23. COMMERCE. 
Plan of a new Trading Voyage , of 
Industry and Science. 
Our nation is the most enterpris- 
ing in the world, in maritime Com- 
merce. Our mariners penetrate in 
all the seas in pursuit of gain, trade, 
and fisheries. The whale and seal 
fisheries have been sources of wealth 
and comforts for all the sea-ports 
which have undertaken them. The 
most arduous of all, that of whales, 
chiefly pursued in Nantucket, New 
Bedford, and latterly Hudson, is a 
nursery for hardy seamen. About 
50 ships are constantly employed in 
it; the whole crew go on shares in- 
stead of wages, and often make 
small fortunes to settle at home 
afterwards. The whales have been 
pursued all over the globe, and 
latterly in the stormy seas of Japan. 
The sealing voyages are equally 
arduous, requiring a residence on 
desolate islands, the austral frozen 
lands of Gheritz, South Shetland, &c. 
We mean to propose another 
trade or fishery somewhat similar, 
less dangerous, less arduous, yet 
quite as profitable, and without any 
of the bad chances of the whaling 
and sealing voyages, which are some- 
times precarious. We hope that 
our hardy mariners and enterpris- 
ing merchants will listen to us and 
try this new commerce; making 
money by it, at the same time that 
they advance science and know- 
ledge. 
Here is the object and plan. 
A vessel must be fitted out to 
cruize all over the seas, to pick up, 
preserve and bring home, a whole 
cargo of fishes, shells, sea-birds, 
seals, and every thing produced by 
the ocean, the shores, or accessible 
rivers. Besides landing in many 
parts and collecting in the same 
way, land animals, quadrupeds, 
birds, snakes, land shells, minerals, 
specimens of rocks, plants, seeds, &e. 
That such a scientific voyage may 
be made profitable is proved 1. By 
the great price paid in the U. S. al- 
ready by showmen for living animals 
brought for sale, elephants, rhinoce- 
ros, camels, lions, &c. 2. By the good 
price paid for their skins when they 
died in the passage; the skin of a 
rhinoceros sold forgoOO for a muse- 
um. 3. By the value which shells 
and corals have had, even when com- 
mon and sold at auction, while rare 
ones fetch high prices. 4. By the in- 
creasing taste for natural history, 
geology, mineralogy and botany, all 
over the United States. 5. By the 
number of museums already esta- 
lished, and their competition to 
have rare things. 6. By the private 
cabinets increasing every year. 7. 
By their multiplicity when cheap 
objects will be procurable. 8. By the 
wants of universities, colleges and 
schools for museums, mineralogical 
cabinets, herbariums, &c. 9. By the 
several learned societies, zoological, 
geological and philosophical vying 
to collect rare specimens and sets 
of rocks, minerals, plants, animals, 
&c. 10. By the need of botanical 
gardens, gentlemen, farmers, &c. 
for seeds of curious plants or useful 
productions, &c. &c. 
There is no fear that a whole 
cargo would be unsaleable: a market 
for it would be found in all our large 
cities, and chiefly Philadelphia, 
New York, Baltimore, &c, But 
besides the whole of Europe would 
be open to us as a market, for 
in France, Germany and England 
alone, there are 5000 museums and 
cabinets, constantly buying. We 
have even heard of a whole cargo 
of 400 tons of sea shells in bulk 
being sent from Peru to London 
not many years ago. When these 
objects shall be brought home in 
plenty and cheap, as many museums 
and cabinets can be formed in the 
United States before the year 1850. 
Therefore such voyage, trade and 
speculation, will be available and 
profitable. The cost will be almost 
nothing; every thing is to be got by 
the crew, without half of the labour 
and disasters attending sealing and 
whaling. A small vessel, brig or 
schooner of 120 to 180 tons would 
