Imports from and exports to the United States, 1879 to 1885, as shown by invoices on file and' reported by importers.

List of American vessels arriving and departing from Sierra Leone, 1885.

Return showing the aggregate tonnage of ships and vessels entering this port, Sierra Leone, during the years 1878 to 1885.

Return showing rainfall in the years 1878 to 1885, Sierra Leone.

Return of births and deaths during each month, Sierra Leone, 1885.

136

124

119

95

84

141

117

146

120

107

128

120

1,437

EGYPT.

Report of Consul-General Cardwell.

Consul-General John Cardwell transmits under date May 19, 1886, the following tables:

Tonnage by nationality in and out of Port Said, Egypt, during 1885.

The report of the Suez Canal for the year 1885 was presented to the shareholders in Paris on June 8, 1885, and contained the following facts and figures:

The transit dues have varied in the last three years as follows: 1883, 10.50 francs per ton, and pilotage dues of about 70 centimes per ton; 1884, 10 francs per ton, with pilotage dues abolished from July 1; 1885, 9.50 francs per ton, with no pilotage dues. This has resulted in a decrease of receipts.

The number of vessels and gross tonnage passing through the canal and the gross receipts in the years named were:

The nationality of shipping passing through the canal was:

The largest increase will be found in the shipping of Germany, which in 1883 constituted 2.71 per cent. of the total, and in 1885, 3.14 per cent. The shipping of Great Britain and Italy also showed relative advances; the former being 76.28 per cent. in 1883 and 76.77 per cent. in 1885, and the latter 2.29 per cent. in 1883, and 2.51 per cent. in 1885. On the other hand, the proportion of France declined in the same period from 9.65 per cent. to 9.05 per cent., and of the Dutch from 3.97 per cent. to 3.90 per cent. [W. C. F.]

MADAGASCAR.

Report of Consul Robinson on American trade with Madagascar.

I inclose a tabular statement of the trade between this port and the United States for the year ended June 30, 1885.

Owing to the war and occupation of the town by the French, the trade of this port has been driven to other ports on the coast where we have no consular officers to register the statistics of the American trade, consequently I am unable to report its total amount in the country. But I know that these other ports have had much the larger portion, of which Vatomandry, a port about 75 miles south of this, has had the principal share. It is a place of trade started since the French occupation of Tamatave; but it is scarcely correct to call it a port, as it has but an open roadstead with unsafe anchorage when the sea is rough, and lighters can work only in fair weather.

NAVIGATION.

The entries and departures of American vessels from the port of Tamatave during the year were eight barks, aggregate tonnage, 4,440.22. Of these, only three landed anything here, and five only shipped anything. One other American bark, making the ninth, drove into the north part of this port and stranded on the beach in the cyclone of February last; vessel and cargo were wholly lost.

TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES.

As shown by the accompanying table, the total imports from the United States landed at this port during the year amounted to $43,147.82, and the total exports shipped from this port to the United States during the same period amounted to $182,788.28, making the volume of the trade amount to $225,936.10. I have seen during my residence here, but before the war, our annual trade at this port amount to about $1,000,000, nearly two-thirds of which was imports and one-third exports. But the trade of the year just passed, as shown by the table, cannot be correctly called the trade of Tamatave, as none of the cotton goods, and only a portion of the petroleum oil has found a market here. In fact there is no market here at present except for the actual necessaries of the few foreign residents left in town, but these goods have been reshipped in coasters, after paying duties to the French, and sent to other Madagascar ports, where they have again paid duties, this time to the Malagasy Government. The exports have passed through a similar process, that is, the produce has been bought up at the open ports and shipped in coasters, after paying the export duty to the native Government, to Tamatave, whence it has been reshipped in homeward-bound vessels after again paying export duty, this time to the French.

On the west coast but one American merchantman called during the year. That one called at Mojunda, in February, to take up a small quantity of produce bought previous to the occupation of the place by the French. It seems that American vessels have abandoned the trade on the coast for the present; yet some American goods are brought in from South Africa by English traders, so writes Mr. Stanwood, our con

sular agent at Andakabe. He has also sent me a sample of unbleached cotton cloth manufactured at Manchester, England, in imitation of the American article manufactured expressly for this market, and which had driven the English unbleached cloths out of the market some years ago. The imitation is not bad and might pass for the American article with persons unfamiliar with the trade. But the imitators have done more than trying to imitate in quality. They have marked these goods "Massachusetts sheetings" in imitation of one of the marks on the genuine. Mr. Stanwood says that one English vessel has lately landed on that coast a full cargo of this imitation cloth, and that it is finding sale here in consequence of the absence of the genuine.

As I have frequently reported, there is a wide field in Madagascar to be worked by American trade-a very large portion of which remains undeveloped-if this war shall terminate without rendering the island a French province. Just before the war commenced the prospects for rapidly widening the field and for increasing the catalogue of American goods in this market to the extent of nearly everything we manufacture was bright, as also was that for material progress in every direction, for the native government had just began to see the necessity for advancement in material improvements, and they were also recovering from the old dread of encroachment from foreigners; but these sentiments have been paralyzed by this French onset, and if these sentiments do not die before it is over, it is very probable that a generation or two must pass away before the former faith and vigor will be recovered.

That a large number of the merchants are still very ignorant relative to the present condition of things here is evidenced by the number of letters and circulars they continue to send me, soliciting orders for their respective specialties. Letters of inquiry of this stamp I have answered as far as my time has permitted. But as a response in a few discouraging lines without explanations (which last requires somewhat lengthy descriptions of the situation), is not usually satisfactory to the recipient, but liable to cause him to think the consul indifferent to everthing but his own ease, the replies have made me much labor. I have written many such to individual inquirers, describing the situa tion and advising as to what needs be done to develop American trade in general merchandise in this country. I have written until I am utterly weary of the fruitless repetition of the labor. However, I will add to this report a statement of what American exporters need to do, and to have done, if they wish to secure a market in this country for a greater variety of American productions in competition with the systematically organized efforts of British and German exporters in like direction, although the statement will be but a reiteration of matter embraced in many of my reports, but it must be remembered that these remarks have reference to the ordinary times of peace and not to the present situation, which has reduced trade to a catch, dodge, and go game, relative to which it is unsafe and useless to give advice.

EXTENDING AMERICAN TRADE.

The first requirement is facility of communication and transportation direct and by steam between the States and this country. Never will Americans secure a trade here worth considering until such facilities are provided. The superior quality of goods and moderate purchase price can never balance the disadvantages in competing with European productions, of the additional expense of freight, numerous transship