§ MR. ALLEN (Gloucestershire, Stroud)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state how many British sailing vessels left foreign ports in ballast during 1900 which have not since been heard of; what was their aggregate tonnage; and what was the aggregate number of officers and men carried by them.
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURSeven British sailing vessels which left foreign ports in ballast during 1900 have not since been heard of. Their aggregate net tonnage was 12,434 tons, and the aggregate number of officers and men carried by them was approximately 188.