articles of which the export is the most considerable and most flourishing, are those of which the raw materials consist mostly of cotton, wood, and leather. The foreign articles imported and again exported from the country during the year 1830, amounted to fourteen million, three hundred and seventyeight thousand, four hundred and seventy-nine dollars. This transit trade consequently forms an important part of American commerce. The principal foreign articles exported are cottons, coffee and cocoa, sugar, tea, wines, and hardware.* The tendency to the sea,' says Mr. Cooper, in his Notions of the Americans, which the American has manifested since the earliest of the colonial establishments, is, no doubt, to be ascribed originally to the temper of his ancestors. Nothing can be more absurd, however, than to argue, that although peculiar circumstances drew him on the ocean, during the continuance of the late and general hostilities, he will return to his fertile valleys and vast prairies, now that competitors for the profits of commerce and navigation are arising among the former belligerents. The argument implies an utter ignorance of history, no less than of the character and sagacity of a people who are never tardy to discover their individual interests. It is, notwithstanding, often urged with so much pertinacity, as to savor much more of the conclusions of what we hope for, than of what our reason would teach us to believe. The fact is, there never has been a period, since society was first firmly organized in their country, when the Anglo-Americans have not possessed a tonnage greater, in proportion to their population and means, than that of any other people, some of the small commercial cities, perhaps, alone excepted. This was true, even previously to their revolution, when the mother country monopolized all of trade and industry that the temper of the colonies would bear, and it is true now, to an extent of which you have probably no suspicion. The present population of the United States may be computed at twelve million, while the amount of shipping materially exceeds one million four hundred thousand tons. Assuming that amount, however, it gives one ton to every eight and a half of the inhabitants. The tonnage of the British empire is, in round numbers, two million, five hundred thousand. This, divided among the twenty-three million of the British islands alone, would give but one ton to every nine of the inhabitants. In this calculation, the vast difference in wealth is forgotten. But by the British empire, we are to understand Canada, the West Indies, and all the vast possessions which are tributary to the wealth and power of that great nation. I know not whether the shipping employed in the East Indies ought to be enumerated in the amount named. If it is, you will see the disproportion in favor of America is enormous. But assuming that it is not, it becomes necessary to add several millions for their other dependencies. There is, however, still another point of view in which this comparison should, with strict justice, be made. A large proportion of the people of the United States are so situated, that in the nature of things they cannot turn much, if any, For further information and details in respect to the commerce of the United States, see the tabular views and summaries at the end of the volume. On the thirtieth of December, 1826, it had swelled to one million, five hundred and thirty-four thousand. of their attention to navigation. If the slaves and the inhabitants of the new states, where the establishments are still too infant, to admit of such a development of their resources, be deducted from the whole amount of the population, it will not leave more than seven million of souls in possession of those districts in which navigation can be supposed at all to exist. The latter, too, will include all those states that are called interior, where time has not been given to effect any thing like a natural division of the employments of men. The result will show, that the Americans, relatively considered, are addicted to navigation, as compared with Great Britain, in the proportion of more than seven to five; nor has this commercial, or rather maritime spirit, arisen under auspices so encouraging as is generally imagined. The navigation laws, adopted by the United States, so soon as their present constitution went into operation, are generally known. Their ef fect was to bring the shipping of the country into instant competition with that of foreign nations, from the state of temporary depression into which it had been thrown by the struggle of the revolution. From that hour, the superiority enjoyed by the American, in cheapness of construction, provisions and naval stores, aided by the unrivalled activity, and practical knowledge of the population, put all foreign competition at defiance. Of six hundred and six thousand tons of shipping employed in 1790, in the foreign trade of the country, not less than two hundred and fifty-one thou sand tons were the property of strangers. In 1794, while the trade em ployed six hundred and eleven thousand tons, but eighty-four thousand tons were owned by foreigners. In 1820, (a year of great depression,) the trade gave occupation to eight hundred and eighty thousand tons, of which no more than seventy-nine thousand tons were foreign property. This estimate, however, includes the intercourse with the least, no less than that with the most maritime nation. The trade between the United States and England, which is the most important of all, in respect of the tonnage it employs, was about three to one, in favor of the former; with other countries it varies according to the maritime character of the people, bu with all and each it is altogether in favor of the United States." 369 CHAPTER VI.-RAIL-ROADS. THE first rail-road attempted in the United States, was that constructed in Quincy, for the purpose of transporting granite from the quarry at that place. It extends from the quarry to the Neponset river, a distance of about three miles. It is a single track road, and the distance between the rails is five feet. The rails are of pine, covered with oak, and overlaid with thin plates of wrought iron. When first constructed, the passage Irom the quarry to the landing of a car carrying ten tons, with a single norse, was performed in an hour. It was completed in 1827. The Boston and Lowell rail-road commences at Boston, near the entrance to the Warren bridge. Twenty acres of flat have been purchased at this place to accommodate the various depots of the company. The rail-road crosses Charles river by a wooden viaduct, and terminates at the basin of the canal in Lowell; whence branches extend along the several canals to the factories. It is constructed of stone and iron, in the most substantial manner. The company to form this road was incorporated in June, 1830. * The following extract from the Lowell Journal possesses sufficient interest to entitle it to preservation. 'The excavation which is now about being made in a hill in this town for the bed of the contemplated rail-way, may be considered, next to the various manufacturing establishments, the most wonderful "lion" of the place. This hill is near the terminus of the rail-way, in the neighborhood of the brewery, but not in a populous part of the town. It consists of a ledge of rock, which is about three hundred yards in length, and the average depth of the excavation is about forty feet. It is thirty feet wide at the bottom, and sixty at the top, and the masses of stone which have already been riven from the ledge by blasting, seem to be immense. 'A contract was originally made with a person to effect a sufficient passage through this hill, for the sum of seventy-two thousand dollars. He commenced the undertaking, employed sixty workmen for about four months, and failed. Another person then undertook to finish the work for the same amount; but after a few months, he also abandoned the undertaking. Those individuals are said to have both been acquainted with the nature of the business which they undertook, but they were deceived by the quality of the rock, which consists principally of gneiss and mica, through which, although much lighter and softer than limestone or granite, it was found much more difficult and expensive to effect a passage, than if it was composed of those more solid materials. The drilling may not be so difficult; but the rocks, lying in numerous horizontal strata, almost defy the power of gunpowder, and heavy blasts, which would shiver an immense mass of granite, are frequently found here to produce but little effect. In addition to this, the ledge is found to be full of springs of water, which sometimes render it necessary for the workmen to expend much time, and exercise no inconsiderable ingenuity, in counteracting its effects. There are also found in the lower part of the ledge, huge masses of quartz, and a species of rock composed almost entirely of hornblende, which is, of course, almost impenetrable to the drill. 'The Locks and Canal company have now undertaken to complete this work, at the expense of the Rail-road company. About seventy men are constantly employed, and the work advances as rapidly as the attending circumstances will allow. Seven hundred kegs of powder haye been used in blasting, since the latter part of April, when the work was recommenced.' The Boston and Worcester rail-road was commenced in August, 1832 In this road, the greatest degree of inclination from a level will be at the rate of thirty feet a mile; the average inclination will be but ten and a half feet, the main street in Worcester being but four hundred and fiftysix feet higher than Charles street in Boston. The length of the route is forty-three and a quarter miles. The Boston and Providence Rail-road company was incorporated in June, 1831, with a capital of a million of dollars, for the purpose of constructing a rail-road from Boston to the boundary line of Massachusetts, in the direction of Providence. A company has been formed for the continuation of this road to Stonington. Rail-roads have been projected from Boston or Lowell to Brattleborough; from West Stockbridge to the boundary line of the state of New York, to meet a rail-road from Albany; from Boston to Salem, to be continued to the northern line of the state; from Troy, in New York, at the head of navigation on the Hudson river, to Bennington, a distance of thirty miles to the town of Adams; and from Boston to Ogdensburg, in New York. The Hudson and Mohawk rail-road extends from Albany to Schenectady, and affords a communication between the tide-water of Hudson river and the Erie canal. It is a double track road, about sixteen miles in length. It commences at the termination of the city line on the Hudson river, and about thirteen acres of land are owned by the company in the vicinity, for depots of transports. About four miles from Schenectady, there is a curve in the road of twenty-three thousand feet radius; there are six principal embankments. The descent from the Schenectady summit to the level of the Hudson, is three hundred and thirty-five feet. The soil through which the road passes is sandy. Several ravines are crossed, and some considerable elevations are cut through. Both locomotive engines and horses are used upon this route. A locomotive has travelled upon it, with a load of eight tons, at the rate of thirty miles per hour. In October, 1831, the number of daily passengers averaged nearly four hundred. The cost of this road was between six and seven hundred thousand dollars. The Saratoga and Schenectady rail-road forms a continuation of the Mohawk and Hudson rail-road, extending from the city of Schenectady to the villages of Ballston Spa and Saratoga, and uniting these places with the line of steam navigation upon the Hudson. It is twenty miles in length; was commenced in 1831, and completed in the following year. The Ithaca and Susquehanna rail-road is to extend from the village of Ithaca, near the south end of Cayuga lake, to Owego, on the Susquehanna. The distance is about twenty-eight miles. The Ithaca and Catskill railroad is to extend a distance of one hundred and sixty-seven miles, from Ithaca to Catskill, on the Hudson. The Catskill and Canajoharie_railroad is to extend for the distance of seventy miles, from Catskill to Canajoharie, on the Mohawk. The company was incorporated in 1830, with a capital of six hundred thousand dollars. The Harlem rail-road is about six miles in length, extending from Twenty-third street, New York city, to Harlem river. The New York and Erie rail-road company was incorporated in April 1832, with a capital of ten million dollars. It was the original design that the road should extend from the city of New York, or some point in its * vicinity, and continue through the southern counties, through Owego, in the county of Tioga, to the shore of lake Erie, at some point between Cattaraugus creek and the Pennsylvania line. It is to be commenced within four years from the date of the act of incorporation, one fourth to be completed within ten years, one half within fifteen years, and the whole to be completed within twenty years, under penalty of forfeiture of the charter. The New York and Albany rail-road company was incorporated in April, 1832, with a capital of three millions. It is to be completed within ten years; commencing at New York city, opposite the termination of the Fourth avenue, and ending on the Hudson, opposite Albany. The proposed route of this road,' says the Boston Advertiser, 'passes through the county of Berkshire, in this state, from West Stockbridge to the northern boundary of the state of Connecticut, following the valley of the Housatonic river from Stockbridge to Sharon, in Connecticut. It will thus afford an additional inducement for the extension of the Boston and Worcester rail-road from Worcester to Springfield, and thence to the western boundary of the state. This latter rail-road will meet the New York and Albany road at Stockbridge or West Stockbridge, and will thus come in contact with a continued line of rail-roads, interrupted only by the Hudson river, extending northwardly to Saratoga, westwardly to Utica, and southwardly to the city of New York. It will thus afford the means of direct and rapid intercourse between Boston and the towns in Berkshire county, along the fertile valley of the Housatonic, and with the rich marble quarries and beds of iron ore in that region, as well as with the vast country which will be opened to this mercantile market, beyond the limits of the state. The distance by the rail-road from West Stockbridge to Albany will be about forty miles, of which distance over sixteen miles will be a perfect level. From West Stockbridge to Utica, the distance by the rail-road will be one In addition to the above, the following Rail-road companies were incorporated at the session of the New York legislature in 1832. Name. Lake Champlain and Ogdensburgh, Capital. $3,000,000 Watertown and Rome, 1,000,000 Utica and Susquehanna, (from Utica to the New York and Erie rail-road,) Buffalo and Erie, 650,000 Dutchess, (from Poughkeepsie to Connecticut line,) 600,000 Tonawanda, (from Rochester to Attica,) 500,000 Hudson and Berkshire, (from Hudson to Massachusetts line,) 350,000 Schoharie and Otsego, (from the Catskill and Canajoharie rail-road to the |