text:  It remains only to add that the foreign export trade gave employment in 1840--the date fixed by Mr Cobden but to which in some few instances it has been impossible to adhere for want of necessary documents as he himself experienced--to 10 970 British vessels of 1 797 000 aggregate tonnage outwards repeated voyages inclusive for the verification of the number of which we are without any returns those made to Parliament by the public offices bearing the simple advertence on their face with official nonchalance that "there are no materials in this office by which the number of the crews of steam and sailing vessels respectively (including their repeated voyages) can be shown