Commerce. Painted cottons, and some kinds of woollens, to encourage the national manufactures. All the productions of the Danish dominions may be exported. Foreign imports, re-exported, pay only one per cent. transit duty. Foreign nations, with respect to commerce, are distinguished into privileged and non-privileged, according to specific treaties; the former pay only the same duties as the inhabitants of Denmark proper; the latter, one-third more. Denmark and the dutchies have direct and active commercial relations with all the maritime nations, both for the exchange of their own productions and those of the East and West Indies, as well as by the commerce of transit and carrying trade. A The Danish vessels visit the ports of Mecklenburg and Pomerania, with horses, bullocks, butter, cheese, fish and fish oil, colonial produce, and other objects, and receive in return thread, linen, brandy, wines, wool, hardware, paper, and books. To Russia and Prussia, and principally to Petersburg, Riga, and Memel, the Danes send herrings and dried fish of Norway, Iceland, and Ferro, woollen manufactures, salt of France, Spain, and Portugal, India and China goods, oysters, and dog-skin gloves; for which they receive pot-ash, planks, fire-wood, flax and hemp, cordage, iron, copper, linens and corn: the latter principally for the consumption of Norway. To To Holland, Denmark exports a considerable Commerce.. quantity of rape-seed, salted and dried fish, and Denmark. timber of Norway, and receives spices, drugs, corn, pipes, and paper: the balance is considerably in favour of Denmark. The commerce between Denmark and the dutchies, and England, is of no great consideration; but the deficiency was formerly compensated by the salt-fish and great quantity of wood which the English took from Norway, and for which they gave coals and manufactured goods. The balance was in favour of Denmark, France receives from Denmark, horses, butter, cheese, fish, Norway timber, and a part of several of the objects imported from Russia; and gives in return, salt, wines, fruits, brandy, woollen and silk manufactures, and paper. To Spain and Portugal Denmark sends the same articles as to France, and receives wool, salt, wine, and American produce. The Danish commerce in the Mediterranean (including the ports of France and Spain on that sea), occupied upwards of 100 vessels annually. In 1798 there sailed for this destination From Denmark and the dutchies...31 vessels From Norway.. From Iceland 92 3 126 vess. burthen 7,257 lasts. The cargoes consisted of wood and fish of Norway, salt provisions and butter of Holstein, and Norway and Swedish iron. In the same year fifty-five Commerce. Denmark. fifty-five vessels entered from the same sea, with wines, brandy, fruit, oils, and salt. The direct exchanges between the Danish dominions and the Mediterranean, however, form the smallest part of the profits of the Danes in this sea. They gain more by the freight of their vessels, both in peace and war: in the former, they are preferred by the Italians, because the Danish flag is respected by the Barbary states; for which, however, Denmark pays a considerable sum annually, under the name of presents. In war, the Danish flag covers and carries on almost the whole trade of the enemies of England; and hence, it is not surprising that Denmark should be the most strenuous supporter of the doctrine, that free ships make free goods. The documents within our reach, from whence to deduce a general statement of the commerce of the Danish dominions, afford the following results. In 1780, In 1801, the total exports had increased to up wards of eight millions. The Denmark. Islaride. The inhabitants of the Ferro islands, until the Commerce. middle of the sixteenth century, carried on their Per commerce in their own vessels, when being unable to protect it from the depredations of pirates, they gave it up to a company of merchants of Hamburg, Lubeck, and Bremen, who enjoyed it till 1607, when the King of Denmark granted it to the merchants of Bergen, and afterwards to the Iceland Company. Frederick III. granted the islands as a fief to one of his favourites, with permission to farm the commerce to the highest bidder. In 1706 the islands reverted to the crown, and their commerce has since been carried on on its account, although in 1788 it was in contemplation to declare it free, but this intention has not yet been carried into execution. The exports of these islands are dried and salted fish, fish oil, feathers, hides, tallow, and worsted stockings, to the amount of 22,500 rix-dollars per annum; the imports, consisting of wheat, flour, brandy, tea, coffee, sugar, spices, linnens, glass, &c. amount to about the same sum (average between 1781 and 1789). According to the annals of Iceland, its in- Iceland. habitants carried on a considerable trade in their own vessels in the twelfth century; but the political troubles which succeeded in the thirteenth, and other misfortunes, reduced their commerce to a very low ebb, and the little that remained fell entirely into the hands of the Hanse league, which enjoyed it till 1602, when it was given to an exclusive company at Copenhagen. Until 1684, Commerce. Denmark. this company monopolized the whole trade, but sugar, |