IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. Until a time comparatively recent, our official trade accounts were not furnished in such a manner as to allow of .any certain deductions being made from them ;- but the monthly and yearly accounts of the Board of Trade now furnish very complete information on these points. The list of our imports from foreign countries and the colonies comprises- almost every arti cle of use and of luxury which cannot be pro fitably produced within the kingdom ; while our exports comprise chiefly mineral produce, and goods of a very varied de scription. .
' We find that in the last five years, the value of -British -and produce and manufac tures exported has been as follows : ' rear. ' . Total Exports.
1846 X. 57,786,876 1847 - - 58,842,377 1818 - - 52,849,4-15 1849 58,910,883 1856 --- 65,750,032 Taking the year 1848 as an example, we find that the largest customers for our manufac tures were the following : United States £ 9,584,909 Germany 5,283,588East Indies 5,077,247 Holland 2,823,258Turkey ' 2,664,281 Brazil 2,067,302 British America 1,900,592 West Indies ' 1.434,477 The Board of Trade returns respecting Im ports give quantities'of each kind of dity, rather, than vallies; and it is therefore not easy to present an abstract of them. We Will however: take the year 1850, and show what were the'most notable items, both of port and import. First for Export:: Candles . . 2,723,531 lbs.
Coals . . . 3,347,807 tons.
Cotton Goods 1,358,238,837 yards.
Cotton Lace .- . ' 114,095,554 yards.
Cotton Yarn. , 131,433,168 lbs.
Earthenware . 76,952,735 pieces.
Glass . . .336,614 cwts.
Linen . . . 122,397,457 yards.
Linen Yarn . 18,559,318 lbs. Metals and Machinery(about)10,000,0001.
Oil . . 3,292,260 gallons.
Salt . . . 15,824,780 bushels.
Silk Manufactures (about) 1,300,0001.
Soap . . . 124,038 cwts.
Soda . . 888,146 cwts.
Wool and Woollens (about) 11,000,000/. Among the items of Irnport;the following were the most considerable : ' Brimstone . . 661,630 cwts.
Coffee . . . 50,809,521 lbs.
Corn . . . 7,969,435 quarters.
Corn-meal . . 3,873,908 cwts.
Cotton . . 5,934,793 cwts. Cured or Salted Meat 687,199 cwts. Hemp . . . 1,018,635 cwts.
Live Stock . . 217,247 head.
Metals . . 117,148 tons..
Rice . . . 785,692 cwts.
Saltpetre . . 529,012 cwts.
Silks (about) . 6,000,000 lbs.
Spices (about) . 13,000,000 lbs.
Spirits : . 7,763,279 gallons.
Sugar . . . 1,250,441 owts.
Tallow . . 1,211,781 cwts.
Tea . . 50,513,003 lbs.
Tobacco . . 35,427,335 lbs.
Wine . . . 9,267,573 gallons.
Wool . . . 74,326,778 lbs. INCLINED PLANE. In mechanical and mathematical considerations an inclined plant is a plane surface making any angle with the horizon. A body placed on it is capable of being moved upwards along it with more faci lity than it can be raised in avertical direction. The principle on which it constitutes a me chanical power was first introduced by Stovi nus in the sixteenth century.
Among the useful rules ascertained on this subject are the following weight placed upon an inclined plane is propelled down the plane by such a fraction of the whole pressure of the weight as the height of any section of the plane is of its length. The velocity ac quired by a body in descending from the top to the foot of a plane, whatever be its inclina tion, is the same as in falling vertically from the top to a horizontal plane passing through the foot.