Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 3.djvu/294

 578 COMMERCE WITH ning of the free trade, to the end of 1819, there have sailed from the port of Liverpool 120 ships for various ports of India, the average burdens of which have been no more than 430 tons. The averasie tonnao;e of the American traders to China, DO where large ships have been supposed particularly- necessary, is under 400 tons. A ship sailing from England to any port of India is well manned with a crew at the mte of seven men to 103 tons. The American traders have seldom so many as six. They at-e as secure eitlier for the purpose of navi- gation or defence with such a complement, as if a large portion of their tonnage were crowded by a parade of military preparation, which it is not in the nature of things they should be able to use with effect against an Eui'opean enemy, and which are superfluous against' a native 6ne. When the India trade has assumed a more regular form, and our seamen have acquired the necessary experience of the navigation, it is likely that the Batavia voyage out and home will not exceed 300 days, the Bombay voyage 3^0, and the Bengal and China voyages each 36.5 days, or a year. Notwithstand- ing the many delays occasioned by want of cargoes, and some by the voyages performed in India from port to port, the average of 96 voyages, performed from Liverpool, has not exceeded for Batavia 308 days, for Bombay 379 days, and for Calcutta 410 days. Such is the safety with which these voyages