HULL. This seaport is the greatest ship ping emporium on the east coast next to Lon don. The exports formerly were chiefly wool, woollens, and leather ; its imports, wine and timber. At present the coasting trade is one of its chief branches of profit. It has also an extensive commerce with the Baltic, with the north of Germany, Holland, and Denmark. The Greenland fishery owed its revival, about 1760, and its subsequent importance, to the mercantile enterprise of Hull. The facilities of communication between Hull and the inte rior of the kingdom are numerous ; the Ouse, Trent, Aire, and Calder, all communicate with the Humber, and these means of internal communication are extended by the York, New castle and Berwick Railway, the York and North Midland Railway, and the Hull, Selby and Leeds Railway. The prosperity of Hull has been greatly increased by the progress of steam-navigation, and it may be considered as the second great centre of this mode of transit on the eastern coast.
There are large docks and extensive quays. The number of sailing vessels registered at Hull in 1848, was 462 (61,251 tons). The number of steam-vessels was 28 (5058 tons).
The manufactures of Hull are varied. The expressing and refining of oil from linseed is effected by wind-mills and steam-mills ; the residue of the seed is prepared as food for cattle. There is a large sugar-house, a soap
manufactory, several white-lead works, ship builders' yards, turpentine and sail-cloth ma nufactories, extensive ropewalks, and several breweries. There are also two large joint stock cotton mills.
Hull is the great port of the Humber, and the outlet for the vast produce of the district watered by that river and its tributaries. Hull is especially the port at which Baltic timber, Russia hemp, and Belgium flax are imported; and at which the Lancashire and Yorkshire manufactures are exported to the continent of Europe.
At the ensuing Exhibition, the Mill manu factures, of oil. oil cake, tar, turpentine, &c., will be illustrated. There will also be every variety of English and foreign wood in the form of books, showing the grain, quality, and perhaps the bark, with the name of each en graved or sculptured on the back : and a com plete series of the imports of the port, which will be arranged by the local committee, and will give a statistical account of the quan tity of each imported during a series of years.