Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1855-06-28

THE SHIPPING OF TIE WoRLD.-The
London News of late date publishes
long article headed the "Shipping of
the World" some of the details OF
which are interesting. 1t is curious,
first, to notice to how large an extent
Great Britain and the United States
have monopolized the carrying trade,
and secondly, how nearly our own coun-
try has approached Great Britain in
the Commercial supremacy of the seas,
and how certain is the fact that in a
short time she will have outstripped her.
The total floating tonnage of the whole
civilized world, excluding only China
and the East, consists of about l36, 900
vessels of 14,5Oo,O tons. OF this
total tonnage, 9,768,172 belongs to
Great Britain and the United States, so
that excluding these two great maritime
nations the total commercial tonnage of
the remainder of the civilized world is
but 4, 4,500,OO0 or less than that which
either Great Britain or the United
States individually possess. Even
France, which comes next in. the scale, is
insignificant in comparison, its total
tonnage being but ZIG, 900 tons against
5,O43, ,27O for Great Britain, and A.,
-794, ,9O9 for the United States. Italy
and Sardinia stand next to France. then
Holland, Prussia, Spain. Norway,
Sweden, DC.
The comparative entrances of Great
Britain and the United States in 1854
were as follows:
Tonnage
Great Britain and Colonies, 42,573 1862
United States, 10000, 900
Thus, though the mercantile marine
of Great Britain seems the largest in
the world, the writer from whom we
quote admits that it will soon be sur
passed by that of the United States,
which has already augmented one-third
since 1850. The accurate tonnage of
the entrances and clearances of Ameri-
can vessels cannot be given as author
itatively as is the case with regard to
British vessels, because the returns are
not kept with the same official exact
ness. Hence, the above total set down
on the American side, is TO some degree
hypothetical, but there is no reason to
believe it is not overstated, but rather
that the additional despatch with which
American vessels arc freighted, and the
accelerated speed with which they per-
form their voyages, has not been fully
allowed for in the estimate. The ton
mage of the ships, however, is stated on
official data, and it shows the American
aggregate to be but one sixteenth less
than the British. This fact, when taken
in connection with the infancy of our
marine, and its present rapid increase,
shows how short will be the time re-
quired to overbalance the advantage
which Great Britain now possesses, and
to place the United States first in the
rank of commercial nations.
The British colonies in the Pacific
have several vessels, and the Eastern
possessions, Siam, China, and the is
lands in the Indian Ocean, have large
fleets for trade or piracy which must
not be omitted in an estimate of the
of the world. The floating
tonnage of the world is estimated to
consist of l36, 900 vessels, with an aggre-
gate tonnage of 4,5O0,0 900 tons. The
number of seamen on all these vessels
is supposed to be about 100000. and
including the Eastern States, China,
DC, of the marine population of which
we have not any accounts, there must
be at least million of persons engaged
at sea and generally on the ocean. This
rapidly increasing floating population is
one of the curiosities of modern civiliza-
ton. The Daily News pertinently re-
marks in regard to them:
"Latterly this population has not been
considered apart; and has separately
borne no share except as subsidiary to
political power in the changes of society. !
But the time is coming when its num-
bers and its rapid extension in the Uni 4
ted states-the shipping has been
quadrupled, while the population has
been only doubled-must force it on the
of historians and philosophers. |
Of late, art has added much to its pow
er. Steam has given it feet fleeter than ,
wings. The attention of scientific men
is now being drawn to it, and chiefly by |
the labors of Lieut.. Maury of the Uni
ted States, large army of observers of
natural phenomena, scattered over eve
ry part Of the ocean, have been sudden
ly called into existence. Every ship
captain has been taught how to profit 1
by his opportunities and to become a
registrar of facts. AS it has become
numerous and influential, the profession
has become ennobled, and resuming its
old place in civilization, the maritime
population is destined again to take
lead, and as they at first helped to scat
ter, they now cement the various ma
tons of the world into one society. A
comparatively short time has elapsed
since Holland, now possessing less than
a fiftieth part of the seamen and tom
mage of the world, was the greatest
naval power in existence, and a match |
nearly for all other maritime nations.-I
Holland has not declined since then,
but other maritime nations have risen,
and the eimpulse she strengthened is con-