In the year 1832, about the close of the Black Hawk War, the tonnage of the Lakes was only 7,000 tons. In 1845 it had increased to 132,000 tons, and in 1858 it was 404,301 tons. Or, if we take Chicago, the chief city of the Lakes, we find that her imports and exports were,—
Imports. Exports. In 1836, $ 325,203 $ 1,000 " 1851, 24,410,400 5,395,471 " 1859, estimated 60,000,000 24,280,890
In the year 1858, there were on the Lakes,—
American vessels, 1,194. Tonnage, 399,443
Canadian " 321. " 59,580
Value of American tonnage on the
Lakes, $16,000,000
Value of Lake commerce, import
and exports, $600,000,000
Number of seamen employed, 13,000
Taking the island of Mackinac as the geographical centre of this navigation, we find the distances as follows:—
Miles.
From Mackinac to head of Lake Superior 550
" " " Chicago 350
" " " East end of Georgian
Bay 300
" " " Buffalo 700
" " " Gulf of St. Lawrence 1,600
Or ninety thousand miles of lakes and rivers, extending half across the continent.