*In thick and cloudy weather à bell is rung every half hour during the day, and every quarter of an hour during the night. Red round iron tow- Rebuilt, 1853 | Wooden building with umbrella roof in front. 28 9 1832. 165 33 1723 Height from common flood to lantern, Height from the ground to the top of the lantern, Year when built, The following is a summary statement of the number of emigrants, and of the tonnage and number of vessels in which they sailed, from the several ports of the consular district of the United States at Porsgrund, for the United States, via Quebec, during the year ended December 31, 1862: Statement showing the relative importance of the several seaports of the Kingdom of Norway, and how they are rated commercially, during the year ended December 31, 1861, according to the government official report. 1. The table of commerce will show that, during the year 1861, the arrival of vessels to the port of Christiania was 1,557 of all classes; tonnage, 227,189§; of which number 860 belonged to foreign nations. In the same year were cleared from this port no less than 1,087 vessels, of 171,881 tonnage, of which number 717 belonged to foreign nations. 2. At the port of Bergen there arrived, during the same year, 865 vessels, of 109,889 tonnage, of which number 511 belonged to foreign nations; and during the same year the number of vessels cleared from the port was 841, of 103,797 tonnage, of which 463 vessels belonged to foreign nations. 3. At the port of Christiansand there arrived, during the year 1861, 751 vessels, of which number 264 belonged to foreign nations; while, during the same year, 814 vessels cleared from the port, of which number 324 belonged to foreign nations. 4. At the port of Drammen the custom-house will show that the number of vessels arrived in port was 729, of which 210 belonged to other nations; while, during the same year, there cleared from the port 818 vessels, of which 226 belonged to foreign nations. 5. The fifth port of importance, of commerce and shipping, is Arendal; the sixth is the port of Frederickstadt, the seventh is Slavanger, the eighth is Laurvig, the ninth is Tonsberg, the tenth is Kragero, the eleventh is Sarpsberg, the twelfth is Frederickshald, the thirteenth is Brevig, the fourteenth is Throudhjem or Drouthem, the fifteenth is Osterrisoer, the sixteenth is Skeen, and the seventeenth is Porsgrund, the most important commercial seaport in the kingdom. During the year 1861 there arrived at this port 211 vessels, of 49,798 tonnage, of which number 20 vessels belonged to foreign nations. During the same year there cleared from this port 266 vessels, of 55,115 tonnage, of which number 37 vessels belonged to foreign nations, principally appertaining to the kingdom of Denmark. The remaining twenty-six seaports in the kingdom are of less importance, and of which number the port of Levanger is the least of all as a shipping port. During the year 1861 no vessel arrived at that port, while in the same year 7 vessels, of 866 tonnage, were cleared. RUSSIA. St. PetersbuRG-WM. Edwin Phelps, Consul. DECEMBER 29, 1863. On the receipt of despatch No. 15 I submitted it to a custom-house broker, who informs me that, strictly construed, the laws of Russia prohibit the importa tion of articles hermetically sealed, but that it is the practice of importers to make no declaration as to the mode of packing; in which case fruits and other articles, put up in air-tight packages, are admitted, after an examination, at a duty of ten per cent. So long as the government relies upon the custom-house examination, it is presumed that no smaller amount would be considered a sufficient safeguard. It is not improbable, however, that if the attention of the imperial ministry should be directed to the subject by the United States minister, they would substitute some other form of verification for the present mode by examination. of 1862. ODESSA TIMOTHY SMITH, Consul. DECEMBER 31, 1862. No American vessels have visited this port during the fourth quarter FEBRUARY 21, 1863. I enclose herewith a tabular statement showing the principal exports from the whole of Russia, from all the southern ports, and from Odessa alone, during the five years from 1857 to 1862. From this it appears that three hundred and sixteen millions and a quarter of bushels of grain have been sent from Russia during the five years. Of this amount one hundred and sixty-eight millions of bushels have been sent from all the southern ports, and eighty-nine millions of bushels from Odessa alone. During the same time the quantity of wheat exported, it appears, has been (to consider that article by itself) from all Russia about one hundred and twenty millions of bushels; from the ports of the Azoff and Black seas about ninetyfive millions of bushels, and from Odessa alone thirty-six millions of bushels. Of tallow, it appears that six hundred and forty-six millions of pounds have been exported in the five years from all Russia; ninety-eight millions of pounds from the ports of the south, and sixty-eight millions of pounds from Odessa alone. One hundred and ninety-eight millions of pounds of wool have been exported in the same time from all Russia; ninety-one millions of pounds from the southern ports, and forty-four millions of pounds from Odessa alone. The total value of all Russian products exported during the same time, from all Russia, is eight hundred and twenty-eight millions of roubles; from all the southern ports two hundred and seventy-one millions, and from Odessa alone one hundred and forty-seven millions of roubles. (See statement No. 2.) MARCH 2, 1863. I enclose a translation of an article from the Odessa Journal, relating to the obstacles in the way of telegraphic communication in the neighborhood of the sea of Azoff. Strong winds blowing, and accumulations of ice from the damp atmosphere gathering upon the wires, break them and tear off the insulations, rendering telegraphic operations, a great portion of the time, impossible. I also enclose seven statistical tables, showing, in the first, the quantity of grain in store at Odessa January 1, 1863; in the second, the quantity of wool and tallow in store at the same time; in the third, account of sales of grain upon the market during the year 1862; in the fourth, quantity of different kinds of grain exported, and its destination, during the year 1862; in the fifth, quantity of wool and of tallow exported in 1862, and its destination; in the sixth, num * * ber and nationality of vessels and steamers cleared during the year 1862; in the seventh, quantity of grain brought into Odessa during the year 1862. From these tables it would seem that the produce trade in 1861 was at least fifty per cent. greater than in 1862. It appears from a note published in the Northern Post that this winter the telegraph line established along the coast of the sea of Azoff, from Novotcherkask to Kherson, as also the southern portion of the line going from Marioupol to Bakhmout, in the government of Catherinoslav, have frequently suffered from the effects of the wind, which blows with extreme violence in those regions, absolutely destitute of all kinds of trees. Similar accidents have been produced in former winters. Another circumstance concurs in making difficult the telegraphic service over these lines. On the coasts of the sea of Azoff the atmosphere is all the time loaded with watery vapors, (or fogs,) which are condensed quickly from the action of cold, and, deposited upon the conducting wires, form upon them large pieces of ice, the weight of which breaks the wires, and tears off the thick iron hooks of the isolators, (or insulators.) It is hardly possible to overcome the obstacles which arise for telegraphing under consideration of climate so unfavorable. The repair of the damaged wires offers the greatest difficulties, and demands a considerable time; so that the transmission of despatches is, in accidents of this kind, suspended. These interruptions are generally of sufficiently long duration. No. 1. Tabular statement showing the quantities of grain and other cereals in store at the port of Odessa January 1, 1863. Possessors. No. 1-Continued. Barley. Oats. Linseed. Rape Peas. Total. Remarks. Wool. No. 2. Tabular statement showing the wool and tallow in the hands of producers and exporters at the port of Odessa on the first of January, 1863. Tallow. Tabular statement showing the sales of grain at the port of Odessa for the year ended December 31, 1862. Destination. No. 4. Tabular statement showing the exportations of agricultural products from the port of Odessa for the year ended December 31, 1862. Black sea and Constanti nople... 21,810 Mediterranean and Adri Chetwerts. Chet. Chet. Chet. Chet. 810 atic. Great Britain Continent. Portugal. Norway Total.. 640, 318 4,788 34, 676 23, 681 157, 862 14,459 5,767 979 28, 263 1,354, 836 198, 858 296, 313 189, 810 15, 169 14, 163 42,858 206, 545 2,318,552 Exported in 1861....... 1636, 548 367, 771 307, 145 232, 760 176, 981 14, 404 35, 028 325, 140 3,095, 778 |