COMMERCE — SHIPPING AND NAVIGATION
1021
The quantities and value of wine imported into the United Kingdom I'loni S]iain were as follows in each of the last five years : —
—
1893
1894
1895
1896
1897
Quantities (gallons) Value (£)
3,548,304 732,933
3,757,098 753,543
4,057,015 882,167
3,723,299 • 693,621
4,283,054 807,410
Besides wine, the following were the leading imports from Spain into the United Kingdom in the last two 3'^ears : —
Iron ore . Fruits
Lead and ore . Esparto, &c. . Silver ore
1896
1897
£ \ £
3,117,084 3,621,835
3,026,464: 3,438,604
1,002,640 1,199,024
339,612; 307,699
233,343
234,807
Pyrites Copper ore, regulus, kc. Quicksilver . Olive oil Onions
1890
1897
£
966,184
£
933,451
1,193,849| 1,244,534 285,901 332,716 200,018 7,634
219,125 247,861
The chief British exports to Spain in 1897 were linen yarn and linens, of the value of 167,265Z. ; iron, wrought and unwrought, of the value of 200,743/'. ; coal, of the value of 835, 261 ^. ; machiner}-, 393,595Z. ; cotton yarn and goods, of the value of 220,488^. ; and woollen goods, 108,612Z.
Shipping and Navigation.
The merchant navy of the Kingdom contained in 1898, 436 steamers of 341,951 tons net, and 1,145 sailing vessels of 164,504 tons net ; total, 1,581 vessels of 506,455 tons.
The shipping entered and cleared at Spanish ports in two years was as follows : —
—
1897
1S98
Entered : With cargoes .... In ballast
Total .... Cleared :
With cargoes .... In ballast
Total ....
No. 10,705 8,252
Tons 7,874,576 6,641,176
No.
9,706
7,649
Tons 7,265,436 6,012,715
18,957
14,516,752
17,355
13,278,151
15,749 1,732
13,149,055 1,100,607
15,298 1,659
13,013,250 982,670
17,481
14,249,662
16,957
13,995,920
Of the vessels entered in 1898, 8,490 of 5,495,903 tons, and of those cleared, 7,792 of 5,322,412 tons were Spanish.
Internal Communications.
The length of railways in Spain on December 31, 1897, was 8,020 English miles open for traffic. The whole of the Spanish railways belong to private companies, but nearly all have obtained guarantees or subventions from the Government.
The Post Office carried in 1896, in the inland service, 83,836,000 letters and post-cards, and 49,106,000 printed papers and samples; in the inter-
