9 
Hard Fine was quoted at $/8d., Soft 3 j.6d., but a temporary reac- 
tion in August resulted in quotations again reaching 3/ lod. to 3/9^. 
We have then had irregular declines of 2d. per lb. and in Novem- 
ber Hard Fine was as low as 3/5 1 d. f Soft 3/3 \d. the lowest of the 
year. Additional cable advices from Para of probable short receipts 
during the end of the year and the early months of 1902 brought 
about some recovery on less pressure to sell, and with very large 
deliveries and moderate receipts we close the year firmly with 
quotations of Hard Fine at 3/6 %d. and Soft at 3/5 fa?. Negroheads 
continue to remain very scarce, Scrappy being quoted at 2jgd. ; 
Island 2/1 £d. } Cametas 2/2d., Ball 2 j6d. and Slab 2/0 \d. The total 
amount of Rubber imported from Brazil shows a further increase 
of 3,200 tons, and the total quantity exported from the State of 
Amazonas, including Peruvian via Iquitos and Manaos is 4,000 
tons against 3,100 tons. The Peruvian Fine imported has we think 
been better as a whole, but owing to the Rubber having arrived in 
most cases uncut and unselected before shipment, new rules had 
to be adopted in order to provide for this altered mode of shipping 
this rubber. The Peruvian Ball imported has not been up to the 
expected quality and at the end of the year the standard of fair 
average quality was considered lower, although some nice clean 
Hard Balls when received did realize fairly good and in some 
cases, exceptional prices. The Slab continues to be of good ser- 
viceable quality and the consumption of it is certainly spreading. 
Bolivian kinds have been very fair, but the imports were not as 
large as last year. Mollendo again showed a marked improvement 
in quality, and consequently sold exceedingly well. From Vene- 
zuela via Orinoco the supply was less than last year and the quality 
not very attractive. 
Imports of Ceara Scrap are smaller, but of these grades only the 
best qualities could be sold easily, others are dragging. Of Mani- 
toba kinds we received less, but quality was good and prices 
realized were satisfactory. Pernambuco and Assaree qualities have 
somewhat improved, but owing to the general decline of the Rub- 
ber market, the values of these classes receded considerably. 
There were not very important arrivals of good Mangabeira and 
although the stocks are going down and available supplies very 
small, the prices realized for ordinary quality show an enormous 
falling off in price. The imports of Mattogrosso, in sympathy 
with Para, showed similar fluctuations, although transactions were 
only spasmodic. Central America has again been conspicuous by a 
further considerable decline in its export of Rubber, probably owing 
to the continued political unrest existing in those parts, and the. 
only Rubber reaching us comes from the Columbia districts, but the 
quantities were very insignificant. The Equator and Guayakil 
kinds sold readily, and the prices at the end of the year are only 
about id lower than they were a year ago. Of course this refers 
to good qualities only. Inferiors and mixed kinds are much cheaper. 
The imports from Honduras, Mexico and Panama were likewise 
very small. 
Africans . — As expected, at the close of the previous year, the 
VV 
