264 



CUBA. 



of 125 gallons rum ; 8,779 arrobas of 25 pounds 

 Spanish wax; 12,464,936 pounds of tobacco, 

 and 153,141 thousand cigars. Instead of being 

 an exporter of coffee, Cuba now imports the 

 same from Porto Eico. Copper-ore is, how- 

 ever, likely to soon again become an export 

 article to England from the Cobre Mining Com- 

 pany's mines near Santiago de Cuba. The 

 working of these mines was stopped by the in- 

 surrection, but is now being resumed. 



The amount of cigars shipped from Havana 

 to the United States during the year ended 

 Sept. 20, 1882, was $3,341,729 worth, of which 

 New York received $2,387,648; San Francisco, 

 $291,756 ; Chicago, $174,121 ; Boston, $144,- 

 604; and Philadelphia, $57,688. 



CHIEF ARTICLES OF MERCHANDISE IMPORTED INTO 

 HAVANA. 



VESSELS ENTERED DURING THE FIVE YEARS FROM 

 1878 TO 1882 INCLUSIVE. 



About the trade between Cardenas and the 

 United States, the American consular agent, 

 Nunez, remarks : 



The export tonnage in English bottoms is increas- 

 ing, for the reason that the English vessels are gen- 

 erally steamers carrying heavy freight, and at less 

 rates than American vessels can afford to charter for. 

 It may not here be inappropriate to suggest that if 

 ever this island becomes an integral portion of the 

 United States, the impetus which that fact would give 

 to American ship-building would he very great. All 

 the tradej in such au event, would be coast-trade, and 

 in American bottoms. A growing article of export 

 from Cardenas is asphaltum, and it is claimed that 

 the Cardenas asphaltum is superior to that of any 

 other p_art of the world. There is much asphaltum 

 in the island of Cuba ; much of it is of questionable 

 quality and is called chapapote, but that which is ob- 



tained at this port is dredged from the bed of the hay, 

 and at upward of sixty feet below the surface of the 

 water, and is supposed to be inexhaustible. It sells 

 for export at $30 per ton. 



Sugar. This industry has been thoroughly 

 revolutionized by the introduction of central 

 sugar-houses and new processes ; clayed sugars 

 have gradually gone into disuse, and centrifu- 

 gals and muscovadoes have taken their place, 

 as the ensuing table of exports fully demon- 

 strates : 



The tabular statement below exhibits the 

 fluctuating character of Cuban sugar-produc- 

 tion, and that the United States more and 

 more absorb it almost altogether : 



TRADE BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND CUBA DURING 

 THE FIVE YEARS 1879 TO 1883. 



The chief articles of domestic production 

 imported from the United States during the 

 fiscal year ended June 30, 1882, were cattle 

 and horses, $580,592 ; breadstuffs (including 

 only 56,955 barrels of flour), $1,029,653 ; coal, 

 100,319 tons ($409,970); cordage, $205,110; 

 machinery and hardware, $1,572,076 ; provis- 

 ions, $2,840,480, which included 15,279,152 

 pounds of lard ; lumber, timber, and furniture, 

 $2,907,331 ; and paper and stationery, $223,- 

 814. 



