772 



HISTORY OF THE SEA. 



few figures taken from our own will enable the reader to 

 judge of that which is now going on all over the world, unit 

 ing the most distantly separated nations ; enabling them to be- 

 come acquainted with each other; and impressing them with 

 the fact that by industry alone are the material comforts of 

 life to be attained, and that the task before humanity is to be- 

 come acquainted wit^ the products of the world, with the 

 forces of which it is the theatre, and learn to control them for 

 our own benefit. 



From the report of the Bureau of Statistics, for a portion of 

 1873, we learn that the imports and exports' of the United 

 States during eight months, ending with February, 1873, 

 amounted to the following totals : Imported in American ves- 

 sels, $104,891,248; imported in foreign vessels, $317,043,490; 

 imported in land vehicles, $12,356,325. During the same period 

 the domestic exports in American vessels amounted to a 

 total of $108,246,698 ; in foreign vessels, $311,816,048 ; and in 

 land vehicles, $5,282, 949. At the same time the re-exporta 

 tion of foreign products amounted in American vessels to 

 $5,147,805 ; in foreign vessels to $10,938,300 ; and in land 

 vehicles to $1,693,795. 



The number and tonnage of American and foreign vessels 

 engaged in the foreign trade, which entered and cleared during 

 the twelve months ending with February, 1873, was as follows : 

 American vessels, 10,928, carrying 3,597,474 tons; foreign 

 vessels, 19,220, carrying 7,622,416 tons. The report of the 

 Bureau for 1872, gives the following totals of the number of 

 vessels and their tonnage engaged in the commerce of the 

 United States. Upon the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, 21,940 vessels 

 carrying 2,916,001,058 tons. On the Western rivers, 1,476 

 ressels carrying 354,938,052 tons. On the Northern lakes 

 5,339 vessels, carrying 726,105,051 tons. On the Pacific coast, 

 1,094 vessels carrying 161,987,050. 



From the port of New York alone there are now thirteen 



