Commercial traffic declined during the 17th and 18th centuries, revived briefly with the advent of the steamship in 1832, then succumbed to silting and the onslaught of the railways.
Commercial activity severely slowed during the 17th and 18th centuries.
mnli hypothesis: Commercial activity severely slowed during the 17th and 18th centuries. premise: Commercial traffic declined during the 17th and 18th centuries, revived briefly with the advent of the steamship in 1832, then succumbed to silting and the onslaught of the railways.