McCarthy— trisidad as a commercial centre. 241 
Then, as now, smugglers did an important part of tho trade 
of Venezuela and the adjacent countries. Curasao has been, a 
contrabandist centre ever since the Dutch got possession of it in 
1634, and it was to tho smuggling trado of that island that 
Puerto Cabello owed its foundation. In tho middle of the lasb 
century, Jamaica did an immense contraband business with Cuba 
and Central America as far south as Carthagena ; there the 
domain of Curacao commenced; and Trinidad smugglers imme- 
diately after the British conquest of this island had a monopoly 
from Barcelona to the Delta, and they soon beat Surinam out of 
the Orinoco trade. The decrees of the king of Spain, backed by 
the thunders of the Church were powerless to stop it, and 
smuggling has remained unchecked because no V enezuelan states- 
man has had the courage to try tho virtue of the mercantile 
maxim of small profits and quick returns by reducing the duties. 
Our trado generally has nob advanced as one might wish, 
and it is worth while to seo if this has been due to any sins of 
omission or commission of our own. The lower prices of our 
agricultural produce are an important factor. It is natural, too, 
lhat the Venezuelan dealer should prefer to trade direct with 
Europe, and the growth of steam communication has helped him 
to do this. It is also certain that we have been injured by the 
SO per cent. duty. I am not able to say to what extent, bub I 
should estimate it at from 30 to 40 per cent, of our direct Vene- 
zuelan trade. 
I suspect, however, that we ourselves have not been without 
fault. In an old book which I have been reading, written early 
in the century by the Trench Agent at Caracas, the author 
scolds his countrymen at San Domingo for allowing the English 
^ Jamaica to cut them out of the Venezuelan smuggling trade. 
Me says : “The San Domingo merchants relied on the goodness 
aid cheapness of their merchandise, and waited patiently for the 
Spaniard to come to them. The English, on the contrary, sought 
the Spaniard.” German firms have agencies in every town ot 
nnportance in Venezuela, and the country is overrun with German 
commercial travellers. Some gentleman present will no douDti 
correct me if I am wrong in saying that in spite o our ong 
a nd intimate connection with Venezuela, we have not a single 
agency there, and our travellers do not exceed two or three 
Instead of three I should have expected thirty oo be employed 
on what the company I have mentioned proposes to do on tne 
Orinoco — buying produce in the country districts of V enezuela 
sending clothes and provision in. exchange. oes , i. 
reproach of the old Trench writer apply to the merchants 
Trinidad “ They rely on the goodness and cheapness ot 
