9 Ships to Virginia; and he appears to have been the first importer of Tobacco from that Country, an article which produced a Revenue to the Crown for the year ending the 5th of January 1799, of no less than £.848,493.

During the same century the Sugar Colonies had their origin, which from being totally unproductive, now give employment to above 450 Ships in the Port of London alone; and yielded a Revenue of upwards of £2,000,000 sterling on the importation of the year 1799.

THE AFRICAN COMPANY was established in the reign of Charles II. in the year 1663. The Trade of this Company was in a great measure opened to the Public by the Statute 23 Geo. II. c.31, and is regulated by several subsequent Statutes.

THE HUDSON'S-BAY COMPANY was also chartered, by Charles the IId. to trade on a Capital of $10,500 in the year 1681.

Thus it appears, that although the precise extent of the Trade cannot be ascertained from authentic documents, the Commerce, Shipping, and Navigation of the Port of London, must have been progressively increasing during a considerable part of the Seventeenth Century.

Previous to that æra, Trade was certainly very limited, and its principles little understood. The Records of that early period, discover misconceptions and absurdities, with regard to the effect and operation of Commerce upon the interest and welfare of the State, which strongly demonstrate the length of

time, necessary to enlighten the human mind upon subjects of Commercial or Political Economy.

It is only by an accurate record of facts that the judgment can be matured, and true estimates formed, of the measures which may be advantageously pursued for the interest either of States, Bodies politic, or Individuals.

Having, therefore, the aid of Official Documents, by which the state and the progressive improvement of the Trade of the Port of London, can be traced for the last hundred years, it is proposed, first to bring under the consideration of the Reader, a detailed and progressive view of the

I. SHIPS, VESSELS, AND CRAFT, IN THE RIVER THAMES.

Ir appears from authentic Accounts, that the ships and vessels trading to the River Thames for a Century past, have been progressively increasing not only in number but also in their burden.

It is stated in the Report of the Dock Committee of the House of Commons 1796;-that the average Tonnage of Ships trading beyond Sea was

In the same valuable Report is inserted the following comparative View of the Tonnage of Ships belonging to the Port of London

At the commencement of the 18th Century in 1700 and 1702, the Shipping of the Port of London

stood thus:

A. D.

Vessels. Tons.

1700-Vessels employed in the Coasting Trade 5562 278,100 1702-British Ships in Foreign Trade

80,040

839
496 76,995

الميد

۱

6,897 435135

At the middle of the Century in 1750 and 1751, the following was the state of the Shipping in this Port:

Exhibiting an increase of 1181 Ships and 310,914 Tons in the space of 50 years.

From the year 1750 to nearly the close of the Century, but particularly within the last 15 years, the progressive increase of the Shipping has exceeded any other period: and when the great proportional Augmentation of Tonnage is considered, it may be truly said to have been rapid beyond all example; as appears from the following Statement:

A. D.

Vessels.

Tons.

1797-In the Coasting Trade 10,175 1,205,650 (c)

Thus exhibiting an increase of 5,366 Ships, and 1,016,849 Tons; the latter having considerably more. than doubled within the last half Century.

The Table in pages 11 and 12, containing the specific extent of the Coasting Trade to and from the River Thames to every Port in England, Wales, and Scotland; with that in page 13, shewing the aggregate number of Ships for a series of years, employed in the general Commerce of the Port, will be found materially to tend to the further elucidation of the foregoing Comparative Statements.

(c) See pages 11 and 12.

(4) See page 13.

As

() As it must be no less curious than interesting, (particularly to those who are engaged in Nautical Pursuits,) to be able to ascertain the nature and specific extent of the immense COASTING TRADE of the River Thames. The following General View of the whole, is selected from the Appendix to the Report of the Committee of the House of Commons, for improving the Port of London in 1796, and from other Documents.

COASTING TRADE,

Between the PORT OF LONDON, and the PORTS in ENGLAND and WALES.