640 



estimated sum of the public debt of the coun- 

 try. The demand for nitrate of soda is fast 

 increasing, not only in England, as is shown 

 by the foregoing table, but for all markets. 

 The total exports of this commodity in 1870 

 were 2,500,000 quintals; in 1871 they were 

 8,600,000; and, in 1872, they reached 4,420,- 

 000 quintals. These statistics are from the 

 official returns of the Prefect of Tarapaca, 

 from which province the nitrate is almost ex- 

 clusively extracted. But it must be borne in 

 mind that, while the quantities of guano dis- 

 posed of are yearly increasing, the supply is 

 decreasing in a like ratio; and this circum- 

 stance causes no little anxiety to the Govern- 

 ment, by whom the entire proceeds of the 

 guano sales have been devoted to the payment 

 of the public debt. It is asserted, in effect, that 

 the realizable quantity of guano at the end of 

 1872 could not be estimated at more than 

 8,000,000 tons, which fact, viewed in connec- 

 tion with the comparatively recent discovery 

 of extensive deposits of that fertilizer in the 

 Bolivian portion of the Desert of Atacama, 

 showed the necessity of bestowing special at- 

 tention upon the nitrate of soda, which, ac- 

 cordingly, as the next most profitable source 

 of revenue, became the object of divers legis- 

 lative measures. One of these was the pro- 

 posed imposition of 60 per cent, export duty 

 on the difference between the cost price and 

 the market value of that article as should bo 

 determined by a commission to be appointed 

 for that purpose, and 25 per cent, duty on 

 every one hundred pounds of the raw mate- 

 rial (calirfif) exported. This law was, how- 

 ever, modified in the matter of the 50 per cent., 

 by constituting the saltpetre a government 

 monopoly, the state paying $2.40 per quintal 

 to the producers, and reserving to itself the 

 privilege of fixing a market price to the pur- 

 chasers of the article. It was also proposed 

 that the nitrate should he sold at the markets 

 of Iquique and Lima. 



A law was passed by Congress in April to 

 the effect that the President should not en- 

 force the Ettanro, or limitation of the export 

 of saltpetre, without giving forty-five days no- 

 tice; and that snch enforcement should take 

 place before September. The total exports are 

 estimated at about $35,000,000, and the im- 

 ports at $80,000,000.* According to a non- 

 official report, the value of the importations 

 for the year 1872 amounted to $81,600,000. 



Hut as there are no official returns (the pub- 

 lication of even those of the custom-house 

 being prohibited by a decree issued in October, 



. an exact statement of the foreign com- 

 merce cannot bo given. Many circumstances 

 concur, nevertheless to show that it is steadily 

 increasing, among which may be enumerated 

 the figures of the following table of the exports 



at Britain, and the imports therefrom, in 

 the fire years from 188 to 1872, inclusive : 



For the principal article* of export and Import, M 

 tb* AXXCAL Crcu>r*DlA for 1871 



1888 



m... 



1-71. 



4,406.875 



l'..<-...-!0 

 U.U-.-.M.-, 



7.149,440 



'./.I.- Ml 

 11377,6*0 



N,noa 



From the following synopsis for the port of 

 Callao may bo formed an idea of the trade with 

 the United State- : 



In the course of the year, commencing Oc- 

 tober 1, 1871, and ending September 80, ! 

 there entered 118 American vessels, with nn 

 .rate tonnage of 124,085, nnd cargoes of 

 lumber, wheat, coals, sperm-oil, railway 

 etc., etc., valued at a total of $8,641,695; nnd 

 the number of vessels cleared for the United 

 States was 114. with an aggregate of 115,604 

 tons, and mostly laden with guano, the total 

 value of the cargoes being $4,089,852. 



The total shipments of petroleum received 

 from the United States in 1871 amounted to 

 181,629 gallons; in 1872, 233,490 gallons; and 

 in 1873, 272,555 gallons. The value of tin- 

 produce and bullion shipped from the port of 

 Arica in 1866 amounted to $3,898,783; in 

 1867, to $8,510,760.50 ; in 1868, to $3,75R.] 72 : 

 in 1869, to $3,353,443.25 ; in 1870, to $8.986,- 

 681.12; in 1871, to $4,882,232.7.5; in 1872, to 

 $6,427,290.87; and up to June 80, 1878, the.i 

 reached $2,510,608.08. 



The duties at the various custom-houses in 

 the republic during the first three months of 

 1878 compare with those for the corresponding 

 period of 1872 in the following manner: 



MONTHS. 



January. 

 Fehrnarr 

 Hatch 



Total.. 



18TS. 



JM-J.77'.' H 

 4S6JMO SO 



ti.4M.-a5 or 



1ST*. 



$>:.-,. 710 00 

 818,171 ro 



].!>'.v.'t ], 



1ST*. 



C ' ' ( i) J I ] ~ 



Bum ! 



101.7-0 '.' 



1 



The foil owing Government railways are com- 

 pleted, or in process of construction, by Mr. 

 Henry Meiggs, the American contractor: 



Railways belonging to private individuals: 



