was not far above or under 24,000. It is remarkable that although the total number remained without material alteration, the number belonging to the United Kingdom has apparently been gradually decreasing, and those belong ing to the Colonies on the increase. It is also curious that the number of British vessels entered inwards, and cleared outwards in the Foreign and Colonial trade of the United Kingdom, has been increased in the same period in the proportion of 13 to 10. We should, however, observe that the decrease in the number of vessels belonging to the United Kingdom is merely nominal, and is to be attributed to the fact that, previous to the year 1827, the returns only comprised the births and marriages of the shipping, but were silent as to their deaths; consequently all those registered were presumed to exist till the contrary was proved. But the new Registry Act (6th Geo. IV. c. 110) obliged the owners of vessels to register them anew; and the returns of 1827 being made up subsequently to this registration, the deceased ships were omitted, and their absence caused an apparent diminution in the numbers in that and the following years. Some curious facts appear on examining the countries to which these vessels trade, and the proportion of the number of men to that of the vessels and tonnage. For instance, the ships trading to Russia average about 200 tons, and eight men; those to the Netherlands, 120 tons, and seven men; while those employed in the French trade average about 95 tons, and eight men; and those to Jersey and Guernsey, 60 tons, and four men. The vessels going to our northern colonies average 270 tons, and 13 men; to the Mauritius, the same size, but 15 men; the United States of America, 340 tons, and 15 men; New South Wales, 320 tons, and 18 men.

The vessels composing the China fleet of olden times, (or, as the next generation will probably describe it, "the fleet which used to be sent to China, when tea was used in this country, before the destruction of the East India Company, at the beginning of the late revolution, and when England had possessions in the East and West Indies,") were the largest and most powerful of all our mercantile shipping;

their average size was 1260 tons, and their crews above 120 men. The vessels trading to India are about 428 tons, and 30 men. A principal reason for this difference was the number of pirates in the Chinese seas. A similar cause will probably account for a very singular fact, that while the vessels trading to the Cape of Good Hope only average 184 tons, and ten men, those who only go to Morocco, and the coast between it and the Cape, are 257 tons, and 16 men. Our whalers seem to be more fully manned than any other merchantmen; and this is not merely necessary from the arduous nature of their service, but renders them a yet more valuable school and nursery for our seamen. They average 350 tons, and 41 men. Their total number in the year 1832 was 116; and the number of men 4797, In 1833 only 100 appear to have sailed, and their crews were about 42 men each. The average in these two years shows rather a greater proportion of men. In striking these averages we have not affected very great accuracy, as our object is rather to give a general idea of the work before us, and some information upon a few of its details, than to furnish any statistical facts for practical use. Much less can the above numbers be taken to be a general rule for the size and complements of those ships, as the averages were merely taken by us by the common process of dividing the number of tons and men by that of ships, and selecting for such an average a year which seemed fitted to give such a result as would apply to the majority.

Immediately following these tables are others, giving the number and aggregate tonnage of vessels, distinguishing the British from the foreign, that have entered the ports of London, Liverpool, Bristol, Hull, Glasgow, Sunderland, and Newcastle, from foreign ports, in each year from 1820 to 1831 inclusive. From which we perceive that, especially in the three last mentioned ports, the trade has been considerably increased during that period. Here again, however, the year 1825 seems particularly busy.

Next follows the number and tonnage of vessels which, in each of the four years, ending 5th January, 1834, entered, from all parts, the ports of

London, Liverpool, Bristol, Hull, Newcastle, Plymouth, Leith, Glasgow, Greenock, Cork, Belfast, and Dublin. As some of our readers may be curious to know the comparative trade of these places, we shall give the total British and foreign vessels which entered each in the year ending 5th January, 1834:London, 4482; Liverpool, 1709; Bristol, 302; Hull, 1365; Newcastle, 870; Plymouth, 307; Leith, 348; Glasgow, 118; Greenock, 281; Cork, 167; Belfast, 168; Dublin, 275. It is remarkable that only one foreign vessel entered the port of Glasgow in this year. The number of foreign vessels was very trifling in any of these ports, except London, Liverpool, Hull, Newcastle, and Leith. In London they were about one-third; Liverpool, one-half; the other three nearly equal; and the rest about one in ten (excepting Glasgow.)

The next tables we shall notice, are those which give an account of the value of the imports and exports of Great Britain, exclusive of the trade between Great Britain and Ireland, according to the official rates of valuation, distinguishing the amount of the produce and manufactures of the United Kingdom exported, from the foreign and colonial merchandise exported; and also stating the amount of the produce and manufactures of the United Kingdom exported-in each year from 1820 to 1833 inclusive. These returns shew that the imports have increased in about the proportion of three to four, and the exports in that of five to seven; and of the latter the foreign and colonial merchandise has remained nearly stationary, while the export of produce and manufactures of the United Kingdom has nearly doubled.

By comparing this return with the succeeding one, which gives a similar account of the exports and imports of the United Kingdom, we find the melancholy fact, that the foreign trade of Ireland, as compared with that of Great Britain, and ascertained by subtracting the former return from the latter, bears hardly a greater proportion than one hundredth-the one being about £400,000, and the other about thirty-nine millions.

In the returns of the "quantities of all sorts of grain, meal, and flour, imported into Great Britain from Ire

land, the Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey, &c. and from foreign parts, in each year from 1820 to 1833 inclusive," we find that the total of all sorts of grain imported from Ireland during that period, had greatly increased, and that this had principally taken place in wheat, oats, peas, and beans-barley and rye having remained nearly stationary, and the other crops being too uncertain to admit of calculations of this general nature.

We will not trust ourselves, nor harass the feelings of our readers, by dwelling on the tempting statements of the imports of all manner of foreign fruits. Only think, gentle reader, of eighty million of lemons and oranges consumed in one year!

Upon the whole, however, we are touching upon delicate ground in attempting to investigate the secret recesses of these returns: for almost the very next item in the pages of this work will, we fear, excite the merciless indignation of that section of society, whom either their own fastidiousness, or the folly of our sex, has destined to become old maids. It contains the account in each year of the consumption of catskins; and we feel for the nerves of some of our fair readers when we announce, that upwards of fifty thousand catskins have been consumed in these kingdoms in one year. At first we were disposed to rejoice that this most inhuman traffic was not increasing; but although this is the fact, yet we can only congratulate the old maids of the world in general, and not those of our own island in particular; for we are compelled by truth to confess, that the consumption of freeborn British cats has of late years considerably increased. Consolation is, however, to be derived from even this affliction; as it shows that the superior humanity of the ladies in this empire rears cats to greater perfection, and renders their hides, we beg pardon, their skins, more valuable. Seriously, we did not expect to find that the crown derived a revenue of above £1000 in one year from the duties on catskins.

We regret to find, on turning to another page of this variegated work, that the consumption of opium in these kingdoms is gradually increasing, and of late years with rapid strides. It is

true, that we must bear in mind in this, as well as all the other statements, that the population has also been increasing; but in this instance, its increase has been far exceeded by that in the consumption of the article in question, it having more than doubled within thirteen years. It is very remarkable that the consumption of this article in China, has, between the years 1816 and 1831, increased sixfold. It is almost incredible, that in that country nearly twenty thousand chests of opium have been consumed in one year.

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We turn to a more pleasing table, an account of the quantities of various kinds of provisions imported into, exported from, and consumed in, the united kingdom in the several years from 1820 to 1833 inclusive. From this return we find that the British nation has had the good taste and feeling not to export either eggs, eels, or oysters; but to retain them all for the gratification and sustenance of its own highminded sons. We accordingly see the tables of importation and consumption moving side by side in a numerical harmony that assures that that people are, at least in some things, a wise nation. The consumption of imported eggs has been steadily on the increase, and in 1833 amounted to above sixty-seven millions! that of eels and oysters has, we grieve to say, rather diminished. In the year 1832, the quantity of oysters devoured by the sovereign people-of course not including the coast fishery (the amount of which, blessed be our free constitution, cannot be ascertained) was nearly three times the usual quantity; but it is a sad drawback upon our national pride to discover that the consumption of castor oil in the same year also exceeded all precedent. Indeed we are sorry to say that the importation of this article of human misery has so much increased of late years, that if we were disposed to croak we should prophesy its adoption in the place of cream at our breakfast tables.

We were truly sorry to see that the consumption of tobacco has been steadily increasing. Its use in the form of snuff has diminished greatly; but that as cigars, and otherwise manufactured, has much more than compensated this improvement. Would

our readers believe that the annual consumption of this poisonous drug, for such we must call an article whose confessed operation, on the generality of its victims, is to remove appetite without even pretending to supply nourishment) amounted, in the year 1833, to upwards of twenty millions of pounds? The proportionate consumption of this article was nearly as follows: England, 139; Scotland, 19; Ireland, 43. Can we be surprised at the remark now so generally made, that we now seldom see the figure of the British farmer of old times? Truly, tobacco, and the gin-shop, alternately paralysing and inflaming the system, will fully account for the change.

We shall next turn to the statements respecting the imports, exports, and consumption of various kinds of spirits. We find, from these returns, that in Ireland and Scotland the consumption of spirits in the year 1825, was about double the average of former years. We have before alluded to the peculiarities of this remarkable year; and shall notice a few more as we proceed: and we cannot avoid expressing an opinion, that the study of the causes of these peculiarities, which appear in almost every page of this work respecting this year, would be well worthy the attention of many persons, especially those whose pursuits are medical or political.

In England, the consumption has been nearly stationary since 1826; at which time it suddenly rose above all former years in the proportion of twelve to seven. In Scotland it has steadily increased, with the exception of the anomalous year 1825; and has trebled in the interval of 14 years preceding 1834. In Ireland it had trebled within the first nine years of the same period; but has been rather diminishing since. The last fact is on many accounts a subject of congratulation; but in this kingdom it does not, unfortunately, afford a fair criterion of improvement. In all countries the decreased consumption of any article is, as fairly at least, attributable to increased poverty, as to any other cause; but in Ireland a peculiar feature attends any marked improvement in the sobriety of the lower orders; and it affords an almost unfailing warning

to those acquainted with this country that they may be on their guard against the explosion of some secret plot.

It is remarkable that the ringleaders of the atrocious conspiracy of ribbonmen are men who are never seen in toxicated. The consciousness of being privy to a guilty conspiracy, may be an incentive to sobriety more powerful than any motive of a virtuous character, and those who know that they have damning secrets to divulge, may be cautious how they trust themselves to the influence of the "veracious" deity. Hence is it that, we regret to say, the diminished consumption of spirits in Ireland of late years is at best a doubtful source of congratula

tion to our readers.

But to return to our subject. The increased consumption of spirits in the empire, which we have noticed, has been chiefly confined to British spirits; the consumption of rum having decreased. The consumption of all kinds of spirits in England, in the year 1833, expressed in imperial gallons, was about twelve millions and a-half. That in Scotland, six millions. Ireland, eight millions and a-quarter. From the returns of the "quantities of each description of foreign wines and spirits remaining warehoused under bond on the 5th of January, 1833, and 1834, distinguishing the port of London from the other ports of the united kingdom," we find that there was a sufficient quantity of foreign spirits to have kept the whole Irish nation blinddrunk for a fortnight; and of wine to have continued them in the same condition for a week longer the amount of spirits in bond being nearly six millions and a-half imperial gallons, that of wine seven millions and a-half. We are surprised to find that the port of London exceeded all the rest of the united kingdom in this respect, in about the proportion of nine to seven of spirits, and four to three of wine. The proportions of the different kinds of spirits were nearly as follows: Rum, 462; Brandy, 164; Geneva, nine; other sorts, four.

The next return we shall notice shall be the statements respecting wine. The consumption of all sorts of wine in the united kingdom previous to 1823, expressed in imperial gallons, was about four million and a-half annu

ally. It then rose in about the following proportion: 1823, 48; 1824, 50; 1825, 80. It then fell to 63, and has continued with little variation ever since. These numbers only express the proportions. The actual consumption in 1833 was a little above six millions two hundred thousand gallons. The enormous consumption of wine in 1825, applied to every sort of wine except Madeira, but especially to French wines. Reviewing the consumption of the various kinds of wine during the period from 1820 to 1833 inclusive, we find that of Cape wines less at the end than at the beginning of the period, but not apparently decreasing during the latter years. That of the French wines was greater now than formerly, but not increased during the latter years. The Portuguese wines remain nearly stationary. The Spanish wines have increased in the proportion of 22 to 9. Madeira decreased in the proportion of 16 to 35. The consumption of Sicilian wines has been steadily increasing : that of Canary wines diminishing. The consumption of the numerous race of Rhenish wines is certainly greater than it was in 1820; but we grieve to say, that of late years it has rather diminished. This is the more humiliating to our national taste, as it appears that the colonies have been better able to appreciate, what a friend of ours used to call, "the metaphysical, essential nature of the Rhine wines;" the mild and lady like gentleness of the Moselle; the gay facetious animation of the Leipfrowmilch; the playful sarcasin of the Pisporter; the racy wit of the Rudescheimer and Hockheimer; and, above all, the talent, genius, and power of the accomplished and intellectual Johannisberg. Reader, if thou hast presumed to form a judgment on the high and almost inscrutable merits of those wines, while sitting at thy fireside, under the solid, Indian-ink, great coat of clouds, which enwraps thy muddy Fatherland; if thou hast so presumed; and if, so circumstanced, thy judgment of them is, that they resemble in their nature the works of Goethe, or thine own immortal Shakspeare; the correctness of that judgment will excuse its presumption?

But, if otherwise; if thou hast had the temerity to measure the refined