REPORT OF THE STATISTICIAN. 



275 



is under cultivation. As the altitude rises to the regions of perpetual 

 snow on the summit of the Andes, the temperature varies from intense 

 tropical heats to delightful coolness. The immense plain of Bogota, 37 

 by 68 miles in extent and 8,700 feet high, has a mean and comparil- 

 tively unvarying temperature of 57° F. The soil is of sandstone 

 origin, and quite productive. The people are divided into seven 

 classes : Gachiipines, or people born in Europe ; Creoles, descendants of 

 Europeans ; Mestizos, descendants of whites and Indians ; Mulattoes, 

 from whites and negroes 5 Indians, copper-colored natives, and African 

 negroes. The lower classes of the interior are Indians or Mestizos, who 

 are ignorant and superstitious, docile and kind, mildly vicious, but 

 not disorderly or dangerous. The chief industries of these people are 

 agriculture, cattle-raising, and mining. The processes of agriculture 

 are rude ; there is no attempt at rotation of crops ; farm-machinery is 

 very rough and primitive ; wooden plows of the old Eoman pattern are 

 used for scratching the surface of the soil. Yet, owing to almost inex- 

 haustible fertility of the soil, crops are abundant for home consumption. 

 Cattle-breeding is somewhat improved by the introduction of foreign 

 stock on the table-lands of the Andes. Swine are scarce, and of very 

 poor appearance. Coffee is demanding some attention in States of 

 Santander and Cundinamarca, where the product has reached 12,900,000 

 pounds of quite good quality. Tobacco is also grown, nob of superior 

 quality, but salable in Europe for the manufacture of spurious Havana 

 cigars. Cacao, cotton, and indigo are also grown, but not extensively 

 or for exportation. 



Of the total exports from the republic in year ending May 31, 1874, 

 valued at $10,189,852, the agricultural exports were: coffee, $975,353; 

 cotton, $249,048, and tobacco, $2,360,883; in all, $3,585,284. Better 

 means of cheap and rapid transportation are one important need to stim- 

 ulate an increased attention to this industry. The principal agricultural 

 shiijments during the year ending September 30, 1875, at the port of 

 Panama were : 



Tetal amount of goods entered and cleared, $13,443,000. 



