despatches Nos. 3 and 13 of the current year; and especially to the doubts I therein expressed as to the possibility of forwarding the statistics of the trade of my consular district as promptly as I could desire. I can only add that my anticipations in this respect have been fully realized, and that I consider myself fortunate in being able to forward at this time any statistics for the year 1861. I have endeavored to make the returns as comprehensive as the materials would allow. As to their accuracy, they are classified, arranged, and compiled from the records of the custom-house here; and although these sources of information were often not of the clearest or most exact, yet I believe the tables will be found in the main correct. ANNUAL REPORT FROM UNITED STATES CONSULATE, FUNCHAL.-GEOrge TRUE, Consul. OCTOBER 30, 1862. 1. The trade of this consular district during the year 1861 was less than the average of the past five years.-(See despatch No. 3, current year.) I have deemed it proper, in order to show clearly the present state of the commerce of this district, to collect more accurate statistics of the shipping, tonnage, crews, and cargoes entered and cleared at the custom-house, excluding men-of-war and vessels not anchoring, which will be found in the tables marked Nos. 1a and 1b. Funchal being the only port of entry in this district, the following statistics are to be considered accordingly. The proportion of the shipping of each flag arriving here directly from, or clearing for, their respective national or colonial ports is shown in table No. 2. No. la. Tabular statement of the shipping, tonnage and crews, entered at the port of Funchal, Madeira, during the year 1861, together with tonnage, crews, and aggregate value of cargoes. CLEARED. No. 1b. Tabular statement of the shipping, tonnage and crews, cleared from the port of Funchal, Madeira, during the year 1861, with the aggregate value of cargoes. Value of cargoes. Nationality. No. 2. Tabular statement of shipping and tonnage engaged in direct and indirect trade at the port of Funchal in the year 1861. Vessels. Tons. CLEARED. Vessels. Tons. Year. From the subjoined statement it will be seen that the actual tonnage entered the past year was greater than the average of the past five years. No. 3. Comparative statement of the aggregate navigation returns of the port of Funchal for the past five years, showing number of arrivals and clearances, tonnage and crews. In 2. Imports and exports.-I am only required to specify the articles of "import and export, the countries which supply the former and receive the latter." addition to this, it would seem proper to add the quantities and value of imports and exports. All the information that can be desired under this head, with a reduction of foreign weights and measures to those of the United States, and a statement of the value of imports and exports to and from each country in United States currency, will be found in the accompanying tables, (No. 4 and No. 5a.) |