46 COTTON TEXTILES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES 



As the duty in the foregoing table is given in milreis, it would be 

 well to say that for convenience and readier computation 50 cents ot 

 United States money are regarded as the equivalent r.f 1 milreis, though 

 54.6 cents are the equivalent when at par. 



Owing to exchange being in favor of the Brazilian currency, the mil- 

 reis is now, and has been for nearly a year, worth more than the stand- 

 ard equivalent. But, as stated in this report, it will be regarded equal 

 to 50 cents. By a footing up of the number of kilos brought from Ger- 

 many, France, England, and the United States it is found that during 

 the year referred to above, Germany furnished 209,731 kilograms of 

 cotton textiles, on which a duty of 410,970 milreis were paid, or $205,485 

 United States money. From France were imported to this port 127,304 

 kilograms, with a duty of 244,871 milreis, or of United Stages money 

 $122,485; from England, 2,908,680 kilograms, with a duty of 3,688,756 

 milreis, or $1,844,378, United States money ; from the United States, 

 242,185 kilograms, with a duty of 239,221 milreis, or $119,610, United 

 States money. The importations from the other countries mentioned in 

 the table, being so small, are not heie considered. 



AMERICAN VS. ENGLISH DRILLS. 



The only class of cotton goods imported to this place in which the 

 United States has the lead is blue drills. In fact this class covers nearly 

 the entire importation from the United States in the cotton textile 

 line. 



And though the cost to the purchaser is greater than a- similar class 

 of goods imported from England, yet the blue drill of the United States 

 holds the field, and most likely will continue to hold it till driven out 

 by home manufacture, as will probably be done if the proposed new 

 scale of duties on this article and similar ones goes into effect The pro- 

 posed new scale increases the present provincial duty 25 per cent, and 

 the general duty 20 per cent. The present duty is 1 milreis or 50 cents 

 per kilogram. 



While some of the purchasers concede the American blue drill to be 

 superior to the English, and though costing more, selling for more also, 

 every purchaser acknowledges that even the negro, who is the chief buyer 

 of this class of goods no matter how good the English imitation is 

 can instantly tell, if two pieces, one English and the other American, are 

 placed side by side, which is the American. 



The American blue drill has a peculiar smell which is wanting in the 

 English. This smell is one thing that enables the negro and all that 

 use these goods to detect the difference between the former and the latter. 

 Besides the American does not fade as quickly as the English blue drill. 

 Touching the cost of each one, an importer gives the cost of the Ameri- 

 can laid down in Bahia at 5J pence per yard, or say 10J cents United 

 States money. The cost of the English to the same importer laid down 

 in Bahia is 4 pence, or say 9 cents per yard. Of the selling price here, 



