WEST INDIES: BRITISH WEST INDIES. 349 



MAIL, CABLE, AND HANK. 



Antigua is eight days distant from New York by steamship and 

 receives an American mail every ten or fifteen days. It has cable 

 communication with the United States. Its only financial institu- 

 tion the Colonial Bank has branches in New York and London. 



FIBERS. 



The island abounds with vegetable fibers. To what extent, how- 

 ever, they are available for paper making is a mooted question, no 

 tests ever having been made. Steps are now being taken to deter- 

 mine the value of the various species of fibers in question. 



HENRY M. HUNT, 



ANTIGUA, December /<?, 1898. Consul. 



BERMUDA. 



The very limited market of this little colony offers no field what- 

 ever for the paper trade. The population is estimated to be 16,000 

 souls. To this may be added, say, from 1,500 to 2,000 more to rep- 

 resent the garrison a more permanent class than the naval con- 

 tingent, that constantly varies, but has perhaps 500 people, more 

 or less, who may be considered as representing a permanent num- 

 ber. There are but few adults, white or colored, who can not at 

 least read and write. The schools are numerous, good, and are 

 well attended. 



There are no firms that deal exclusively in paper or paper stock. 

 All dealers are retailers and will sell wrapping and other paper as 

 householders may require. 



There are no paper mills in the colony; nor can there be, as there 

 are no streams not even a spring or a brook on the island, nor stock 

 from which paper can be made. There are certain trees and plants 

 that might be cultivated and utilized for stock, but, up to this time, 

 no attention has been given to the subject. 



The cost of fuel would also prevent any attempt at manufactur- 

 ing. Coal is brought almost entirely from the United States for 

 coaling vessels, for tugboats and local steamers, for the hotels and 

 the small concerns needing power, and for domestic or house pur- 

 poses. The price is regulated by the price in the United States, 

 freight and charges and the dealers' profits added. 



There are two weekly papers, both published in Hamilton the 

 Royal Gazette and the Colonist with necessarily a small circula- 

 tion. There are two or three small job-printing offices. All these 

 concerns buy their stock in New York, finding rates and freights 



