imitations of American patterns and patents, but gotten up on a cheap scale. They are generally much inferior.

The present depot accommodations here, at the terminus of all the railroads entering Stettin, having been found insufficient to the increased demands on its capacities, a project is now under contemplation, by which to enlarge the grounds and buildings very extensively, requiring some millions of thalers for its completion. Great exertions are also being made to have the whole city enlarged, as it is becoming too small for the growth of its population and business, and from its nature, being a fortress, cannot be extended without either removing the fortifications further out, or else demolishing them altogether. The latter plan is being warmly advocated by the commercial interest, and a deputation from here have lately waited upon the King, at Berlin, petitioning him to assent to the demolition of the fortifications around Stettin, with a view of making the city larger and finer, of superior accommodations, and less endangered from fire. It is also ergued, in connexion, that the grounds now occupied by the fortifications would bring the government many millions of thalers, which might be expended, for the same purpose, (military protection to this part of Prussia,) at a more strategic point. To ask for such a concession, in a military power like this, is, nevertheless, to entertain very great expectations; but it is said that the King received the proposition very kindly, and promised to give to the same a careful consideration, so that it may become possible, in the course of a few years, that an old feudal stronghold, like that of Stettin, will have to give way for the pressure of the enlightenment and progress of the peaceful pursuits of our age; a result which, in former days, could only have been acquired by means of bombs, shells, and bullets.

The city of Stettin has hitherto been supplied with water by large pumps placed on wells dug in the streets; but from the inadequacy of the supply, particularly at accidents by fire, and from the frequent giving out of the wells and the disorder of the pumps, aside from the inconvenience of fetching the water through the streets and into the houses up several flights of stairs, the city authorities have now decided upon the erection of a hydraulic work by which to furnish the inhabitants with good water uninterruptedly, and so as to have it readily at hand for extinguishing fires. The hilly nature of the city will, nevertheless, render it a very difficult and costly undertaking, so it is not to be wondered at it has not earlier been accomplished. Among plans offered for carrying out the project, one has already been accepted by the authorities, and for which a premium of eight hundred thalers was awarded the author, a German engineer.

All those improvements contemplated and to be carried into execution, coming as they do simultaneously, are positive assurances of an enterprising spirit prevailing of progress and expansion, and I have mentioned them in support of my thesis at the outset, that Stettin is becoming one of the most important commercial places in the north of Europe. She has already eclipsed one of the Hansa's Lubec, and she will strive to draw near to the others. Her population, with the suburbs, is 80,199, and that of the province of Pomerania 1,100,000 in all.

SWINEMUNDE.

This being, in fact, the preliminary or out-port of Stettin, every vessel from without must pass and clear here before being allowed to proceed; and it is at Swinemunde, therefore, where most of the charges against vessels bound for Stettin, as stated above, are exacted, being distant from the latter about thirty American miles, comprising Grosses and Kleines Haff, and part of the river Oder, which intervenes between the two ports.

The harbor of Swinemunde is a very excellent one, made so by artificial

means, having formidable moles running far out into the Baltic, so as to protect the entrance to the river, and making the current but slightly felt. Vessels drawing up to nineteen feet of water may enter at any time, and the port is often sought for by vessels in distress, and stormy weather.

There is one first-order fixed light placed on a tower of red brick, built on the eastern side of the harbor, at the mouth of the river Oder, and at an elevation of two hundred and eleven feet above the level of the sea. It is exhibited every night from sunset to sunrise, and in ordinary state of the atmosphere should be seen from the deck of a vessel, fifteen feet above the water, at a distance of twenty-one nautical miles. Besides, there are two fixed beacon-lights, one on the eastern pier, the other on a series of sand-hills, or downs, running out from the shore, guaranteeing a safe entrance into the harbor, even from vessels which, by stormy weather, may be compelled to run into port without having a pilot on board. By law, nevertheless, vessels are directed to receive a pilot at sea, and unless it can be satisfactorily proved that entering without him was a dire necessity, captains are liable to pay a heavy fine.

The chief trade of Swinemunde is coal, imports from Great Britain, and shipbuilding; also chartering and clearing vessels, for which latter regular rates only, as fixed by the government, are allowed to be charged by the commission merchants of the port, and who give their attention to this branch of business. The coal trade of the place is very considerable, and the price for English coals always rules from 14 to 2 thalers per last, under the Stettin prices.

The merchant fleet of Swinemunde consists of 60 vessels, with a capacity of 6,605 lasts. During the past year five new vessels were built there, and by the 1st of January last two were under construction.

To enumerate the shipping of Swinemunde during the year would merely be a recapitulation of the shipping of Stettin above specified, as by far the greatest part of the vessels were the same as those entered and cleared at Stettin.

Of vessels in distress, 25 sought Swinemunde during the year, namely, one Prussian and one British steamboat, fifteen Prussian, one British, six Danish, and one Norwegian sailing vessels. The port was also visited by one Prussian and four Russian ships-of-war.

The United States consular agent in the place of E. A. Krause, esq., reports of only one American vessel having passed there, (the same one as reported upon from Stettin in September last.) and of no fees having been received at his agency during 1861.

Dantzic.

The trade of this place appears to be, like that of Stettin, greatly "transito," and the increase within the last years has been very remarkable. If Stettin takes the foremost place in importations, Dantzic holds the highest rank among Prussian ports in the export trade, and has for centuries back been more exclusively a grain house, which name (kornhaus) was given to the place as early as in the year 1200. Since many years Dantzic is now the largest grain depository in this part of the world, receiving through the Vistula, and its connexions with other navigable watercourses, those immense quantities of cereals which the productive countries of Poland, Hungary, Galizia, and part of Russia bring forth. Its warehouses, into which the grain is received, are said to be very admirably arranged, with separate receptacles for the different qualities, where they can be easily exposed to the air, turned, and examined. As, in many other instances, England receives the largest part of all the wheat, barley and oats collected there, verifying what has been so forcibly remarked, that our British friends must feed much better than any other people of their number, as they always buy such vast quantities of necessaries of life, over and above their own extensive raising. Next to the exports of grain, that of timber, lumber,

staves, sleepers, ties, &c., is the most extensive. Potatoes, salted meat, rapeseed oil, and manufactured sugar are also exported.

The principal exports in 1861 were: Wheat, 3,852,727 scheffels, (one scheffel 13 bushel;) rye, 1,411,766 scheffels; barley, 273,134 scheffels; oats, 85,788 scheffels; beans, peas, &c., 597,929 scheffels; potatoes, 22,166 scheffels; timber and lumber of different kinds, 1,477,557 pieces, amongst which were 11,013 masts and bowsprits; also 1,183,063 sleepers and ties, and of staves and heads 19,491 lasts; salted meat, 14,840 centners; manufactured sugar, 34,471 centners; rapeseed, 151,470 centners; flaxseed, 8,243 centners; oil in casks, 10,394 centners. The total exports of Dantzic during 1861 amounting in value to 25,259,715 thalers, against 20,860,830 thalers in 1830.

The principal articles imported were coffee, rice, tea, herrings, blubber oil, and coal. Of 2,699 vessels entered during the year, 1,582 arrived freight-seeking or in ballast, and there cleared in the same period 2,627 vessels in lading, but only 22 in ballast, which fact would indicate Dantzic as a good place for freight-seeking vessels. Among the number were six United States vessels, all seeking and finding engagements there.

The number of vessels owned in Dantzic is 130, of, together, 32,241 lasts burden, and many of them a larger class, such as full ships and barks. During the year two ships and four barks were built, and by the 1st of January last six vessels were under construction, namely, three ships, two barks, and one propeller.

With the competition of the "Thom Lowiezn" railroad, Dantzic will probably come in as a formidable competitor with Hamburg and Bremen for the trade with Poland, as the former city will then be in direct connexion with Warsaw; and from the pressing demands of Dantzic upon the government for a widened harbor, extended depot grounds, and a larger number of pilots, &c., it is obvious that the prospects for the continued increase of its commerce and shipping are very promising.

Peter Collas, esq., United States consular agent at this port, reports upon the arrival and departure of American vessels, and consular services rendered at his agency, as per statement hereto annexed:

KOENIGSBERG.

Extended and facilitated communications with the interior of the German states have done much for the trade and shipping of Koenigsberg of late years. This ancient city, and, during centuries gone by, royal abode for the mighty family of Hohenzollexn, has, from its location near the Baltic and its extended inland communications, changed its character with the commercial progress of the age, and become a trading place of considerable importance.

At intervals, nevertheless, its old palaces and venerable dome resounds from the numerous steps of princes, potentates and courtiers, and at the coronation of the present King of Prussia, in October last, Koenigsberg again took on the garb of royalty, and became for the time being absorbed in the consummation of the ceremonies attendant upon such occasions; and for a large class of i's population those events are very desirable, bringing, as the last did, within the space of a fortnight, some extra millions of thalers into the place.

Travellers to and from Russia generally take the way of Koenigsberg, passing through and stopping to look at its interesting parts, and thus the city is continually visited by strangers, amongst whom are many Americans.

Like Stettin, Koenigsberg has its outer port, which is Pillan, located immediately on the Baltic shore, while Koenigsberg itself is some fifteen miles inland, and connected by water with Pillan, through the "Frisches Haff" and the river "Piegel." The charges for entering and clearing, also for lighterage,

at the two places are somewhat higher than at Swinemunde and Stettin. The regulations for taking pilot on board at sea, &c., are the same.

Although in want of any official statement from there, it would seem, from what can be gathered from the market reports, that the most business done there during last year has been in grain, hemp, flax, and alcohol. England and France received most of the wheat; Denmark, Norway and Holstein most of the rye; and oats, during the summer months, went largely to France and Britain. Hemp and flax, both of good quality, were sold in large lots at remunerative prices.

The alcohol trade of Koenigsberg, as well as of Stettin and other Baltic places, have of late years suffered considerable from the heavy competition with the American article which it has to encounter in the Mediterranean ports. Prices were during last year, except at a short interval, depressed and sales moderate. Rape, turnip, and also flax seed are likewise important articles of trade in this region, deserving a separate mention, honorable as it is; from those seeds vast quantities of oil are obtained, and which have to a large part taken the place of the American whale oil, formerly brought here very extensively They are grown in all the Baltic provinces, also in Posen and Silesia. Koenigsberg had a lively trade therein during 1861, and prices varied from three to three and a half thalers per scheffel for rape and turnip seed.

The maritime trade of Koenigsberg was during the year not so extentive as in 1860, although surpassing any other previous year. The number of vessels entered was 1,975, of, together, 125,242 lasts; and those cleared 1,972, of 124,718 lasts burden; among those entered were 736 in ballast.

The merchant fleet of Koenigsberg and Pillan, together, consists of 39 vessels, having a total burden of 5,582 lasts. During 1861 one bark was built at the former, and one brig at the latter place, and at Koenigsberg one bark was under construction by the 1st of January last.

The United States consular agent at the place, Otto Schoumberg, esq., reports no arrivals or departures of American vessels, and no fees having been received at his agency during 1861.

MEMEL.

The trade and shipping of this the northernmost seaport of Prussia, and only a few miles off from the Russian boundary, although more easy of access from the Baltic, and possessed, it is said, of maritime advantages superior to those of other Prussian ports, is nevertheless from year to year experiencing a gradual falling off, caused mostly from great wants of available inland communication with which this town is more than usually stepmotherly provided, and in this regard has been hitherto much neglected from the side of the gov

ernment.

In the opinion of commercial men there, the means to prevent a further decline in their trade are mainly two, viz: 1st. The building of a canal by which to avoid the dangerous navigation of the "Kenisches Haff," and on which to safely transport and float the chief articles of trade, deals and timber, from the "Russ" down to Memel, from whence they are shipped almost exclusively to England. 2d. The building of a railroad to connect with the "Koenigsberg Eydtkuhner" road, and thus bring Memel within the largest of German railroads, without which its isolation would become more and more apparent, and its trade and shipping be continually suffering.

In the year 1860 there entered at Memel 979 vessels, of, together, 120,552 lasts, and the clearances were 989, of 123,070 lasts; while during last year the arrivals diminished to 864 vessels, of, together, 108 768 lasts and the departures to 843, of 104,970 lasts burden-a considerable falling off in one year. Next to the timber trade in importance is the grain business to Memel, but

this has during the year been very small, and limited almost entirely to the home consumption.

The trade in flax and hemp, formerly very considerable as export business, has had a remarkable decline, so that of flax only 75,243 centners were shipped in 1861, against several hundred thousand centners in previous years, and of hemp only 960 centners. The large inland consumers thereof, who formerly purchased those articles at Memel, now prefer to supply themselves at places with which they have direct communications established, either by rail or canal, and thus has Koenigsberg of late laid claim to the largest part of the flax and hemp trade of Memel. This is another of the many proofs of how, in this progressive age of ours, nothing is more essential to the success of commercial and trading places than easy and extended means of communication in all directions. In pickled herrings a fair business was done, and the imports were, from

Norway

Scotland

Coast herrings...

12,100 barrels. 9,100 do. 1,500 do.

The most of this article is sold to the Russian neighbors, who, by their church government, being prohibited from eating meats during the entire season of lent, are thus, from religious usages, made good customers of salt fish.

Hides, salt, and coal had also considerable activity, the two latter articles requiring a large part of the shipping tonnage.

Freights, although having ruled high, left but a small profit, from account of stormy weather during the latter half of the year, causing long trips and many averages, besides the total loss of 10 vessels, all belonging to Memel, and in consequence whereof the rates of marine insurance with the home companies have been extraordinary high.

The trading fleet of Memel consisted at the end of 1861 of 83 vessels having 18,122 lasts capacity, the largest craft being 308 lasts; also 4 steamboats, the. largest of 60 horse-power, besides 3 vessels now on the stocks and being built.

Henry Fowler, esq., United States consular agent, at the place, reports the arrival and departure of four American vessels there, and services rendered during 1861, as per statement rendered.

AIX-LA-CHAPELLE.-W. H. VESEY, Consul.

MARCH 26, 1862.

I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy and translation of the report of trade of this place for the year 1861.

Annual report of the Board of Trade for Aix-la-Chapelle and Borrette for the

year 1861.

Under the national troubles during the past year, America, as a market for our goods, was almost entirely lost, and the few unimportant sales which may have been effected were certainly at a loss.

Hopes have been entertained from day to day that the conclusion of a treaty of commerce with France, if not offering exactly a compensation for the loss of the American market, would at least give a new impulse to trade; but until now these hopes have not been realized. We cannot but entreat your excellency earnestly to direct your wonted energy to the obtaining of a favorable result in this matter.

The convocation of German traders (Terndulstag) may be regarded as one of the most satisfactory events of the past year. Although the resolution