Text: Edgar Allan Poe (?), Notice of Goldsmith's Gems of Penmanship” (A), from the Weekly Mirror (New York), January 11, 1845, vol. 1, no. 14, p. 219, cols. 2-3

BRITISH COMMERCE AND NAVIGATION. — From an official statement, recently made, of the exports and imports of Great Britain to the different parts of the world, for the year 1843, some important facts may be gathered, to which we would direct attention. In the trade between Britain and her colonies in the western world, about 60,000 seamen are yearly employed. The amount of wages, and cost of provisions for these cannot be less than £3,600,000 per annum; and the repairs, insurance and replacing of capital in the ships, £4,500,000 more. In the trade between Britain and India, and. China, 10,000 seamen are employed at a similar rate. Their wages, provisions, &c., will amount to £500,000; and the replacement of capital, and insurance to £840,000; in all, £1,340,000. The whole, or very nearly the whole of the supplies necessary to maintain these seamen and tonnage, are the productions of British [column 3:] soil and labor; and this, in a national point of view, shows the superiority of such a trade ever a merely manufacturing commerce. A comparison of the trade of the eastern with that of the western world, taking the value of imports and exports, stands nearly thus: —

From and to British North America and the West Indian colonies, £14,000,000; and from and to China and the East Indies, £16,0-00,000. It thus appears that the former commerce requires nearly five times more ships, tonnage, and seamen, to carry it on, than the latter; thereby affording an incalculable advantage to a naval power, and the support of a naval force, and also to the employment of British agricultural labor and capital. It appears that the weight of cotton yarn and goods exported from England annually, is 120,000 tons; and the value in round numbers being £23,500,000, it follows that one-half the tonnage employed in carrying the West Indian exports, (viz: £2,882,441,) would be sufficient to carry the whole cotton export trade of the country; and, as regards the North American trade, one-seventh of the tonnage would be sufficient. While the trade with the West Indies and British North America (in exports and imports about £14,000,000 yearly) employs 2,900 ships, 970,000, that with the United States (in exports and imports £22,000,000,) gives employment to 350 ships, 233,000 tons. The imports from China are valued at about £5,000,000, brought in 84 ships, about 39,712 tons.