and 1873.
Percentage of loss of life, 1833 to 1873.
The last return,[1] made for 1871-3 inclusive shows
that the average number of ships lost in each of these
three years was 1095, of 319,790 tons, and of lives
was 1952; the number of ships belonging to the
British Empire being then 37,086, of 7,168,618 tons,
and the entries and clearances of vessels engaged in
the foreign trade of the United Kingdom being
73,783 vessels, of 27,275,339 tons. No doubt this
return shows a sacrifice of life which every humane
or right-minded person must wish to mitigate, as
to desire to save life has now happily become one
of the highest objects of ambition among nations
who are truly civilised, but, considering the number
of vessels afloat, and the enormous increase in the
entries and clearances, it, at the same time, shows
a very considerable comparative reduction on the
losses of previous years so far as they can be ascertained
or estimated, more especially when we consider
that previous returns included only the vessels
belonging to the United Kingdom, whereas the later
ones embrace the tonnage of the whole of the
British Empire then greatly increased, and that,
too, by steam vessels, increasing the risk of disaster
to a serious extent by the rapidity of their movements.
Further recommendations. But to this important question I shall more fully refer hereafter. In the meantime I may state that, among the various other recommendations offered by the Committee of 1836, may be mentioned the formation of a Mercantile Marine Board; the compilation and consolidation of a Code of Mercantile Marine
- ↑ See Appendix to 'Final Report of Unseaworthy Ships Commission,' p. 682, and Summary, p. 768.
