COLOMBIA. 



149 





COUNTRIES. VJ. 



Franco $1,781,708 



(t.-riiiituy . 8,842,870 



Orent Britain 8,88,87 



United State* 1,6*4,678 



Various 71,54 



Total $11,111,197 



The more important articles sent out of the 

 country in tho same year, and their values, 

 were as follows : 



COMMODITIES. Valoet. 



Gold and silver In bars, dust, or coin .... $3,6*8,246 



Cinchona 2,470,246 



Coffee 1,504,076 



Hides 810,119 



Tobacco 664,097 



>lats 149,440 



India-rubber 175,-.'52 



Cotton 189,184 



The entries at the various ports of the re- 

 public in 1877-78 comprised 342 steamers, 

 with an aggregate tonnage of 437,044; and 

 847 sailing vessels, with an aggregate of 42,756 

 tons. 



Coffee culture in the State of Panama, par- 

 ticularly in the district of Chiriqui, bids fair to 

 prove most satisfactory. The first regular 

 shipment, made in December, 1879, was of 

 7,140 Ibs., being the first crop of an estate the 

 yield of which was expected to reach 300 

 quintals (of 100 Ibs. each). The coffee was 

 represented as of excellent quality, fine color, 

 and delicious aroma, and evidencing careful 

 preparation for market. Indeed, the superior 

 quality and regular fullness of the bean afforded 

 proof of the " entire adaptability of the soil 

 and climate of Chiriqui for the production of a 

 class of coffee second to none on the Ameri- 

 can Continent." 



The article COLOMBIA, in the "Annual Cy- 

 clopaedia " for 1878 contains (page 104) some 

 interesting particulars concerning the export 

 trade of the republic. 



Referring to railway matters, President Tru- 

 jillo, in his message already alluded to, ex- 

 pressed a doubt that Mr. Ross, the contractor 

 of the line which is to place the three north- 

 ern States of the Union in communication with 

 the Atlantic seaboard, would be able to carry 

 his project into effect. The time fixed upon in 

 the contract for the commencement of the 

 work had expired, and the Executive recom- 

 mended the raising of a loan of $2,600,000 

 for the prosecution of the work. Several rail- 

 ways and other enterprises, for which a Mr. 

 F. T. Cisneros is contractor, were spoken of in 

 commendatory terms. The progress in each 

 was satisfactory. Steamers for the navigation 

 of the upper Magdalena were being built at 

 New York, and would be ready for service 

 within a few months. The benefits of cheap 

 and rapid transport thus secured would be 

 shared by an extensive section of country con- 

 taining, among other natural sources of wealth, 

 important copper and coal mines. The An- 

 tioquia and Cauca Railways were progressing 

 satisfactorily, and the intention was announced 



of sparing no efforts to push on the work to 

 completion at an early day.* 



The Legislature of the State of Bolivar passed 

 a law tending to encourage the navigation of 

 the Dique and Magdalena Rivers, and offering 

 a subvention and a guarantee of 7 per cent, 

 interest on a capital of $200,000 to any com- 

 pany willing to embark in the enterprise. 



The President's message contained some brief 

 remarks on new mining interests of consider- 

 able promise. Satisfactory reports had been 

 made of a survey of the coal mines of the val- 

 ley of Dupar and of the Goajira Peninsula. 

 The San Andrew coal mines in the State of 

 Bolivar were represented as of great value, 

 and the assurance given that their development 

 would prove most profitable to the country. 

 A company had been organized for the work- 

 ing of the Samaca iron mines in Boyaca, on 

 which American engineers had reported favor- 

 ably. General Trujillo suggested the expedien- 

 cy of giving Government aid to the enterprise, 

 either by purchasing stocks or by granting a 

 subvention to the company. The Torra gold 

 mines were spoken of, on the authority of a 

 competent engineer, as being as rich as any that 

 ever excited the cupidity of the conquistadores. 

 Measures were being adopted for their devel- 

 opment. 



But more than even the building of new 

 railways or the organization of companies for 

 the working of her mines, the navigation of 

 her rivers, and the extension of her commer- 

 cial relations abroad, Colombia needs the es- 

 tablishment of peace and order at home and 

 the permanent conciliation of State and Federal 

 interests. The revolutionary era, reopened a 

 few years ago after a lull hitherto unexampled 

 for its duration in the annals of Spanish Amer- 

 ica, has since been perpetuated by party strife 

 and rebellions aimed, now at one or other of 

 the local governments, now at the Central 

 Government, and causing in some instances 

 considerable effusion of blood. An atrocious 

 episode of one of these outbreaks was reported 

 as follows from Ocana on September 11, 1879 : 



Horrible butchery in Bucaramanga ! The day be- 

 fore yesterday the Commune was proclaimed in that 

 city, and, headed by the Alcalde, Pedro Collazos, took 

 full possession. The German Consul, Schrader, and 

 Messrs. Obdulio Estevez and Eduardo Mutiz, were as- 

 sassinated. Another German was seriously wounded. 

 Several stores were destroyed. The greatest conster- 

 nation prevails among people possessing any means. 

 The Communists are intrenched and hold two cuarteles 

 (military barracks). General WUches will attack them 

 to-day. Families are fleeing to the mountains for 

 safety. Stores and dwellings are completely sacked 

 and destroyed. It is not known in Barranquilla 

 whether tho movement is purely communist, or the 

 beginning of a revolution against the State govern- 

 ment. In either case it will no doubt be promptly 

 suppressed and vigorously punished. 



The occurrence of election riots in Cundi- 

 namarca, the capital of which State is Bogota, 

 elicited from President Trujillo remarks in his 



* For railways and telegraph lines already In operation In 

 Colombia, see "Annual Cyclopedia 11 for 1877. 



