THE COFFEE TRADE. 187 



December of 1859 than at any time for nine years previous. 

 Large sales of Kio were made late in the summer for export to 

 Germany, an event of peculiar significance at that time. 



— 1860 — 



In this year there was a decrease of 46,352,227 poimds in the 

 consumption, and yet prices reached a point for the principal 

 kinds higher than any previously on record. The supply was 

 short, the Brazil crop being deficient. The average cost of Brazil 

 in 1860 was 13.69J cents for fair to prime, against 11.61 cents in 

 1859, an advance of 18 per cent. ; St. Domingo advanced from an 

 average of 10.39 cents in 1859 to 12.39f cents in 1860, an increase 

 of 19|- per cent. ; Maracaibo and Laguayra ruled nearly 16f per 

 cent, higher ; while Java averaged 16.15^ cents, or 1.36J cents 

 above the average for 1859. 



— 1861 — 



At this time the country was troubled with civil war. The 

 blockade of the Southern ports increased the receipts in New 

 York, where the sales showed an increase over the previous year 

 of 55 per cent. In the spring of 1861, at the time Fort Sumter 

 was bombarded, business became depressed and prices declined. 

 In July a duty of five cents per pound was proposed, and this gave 

 life to the market, which became excited. In August, Congress 

 placed the duty at four cents per pound, this action advancing 

 prices and leading to large speculative transactions. Near the close 

 of the year an additional duty of one cent per pound was levied, 

 and made to cover coffee in bond. On January 1, 1861, fair to 

 prime Brazil sold at 11^ @ 12^ cents, and in December at 18^ @ 

 19^ cents, out of bond. Java advanced from 15^ @ 16J cents 

 in January, to 24 @ 25 cents in December. 



— 1862 — 



In 1862 the effects of the war became more apparent, coffee 

 being shut out of the Southern States. The consumption fell off 

 98,055,875 pounds, or 52.42 per cent. ; prices ruled very much 

 higher, those for Brazil being 64^ per cent, beyond those for 

 1861. During this year the use of substitutes began, and all 



