280 TRINIDAD. 



while that of exports is 450,873 : balance against exports, 

 47,954. True, a certain proportion of the imported dry goods 

 and hardware are re-exported to Venezuela, and their value there- 

 fore ought to be deducted from the above sum of 47,954 : that 

 value, however, cannot be equal to the balance, and the colony 

 evidently suffers a yearly drain of specie. 



In the year 1831, the general exports amounted to 244,392, 

 and the imports to 300,567 distributed as follows : Exports. 

 To Great Britain, 202,057; British Colonies, 30,428; Foreign 

 States, 11,907. Imports. From Great Britain, 182,856 ; 

 British Colonies, 51,197; Foreign States, 66,514: balance 

 against exports, 56,175, or 67 per cent. 



Though partial, the detailed statement on page 279 may prove 

 interesting. 



The average value of the articles detailed in the above two 

 tables is, 144,756 the value of the alimentary articles being 

 122,475 ; of building materials, shooks, &c., 22,281. But, the 

 figure 122,475 does not by any means represent the real value 

 of imported aliments, since it does not include the items expended 

 on butter, cheese, olive oil, wine, &c. : rating the total, therefore, 

 at 128,000, in round numbers, each inhabitant would then pay for 

 food about 1 10s. The average of dry goods imported during these 

 two years being 110,213, he would, in like manner, expend on 

 clothing about 1 6s. a rather unexpected and striking result, in 

 my opinion ; since, though we cannot manufacture our own cloth, 

 we certainly ought to produce the greater quantity of many of the 

 articles of food we consume ; whereas, not only do we import 

 salted fish and meats, flour, butter, &c., but also sweet potatoes 

 and yams, corn and corn-meal, rice, poultry, &c. ; and are like- 

 wise indebted to foreign and home industry for the bricks and 

 building lime which we have " all appliances and means to boot" 

 for manufacturing on the spot. 



The rice and flour marked as coming from England and the 

 British colonies, are East India rice and American flour. Nearly 

 all our salted and pickled fish comes from Nova Scotia ; and the 

 greatest part of the salted meats and lumber, from the United 

 States. We are supplied by Venezuela with fresh meat ; and out 

 of a total value of 44,500 sterling, that of fresh meat for the 

 year 1855, is found to be 16,867. 



A return of articles imported from Venezuela, during the year 



