Sbfppfna. 



133 



SHIPPING. 



The mercantile marine of Mexico in 1895 comprised 52 steamers 

 and 222 sailing vessels. The shipping included also many small ves- 

 sels engaged in the coasting trade. 



In 1893-94, in the foreign trade, 1237 vessels of 1,314,625 tons 

 entered, and 1211 vessels of 1,296,834 tons cleared the ports of Mexico. 

 In the coasting trade 7721 of 1,623,371 tons entered and 7708 of 

 1,592,754 tons cleared. In 1894-95, in the foreign and coasting trade, 

 there entered 9575 vessels of 3,428,973 tons, and cleared 9557 of 

 3,359,684 tons. 



In the statistical portion of this chapter I will give official informa- 

 tion about the number of vessels and their tonnage, which have entered 

 and cleared from Mexican ports in recent years, the nations from which 

 they came, and other valuable data. 



MONEY, WEIGHTS, AND MEASURES. 



The standard of value is silver. There is no paper currency except 

 ordinary bank notes. 



The silver peso or dollar of 100 centavos is the unit of coin in 

 Mexico. 



The silver peso weighs 27.073 grammes, .902 fine, and thus contains 

 24.419 grammes of fine silver. 



The lo-pesos gold-piece weighs 27.0643 grammes, .875 fine, and 

 thus contains 23.6813 grammes of fine gold. 



The weights and measures of the metric system were introduced in 

 1856 ; but the Indians and other ignorant people use the old Spanish 

 measures. The principal ones are these : 



Weight. 



for Gold and Silver. 



Length. 



libra=o.46 kilogramme, 1.014 Ibs. avoirdupois. 

 arroba=25 libras, 25.357 Ibs. avoirdupois. 

 marco=: libra, 4,608 granos. 

 ochava=62 tomines. 

 tomin=i2 granos. 

 20 granos I French gramme, 

 vara 0.837 metre = 2 ft. 8-^ English inches, 

 legua comun (i common league) = 5,000 yards, 

 legua marina (i marine league) = 6,666f yards. 



