Annual Countries.  Imported from.  Exported to.  Loss

Denmark and Sweden 76,215_l_ 39,543_l. 36,672_l_. 
East Country 181,296 149,893 31,403
Russia 112,252 58,884 53,568
Sweden 212,094 57,555 154,539
          
                                                     ---------
Total annual average loss 275,982_l_.

II.  Ships.  In the year 1530, the ship which first sailed on a trading voyage to Guinea, and thence to the Brazils, was regarded as remarkably large; her burden amounted to 250 tons.  And in Wheeler’s Treatise of Commerce, published in 1601, we are informed, that about 60 years before he wrote (which would be about 1541), there were not above four ships (besides those of the royal navy) that were above 120 tons each, in the river Thames; and we learn from Monson, in his Naval Tracts, that about 20 years later, most of our ships of burden were purchased from the east countrymen, or inhabitants of the south shores of the Baltic, who likewise carried on the greatest trade of our merchants in their own vessels.  He adds, to bid adieu to that trade and those ships, the Jesus of Lubec. a vessel then esteemed of great burden and strength, was the last ship bought by the queen.  In 1582, there were 135 merchant vessels in England, many of them of 500 tons each:  and in the beginning of King James’s reign, there were 400, but these were not so large, not above four of these being of 400 tons.  In 1615, it appears, that the East India Company, from the beginning of their charter, had employed only 24 ships, four of which had been lost.  The largest was 1293 tons; one 1100, one 1060, one 900, one 800, and the remainder from 600 to 150.  In the same year, 20 ships sailed to Naples, Genoa, Leghorn, and other parts of the Mediterranean, chiefly laden with herrings; and 30 from Ireland, to the same ports, laden with pipe staves:  to Portugal and Amsterdam, 20 ships for wines, sugar, fruit, and West India drugs:  to Bourdeaux, 60 ships for wines:  to Hamburgh and Middleburgh, 35 ships:  to Dantzic, Koningsberg, 30 ships:  to Norway 5;—­while the Dutch sent above 40 large ships.  The Newcastle coal trade employed 400 sail;—­200 for London, and 200 for the rest of England.  It appears, that at this time many foreign ships resorted to Newcastle for coals:  whole fleets of 50 sail together from France, besides many from Bremen, Holland, &c.  The Greenland fishery employed 14 ships.