The cost, however, was so great, as to preclude the possibility of making it profitable except when prices here ruled greatly above the usual average. The amount measured at this port during the year was as follows:

At the date of

This increase is almost equal to the entire receipts in 1846-7. our last review the stock in market was very light, and the river having been low during the fall, this was almost entirely exhausted before supplies came forward, and prices advanced to 45 and 50 cents per bushel. This state of things, however, was of only temporary duration, but the retail price has not at any time been below 16 for Youghiogheny and similar descriptions.

LUMBER. The very heavy demand that existed throughout the last building season had reduced stocks before the spring arrivals, and the consequence was that the market opened at a farther material advance, and the bulk of the sales were made from river at $15 a $16 per thousand for rafts as they run, and $14 a $28 for common and clear. Owing to the falling off in building operations the past summer and the comparatively limited business in prospect for the next season, stocks are now considered ample. In this connection we may remark, with reference to building, that although the central portion of the city of Cincinnati indicates a large business in the way of building, there has outside of this range been a very marked falling off, so that the aggregate for the whole city is much behind that of last year. As an evidence of this, the fact may be stated that many of the Cincinnati planing mills, &c., which previously were overrun with work, have been almost idle for a month past. Mechanics are also complaining of short employment, and master-builders speak of having but few contracts to insure winter work for carpenters and others. This is attributable chiefly, if not entirely, to the difficulties that exist in money affairs. So far as regards financial matters, this contraction is not by any means an unfavorable indication, as it is unquestionably true that too rapid progress was being made in this class of investments; but for manufacturers and mechanics, whose business runs in this line, the prospects are not encouraging.

GROCERIES. Under this head we place sugar, molasses, and coffee, and shall notice each of them distinctly, commencing with sugar.

At the close of our last commercial year, the general impression was that the stock of this article was light, and would be but barely sufficient to supply the demand until the coming in of the new crop; but although a fair demand existed, still there was a stock of fully 3,000 hhds. on hand when the new crop commenced arriving. The first lot of new sugar reached this market on the 4th of November, in 1853-this was earlier than usual and none arrived afterwards for several weeks; the whole parcel, which comprised 48 hhds., sold at 51 a 5§. Prices gradually declined from that date up to 21st December, 1853, when the outside quotation for prime was 4. From this on through the greater portion of the season, and up to the 1st of August, prices fluctuated very slightly; about that date, however, a very brisk demand arose, and some 3,000 hhds. changed hands within ten days, and prices advanced fully c. per lb.; but during the past month just closed the market has been quiet with a fair demand at 4 a 5 for low fair to strictly prime. The trade in this article continues steadily to increase, and we are supplying an increased area of country each year. Sugar has been taken this season as far east as Buffalo, and even some small parcels were taken by merchants from Oswego, New York; and then, on the north and west, we supply Cleveland, Sandusky, Toledo, the principal cities of Michigan, and all the Wabash country. The imports and exports during the last six years were as follows:

MOLASSES. The amount imported during the season of 1852-3 being far in excess of the demand, as the sequel showed, the stock on hand when the new erop came to market last fall was very large--not less than 25,000 barrels. This caused the market to open at what was considered low rates (23c.), but, although a slight reaction took place in the market and large sales were made at 23 a 24c., yet towards spring the market became dull, and continued so on through the summer, and a large quantity was sold at prices ranging from 16 a 18c., although rates in the regular way did not go below 20c. The stock on hand now is heavy and much of it inferior, but some expectation that it will be used for distillation, owing to the high price of grain, has produced a speculative demand, and during the last two weeks about 3,000 barrels have been taken on speculation, at prices ranging from 17 a 19c., the market closing firm at 19 a 20c. for prime, and 17 a 18c. for inferior. The business in this article has increased very rapidly during the last six years, as will be seen by the following figures:

As has been before noticed, the business was overdone in the year ending 31st August, 1852-3, which is the cause of the apparent falling off in the business of last year.

COFFEE. The market for this article during the whole year has been unusually steady. Prices opened at 12, declined to 11 in November, again advanced to 13 in December, and afterwards slowly but steadily declined until July, when prime was sold at 11c.; a reaction then commenced and prices again advanced, closing at 12c. for strictly prime. The increase in the trade in this article will be seen from the following figures:

The falling off in the trade in this article last year was produced by the same cause as that which operated in molasses. The business in both departments was overdone in the seasons of 1852-3, as the figures plainly indicate. Owing to a business called "financiering in merchandise," which has been carried on in this department of our city trade-we mean the grocery department-the business has been unprofitable the last three years; but those parties who have been thus speculating are now out of our market, and the trade has assumed a more healthy and legitimate shape.

Art. III.-COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL CITIES OF EUROPE.*

NUMBER XII.

ANTWERP IN BELGIUM.

LOCATION OF ANTWERP-DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY-ITS CATHEDRAL-CHURCHES-HARBOR-HISTORY-COMMERCIAL GROWTH-EXPORTS-SHIPPING-TRADE AND TONNAGE-GENERAL COMMERCIAL CONDITION IN 1853-54, ETC.

ANTWERP, the principal seaport of Belgium, is situated in latitude 51° 13′ 16′′ north, longitude 4° 24' 10" east. Antwerp is in the shape of a bow, the arch being formed by the walls and the chord by the river, and is well fortified. A strong pentagonal citadel, built by the Duke of Alva in 1567, and improved by the French, stands on the south side of the town, which is farther defended by various forts on both sides the river. Though much declined from its former prosperity, Antwerp is a well-built, fine old city, and is in various respects highly interesting. The principal street, Place de Meer, rivals any in Europe. It is about the width of Portland-place, but the variety and richness of the architecture render it far more magnificent. The older and narrower streets, bordered by lofty houses with their gables to the street, are singularly picturesque. Altogether, it is supposed to contain about 10,000, mostly built of stone, and had in 1835 a population of 75,362. The great boast of Antwerp is its cathedral, a superb Gothic structure, begun early in the 15th and not finished till the 16th century. Its spire, of the most beautiful and delicate workmanship, is said by Schreiber and others to be 466 feet high; but according to a statement in the Penny Cyclopædia, this is 100 feet too much, the hight being there affirmed to be only 366 feet. The interior corresponds in grandeur with the exterior, and it contains two famous pictures of Rubens—one of which, the Descent from the Cross, is generally regarded as his chef-d'œuvre. Of the other churches, that of St. James, which contains the tomb of Rubens, St. Andrew, and St. Paul, are the most celebrated. All of them are adorned with fine paintings. The Bourse, or exchange, is one of the finest buildings of its class in Europe: it is said to have served as a model for the London exchange, burnt down in 1837. The Hotel de Ville, a marble structure, rebuilt in 1581, after being destroyed by fire, is a magnificent fabric. The Convent of the Recollets has been converted into a museum, in which is a superb collection of paintings, including many that were formerly scattered among the different churches and convents. It comprises some of the choicest specimens of the masters of the Flemish school; as Rubens, Van Dyke, Jordaens, Van Vien, Martin de Vos, &c.

Antwerp has a theater; an academy of painting, (St. Luke's,) which originated in the 16th century; a royal academy of the fine arts, established in 1817; an academy of sciences; an Athenæum, or college; Latin,

* The last of this series of papers, touching the Commercial Cities of Europe, was published in the Merchants' Magazine for February, 1849, vol. xx., pages 179-182. That article related to Dunkirk, France. In the same volume, pages 49-52, we published articles on Montpellier and Nesmes. The press of other matters of commercial importance has interfered with the continuance of this series. In resuming the plan, we hope to give at least two or three numbers in the course of every year.

medical, and naval schools; a gallery of sculpture; a public library, with 15,000 volumes; a botanical garden; with various learned societies, and many good private collections of works of art. Its charitable institutions include several hospitals, asylums, and workhouses. It is the seat of the courts of assize for the province; of a tribunal of original jurisdiction, a commercial tribunal, &c.

The people have every appearance of being in comfortable circumstances, and are quiet and orderly. The upper classes speak French, and the lower Flemish.

The manufactures are very various, and of considerable importance and value. They comprise fabrics of silk and cotton stockings, thread and tape, linen, calico printing, &c. Embroidery, bleaching, and ship-building are extensively carried on. The business of sugar refining employed, in 1834, from 500 to 600 individuals, and consumed about 6,000,000 kilogs. of raw sugar. The lapidaries of Antwerp are very skillful in the cutting of diamonds and other precious stones. Of 54 mills for various purposes within the city in 1834, only 1 was wrought by steam, 2 by wind, and 1 by water, the rest being moved by horses. In this respect there is certainly much room for improvement.

The depth of water in the river opposite to the city is from 32 to 40 feet at ebb tide, with a rise at springs of from 12 to 14 feet; and as this depth is increased towards the sea, Antwerp is a peculiarly eligible situation for the formation of dock-yards and the building of large ships. Its capacity in this respect did not escape the observation of Napoleon, who endeavored to raise it to the first rank as a naval arsenal. His plans in furtherance of this object were judiciously devised on a very grand scale, and were zealously prosecuted. Two large basins, capable of admitting ships of the line, were excavated on the north side of the town-one comprising an area of 17, and the other of 7 English acres. Attached to these was an extensive dock-yard, with careening and repairing docks, storehouses, &c., all planned and executed in the best and most approved manner, and at an immense expense. On the downfall of Napoleon, the dock-yard, with its fortifications, &c., was completely destroyed; and it was even debated whether the two great basins should share the same fate. Luckily, however, they were preserved; and, being converted into commercial docks, are of the most signal service to the trade and navigation of the city. The fleet and naval stores in the arsenal, when it surrendered to the allied forces in 1814, were divided-two-thirds being assigned to France, and one-third to the king of the Netherlands.

Her fine river, and the numerous canals with which it is united, give Antwerp great advantages as a commercial emporium; and during the early part of the 16th century she was one of the first trading cities of Europe. Owing, however, to the ascendency and jealousy of the Dutch, and the supineness of her rulers, her foreign trade was nearly annihilated during the 17th and 18th centuries. But the navigation of the Scheldt, which had been formally closed by the treaty of Westphalia, was re-opened on the occupation of Belgium by the French, and since the peace of 1815 the trade of the town has rapidly increased; and the probability seems to be, looking at the natural advantages of her situation, that it will go on increasing. The greater part by far of the foreign trade of Belgium centers here.

The imports consist principally of coffee (16,000 tons,) sugar (18,000

tons,) cotton, tobacco, and all sorts of colonial produce; with cotton stuffs, wine, hardware, ashes, coal, hides, pepper, indigo and other dye-stuffs, &c. The timber used in ship-building is mostly brought by water from the interior. The exports consist chiefly of corn, linseed, flax, bark, and madder, linen, lace, carpets, tallow, hops, &c.

Antwerp has produced many distinguished men, being the birth-place of the painters Teniers, Van Dyke, Jordaens, and Grayer; the geographer Ortellus, the admirable engraver Edelink, &c.*

Antwerp is very ancient. Ludovico Guicciardini, in his Descrizione di Pasi Bassi, describes it in 1560 as a city of vast wealth and the most extensive Commerce; adding, that it was no uncommon thing for 500 ships to enter and leave its port in a single day. And, making every allowance for the exaggeration obvious in this statement, there is no doubt that it then enjoyed a more extensive foreign trade than any other city in the north of Europe. But this prosperity was destined to be of short duration. In 1576 it was sacked and partly burned by the Spaniards. In 1585 it was invested by the famous Alexander Farnese, Prince of Parma, who took it after a lengthened and memorable siege. After its capture, the greater part of its merchants and principal people emigrated to Amsterdam and other towns in the United Provinces, carrying with them their capital, skill, and connections. The ruin of its trade dates from this epoch, and was consummated by the Dutch obtaining the command of the river, and by the stipulation in the treaty of Westphalia, by which, as already seen, it was regularly closed. In 1794 it fell into the hands of the French, who made it the capital of the department of Deux Nethes, and held it till 1814.

On the revolt of the Belgian provinces in 1830, the Dutch garrison continued to hold the citadel for the king of the Netherlands; and the latter having refused to make it be evacuated, agreeably to the determination of the great powers, a French army of 65,000 men, under Marshal Gerard, entered Belgium in November, 1832, to compel its evacuation. The details of the siege are well known. The trenches were opened on the 29th November; and after an obstinate, but not a skillful or energetic defense, the citadel surrendered on the 24th of December.†

The commercial progress of Antwerp will be seen from the statistics and statements we give below. The statements we give of her trade and Commerce from 1824 to 1842, we take from McCulloch, and those of a later date, from 1850 to 1853 inclusive, are derived from the report of the Antwerp Chamber of Commerce of 1853, (a first authority in commercial affairs as that Chamber of Commerce ranks.) According to the firstnamed authority, 681 ships arrived at the port in 1824, and one year after, (1829) 800. In 1836, (eleven years after,) the arrivals had increased to 1,245 ships, of the burden of 176,079 tons, and in 1837 to 1,426 ships, of 225,030 tons. In 1836 the tonnage belonging to the port was 8,754 tons. The following table shows the imports into Antwerp of some of the principal articles, in each of the years 1840, 1841, 1842 :—

It is stated in various publications that Rubens was a native of Antwerp, but in point of fact, he was born at Cologne, où the 29th June, 1577, and was ten years old when, on the death of his father, his mother, a native of Antwerp, carried him to that city.-Biographie Universelle, article Rubens.

+ Vandermaelen, Dict. Geog. de la Prov. d'Anvers, pp. 4-20; Barrow's Family Tour in S. Holland, &c., pp. 11-41; Murray's Hand-book; and Private Information.