the same period, seventeen vessels of war of our country also visited the Islands, and in this number is included the Exploring Expedition, which made extensive observations in Science and Natural History among the group.
In the same five years there were only eighty-two English vessels, also mostly whalers, and nine men of war; seven French merchantmen, and five men of war; and a few scattering vessels from Mexico, Chili, Tahiti, Sydney, China, Russia and Prussia. At the port of Lahaina, the average annual number of our whalers is from thirty to fifty, and from twelve to twenty in the rest of the ports.
The Imports for four and a half years previous to the 12th of September, 1840, are stated in "The Polynesian", to have been $1,567,000, of which $742,000 were from the United States.
The Exports for the same period were $1,388,100, of which $65,000 were in sandal-wood, $59,500 in hides, and the balance in goat-skins, salt, and sugar. During the same time ten vessels were owned by residents, of which seven were the property of our citizens, and three of Englishmen.
I have derived from Mr. Jarves's excellent work on these Islands, published last February, in Boston, the substance of the following statistics:
He estimates the value of American property touching annually at Honolulu, including the outfits of whalers, at the lowest possible calculation, to be $1,200,000. If to this be added the cargoes of oil, &., the amount would unquestionably be swelled to at least $4,000,000. More than two thousand seamen navigate our vessels, exclusive of those employed on board of our national ships, and to the above sums we should join the value of the latter vessels, when estimating the American property which owes its security and protection to the harbors of these Islands. The value of the property of other nations is of course in proportion to their shipping; but it may safely be stated, that the interests of the United States are four times greater than those of England, and that the importatious are in the same ratio.
| IMPORTS FROM 1836 TO 1841. | ||
| From the United States, | | $935,000 |
| "England, | 127,600 | |
| "California, | 282,700 | |
| "China, | 233,900 | |
| "Mexico, (specie, and bullion) | 167,600 | |
| "Chili, | 160,000 | |
| "Various countries, | 127,300 | |
| $2,034,190 | ||
| | ||
| EXPORTS DURING THE SAME PERIOD. | ||
| Sandal-wood, | $65,000 | |
| Hides, | 90,000 | |
| Goat-skins, | 27,240 | |
| Sugar, | 34,000 | |
| Molasses, | 90,000 | |
| Arrow-root, | 5,820 | |
| Salt, | 20,000 | |
| Sperm oil, (Vessels from Honolulu) | 13,900 | |
| Sundries, supplies to shipping,&c,.) | 275,000 | |
| $548,000 | ||
