *' Cunarders" in all the essentials of comfort. 



Whils't the marine of Canada is making steady progress that of the 

 United States is exhibiting a rapid decline, as was fully shown in an able 



