Sweden is as quiet as the last mentioned countries, and if the condition of her people is, from the difference in physical circumstances, inferior to theirs, they are equally contented. Sweden has not yet forgotten the lesson, taught her by Charles XII., of the ruinous cost at which she must purchase military glory; but her prudence will not prevent her from supporting the rightful cause of Denmark-her commercial rival.

These four countries are among the most populous in Europe, according to their several circumstances-not excepting Ireland; and while they all verify Malthus's main doctrine that population will increase until it reaches the limit of the means of subsistence, they also show that he has somewhat overrated the effect of density of numbers, both in increasing misery and in encouraging immorality. In no part of Europe are the people more moral or more contented than in Sweden, Denmark, Holland and Belgium.

We have brought down our history to the month of August, embracing the half year of 1848. For the want of space, we have postponed a notice of Asia and Africa until the next number. Indeed the latter has afforded scarcely any materials for history within the past six months; and in the former, the late insurrection of the Sikhs, and a collision between the English and Chinese at Canton, are the principal events worth recording.

In the quarterly chronicle will be found some incidents of a later date, to which we refer our readers.

STATISTICS.

COMMERCE OF THE LAKES AND WESTERN RIVERS.

[We extract from the last report of the Bureau of Topographical Engineers, made in 1848 in compliance with a resolution of the Senate, the following interesting statements:]

1. COMMERCE OF THE LAKES.

The absence of any established system of statistics in reference to our internal commerce, will, until so serious a defect in our national policy be adequately remedied, render it extremely difficult to answer questions of this kind with the precision due to their intrinsic importance, and to their eminent influence upon the prosperity of the nation. The internal commerce of all nations vastly exceeds their external, and is a more infallible measure of their strength. It is only from a knowledge of this commerce, which is a knowledge of the products of all kinds of a country, and of the interchange of these products, that the capacity of a country can be properly estimated; its ability to sustain itself in seasons of adversity, and to lend a helping hand to others. And it is, also, from a knowledge of these products, that a sound judgment can be formed of those national interests which may require some adventitious aid, and of those which ably sustain themselves. Or, in our intercourse with other nations, that the statesman can decide upon the position which his country can take, from a correct knowledge of her own resources, and of her own consequent independence. A nation may be obliged to endure a wrong, or be able to resent it, according to the condition of her internal resources; for on the strength of these her ability to resist chiefly depends. The productive industry of a nation may be considered as measured by its internal and external trade and commerce, and the external trade and commerce may be considered as the measure of national profit; as the external commerce of a nation consists of those national products which are not wanted at home, or which can be conveniently spared. Each react upon the other, giving life and strength to both; a correct knowledge of each is therefore of the greatest importance in obtaining a correct knowledge of the whole. Our revenue system gives us an exact knowledge of that portion of our productive industry which forms our foreign commerce; but the system has not been extended so as to obtain a knowledge of our internal trade and commerce. This immense amount of national resources, and this vast measure of national strength, has, as yet, been left, that is, a correct knowledge of it, to individual efforts, and to accidental investigation; or, in other words, it is yet in want of some established system by which its details can be collected with the same reliable accuracy as those of our foreign commerce. Considering how essential this knowledge is to the forming of sound opinions of the fiscal or military power of a people, we think it will be readily admitted, that a system, by which this knowledge shall be obtained, cannot be too carefully established, or too highly cherished.

In a report from this bureau of November 1843, returns were submitted of the lake commerce from 1835 to 1841. These returns were necessarily imperfect, because of the absence of any system by which statistics of this kind could be collected. Yet, by dint of great labor, and of numerous circulars to intelligent individuals who had given much attention to the matter, I was enabled to submit the returns of that report, exhibiting kinds and quantities, and the moneyed value of exports and imports.

Referring to these returns, it will be found that the moneyed value was—

as the floating value of the Lake commerce.

By reference to the official reports of the Treasury Department, the enrolled and licensed lake tonnage for the year 1841, was 56,252 tons; and the number of mariners then employed, 3,750.

When the resolution of the Senate, upon which this report is made, was received, circulars were written in the hope of obtaining a regular series of returns from 1841 to 1846, inclusive; but, when it is understood that the greater part of the information of these returns has to be obtained from the books of mercantile houses, it will readily be perceived that the investigation was attended with serious difficulties, and with great uncertainty. No regular series of returns could be obtained, but from the information received, I am enabled to present the following table of the moneyed value of exports and imports for the year 1846.

Consolidated Return of Exports and Imports of the Lake Harbors for the year 1846.

There are several places of notoriety on the lakes enumerated in the above statement, but of which the exports and imports for 1846 are not known, because no returns have been received from them, or because the returns which have been received were too defective to be used. The foregoing amount may, therefore, be considered as below the true representation of the entire American lake commerce, and may be taken with safety as not an exaggerated value of that commerce. But there can be no doubt that the total exports and imports of these lakes, as represented in the above table, is a duplicate commerce-the exports of one place being the imports of another; it must not, however, be supposed as including a mere carrying trade, but as exports fairly shipped at a place, and as imports unloaded, and not being again involved as part of the Lake commerce. Applying these considerations to the amount of commerce above stated, they will justify the assumption of half that amount as the net moneyed value of the Lake commerce; or, in other words, that the net value of this commerce is, for the year 1846, $61,914,910. The same reasoning applied to the commerce of 1841 will make it, for that year, $32,913,011; showing the Lake commerce to have nearly doubled itself in five years, and to have experienced an annual average increase of 17-62 per cent.

EXTENT OF LAKE COAST.

The great lakes of our country, which may justly be considered inland seas, and to which the inland commerce described in this report relates, are the following: Champlain, Ontario, Erie, St. Clair, Huron, Michigan, Superior. These lakes are of great depth, as well as of great extent. The entire line of lake coast embraces about 5,000 miles, 2,000 miles of which constitute the coast of a foreign power.

Lake Champlain is
Its greatest width
Its average width

Lake Ontario is

Its greatest width
Its average width

Lake Erie is

Its greatest width
Its average width

Lake St. Clair is

105 miles long.

12 miles.

8 miles. 180 miles long. 52 miles. 40 miles. 240 miles long.

57 miles.

38 miles.
18 miles long.

These lakes may be considered as connected throughout their whole extent. Lake Champlain connects with Lake Ontario by means of the river Richelieu; the lock and dam navigation of St. Lawrence river; the Ottawa river; the Rideau canal through Canada; and the Champlain and Erie canals of New York. Lake Ontario is connected with, Lake Erie by means of the Welland canal through Canada, and by means of the Oswego and Erie canals, through the State of New York. Lake Erie is connected with Lake St. Clair by the deep and navigable strait of Detroit, 25 miles long. Lake St. Clair is connected with Lake Huron by the deep and navigable strait of St. Clair, 32 miles long. Lake Huron is connected with Lake Michigan by the deep and wide strait of Mackinaw, and with Lake Superior by the strait of St. Mary's, 46 miles long. This strait is navigable throughout except for about one mile of its length, immediately adjacent to Lake Superior, where, from rocks and the extreme rapidity of the current, navigation ceases. These difficulties can, however, be easily surmounted by a canal of not more than a mile long, with locks to overcome a fall of about 21 feet. This obstruction is to be removed. Congress has recently passed a bill granting a portion of the public lands for the construction of a ship canal around the Saut Ste. Marie.

The only additional hinderance to this immense extent of inland navigation is a bar in Lake St. Clair-but the bottom is hard and if a channel is once dredged through, it will become a durable improvement.

2. THE COMMERCE OF THE WESTERN RIVERS.

To determine the probable moneyed value of this commerce, we have no direct data, but have to resort to inference and comparison. It is well known that a great portion of the produce of the west is of a much greater value per ton than that of the lakes. But if to obtain its value, it be assumed as of no greater value per ton than the commerce of the lakes, we shall clearly show, we think, the absence of all efforts to exaggerate.

The total tonnage transported on the lakes has been shown to be 3,861,088 tons; but this is a duplicate quantity. It exhibits the total amount of exports and imports at all places, and is, therefore, in all probability an exhibit of double the real amount of tons of merchandise. Assuming this supposition as correct, the net amount of tons of lake goods transported is 1,930,544; and as it has been shown that the net value of these goods is $61,914,910, we have for the net value per ton $32 07.

It has also been shown that the net tons of merchandise of the western rivers, with New Orleans, exclusive of way trade, was for 1842, 1,862,780 tons. Now, if we apply to this amount the value of lake commerce, per ton as just given, we shall have for the direct commerce of the western rivers, with New Orleans, an amount of $59,739,354.