162 
JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
The progress of the traffic at Millbay from the opening of the 
docks was rapid and uninterrupted till 1860, when 1564 vessels 
entered with a register tonnage of 335,966. From 1860 onwards 
the table shows that the trade, although generally increasing, 
fluctuated; and even down to the present time there are indi- 
cations that the fluctuations are increasing. I would point out 
to you the relative changes which the number of the vessels 
makes with respect to the net register tonnage. Compare for instance 
the year 1873, when there were 2663 vessels with a register 
tonnage of 445,152, with the year 1876, when there were 1988 
vessels with a register tonnage of 464,420, showing that the 
tonnage which frequents our port is now being carried in larger 
vessels. 
Table V. 
COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF TRAFFIC AT SUTTON HARBOUR, 
PLYMOUTH, 
From 1850 to 1883. 
Year. 
Number of 
Registered 
Year. 
Number of 
Registered 
Vessels. 
Net Tonnage. 
Vessels. 
Net Tonnage. 
1850 
1335 
76,949 
1867 
1426 
107,635 
1851 
1334 
75,584 
1868 
1334 
102,965 
1852 
1453 
84,556 
1869 
1359 
102,788 
1853 
1622 
107,272 
1870 
1380 
103,942 
1854 
1427 
109,634 
1871 
1420 
109,122 
1855 
1535 
106,215 
1872 
1426 
111,934 
1856 
1475 
113,947 
1873 
1288 
103,661 
1857 
1442 
101,948 
1874 
1217 
93,200 
1858 
1462 
93,620 
96,821 
1875 
1394 
100,990 
1859 
1450 
1876 
1291 
103,220 
1860 
1644 
109,775 
1877 
1321 
94,428 
1861 
1455 
97,350 
1878 
1281 
91,968 
1862 
1446 
96,120 
93,974 
1879 
1308 
95,705 
1863 
1474 
1880 
1230 
87,392 
1864 
1512 
96,396 
108,837 
1881 
1095 
83,694 
1865 
1564 
1882 
1078 
81,793 
1866 
1472 
103,841 
1883 
1108 
101,387 
This fifth table shows the corresponding returns of Sutton Har- 
bour over as long a period as I have been able to procure them j 
viz., from 1850 to the present time. Examining the tonnage 
returns of this harbour, we find a trade, in the year 1850, 
of 1335 vessels, under a registered tonnage of 76,949. This 
increased up till the year 1854, when the figures were: 
number of vessels, 1427; registered tonnage, 109,634. Since 
