CHAP. VII. GENERAL SUMMARY OF THE STATISTICS OF BRITISH AMERICA. THE following recapitulation of the population, trade, and fixed and movable capital of the British colonies, calculated in round numbers, from customs and legislative returns, and from various estimates, may be considered as near the truth as such data will admit; and afford, when compared to the condition of the colonies at former periods, some idea of the rising importance of British America, and the political and commercial consequence of that part of the empire to the mother country. There is now (in 1833) a population in our colonies, distributed nearly in the following order, and possessing, exclusive of money and movable property, the value of which cannot well be estimated, cattle and lands, much in the same quantity as in the annexed schedule, viz : New Brunswick Island and Labrador 110,000 12,000 87,000 65,000 105,000 365,000 196,000 19,000 144,796 98,214 234,658 398,964 35,000 4,500 32,000 30,000 48,000 180,000 76,000 600 8,000 16,000 10,000 1,307,000 196,480 926,488 779,214 1,239,658 | 4,913,964 45,000 Fixed capital in 185,857 dwelling-houses, £2,368,760 00 4,632,440 00 779,214 0 0 619,825 0 0 14,741,892 00 Estimated value of arable land, &c. £23,142,131 0 0 Fixed capital, in mills, stores, and other 4,861,275 00 Carry forward £37,306,256 00 Brought over 1,435,000 00 Fixed capital, connected with the cod and seal fisheries at Newfoundland and Labrador, at leastFixed capital in the fishing establishments at Gaspè, Perce, Bonaventure, &c. Fixed capital in the fisheries of New Fixed capital in the cod, herring, seal, 165,000 00 84,000 0 0 220,000 00 15,000,000 00 The following sums, per official reports, have been expended on canals :Welland Canal Sums expended and fixed as capital in the iron forges of St. Maurice, the iron Marmora works, the coal and iron mines of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, aggregate estimate at least Total fixed capital 230,000 00 £56,102,397 00 The foregoing statement may be considered the lowest estimate of fixed capital in British America, exclusive of shipping (value, 1,600,000l.) and the cost of Government buildings, dock-yards, and the extensive fortifications in Canada and the maritime colonies. The estimated value of British and Irish manufactures exported from the United Kingdom to the British colonies (in the year ending 5th January, 1833,) will be found by the customs' returns to amount, exclusive of freight to British ships, to about The official value of British manufactures for the year ending 5th January, 1832, is stated at 2,315,765l., and of foreign and colonial 303,7971. The official value of imports to the United £1,532,582 19 0 Of Foreign and Colonial merchandize Total 2,858,514 19 0 271,975 9 0 - £3,130,490 80 The following statement of ships, tonnage, and seamen employed between the United Kingdom and the British North American dominions, is computed by taking the average of the five years preceding the 5th of January, 1833. The difference of 62 ships on the average inwards greater than outwards, arises from that number, besides new ships, proceeding to Newfoundland with naval stores, and loading with fish, either for the continent of Europe or the West Indies; and the difference of tonnage from others, entered from the United Kingdom, being large ships, which load with lumber in the ports of New Brunswick for the West Indies. The following statement, computed from the customs' returns, shows the number of vessels, tonnage, and men employed between the Northern colonies and the West Indies, and other countries. Total 989 140 15,292 1,842 144,791 8,812 1,387 148,613 8,280 • It is difficult to ascertain the tonnage and seamen employed in the northern intercolonial trade. The official returns for the year ending 5th January, 1832, give the following statement, which does not include the vessels employed in the fishery : VOL. II. |