The materials of which the earlier buildings of the city were constructed were wood, and bricks imported from Holland. The style of architecture was steep roofs, tiled gables to the streets and al leys between the houses. Of this latter construc tion not an edifice now remains; the last of this character, situate in Broad street, and bearing date, according to the Dutch fashion, 1698, having been torn down for modern architecture in the spring of 1831. The wooden edifices are comparatively few in number, and are chiefly located in the suburbs. The modern taste in building is almost exclusively confined to brick, though a few houses in different places are constructed either of ffranite, free-stone, or of marble, obtained within the neigh bourhood. ; The principal streets and public build ings and stores are lighted by gas, under the management of the Gas Light Company, which went into operation in 1825.
Bay and bay and harbour of New York may be classed among the most con venient and beautiful in the world; the banks are bold and the bay interspered with many handsome islands; the city and surrounding land, when view ed on the bay in approaching the city, presents a scene truly charming and picturesque, and excites general admiration. The bay may be estimated at nine miles long and five broad, without including the branches of the rivers each side of the city. From the ocean, Sandy hook, to the city at the head of the bay, is about twenty miles. The water is of sufficient depth to float the largest vessels, and ships of ninety guns have anchored opposite the city. It has been repeatedly observed that the cold of winter has less effect upon the waters of New York harbour, than in several places farther south. The usual tides are about six feet, and this, with the greater rapidity of the currents, may be looked upon as the prominent cause why so rarely inconvenience is experienced from the formation of ice. During the severe winter of 1730-1, the harbour, however, was covered by a bridge of com pact ice; and again, in the memorable winter of of the harbour and the branches of the two rivers were obstructed by the same cause for many days.
According to the reports made by the ward as sessors of the amount of real and personal estate of the city of New York, it has been stated in 1823, as personal, thirty-six millions eight hundred and seventy-nine thousand six hundred and fifty-three dollars; as real, seventy-seven millions of dollars.
In 1829 as personal and real, somewhat less: but these estimates must be deemed as entirely too low. The whole of the bank capital in the city of New York is upwards of eighteen millions of dollars. The aggregate capital of the marine fire insurance and other incorporated companies, may he put down at thirteen millions of dollars. According to a late statement made by Alderman Stevens to the corporation, when on the discussion of the report in favour of introducing pure and wholesome water into the city of New York, the number of dwelling houses, stores, manufactories and churches was valued at seventy-five millions of dollars; the mer chandise in the city at fifty millions; hence, the total value of buildings and merchandise is one hundred and twenty-five millions of dollars. But this estimate may be safely doubled.
city of New York is justly con sidered the commercial emporium of the United States, and the revenue which it pays to the general government exceeds that of all the other states of the union.
The following table of exports, and customs, during the respective years, will show the increase of commerce since the year 1814, at which period the country was involved in war with Great Britain.
A more satisfactory view of t he commercial character of the city of New York, may be ob tained from the official records of the custom-house of that district.
The total invoice value of imports, including dutiable charges, in 1830, was American. Foreign.
quarter 6,900,229 339,500 2d 8,716,599 417,672 3d 12,090,705 719,826 4th 10,608,623 266,166 The total amount of duties rising from imports at the port of New York, the first three quarters of the year 1831, amounted to about $15,500,000, an excess over the year 1830 of three millions of dollars. The total amount of duties for 1831 may be stated at rising twenty millions.
Since the completion of the Erie canal the com merce of the city has been greatly augmented by the numerous canal boats which ply between fake and Albany, bringing ultimately to the commercial emporium, the rich products of the great western country and the lakes, and sending in return the fine manufactures and luxuries of Europe. Numerous steam-boats, about nine months in the year, navigate the Hudson and East rivers, several of them superior in speed and architectural beauty to those on any other waters.