SAN FRANCISCO TO MANILLA. 261 



yet spoken. The former is, at present, confined within very narrow 

 limits. The islands produce but little, and their consumption of foreign 

 products is necessarily small. The capabilities of the islands have 

 generally been underrated, for their soil and climate are suitable for 

 raising all tropical productions in considerable quantities, and at a 

 moderate cost. But very little investment of capital has yet taken 

 place, and the business that has induced the establishment of several 

 commercial houses has been more that of transit than for the purpose 

 of supplying the consumption of the islands, or obtaining their exports. 

 A table of statistics, (see Appendix IX.,) which was published in a 

 newspaper at Oahu, compiled by intelligent merchants there, gives the 

 amount of imports at four hundred and fifty-five thousand dollars. 

 These are the amounts of goods actually landed — I do not include 

 those that have been brought in, and retained on board ships ; while 

 the exports of native produce are no more than ninety-eight thousand 

 dollars : one-half of the imports are set down as from the United 

 States. From this great difference between the imports and exports, 

 it would appear that many of these articles must have been reshipped 

 to other ports, or are still on hand. The latter I believe to be the case. 

 During the year for which the returns are given, move has certainly 

 been consumed on the islands than in former years; but the interdic- 

 tion of trade by foreign vessels on the coast of California, together 

 with the exorbitant duties there, have most effectually paralysed all 

 trade in that quarter, and, therefore, the goods intended for that 

 market were landed at Oahu, and remained in store there. The 

 trade on the Northwest Coast, formerly so much resorted to by our 

 vessels, is entirely broken up by the Russians, who have interdicted 

 the taking of furs on the coast of their territory, and obtain their 

 supplies exclusively from the Hudson Bay Company, or by the latter, 

 who have adopted the principle of underselling all competitors, and 

 have thereby caused a monopoly, which effectually shuts out all small 

 traders. Some articles of Chinese manufacture are sent from the 

 Sandwich Islands to Mexico, but to no great amount. There are, 

 comparatively, few transient vessels that call at these islands on their 

 way to China, and the whole trade seems now confined to but a few 

 vessels. 



Although the Sandwich Islands are not so fruitful as many of the 

 other islands of Polynesia, yet their geographical situation has ren- 

 dered them hitherto by far the most important group in the Pacific 

 Ocean. 



They are the favourite and most convenient resort for those whale- 



