NEW SECT IN ARABIA. The moslem, it may be supposed, would insist on the direct evidence which the witnesses of the life and actions of Mahomet possessed of his divine commission, and on the firm establishment and wide diffusion of the faith, in spite of the mighty and numerous obstacles which the prophet and his immediate followers had to encounter. The Wahabees would probably assert their better right to be heard, as direct witnesses of the frequent interpositions of Heaven in favour of Abdul, who had introduced the new doctrines under difficulties and dangers unprecedented in the religious revolutions of the east. The religion of Mahomet, they might say, is a partial religion, which was intended for us. How can we pernot form ablutions, when we have no water? How can we give alms, when we have no riches? Or what occasion can there be to fast during the month of Ramadan, when we fast all the year? The result of these disputes was such as might be expected. Intolerant bigotry on one side, and fanatical enthusiasm on the other, would shut the ears of both parties to reason; and no appeal would lye from the prejudices of either, but to the sabre and the musket. The appeal to arms has indeed been made. The throne of the sultan is already shaken in Europe. Who can doubt that the propagation of the new faith will rapidly accelerate the dissolution of his power in Asia ? For the Literary Magazine. SKETCH OF THE PRESENT COM- THE progress which Russia is destined to make among the nations cannot fail to interest the philosophical observer; and there is something extremely grand in the prospective view of her commercial and political advancement. If Rus sia only attains one third of the po pulation commonly possessed by countries equally well situated, she will still reckon a hundred and twenty-five millions of inhabitants; and there is reason to think that this multiplication is going on with considerable rapidity. Tooke esti mates the whole population of the it may now be carried, without exempire at thirty-six millions; but aggeration, to forty millions. empire is materially assisted by the The growing prosperity of this systematic efforts of the government to facilitate commercial intercourse between all its parts. Canals are made, from time to time, to connect the numerous rivers which fall into the Beresinsky and Oginsky canals the seas at its extremities. Thus open an easy communication be tween the ports of the Baltic and those of the Euxine; and the canal of Vishney Volotoshok connects the Gulf of Finland with the distant harbours of the Caspian. dustry of Russia may be formed, by Some notion of the increasing incomparing the number of vessels of all kinds that passed through this famous canal, which joins the Neva and Wolga, in the years 1787 and 1797. In the former, the number boats, and 1984 floats, paying 24,689 was 2914 barks, 357 half barks, 178 rubles of toll or duty; in the latter, 3958 barks, 382 haif barks, 248 boats, and 1676 floats, paying 34,192 rubles. The exports consist chiefly of iron, wood, hemp, and flax, both raw and manufactured, tallow, and grain. The exportation of wood was some years ago prohibited, on account of the great waste in the forests; but it has again been permitted, under certain restrictions. By adopting proper regulations for the managemight be rendered one of the most ment of the forests, this article productive and permanent staples of Russian commerce, flax, and their products, constitute, Hemp and at present, the most important part of the annual exports. The value of these exported in 1802 amounte COMMERCE OF THE NORTH. ed to 21,176,432 rubles. Agriculture is rapidly advancing; for, in 1793, the value of grain exported was only 3,121,597 rubles; whereas, in 1802, it had increased to 11,496,245. Archangel was the chief place of trade, till Peter the great created a new city, which produced a complete revolution in the commerce of the north. Three parts of the whole trade of the empire is now carried on in the Baltic. Petersburgh, or Cronstadt and Riga, are the principal ports in this sea; but there are several others which share the benefits of that commercial spirit so assiduously encouraged by the In the Black Sea, government. Odessa has, by the unremitted exertions of the government, become a place of considerable importance, and bids fair to rival, in time, the most flourishing marts of the Baltic. The trade of the Baltic is destined to undergo, at no distant period, a revolution similar to that which took place in the trade of the White Sea after the building of Petersburg. At present, however, the foreign trade of Russia in this sea is nearly confined to the provinces of the Turkish empire, from which considerable importations are annually made. Immense advantages are derived from her intercourse with Britain, her sales to which are nearly equal to all her other sales put together. Notwithstanding all this, there is a strong jealousy entertained by that power, of British naval superiority, and a manifest desire on her part to underrate the value of the connexion. Hence it follows, that the government is much in the dark regarding the true interests of the country; for it cannot be doubted that her commerce is nourished and upheld by the preponderance of the British navy. What else is it that brings the peculiar articles of Russian produce into demand? What would become of the trade in these articles, and of the industry that mi-nisters to it, were the maritime power of Britain reduced to a level The possessions of Prussia extend chandize. Dantzic is the chief grain market of the north. A late traveller (Mr. Carr) estimates the amount of all the grain exported from this place, in the year 1803, at 34,149 lasts, each containing eighty-four Winchester bushels. But in a later traveiler's tables (Mr. Oddy's) for the same year, the amount is stated at 68,278 lasts, each rated at eighty-six bushels. This wide variation serves to show with what caution such statements ought always to be received. All kind of grain conveyed to Dantzic, but particularly that from a great distance, is brought down in vessels, or rather floats, clumsily put together, of different dimensions and descriptions, according to the rivers or places they are first sent from; and, what will appear very extraordinary, without any cover ing whatever. In this state, uncovered and unprotected, it is brought from the most remote parts, exposed to all sorts of weather, sometimes six, seven, eight, nine, or even ten weeks on its passage. If the season happens to be wet, the grain is piled in the vessel or float, with a ridge to shoot off the wet, which, continuing some time, the surface becomes one coat of vegetative matter, like a green grassplar, floating down the current, and which partly prevents the rain penetrating farther than a few inches. The waste and loss, however, must be incredible in wet seasons, and even, otherwise; for the feathered tribe, as the float proceeds along, are their constant customers, even into the very city of Dantzic. Strange as this may appear, these people have never yet been prevailed on to have tarpaulings, or any covering, which would, in a wet season, doubly repay them for the first cost. The warehouses are on an excellent plan, situated on an island formed by the river Mottlau, running close by the city on one side, and another branch by what is called the Forestadt on the other. There are three bridges on each side of the island, at the end of streets over it from the city to the Forestadt. In the night all the bridges are drawn up, excepting the two at the end of the main street, across the centre of the island, communicating betwixt the old city and the Forestadt. To guard those warehouses are from twenty to thirty ferocious dogs of a large size, amongst which are bloodhounds, let loose at eleven o'clock at night. To command, and to keep the dogs within their districts, as well as the passengers from harm, at the end of each of the streets leading to the main one are large high gates run across: no light is allowed, nor any person suffered to live on this island. The dogs prowl about the whole night, and create great terror. Prussia, by the extensive range of coast she has acquired, has cer tainly the means of obtaining a large share of the Baltic trade. But she has not yet learned the rudiments of that science on which commercial prosperity depends. The narrow notions of Frederic, whose genius, splendid as it was in negotiation and war, never embraced any of the great principles of commercial po licy, are still cherished at Berlin. The dutchy of Mecklenburg, on account of its high cultivation, and the quantity of grain it exports, may be called the Egypt of the north. The imperial city of Lubec is situated in this dutchy; and as it has an easy communication with the North Sea by means of the Holstein canal, and with the Elbe by that of Stecknitz, it is, at present, a place of great commercial importance. Sweden has made slow progress in the career of improvement. One great cause of her backward state is the unfavourableness of the climate for the growth of grain. This is so great, that there are scarcely three ripe crops in the space of ten years. She has, how ever, considerable resources in wood and iron, and in the fisheries. The Swedish iron is well known to be excellent; there are at present about five hundred founderies in employment, and the annual produce is about 53,330 English tons. Britain, every where the great encourager of industry, takes more than half of the whole quantity exported It has long been a favourite project with the Swedish monarchs to open a passage through that country, between the North Sea and the Baltic. This plan, worthy of Rome in the plenitude of her power, was originally conceived by Gustavus Vasa. Considerable progress has been made in it; and though there are still great obstacles in the way, they are far from insurmountable. The completion of this grand undertaking would contribute much to the internal improvement of Sweden, and, through her, afford the other COMMERCE OF THE NORTH. nations of Europe a good passage into the Baltic, besides the Sound and the Belts. commerce Tonningen, which was scarcely known beyond the Danish domiBonions, till the policy of naparte had driven from its natural channels, is now become the focus of commercial intercourse between England and the It maintains a great continent. trade with different places on the Elbe, and particularly with Hamburgh, having become the port of that city since its blockade. Denmark has, in several respects, been a gainer by the wars in which the other nations of Europe are or have been lately engaged. In times of peace she is computed to gain nearly four millions of rix-dollars by the carrying trade; but the war has given her an almost exclusive possession of that branch of industry, besides enabling her to prosecute the fishing trade without competition. Exclusive of the home consumption, and the transport by land from Norway to Sweden, there was exported, in 1802, no less than 411 cargoes, containing about 26,500 tons of fish. The exportation had increased from 256 cargoes to this amount between 1799 and 1802. The progress of Denmark has not nearly kept pace with the advantages of her situation. Her people are slow to invent, and as slow to imitate, and have not yet acquir ed that true commercial spirit which generates universal activity and emulation, and carries nations forward by rapid movements in the career of wealth and power. In the commerce of the Baltic, the share of Great Britain amounts, exclusive of grain, to at least twothirds of the whole: a strong proof of the interest all these nations have in the permanent prosperity of that country. As the articles sold consist entirely of native productions, the trade is certainly most advantageous to them. The Ems, being under the protection of Prussia, is still open to Britain; and short as its course is, the VOL. VI. NO. XXXVI. British goods which come into it It is matter of no small astonish- No scheme for the extension of British fisheries will be effectual that does not enable poor people to enter into that trade. Bounties are of no use; for they do not enable any one, who has not the means otherwise, to undertake fishing. Boats and tackle should be provided at the fishing stations, and hired out for a sum just sufficient to pay interest, tear, and wear, under the direction of the ministers and elders in the Scots parishes, and by the superintendants of the poor in England. Britain above all things should attend to the cultivation of timber at home, and even compulsory measures for that purpose should be used. Meantime the timber trade might be advantageously tranferred to their North American plantations. The forests there contain 1 196 abundance of excellent timber, which Great advantages would accrue to The vast importations the British Nature has formed this island an impregnable emporium, where all the world, but particularly those who are driven from the trade of Holland and Hamburgh, would readily fly, if they could be sure of a courteous reception. Situated as it All foreign grain should be allowed importation, at all times, under the king's lock, on the principle of an entrepôt, where it might wait the pleasure of the owner for a market. England is better situated for it than Holland was; if any demand should be made from the southern markets, ships can get out of their ports at all seasons of the year, which is not the case in Holland. Were such a principle adopted, the corn dealers in the north of Europe, and those who have long been in the trade in other quarters, would cheerfully avail themselves of it. Considerable supplies of grain would be sent to such an entrepôt from America. Great numbers of American merchants, and they are mostly bold and enterprising, would at once send their produce here for a market, and take manufactures in return. From foreign grain being stored in this manner would arise a certain advantage. If, while the waste lands of Britain are getting into cultivation, any failure of crops should take place, the stock in hand might be brought into the market by the regulations of some judicious act. Monopoly would not exist in the face of a large unknown stock; and if the price advanced under these circumstances, it would rise from an actual deficiency in the country, to supply which there would then always be a stock in store: for want of such a stock, prices frequently rapidly advance, and the advance is anticipated abroad; so that it costs enormous prices unnecessarily created. For the Literary Magazine. TOTAL ECLIPSE. THE following interesting account of the late total eclipse, with its ef◄ |
