American?" The reason will be evident to any one who will walk through the docks at Liverpool. He will see the American ships, long, sharp built, beautifully painted and rigged, and remarkable for their fine clean appearance and white canvas. He will see the English vessels, short, round, and dirty, resembling great black tubs. The contrast will be immediately remarked, even by those who have never been on board a ship; and in the cabins the contrast is even more striking. There is in fact just about the same difference, both in rate of sailing and in appearance, between an American and an English vessel, that there is between a racehorse and a cart-horse, or between a light postcoach and a heavy waggon.

It has been said: "The English vessels carry larger cargoes"-true! but then they take nearly double the time to make the voyage. An English merchant very justly said to me: "I would of course rather employ a vessel belonging to my own country; but you must at once perceive, that if I send a consignment to America of the value of 100,000l., it is of the greatest importance to me to have it delivered as soon as possible. Even the daily interest of such a sum is no trifle, and what then must I think of the interest of three weeks or a month? Accordingly, though I pay a higher freight, I always send my goods in American vessels."

I am happy to say that some public-spirited individuals at Liverpool intend introducing a reform in the manner of constructing merchant vessels. Every friend of his country must wish them suc

cess.

The superiority of the American vessels as regards sailing is universally acknowledged. Their small craft, as schooners, sloops, &c., often sail from New York, and Boston, and the other commercial cities, to the West Indies and South America, in a space of time, which, compared with that taken by our English vessels, seems quite incredible. In standing up the Channel, I have really been quite astonished to see the rate at which we ran past all the English ships. An officer in the naval service of our East India Company told me, that the same observation may be made, with regard to the American vessels trading to China.

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They can," said he, "sail round us, and I have no doubt would often make the same voyage as we do in one-third of the time; but our vessels are built for carrying cargoes, and not for sailing." This may answer very well as long as the Company retains the monopoly of the China trade; but when it is thrown open, (which it is to be hoped will soon be the case,) they must build their vessels in a different manner, or give up all hopes of profit.

The Americans have practically demonstrated

the advantage of making quick voyages with small cargoes, and of consequently obtaining quick returns. Why do not the English imitate them?

A great advantage in the mode of building vessels sharp and long, is, that in the event of a war they may be armed, and can act as privateers; and even if they are not used for this purpose, the war insurance upon them would be much lighter, as many of them sail as fast as any fighting vessel.

The American ships always start at the very hour appointed, without considering whether the cargo is completed. Again, the Captains of American vessels are for the most part men of a certain degree of scientific education.

In the good old times, when it took three or four months to cross the Atlantic, the Dutch plan was followed of taking in sail at night-fall, heaving to the ship, and lashing the helm; after which important manœuvre, all hands but one turned in. The Americans laugh at the English practice of commonly shortening sail at night. "If," say they, "it blow fresh, we do indeed shorten sail; if it abate, we hoist more; without any regard to whether it be light or dark." Some English captains have attempted to undervalue this seamanlike practice, as dangerous and fool-hardy; but the best answer is, that even fewer accidents happen to the American vessels, than to the English. Indeed the ships of our trans-atlantic cousins being much sharper built, do not run so great a risk of