MEXICO. 



613 



EXPORTS IX ISM. 



The commodities moat largely imported in 

 the same years from other countries than the 

 United States were coffee of the values of 

 $126,166 in 1877 and $100,763 in 1878 ; cot- 

 ton fabrics, $319,211 in 1877 and $287,277 in 

 1878 ; linen fabrics, $22,878 in 1877 and $37,- 

 532 in 1878; machinery, $14,322 in 1877 and 

 $248,013 in 1878 ; manufactured clothing, $12,- 

 435 in 1877 and $28,762 in 1878; bar and 

 sheet iron, chains, etc., $7,826 in 1877 and 

 $9,828 in 1878; woolen fabrics, $21,401 in 

 1877 and $20,102 in 1878; and wine and spir- 

 its, $28,569 in 1877 and $82,451 in 1878. 



The subjoined tables exhibit the exports 

 from Matamoros (all to the United States, the 

 copper and lead in transitu for England) for 

 the same years : 



EXPORTS IN I87T. 



The exports from Merida, Yucatan (through 

 the small port of Progreso), for the year end- 

 ing September 30, 1878, were of the value of 

 $1,194,277; of which $907,239 were to the 

 United States, including henequen or Sisal hemp 

 of the value of $843,123; deerskins, $11,195 ; 

 hammocks, $14,053 ; hides, $15,478, etc. The 

 value of the imports was considerably under 

 $1,000,000. 



The aggregate value of the exports from 

 Mazatlan, on the Gulf of California, in the year 

 ending June 80, 1878, was $3,689,702. The 

 trade of Mazatlan with the United States for 

 that year is shown in the annexed table: 



This table is particularly interesting as show- 

 ing the exchange of articles of American and 

 of Mexican production which constitute the 

 rapidly increasing trade between this port and 

 the United States, mainly through Sun Fran- 

 cisco. Until very lately Yucatan was the Mexi- 

 can State which carried on the most extensive 

 trade with this country; but the foregoing 

 table shows that Sinaloa has now taken the 

 lead. 



The year 1879 was marked by the continu- 

 ance of the depression which began to be felt 

 in commercial circles in the second half of 1878, 

 and which was mainly attributable to the de- 

 cline in silver in the London market. No bet- 

 ter explanation of this phenomenon can be 

 given than the following, extracted from the 

 United States Minister's report to the State 

 Department at Washington, under date of Oc- 

 tober 29, 1878 : 



The basis of all monetary transactions in this coun- 

 try is silver. Although me double standard of gold 

 and silver is provided by law, and the Government 

 is constantly minting coins of both metals, for a num- 

 ber of years past the gold coinage has commanded a 

 considerable premium over silver, and during the past 

 two or three years gold has not only ceased to bo a 



