196 COMMERCE AND NAVIGATION OF THE UNITED STATES. 



1883-'84. The exports of silver in 1885-'86 

 were $29,511,219, as compared with $33,753,- 

 633 in 1885, and $26,051,426 in 1884; the im- 

 ports of silver, $17,850,307 in 1886, as com- 

 pared with $16,550,627 in 1885, and $14,594,- 

 945 in 1884. The total exports of specie in 

 1886 were $72,463,410, and the imports $38,- 

 593,656, showing an excess of exports of $33,- 

 869,754, as compared with an excess of imports 

 in 1885 of $1,010,798, and an excess of exports 

 of $29,707,121 in 1884. 



Imports. The value of free goods imported 

 in 1885-'86 was $212,159,296, and that of 

 dutiable goods $423,276,240. The value of 

 manufactured articles imported was $379,987,- 

 472, and of crude and partly manufactured ar- 

 ticles $255,448,664. The articles that showed 

 the largest increase were sugar, wool, hides 

 and skins, woolen manufactures, and raw silk. 

 There was a marked decrease in the imports 

 of coffee, fish, flax, hemp and jute, and seeds. 

 The imports of sugar and molasses constituted 

 13-60 per cent, of the total value of imports in 

 1885-'86 ; wool and manufactures thereof, 9-15 

 per cent. ; silk and silk manufactures, 7'28 per 

 cent. ; coffee, 6*72 per cent. ; iron and steel 

 and manufactures thereof, 611 per cent. ; 

 chemicals, drugs, dyes, and medicines, 5*96 

 per cent. ; flax, hemp, jute, and manufactures 

 of them, 4-87 per cent. ; cotton and cotton 

 manufactures, 4*78 per cent. ; hides and skins, 

 4-20 per cent. ; fruits, 2'72 per cent. ; tea, 2*52 

 per cent. ; wood and manufactures thereof, 

 1-92 per cent ; India-rubber, 1-91 per cent. ; 

 leather, T87 per cent. ; tobacco, 1*76 per cent. ; 

 liquors and wines, 1*58 per cent. ; all other 

 articles, 23*05 per cent. The total value of 

 imports was greatest in 1882, when it attained 

 the sum of $724,639,574, after which the 

 amount declined steadily to $577,527,329 in 



1885, and then rose to $635,436,136 in 1886. 

 The values of the leading articles imported in 



1886, as compared with their importation in 

 1882, are shown in the following table : 



The ratio of manufactures to crude and 

 partly manufactured articles has steadily de- 

 clined. In 1860 manufactured articles formed 

 73-88 per cent, of the total imports; in 1870, 

 70-74 percent; in 1880, 62-44 per cent.; in 

 1882, 63-51 per cent. ; in 1883, 64-27 per cent. ; 

 in 1884, 63-98 per cent. ; in 1885, 59*90 per 

 cent. ; in 1886, 59-80 per cent. 



The imports from all the industrial countries 

 of Europe showed an increase in 1886 over 

 those of the preceding year. The increase in 

 value of the imports from Great Britain was 

 $17,552,274 ; from Germany, $5,913,244 ; from 

 France, $6,482,078 ; from the Netherlands, 

 $2,871,097; from Italy, $2,377,728; from all 

 Europe, $38,805,137. The imports from the 

 Spanish West Indies were $7,294,968 greater. 

 The imports from Brazil were $3,356,128 less 



