Statement of exports from Rio de Janeiro to the United States during the year ended June 30, 1881, and comparison of same with two preceding years. Statement showing foreign navigation of the port of Rio de Janeiro during the year ended Statement showing foreign navigation of the port of Rio de Janeiro, &c.—Continued. Number and tonnage of foreign vessels entered at the port of Rio de Janeiro during the year ended December 31, 1880. Report by Consul Prindle. UNITED STATES CONSULATE, Bahia, November 24, 1881. I herewith submit my first annual report on the navigation and commerce of the port of Bahia. After having made several trials without success, I feel quite satisfied that it is impossible to procure trustworthy statistics of the distinctive items of imports, and I am therefore under the necessity of presenting such information in the form in which it is here found; that is, in items of classes of articles as classified by the Brazilian tariff. No statistics of any description are published by the authorities of this prov ince, nor by any one except a commercial association here, which, once a year, publishes a table of exports, but without values. Its volume for the past year has not yet been issued. The general statistics of the empire are published at Rio de Janeiro yearly, I am informed, but I am unable to gain access to a late volume of that work. Trade here has been very steady during the past year, no wide fluctuations having occurred in any direction. Exchange has been firmer and maintained at a higher figure than for the two preceding years; that is to say, it has not been below 21d. to the milreis, while in 1879 at a certain period it fell to 19d., and in 1880 to 193d. It appears to me an important fact to note that the Bahia branch of the New London and Brazilian Bank recently commenced to draw on New York in currency of the United States. This I consider cannot but have a tendency to increase the number of importers of American merchandise, and to benefit such trade generally, and it appears to me it has long been a want. Heretofore all of the smaller dealers in American commodities have been obliged—or at least have been accustomedto send their orders through some large house having correspondents in the United States, of which there are three or four here, or buy directly from such houses, often, probably, paying a heavy profit. Possibly this state of affairs may account, in a considerable measure, for the remark this writer has many times heard, that the reason why articles of American manufacture were not found when inquired for was on account of the price being so high that they could not be dealt in in this market in competition with European goods. Of course, importers can remit from South America in sterling bills, but this is a roundabout way and consumes considerably more time than direct remittance, and has, no doubt, often proved very unsatisfactory. It appears to me quite evident that the discontinuance of the American line of steamers between the United States and Brazil is having a decidedly adverse effect on American trade at this point. British steamers for and from New York still call at Bahia on their way to and from ports farther down the coast of South America, but only when having freight or passengers for this port, or when such offers here, in which case the agents notify each other by telegraph. Such a state of affairs, I should judge, cannot but be extremely prejudicial to trade between the United States and this part of Brazil. Since the discontinuance of the American line of steamers to this coast, in June last, the American mail to Bahia has been absurdly and annoyingly irregular; the last received here left New York on the 8th of October, and it appears probable that the next will not arrive before the 7th of December; that is to say, we hope it will be on an English mail steamer due here on that day. It is to be hoped for the interests of American trade that this state of affairs will not long continue. There has been an increase in the working force of the European lines of steamers to this coast during the past year, the arrivals at Bahia from Europe and from ports below here, and from the west coast of South America on the return voyage, now averaging fully one steamer per day, all discharging and receiving cargo and passengers here. It is pertinent in a report of this nature to say that all merchandise shipped to this port should be well and strongly packed, as all packages-particularly barrels-receive rather rough handling when being transferred from vessel to warehouse. The latter are never carted but are rolled from wharf to storehouse, not generally a distance of more than two or three blocks, but the process is usually carried on with much energy by the negroes who perform the operation. Austrian flour barrels are made much stronger than American, and stand this racket better, holding their contents firmer, preventing the disintegration of the packing-so to speak-whereby the flour is much better enabled to stand the climate; and herein, in my opinion, consists most of the difference between American and Austrian flour in this market. This difference may be stated to amount to from two to four dollars per barrel, in favor of the Austrian. From the same cause, roughness of handling, there is here a great loss by leakage in the article of kerosene oil. As yet there appears to be no competition in this article; nevertheless it is quite true that the loss increases its cost, and cheapness increases consumption, to the satisfaction of both dealer and consumer. A greater quantity of solder used in the making of the cans, or the use of stronger boxes for packing, would, beyond doubt, be of immense advantage to the consumers of this commodity everywhere—at least, I venture to say, throughout all South America. I have to note that there appears to be a discrepancy between the "return of trade with the United States" and the "return of exports." This is accounted for in the shipments from Aracajú, a place a short distance above Bahia, the invoices of which were certified here, and the export duty and commercial charges paid at that port, which items do not appear in the books of the custom-house of Bahia. The condition of the principal industries of the province, which are agriculture and mining, has been very satisfactory during the period covered by this report; there having been a handsome increase in the yield of the mines and in all of the principal crops, viz, sugar, tobacco, coffee, and cocoa. The health of this city and of the province during the same period has been remarkably good. A. C. PRINDLE, Consul. Bahia, Brazil, November 24, 1881. UNITED STATES CONSULATE, Statement showing the imports at Bahia, Brazil, for the year ending June 30, 1881. |