JULY 26, 1864.

I have the honor to enclose herewith, and making part of this despatch, the abstract or statement of the amount of goods and merchandise shipped from this consular district to the United States for the quarter ended June 30, 1864.

The aggregate, compared with the previous quarter, shows a small falling off, but not so great as would be supposed from the increased rate of the tariff, for a part of the time, and the very high rate of exchange.

Statement showing the description and value of the exports of Bristol to the United States, also the country from whence sent, during the quarter ended June 30, 1864.

Statement showing the total value of the exports to the United States from the Bristol consular district during the quarter ended September 30, 1864.

There has recently issued from the press in this country a document entitled the "Wreck Register and Chart for 1863," which contains much statistical information upon the subject of wrecks and the loss of life at sea, and the preservation of life by life-boats, which may be of peculiar interest to those in the United States who are investigating these subjects. The synopsis of this report I submit.

The Wreck Register and Chart for 1863.

The return of the registrar general of seamen shows that during the past year 413,972 vessels-representing a tonnage of nearly 62 millions-entered inwards and cleared outwards from British ports. The estimated value of the goods carried on board these ships was upwards of four hundred millions sterling.

We find that the number of wrecks and casualties, including collisions, reported as having occurred on the coasts of the United Kingdom during 1863 is 2,001. This number, which is in excess by 174 of the wrecks reported in 1862, is above the annual average of the ten years ending 1863. The numbers for the last five years are as follows, viz: 1859, 1,416; 1860, 1,379; 1861, 1,495; 1862, 1,827; and 1863, 2,001—total, 8,117. The fearful increase in 1863 was owing to the great number of casualties in the gales of October, November, and December of that year; and the marked increase in 1862 is owing mainly to the 542 wrecks and casualties which happened in the gales of January, October, and December. Out of 2,001 wrecks and casualties in 1863, 882 are reported to have been caused by stress of weather, and 214 from various and unknown causes. Again, 61 were lost from defects in the ships, or in their gear or equipment, and 176 from inattention and negligence. The 1,096 vessels lost by stress of weather and various other causes unknown we must charitably suppose were inevitable; yet we cannot help thinking that if the storm warning signals on the coast had been diligently attended to a considerable proportion of those 1,096 shipwrecks might have been avoided. But the loss of 237 ships from negligence and defects in their equipments is inexcusable, and calls loudly for investigation-if not on account of the valuable property thus lost forever to the country, surely on that of the precious lives sacrified on these disastrous occasions-in order that every effort might be made to prevent such an annual waste of life and property.

During the same period 5,096 lives were saved by life-boats and the rocket apparatus, fishing-boats, and other means. In the absence of these appliances the sacrifice of human life would no doubt be terrible to contemplate. The number of collisions reported in 1863 is 331, against 338 in 1862 and 323 in 1861, or 317 being the annual average of the seven years ended 1863. Of these 331 collisions 216 happened at night and 113 in the daytime; 133 were caused by "bad look-outs,""neglecting to show lights," and "neglect or misapplication of the road at sea." The remainder were more or less the result of "accident," "unsound gear," or "negligence."

*

During the past six years 399 lives have been lost from collisions in our seas-a truly distressing fact; and if fishing-smacks and boats were not often at hand to render prompt and efficient services to the poor people this large number would undoubtedly be enormously increased.

The total number of wrecks and casualties from all causes reported during the year 1863 is 2,001, against 1,827 reported in 1862. It is above the number reported during any one of the eight years preceding, and is 661 above the annual average of the eight years ending 1862. The tonnage of these wrecks is thus given:

Of the total number of ships to which casualties have happened in 1863, 1,649 were British ships, 272 foreign ships, and the country and employment of 80 were unknown.

The greatest number of casualties happened to ships laden with coals, ores, bricks, &c., or, in other words, to ships of the collier class, as will be seen from the accompanying list, viz:

Again, it appears that 614 casualties happened with the wind at and under force 7, or from a calm to a moderate gale, and that 1,050 happened with the wind above force 7, or from a fresh gale to a hurricane.

The number of persons who perished in 1863 from wrecks was 620, while in 1862 it was 690.

It is satisfactory to know that, notwithstanding the larger number of casualties in 1863, there is a great falling off in the number of lives lost, and that it is 161 below the annual average of the last twelve years.

The total number of lives lost from 1854 to 1863 is really frightful to contemplate. It was 7,786, and this, let it be remembered, is not a casual loss. It is a continual if not an ever-increasing one. The drain on our sailors and fishermen goes on year after year, notwithstanding all the benevolent and strenuous efforts made at the present day to stay the ravage. The sea is dreadfully exacting in its demands, and season after season, when the equinoctial gales blow, when the winter sets in, our shores are converted into altars, on which the ocean, as during last winter, offers his victims by hundreds. It is unlikely that we shall ever effectually obtain the mastery over the waves; but even at this moment we are able to contend successfully with them in their blind efforts to swallow up life against our endeavours to save. During the fearful gales of October, November, and December last nearly 500 lives were rescued by life-boats alone; and undoubtedly a very large proportion must have perished in the absence of these noble services.

The number of lives saved during the past year was 5,096, and the total number of lives rescued by life-boats, the rocket and mortar apparatus, smacks, and other means, during the past eight years, is 25,254-a number sufficient to man a considerable fleet.

The Board of Trade, the coast-guard, and our boatmen and fishermen continue to work cordially with the National Life-boat Institution in the great and important work of saving the lives of shipwrecked persons on our coasts; and when one remembers that by means of its life-boats and of fishing-boats-to the crews of which it has given liberal rewards for their laudable exertions-it has contributed to the saving of nearly 14,000 persons,cold must the heart of that man be which does not feel a thrill of joy coming over it at such an announcement. There are at present 182 life-boats on the coasts of the United Kingdom belonging to the Royal National Life-boat Institution and other bodies. The mortar and rocket apparatus stations now number 239, and are under the management of the coast-guard and the Board of Trade.

During the past year 417 lives (besides 17 vessels) were saved by the life-boats of the National Institution alone, and upwards of 300 by shore boats and other means, for which it granted rewards. A sum of £1,297 was expended by the institution in rewards; and £13,819 on its various establishments round the coasts of the British Isles.

FALMOUTH-ALFRED FOX, Consul.

AUGUST 30, 1864.

In the hope that the information may be useful to the government, I transmit the enclosed paper containing extracts from the " Mineral Statistics of the United Kingdom for the year 1863."

Mineral Statistics.

The following are extracts from The Mineral Statistics of the United Kingdom for the year 1863, by Robert Hunt, F. R. S., Keeper of Mining Records.

Gold-The quantity of gold produced from two British mines amounted to 552 ozs., of the value of £1,747; the returns for 1862 being 5,299 ozs., of the value of £20,390.

Tin.-The tin ore (black tin) smelted in 1863 amounted to 15,157 tons according to the returns of sales made each month by the tin smelters; the returns, as shown by the dues paid to the stannary court, giving 14,224 tons. This arises from the circumstance that, although the ore may have been sold in December, the dues on that ore may not be paid for a month or more after the sale. The actual increase in the quantity of tin ore raised and sold in 1863 was 830 tons, the quantity of metallic tin (white tin) produced being 10,006 tons.

Copper. The production of copper from British mines still exhibits a falling off. During last year 210,947 tons of this mineral were produced from 222 mines, the quantity in 1862 having been 224,171 tons. This ore yielded to the smelter 14,247 tons of copper.

Lead. The mines of the United Kingdom gave 91,283 tons of ore during the year, against 95,311 tons produced in 1862. Of lead we obtained from this ore 68,220 tons, the value of this metal being £1,418,985.

Silver. The lead obtained gave 613,266 ozs. of silver; to this must be added 20,738 ozs., produced from ores so excessively rich in silver as to be returned as silver ores, making altogether 634,004 ozs., of the value of £174,351.

Zinc. The production of zinc ore has somewhat increased, the quantities sold in 1863 amounting to 13,699 tons, which gave 3,835 tons of metallic zinc, of the value of £90,889.

Pyrites-Sulphur ores.-The quantities of these ores obtained from British mines still exhibit a decline of 95,376 tons, of the value of £62,035, being the produce of 1863, against 98,433 tons produced in 1862. The ores, however, fetched a higher price.

Iron. Of iron ores of different kinds 9,088,060 tons were obtained. This was employed in making 4,510,040 tons of pig-iron, having the value of £11,275,100

Coal.-There has been a large increase in the production of this mineral, 86,292,215 tons having been sold and used. The export trade has been less active than usual, therefore the employment of this large quantity is entirely due to the demands of British manufacturers.

Minerals.

General Summary of which returns are given for 1863.

To produce the above results direct employment has been given to at least 500,000 men, so that our mineral industries may be considered as alone supporting a population of nearly 3,000,000, in addition to adding much to the general wealth of the kingdom, and especially to the wealth of those whose capital has been employed in mining operations.

SCOTLAND.

DUNDEE JAMES SMITH, Consul.

OCTOBER 15, 1864.

In transmitting my annual report upon trade, commerce and manufactures of this consular district, allow me to state that the field of my duties is chiefly confined to the town of Dundee, situated on the river Tay, within twelve miles of the German ocean, now having a population of fully 100,000; it has long been the centre of the linen trade in Scotland. The other towns in Forfarshire, (in which Dundee is situated,) and in which this trade is carried on, are Arbroath, Forfar, and Montrose, and in addition in many villages in the district.

Formerly the raw material used in the manufacture of linens consisted of flax, tow, codilla, and hemp, imported principally from the Russian and Prussian ports in the Baltic, and from Archangel, but since about the year 1838 a new fibre from India has been introduced, viz: jute, which now constitutes by far the greater portion of the manufactures of the town. Although altogether a different fibre from flax, the product of both is generally classified under the head of "linens and the linen trade."