216 AMERICAN LUMBER IN FOREIGN MARKETS. 



Noumea. In my opinion there is a fair opening for such a house here, 

 more especially if direct communications with the Pacific States were to 

 be created. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 



I am greatly indebted to Mr. A. Jeanneney, who has lived in this 

 colony for several years as a Government officer attached to the trans- 

 portation department, and one of the most scientific men of New Cale- 

 donia, for much of the information, contained in this report. 



L. LE MESCAM, 



Consular Agent. 

 NOUMEA, March 15, 1894. 



SAMOA. 



KINDS OF LUMBER USED. 



There is very little domestic lumber used, there being no mills here, 

 and any that is made is sawn out by hand. The favorite building 

 lumber is Oregon pine and California redwood. New Zealand kauri is 

 preferred for boat building. 



IMPORTS AND DUTY. 



New Zealand is the only other country besides the "United States 

 from which lumber is imported into these islands. The total imports 

 for the year ending June 30, 1893, amounted to 86,000 feet. 



The import duty on lumber is 2 per cent ad valorem. 



PRICES AND CLIMATE. 



Bough lumber sells here for about 4 cents per foot; surfaced lumber 

 from 5 to 7 cents. 



The climate of this district is hot and damp. We seldom have three 

 weeks without rain. The dry season, if it can be called so, is from 

 May to October. During the other months storms may be expected, 

 sometimes gales, and occasionally hurricanes. 



GENERAL BUILDINGS 



Considerable building goes on here all the time. There are always 

 one or two houses in course of construction, and repairing is constantly 

 going on. This climate is very severe on buildings. The wood, where 

 near the ground, or exposed to sun and rain, rots in about three years. 



No shipbuilding is carried on, but many boats are built every year. 



