14 Statistics of Van Diemen's Land. 
concerned, they have doubtless much benefitted by this 
change of employment; but the Colony has incurred a 
serious loss in the check thus given to one of its most 
important staple productions. Itis cheering, however, to 
know that the evil is only temporary, and is even now in 
course of remedy. With regard to California, it is more 
than doubtful whether the advantages of that market have 
at all compensated for the actual loss sustained in this 
breach upon the regular industry of the Colony. It is 
believed that the returns realized have been insufficient to 
cover the prime cost of the goods exported thither. The 
first shipments of wooden houses and timber well requited 
the lucky adventurers ; but this source of profit has now 
altogether failed. Manufactured goods of almost every 
description have been sold at ruinous prices. The prime 
necessaries of life alone—comprising flour, potatoes, onions, 
fruit, coals, &c. 
have yielded handsome returns; and it is 
most satisfactory to learn that a strong probability exists 
of a permanent market, at highly remunerative prices, having 
been opened in that interesting country for those valuable 
products of our domestic industry. 
Table 22 shows the number and the tonnage of Vessels 
belonging to the ports of Van Diemen’s Land at the end of 
1849. An addition of 12 vessels, and 3120 tons, has been 
made to the strength of our Colonial marine during the 
year; the increase being a total of 5°7 per cent. upon the 
number of vessels, and 16°9 per cent. upon the tonnage. 
Table 23 states the number of Vessels built in the Colony 
in 1849 to be 22, of sizes varying from 20 to upwards of 
300 tons; and it also appears that 84 vessels were employed 
in the whale fisheries, their tonnage being 7791, and the 
value of the produce of the Fisheries £46,117. Although 
