IBRA

"Whatever is thrown into its bosom," says Mr. Gregg, "if the early autumn frosts permit it to ripen, grows to a wonderful degree of perfection-crops have often yielded over a hundredfold. This exuberance of soil is not, however, common to New Mexico generally, but rather proper to its valleys. The temperature is uniformly genial and moderate-a sultry day at Santa Fé, is of rare occurrence. The atmosphere is of extraordinary dryness, owing most probably to the great elevation of the plains about the Rocky mountains.

"Cotton is but little cultivated here, although it has been considered indigenous to the country, the early manufactures of the aborigines proving the fact, especially in this province. Tobacco is also a native plant; but, owing to the monopolising influence of the government, its culture is not deemed worthy of much notice by the inhabitants. likewise entirely neglected, as also the potato, another indigenous plant.

Flax is

"The New Mexicans are celebrated for the manufacture of coarse blankets, which is an article of considerable traffic between them and the southern provinces, as also with the neighbouring Indians; and, on some occasions, with the United States. The finer articles are curiously woven in handsome figures of various colours. These are of different qualities, the most ordinary being valued at about two dollars apiece, while those of the finest texture, especially their imitations of the Sarape Navajo, will sell for twenty dollars, or more. There have been also made in New Mexico a few imitations of the Sarape Saltillero, the blanket of Saltillo, a city of the south, celebrated for the manufacture of the most splendid fancy blankets, singularly figured with all the colours of the rainbow. These are often sold for more than fifty dollars each. What renders the weaving of the fancy blankets extremely tedious is, that the variegation of colours is all effected with the shuttle; the texture, in other respects, being perfectly plain, without even a twill. An additional value is set upon the fine sarape, on account of its being a fashionable substitute for a cloak. Indeed, the inferior sarape is the only over-dress used by the peasantry in the winter.

"Besides blankets, the New Mexicans manufacture a kind of coarse twilled woollen stuff, called gerga, which is checkered with black and white, and is used for carpets, and also by the peasantry for clothing; which, in fact, with some other similar domestic stuffs, together with buckskin, constituted almost the only article of wear they were possessed of, till the trade from Missouri furnished them with foreign fabrics at more reasonable prices than they had been in the habit of paying to the traders of the southern provinces. Their domestic textures are nearly all of wool, there being no flax or hemp, and but little cotton spun. The manufacture even of these articles is greatly embarrassed, for want of good spinning and weaving machinery. Much of the spinning is done with the huso or malacate (the whirligig spindle), which is kept whirling in a bowl with the fingers, while the thread is drawn. The dexterity with which the females spin with this simple apparatus is truly astonishing.

"I have heard of some still more curious contracts in these measurement sales, particularly in Santa Fé, during the early periods of the American trade. Every thing was sometimes rated by the vara-not only all textures, but even hats, cutlery, trinkets, and so on! In such cases, very singular disputes would frequently arise as to the mode of measuring some particular articles; for instance, whether pieces of ribbon should be measured in bulk, or unrolled, and yard by yard; looking-glasses, cross or lengthwise; pocket-knives, shut or open; writing-paper, in the ream, in the quire, or by the single sheet; and then, whether the longer or shorter way of the paper; and many others."

The editor of the Independence Journal, who says he has been at some pains to collect information in regard to the Santa Fé trade,

"Estimates the exports at 400,000 dollars in specie, and buffalo robes, furs, &c., to the amount of 50,000 dollars more. Several of the companies, which came in last spring, have not returned, in consequence of the unfavourable state of the weather. For this reason the exports are much less this year than usual. Four companies went out this year, taking with them merchandise to the value, at eastern cost, of 200,000 dollars-the insurance, freight to that point, outfits, &c., cost another 100,000 dollars; making the whole sum invested in this trade 300,000 dollars, which would have been increased to 500,000,

but for the bad weather. In the four companies there were 160 men, and the outfit for them is stated as follows:

exclusive of waggons, waggon sheets, and many other articles purchased at that place. The number of waggons was 92, each costing 180 dollars, many of which were made there ; and the total number of waggon sheets was 1300, including blankets to put between them.

"The trade with Santa Fé is thus made to amount to 750,000 dollars; but even this sum is said to be considerably short of what it is in ordinary seasons. The Independence editor insists that the trade should no longer be neglected by the government. Give us a port of entry; give us the right of drawbacks, and our traders will supply the whole of the provinces of Santa Fé, Chihuahua, Sonora, California, and others, instead of being supplied with British goods through Metamoras, Vera Cruz, and other ports. Instead of the trade being worth half a million of dollars, it will reach to four or five millions.' The east is said to be deeply interested in this trade, as furnishing an outlet for their calicoes and domestics-Missouri is interested; and the editor hopes that Congress will act upon this matter next winter, and give to our traders all the benefits which those of other nations enjoy.

The waggon-makers of Independence have orders to build seventy-five waggons for the Santa Fé trade, by next spring-only fifty were made the past spring. Several new mercantile establishments have just been located there, and all are doing well. A turnpikeroad from Independence to Wayne city, on the river, will be completed as rapidly as possible. All that is wanted to make Independence one of the most important towns in Missouri, is to make it a port of entry, and for the legislature to establish a branch of the bank at that place, to accommodate the traders, and the commerce of the western part of the state."

Some of the gold mines of New Mexico are said to be very productive and valuable, although latterly, Mr. Gregg seems to think, they have been neglected.

CHAPTER XXI.

COASTING AND FOREIGN NAVIGATION AND TRADE OF THE UNITED STATES.

THE COASTING TRADE of the United States of America, includes not only the carrying trade of the products or manufactures of one state to another, as the cotton of the south to the north, and the manufactures of the north and the products of the fisheries to the south; but it comprises also the carrying of foreign produce and manufactures from the great depôts of New York, Boston Philadelphia, Charleston, and New Orleans (see trade of those ports), to minor ports of distribution. The whole coasting trade of the United States we know to

be of great value from the tonnage which it employs, but we are ignorant of its actual value, as there are no customs' accounts kept between one state and another. Of the value of the coasting trade of England we are in like manner ignorant, from the absence of official accounts being kept of it.

THE FOREIGN NAVIGATION AND TRADE of the United States extends to every maritime country in the world, and the trading enterprise of the citizens of the great republic may be said to exceed even that of the inhabitants of the British empire. (See Trude and Navigation between the United Kingdom and the United States.)

NAVAL ARCHITECTURE.-The early English colonists found it necessary to begin, soon after their first settling in the New England States and in Virginia, the building of boats and coasting vessels; and the Dutch followed the example on the Hudson.

The construction of shipping, whether sailing ships, steam-vessels, or small craft and boats, constitutes one of the most important employments in the country. The vessels of the United States have long been remarkable for their beauty, and for their admirable sailing qualities, and the epithet of fir built ships with bits of striped bunting, used in a derisive sense, corresponds not with the character of those splendid ships built of the durable tough oak of Virginia and other states;* and which sail proudly over all the oceans of the world.

The details of the tonnage of the United States will be found hereafter in an account of the navigation and trade of the United States.

In 1772, the number of vessels built in the British colonies was 172, tonnage 26,546; viz. :—built in the New England colonies 149, tonnage 18,149. In New York, 15; New Jersey, 1; Pennsylvania, 8; Maryland, 8; Virginia, 7; North Carolina, 3; South Carolina, 2; Georgia, 5.

After the revolution, and when the constitutional government of the United States was established, the ships of the whole union were placed under one general flag. (See Commercial Legislation of the United States.)

By the Colonial Custom House books, kept at Boston by the Inspectorgeneral of the Imports and Exports of North America, and Register of Shipping, it appears, that the amount of tonnage which entered into the provinces, now the United States, from January 5, 1770, to January 5, 1771, was 331,644; and the amount cleared during the same period, was 351,686.-Lord Sheffield on American Commerce.

It is well known, that the tonnage at that time, given in to the register, was about one-third less than the actual tonnage, in order to evade the duties, light money, and expenses. But this was far more than counterbalanced, by the tonnage of the same vessel, being, in many instances, repeated, in consequence

* The red and brown cedar which abound in the United States are remarkably durable woods. The red pine is one of the most valuable woods for the decks and ceiling of ships.

of different voyages in the same year. The actual amount of tonnage, employed at that time in the colonial trade, may, therefore, be estimated at about 300,000 This tonnage was owned, first, by persons residing in the European British dominions; secondly, by British merchants, occasionally residing in the colonies; and, thirdly, by native colonial merchants; and, according to an estimate of British statesmen, in the following proportions, in the several colonies:

THE Amount Entered and Cleared in the several Colonies, during the Year above men

Several of the the colonial ships cleared were sold in Great Britain.

The whole number of vessels belonging to the United States, on the 31st of December, 1830, was 12,256; and of this number, 943 were ships, 1371 brigs, the residue were sloops and schooners. Among this number, 343 were employed in steam navigation, and 1393 of those licensed were under twenty tons, leaving 10,863 over twenty tons' burden.

In 1831, the number of ships built were:

1. Registered vessels employed in foreign trade, viz., sixty-six ships, seventytwo brigs, forty-five schooners, seven sloops, four steam-boats; 45,720 tons. There were sold to foreigners nine ships, twenty-one brigs, thirty-one schooners, and seven sloops; 9750 tons. Lost at sea, nine ships, fifty-three brigs, fortyeight schooners, and three sloops; 17,446 tons. Condemned as being unseaworthy, seven ships, twenty-three brigs, five schooners, and two sloops; 7288 tons; which leaves an increase to be added to the tonnage of 11,236 tons, out of 45,720 registered on foreign service tonnage.

NUMBER of Vessels, and the Seamen Employed in navigating the Same, which belonged to each State and Territory of the United States, on the 31st of December, 1830.

2. Enrolled and licensed tonnage, or coasting and fishing vessels, viz., six ships, twenty-three brigs, 371 schooners, seventeen sloops, and thirty steamboats; 40,241 tons. Lost at sea, one ship, four brigs, sixty-one schooners, seventeen sloops; 6361 tons. Condemned, fourteen schooners, ten sloops; 1571 tons, being 32,308 of new tonnage.

3. The number of vessels built in the several states and territories, from the 30th of September, 1831, to 30th of June, 1843, was as follows: