248 HISTORY OF THE [book vi. 
merchant navy on which the maritime strength of 
the kingdom so greatly depends, that we should 
cease to be a nation without it.* 
* The following is a comparative view of the two greatest branch¬ 
es of the British commerce; the East and West Indian Trades. 
East Indian Trade. 
Capital employed. Eighteen mil¬ 
lions. 
Value of goods exported anntfally 
tro India and China, both by the 
company and their officers. One 
million and a half ■ 
Import sales by the company, and 
sales under license. Five milli¬ 
ons. 
Duties paid to government, cus¬ 
toms, See. Seven hundred and 
ninety thousand pounds. 
Chartered shipping of the compa¬ 
ny. Eighty thousand tons. 
West Indian Trade. 
Capital employed. Seventy mil¬ 
lions. 
Value of goods exported from 
Great Britain and her depen¬ 
dencies, including the profit of 
freight on the several branches 
of supply, insurance, &c. &e. 
Three millions eight hundred thou¬ 
sand pounds. 
Imports into Great Britain and 
Ireland, and shipped to other 
parts, the profits of which cen¬ 
tre in Great Britain. Seven 
millions tvoo hundred thousand 
pounds. 
Duties paid to government. One 
million eight hundred thousand 
pounds. 
Shipping employed direct. One 
hundred and fifty thousand tons. 
But the great difference arises from the circumstance that the trade 
to the West Indies is carried on with our own colonial possessions, 
which the settlements in the East never were, nor even can be consi¬ 
dered. 
