Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1851-02-06

sells, while 1t will tax the ingenuity of our me-
chanics, and set abroad the spirit of emulation
among ship-builders, will at the same time sup
ply the places of many of our larger ships
which go on long voyages, and degrade their
occupation to that of mere coasters or collers.
Already has this influence begun to operate, to
the depression Of the coastwise business, and if
our ship-builning for 1851 runs to smaller YES
sells, 1t will be more depressed But we be-
iieve that the sagacity of our Maine builders
and merchants will give their ship-buildiug en-
terprse the true direction. This class of our
citizens are becoming, we think, somewhat no.
ted for their enterprise and thriftness, and ii is
seldom that they suffer themselves to be check
ed by fluctuations in trade, or by commercial
disaster. They may say with the sagacious
merchant of Venice:
MY ventures are not in one bottom trusted,
NOR 10 one place; nor is my whole estate
tfon the fortune of this present year,
Let then our enterprising commercial men
look to this new order of things in season.
Let them come in for their share of the profits
which are being reaped from the demand for
ms new class of ships. We think that in
Maine we have aimed more to quantity than
quality In the construction of vessels. Never
iheess, examples enough have demonstrated
our capacity TO enter this new field of enter
prise.
Maine, of all the states of the union, is, from
her natural facilities and from the direction
which her industry has taken, in truth ",he
great commercial state of the union She
not only for number of years has furnished
annually larger amount of tonnage than any
other state; bnt she is now as an owner of
shipping, only the third in Importance, New
York being first and Massachusetts second.
New York owns an aggregate TONNAGE Of
943,s50 80; Massachusetts, 6s2 ,96I 81; Maine
sol ,42l 81.
Our ship-building for 1850 has no doubt fal-
off from that of 1919, on account. as we have
said, of the depression of the coastwise busi-
ness But we have no doubt built more fine
large class vessels, and own more in the state,
than for any previous year. But Maine, with
all her importance in the commercial world
has hardly entered this new competition Of
swift ships. 1t seems to us then that these
suggestions may be of interest to Cur CONNER
clal men, We have certainly the ability to
build as fast and as large vessels as any state
| and we should hold our honorable rank under
the new order of things. A few voyages like
that OF the Oriental, by a Maine ship, would be
no small matter even in the financial condition
OF the state. At any rate, one or two facts in
this connection it will not do for our CONNER.
clal men to overlook. Commerce has opened
new and vast field of trade which extends no,
only the length and breadth of the American
Pacific coast, but embraces the circuit of the
globe. Cape Horn, which three years ago the
navigator looked upon as almost the last end
of the earth, and the reader of narratives Of
VOYAGES in the southern oceans was half ready
to believe myth has come to be the common
est highway OF the ocean. And it must con-
tlnue to be so until the construction of the Nj
caragua canal In a trade like this. which
commands US,
| ito the farthest verge,
OF the green earth 10 distant barbarous climes
| Rivers unknown TO song where first the sun,
Gilds Indian mountans-n
certain 1t is that prompness and speed are the
qualities which are to insure the profits and
honors. The time is close coming we think
when slow vessels in these voyages, will nc
more be tolerated than slow coaches upon the
land, and they will certainly be crowded from
the track into the coast trade by such ships as
the Oriental. the Gamecock, the Staghound
and those vessels which are being built in Bos-
ton, which are calculated to make the passage
TO San Francisco in 80 days, and which are ex
pected TO line the pockets of their owners with
the returns of voyage round the world in
twelvemonth.
These are facts for the consideration of on
Maine builders. There is also one other thing
which we shall touch before we close. 1t vii
be seen that while Maine builds more tonnage
(of sea going vessels, than any other state, she
orns but little more than half as much as the
state of New York. We presume, however
that the excess of New York is in a great par,
in her lake and river navigation. Whatevel
the real difference in sea-going tonnage may
be, however, more tonnage is built in Maine
and owned in other parts than is owned in the
state. This is a natural result, to be sure, 81
long as our new state has not the capital to owl
the tonnage she builds. But at the same time
our enterprising builders can but see that build
ing ships for other states is but making them
selves hewers Of wood and drawers of water t.
the purchasers. True, the prices of tonnage
may be fair remuneration in their pockets
but these buyers are so only because their for
tunes come of the vessels they purchase. LIE
it not be forgotten that every fleet ship bull
and owned in Maine, is, Saving contingencies,
so much permanent capital added to her wealth
And we hope that even in this new era of com
merce which is rearing like magic class q
ships for the merchant trade which beat in ev
cry way the European liners, Maine will b
found in her true place, not as builders only
but as owners for themselves.
American Heroism.
In Cooper's Naval History we find tb
following sketches Of desperate hand dto.hant
4 - Al AL