288 



humboldt's coba. 



It is surprising to see in the returns of exports from 

 Havana (documents published by the Consulado), 

 that the exports for 1816 were only 3,400 arrobes ; 

 for the year 1823, only 13,900 arrobes of leaf tobacco, 

 and 71,000 pounds of segars, the value of which was 

 estimated by the custom-house at $281,000 ; and in 

 1825, only 70,302 pounds of segars, and 167,100 

 pounds of leaf tobacco and strips; but we must 

 remember that no branch of the contraband trade is 

 more active than that in segars. The tobacco of the 

 Vuelta de Abajo is most celebrated, but large quan- 

 tities are exported which are produced in the eastern 

 part of the island. Although many travellers state that 

 the total export of segars in late years, has reached 

 200,000 boxes (valued at two millions of dollars), I 

 very much doubt it. If the crops were so abundant as 

 this would indicate, why should Cuba receive segars 

 from the United States for the use of the common 

 people ? 



[Note.— The cultivation of tobacco has been one 

 of the most uncertain branches of industry in Cuba. 

 Trammelled for a long time by odious restrictions 

 and exactions, it was confined almost entirely to the 

 poorer classes of the population,, who were enabled 

 to raise a scanty and uncertain crop, through the 

 advances of capital made them by the " Factoria." 



