286 



humboldt's cub a. 



upon foreign commerce, have progressively dimin- 

 ished the amount of product to less than one-half 

 that quantity. But it is believed that from 1822 to 

 1825, the amount of tobacco grown in Cuba has 

 risen to 300,000 or 400,000 arrobes. 



The domestic consumption of the island is 200,000 

 arrobes, or more. Up to the year 1791, the " Com- 

 mercial Company of Havana " delivered the tobacco 

 of Cuba to the royal factories in Spain, under con- 

 tracts which were renewed from time to time with 

 the government. The establishment of a govern- 

 ment' " Factoria de tabacos" in Havana, succeeded 

 that company, and retained the monopoly of the 

 trade to itself. The tobacco was classified as supe- 

 rior, medium, and inferior, and was received from 

 the growers at fixed prices ; in 1804, these were six, 

 five, and two and-a-half dollars per arrobe ($24, $20, 

 and $10 per quintal), respectively. By comparing the 

 different prices with the quantity of each class of 

 tobacco produced, we find that the " Factoria " paid 

 an average price of $16 per quintal for the leaf 

 tobacco. With the expense of manufacture, the 

 segars cost the government seventy-five cents per 

 pound ;* snuff, fine grain and good color, 42f cents, 



1 The weight of the segars being about tea pounds to the thousand 

 their cost would be $7 50 per thousand. 



