Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 10.djvu/65

 

Year.	White.	Coloured.	Total.
United States Census of 1850	3,469	708	4,177
United States Census of 1860	6,127	1,180	7,307
United States Census of 1870	10,810	3,008	13,818
Estimated for 1879	...	...	31,000

In the business of receiving and shipping cotton, the leading production of the Southern States, Galveston ranks third in importance among the ports of the United States, New Orleans and Savannah standing before it, and Charleston, Norfolk, and Mobile after it in the order named. More than one-tenth of the cotton crop of the country finds a market through the port of Galveston. The following table shows the yearly receipts of bales of cotton at the six ports above named, for five years ending September 1, 1879:—

Ports.	1878–79.	1877–78.	1876–77.	1875–76.	1874–75.
New Orleans	1,175,415	1,391,555	1,182,357	1,401,563	982,198
Savannah	690,901	597,449	477,477	521,437	605,566
Galveston	573,274	454,137	491,980	465,529	354,927
Norfolk	442,458	425,214	503,932	469,997	382,387
Charleston	449,888	423,128	442,515	389,698	413,101
Mobile	362,522	414,332	357,879	371,298	319,263

The value of imports from foreign countries for the two years ending July 31, 1878, was as follows:—

	1877–78.	1876–77.
Imports of free commodities	$952,713	$1,155,808
Imports of dutiable commodities	194,615	201,680
Total	1,147,328	1,357,488

The leading importations comprise coffee from Brazil and Mexico, and manufactured cotton, woollen, and iron goods. The duties collected during the year ending July 31, 1878, amounted to $62,352.73, as against $95,980.49 during the previous year.

The value of domestic commodities, consisting largely of cotton, oil-cake, cattle, preserved meats, bone dust, cotton seeds, and lumber, exported to foreign countries during the year ending July 31, 1878, amounted to $11,963,132, as against $15,242,747 for the previous year.

The number and tonnage of vessels entered and cleared at the port of Galveston annually, for the six fiscal years ending June 30, 1878, are shown in the following tables:—

Coasting Trade.
Entered.			Cleared.
Years.	Number of  Vessels.	Tonnage.	Years.	Number of  Vessels.	Tonnage.
1877–8	198	192,114	1877–8	291	291,264
1876–7	388	407,382	1876–7	301	263,792
1875–6	428	435,535	1875–6	311	290,956
1874–5	460	428,334	1874–5	531	285,970
1873–4	490	450,830	1873–4	315	274,919
1872–3	636	569,206	1872–3	422	424,848
Foreign Trade.
1877–8	130	72,585	1877–8	135	82,300
1876–7	167	99,386	1876–7	165	102,744
1875–6	177	85,598	1875–6	191	107,192
1874–5	167	99,175	1874–5	208	127,527
1873–4	206	124,316	1873–4	241	145,237
1872–3	156	79,170	1872–3	175	92,998

The decrease in the number of coasting vessels entered and cleared is accounted for in part by the fact that the Morgan line of steamers from New Orleans, which formerly entered here, now proceed up the bay to Clinton with original manifest, and make the entry there, merely touching at Galveston to land freight, passengers, and mails.

The number of documented vessels owned in the customs district of Galveston during the year ending June 30, 1878, was 197, with an aggregate tonnage of 9310 tons; built during the year, 9, with an aggregate tonnage of 239 tons; and lost at sea, wrecked, or abandoned, 16, with a total tonnage of 387 tons.

GALWAY, a maritime county in the province of Connaught, in the extreme west of Ireland, between 52° 54’ and 53° 43' N. lat., and 7° 57' and 10° 20' \V. long. It is bounded on the N. by Mayo and Roscommon; E. by Roscommon, King’s County, and Tipperary; S. by Clare and the Bay of Galway; and W. by the Atlantic Ocean. The area comprises 2447 square miles, or 1,566,354 acres, of which 90,230 are under water.

Surface.—The county is naturally divided by Lough Corrib into two great divisions. The eastern, which com- prchends all the county except the four western baronies, rests on a limestone base, and is, generally speaking, a level champaign country, but contains large quantities of wet bog. Its southern portion is partly a continuation of the Golden Vale of Limerick, so celebrated for its fertility, and partly occupied by the Slievebaughty Mountains. The northern portion of the division contains rich pasture and tillage ground, beautifully diversified with hill and dale. Some of the intermediate country is comparatively uncultivated, but forms excellent pasturage for sheep. The western division of the :county has a substratum of granite, and is barren, rugged, and mountainous. It is divided into the three districts of Connemara, Jar-Connaught, and J oyce's Country ; the name of Connemara is, however, often applied to the whole district. Its highest mountains are the grand and picturesque group of Binabola, or the Twelve Pins, which occupy a space of about 25 square miles, the highest elevation being about 2400 feet. Much of this district is a gently sloping plain, from 100 to 300 feet above sea-level. J oyce’s Country, further north, is an elevated tract, with flat-topped hills of from 1300 to 2000 feet high, and deep narrow valleys lying between them.

Coast.—Galway enjoys the advantage of a very extended line of sea-coast, indented by numerous harbours, which, however, are rarely used except by a few coasting and fishing vessels. Commencing at. the coast of Mayo in the north are the Killeries, two bays which separate the counties of Galway and Mayo. The first bay on the- western coast capable of accommodating large ships is Ballynakill, sheltered by Freaghillaun or Heath Island. Next in succession is Cleggan Bay, having Inishbotfin in its offing. Streamstown is a narrow inlet, within which are the inhabited islands of Omey, Tur- bot, aml Inishturk. Ardbear harbour divides itself into two inlets, the northcrn terminated by the town of Clifden, with excellent anchorage opposite the castle; the southern inlet has also good anchorage within the bar, and has a good salmon-fishery. Mannin Bay, though large, is much cxposcd, and but little frequented by shipping. From Slync Head the coast turns eastward to Round- stonc Bay, which has its cntrance protected by the islands of Inislmee and Inishlacken. Next in order is Birterbuy Bay, studded with islets and rocks, but deep and sheltered. Kilkerrin Bay, the largest onlthis coast, has a most productive kelp shore of nearly 100 miles ; its mouth is but 8 miles broad. Between Gorumna Island and the mainland is Greatman’s Bay, and close to it Costello Bay, the most eastern of those in Connemara. The whole of the coast from Greatman’s Bay eastward is comprchended in the Bay of Gal- way, thc entrance of which is protected by the three limestone islands of Aran—Inishmore (or Aranmore), Inishmann, and Inisheer.

Rivers.—The rivers are few, and, except the Shannon, are of small extent. The Suck, which forms the eastern boundary of the county, rises in Roscommon, and passing by Ballinasloe, unites with the Shannon at Shannon bridge. The Shannon, which rises at the foot of Cuilcagh in the county of Cavan, forms the south-eastern boundary of the county, and passing Shannon Harbour, tanagher, Meclick, and Portumna, swells into the great expanse of water callcd Lough Del-g, which skirts the county as far as the village of Mount Shannon. The Claregalway flows southward through the centre of the county, and enters Lough Corrib some 4 miles above the town of Galway. The Ballynahinch, considered one of the best salmon-fishing rivers in Connaught, rises in the Twelve Pins, passes through Ballynahinch Lake, and after a short but rapid course falls into Birturbuy Bay.

Lakes.—The Lakes are numerous. Lough Corrib extends fron Galway town northwards over 30,000 acres, with a coast of 50 mile: in extent. It has now been made navigable to Lough Mask (which lies chiefly in Mayo county) and to the sea at Galway. The lake is studded with many islands, some of them thickly inhabited. Near it is Lough Ross, which receives a large supply of water from streams, but has no visible outlet. The district to the west of Lough Corrib contains in all about 130 lakes, about 25 of them more than a mile in length. Lough Rea, at the town of the same name, is more remarkable for scenic beauty than for extent. Besides these perennial lakes, there are several low tracts, called turloughs, which are covered with water during a great part of the year.

Geology and Minerals.—The boundary line between the limestone and granitic district is easily discernible by the diminution of the verdant hue which distinguishes the latter. The high road from Galway to Oughterard nearly marks the division. All the country to the north and east of this limit is limestone, all to the south and west granite, excepting some detached masses of primitive llmestone between Oughterard and Clifden, and some scattered portlons of