COTTON TEXTILES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 75 



the boatmen bring home more than half the goods imported by the 

 dealers, we may safely put at 95,000 to 100,000 yards, the cotton goods 

 brought to this island during the past year. 



WAGER REY, 

 Consular Agent. 



UNITED STATES CONSULAR AGENCY, 



Anguilla, July 10, 1889. 



BAHAMAS. 



REPORT BY CONSUL M'LAIN, OF NASSAU. 

 QUANTITY AND KIND IMPORTED. 



There are no data obtainable to enable me to state with precision the 

 quantity of cotton textiles imported into this colony per annum. The 

 customs authorities can give me no reliable figures, for the reason that 

 cotton goods are not entered for duty under that name, but are entered 

 indiscriminately with woolens, linens, silks, hardware, boots and shoes, 

 earthenware, and sundry other merchandise, styled " articles paying an 

 ad valorem duty of 20 per centum ;" nor are the local merchants to 

 whom I have applied for assistance able to give satisfactory replies. 

 The only information bearing upon this point that I can furnish is to 

 say that after a thorough examination of the subject, including the 

 opinions of well-informed dealers, I believe I can safely state that the 

 total value at wholesale prices of cotton textiles imported into this 

 colony during the past year is about $200,000. As to the kinds of such 

 textiles imported, they may in general terms be specified as follows, 

 viz : bleached and brown cottons, prints, muslins, ducks, denims, cot- 

 ton flannels, and jeans. 



WEIGHT PER YARD. 



As merchants here do not order their cottons by weight per yard 

 when ordering from the United States, I can not ascertain the weight 

 of American cottons. The purchaser, as a rule, designates what he 

 wishes to buy by giving the width in inches and the price he is willing 

 to pay. Nearly all American cottons are also known by certain names, 

 perhaps the name of the manufacturer, or of the mills, or by some fancy 

 name, and these are used by the merchants here in ordering. In fact, I 

 have observed from the price lists sent here by our manufacturers that 

 they largely designate their cottons by width and price or name, and 

 seldom, if ever, give weight per yard. 



With British manufacturers the custom, at least for colonial pur- 

 poses, is to give width, weight per piece, and price, though merchants 

 here are not in the habit of mentioning the weight when ordering. The 



