Table showing the imports direct from the United States to Norway from January 1, 1851, to December 31, 1861. Boats ..do... Table showing the exports from Norway to the United States from January 1, 1851, to December 31, 1861. other fish. do. 6,336 Stockfish, cod.. PORSGRUND-CARL J. KRABY, Consul. DECEMBER 31, 1862. I herewith have the honor to transmit a brief statement of the condition of the United States consulate at Porsgrund up to this present date, December 31, 1862. Since my last report to the Department of State no vessel belonging to the United States has entered the port of Porsgrund nor any other seaport in my district, except the port of Christiania, which port the ships Naples, of Bath, and State of Maine, entered and cleared during the last quarter. * * Porsgrund is a small place of about 3,000 inhabitants, situated on the bank of the so-called Langesund, Porsgrund, and Skeens fyria, (river,) about fourteen. miles up the river from sea; and, as the river at all times during the year has a strong current and flood, it is rather inconvenient for vessels to enter this port, especially without help of steam. During the cold season the river is generally frozen for months, and during this period, of course, all commerce is suspended. * The commerce and direct trade between our nation and this consulate has hitherto been very limited, but I hope I shall succeed in getting a direct traffic and communication open between the United States and the south part of Norway, which direct intercourse of trade would, in time, be of much importance to both nations. And to accomplish a more extensive and direct connexion of trade between the two nations, I have encouraged a few ship-owners to send their vessels freighted with iron, fish, and other articles which are exported from this country to the United States to get exchanged for grease and other produce, as well as merchandise and American manufactures, of which articles this country is in much need. * * The commercial fleet of this consular district has heretofore been almost exclusively engaged in lumber trade with England, Canada, France, Holland, and Denmark, with the exception of twelve or fifteen first-class vessels employed in carrying emigrants to Quebec. The grease and produce consumed in this district have heretofore been mostly brought from the Baltic sea, Denmark, and Holland, while the manufactures are generally brought from England. In this consular district there are ten large and extensive iron works steadily engaged in manufacturing bar iron, (without an equal number of foundries,) nail work, &c., of which articles bar iron and nails are the principal staples of shipment to England, France, Holland, and Denmark. In this district are also eight large machine shops, exclusive of the machine and cannon works at the royal navy yard of Horten. Ship wharves and building of vessels will be found at every seaport in the consulate. The agriculture of the district cannot raise more than one-half of the produce consumed, as will be seen by the table of imports to this country. Almost the entire stock of animals among the farmers is exclusively of domestic breed and rather inferior. I herewith submit a statement of the principal articles of export from the kingdom during the year ended December 31, 1861. Also a statement of the principal articles of import to this country during the same period. I submit a statement of the merchant fleet, the class and number of vessels, tonnage and number of seamen engaged therein at the several seaports of the United State consular district of Porsgrund during the year ended December 31, 1861. I also transmit a full statement of the commercial fleet of Norway, with the aggregate number of vessels, tonnage, and seamen, and the arrival and departure of vessels belonging to the United States, Norway, and other nations, to and from this kingdom during the year ended December 31, 1861. I also submit a full statement and description of all light-houses and lights in this consular dis trict, from Frederickhald east under 10° 50′ 20′′ to Cape Lindesnaes west, under 70 3' 11" east of Greenwich, to December 31, 1862. I submit also a statement of the number of emigrants who have left the several seaports of this consulate, with the exception of Christiania, for the United States via Quebec during the year 1862. I also submit the principal part of the new tariff law of customs duties (to take effect on the 1st day of April, 1863,) on goods, wares, and merchandise imported into the kingdom of Norway. I submit also a brief statement showing the difference in importance of the several seaports of the kingdom, and how they are rated commercially to the year ending December 31, 1861. This information I have drawn from the government official report on commerce. The emigration for the year 1863 from the jurisdiction of this consulate will, I think, be equal to the emigration of 1862, if not greater, although a great panic has prevailed among that class of people desirous to emigrate to the free United States of America. As to the essential cause of this, I have found that the leading press of this government is rather unfavorable to any emigration from the kingdom. The press of this Old World has always sought to profit by a wrong representation of our present affairs, and thereby to deter from and discourage emigration. I have translated and published in several newspapers of this district the act of May 20, 1862, which secures a homestead to actual settlers on the public domain. The publication, I must say, has worked remarkably well, and has reanimated the desire of the poor, but honest, laborers of this country to emigrate to the United States. * |