Table exhibiting the sources of the imports of corn and wheat in Madeira for the years 1860 and 1861. It will be noticed that little or no grain is imported from the United States. One reason for this is the great risk of "heating," weevil, &c., from the long voyage and the warm climate. But little wheat is converted into flour here, although mills, such as they are, are very plenty. The most of the people use the coarsest food, and there is, occasionally, a scarcity even at that. A considerable amount of wheat is raised on the island, and the quantity thus grown has slowly increased of late years, as the old vineyards were abandoned; the limits of cane cultivation being much more circumscribed than that of the vine. Indeed, after a most prosperous cultivation of the vine for hundreds of years, its failure has not only changed the entire routine of agriculture among the people slow to change anything, but it has, in addition, ruined the only basis of the commerce of the island, and greatly reduced the actual productive power of the soil under cultivation. The sugar-cane, which, to a limited extent, has taken the place of the vine requires more nourishment than can long be afforded it, while the wheat fields also require more, and return but a scanty harvest. It can safely be said that nothing cultivated by man returns him more, in proportion to what it takes from the soil, than the vine. It may be inferred, therefore, that unless the vine can be restored to fruitfulness here, Madeira can never again be what she once was. I have not been here long enough to have examined the diseased vines thoroughly, but I have made diligent inquiry respecting the disease, believing that in its remedy was the only source of improving the commerce of our country in this direction; and I find that the efforts made to ascertain the precise nature of the disease have, apparently, been inadequate, when the interests at stake are considered; and that, so far from scientific and persistent endeavors having been made to remedy the evil, the very preliminaries to such endeavors have yet to be taken. Overlooking the fact that the same stock of vines has been cultivated on the same soil for hundreds of years, and not even conjecturing that some element of the soil necessary to the continued thrift and health of the vine might in that time have been exhausted, and that the vine might thus have become predisposed to disease, contagious or otherwise, the people generally accept the fact in a spirit of fatalism, or contend that the disease is entirely in the air; yet, healthy American vines brought here by Mr. March's enterprise, a few years ago, resisted the disease almost entirely for several seasons, and then showed gradually increasing indications of succumbing to the "blight." I have noticed that the soil here seems to be entirely lacking in one element, which in many countries is found in good vineyard soils, viz: sulphate of lime. The experiment of sending to Cypress and other points whence the grape first. came to this island, and procuring healthy plants, and preparing the soil with a view to the proper elements required, remains yet to be tried; and no effort of mine shall be wanting to secure it a fair test. Just in proportion to the prosperity of the island in its old product, (wine,) will be its imports of breadstuffs and other articles of American production. The loss to the commerce of the island, consequent on the failure of the vine, may be estimated from the fact that the average yearly export of wine from Madeira from 1832 to 1842 was 8,193 pipes per annum. Taking the very low figure of $150 per pipe as the average shipping price, (the real average, I think, would be much higher,) and the value of the wine thus exported would be $1,228,950, or about $12 per capita of the population-about two-thirds per capita of the exports of Great Britain. Now, however, the exports are almost nothing, and so far as wine is concerned, it must soon altogether cease, except, perhaps, very small quantities of spurious stuff drugged out of apple-juice into a temporary semblance of Madeira. 15. The amount of American staples imported in American vessels in 1861 was valued at $23,520. Total imports from the United States in 1861, $34,872 90. ST. PAUL DE LOANDA.-ROBERT CUNNINGHAM, Consul. SEPTEMBER 30, 1862. Herewith I have the honor to forward to the Department of State, in conformity to sections 153 and 154 of the general instructions to consular officers, the annual general report for the years 1861 and 1862 : COMMERCE. The greater part of the commerce of this place is with Portugal, the United States, and the Brazils. Imports from Portugal, consisting principally in wines, sweet oil, and English manufactured goods, $250,000. Exports: palm, fish, and ground-nut oil, wax, hides, ivory, copal, and coffee, $400,000. United States.-Imports: rum, provisions, lumber, powder, and cotton manufactured goods, (the importation of the latter article having entirely fallen off the last eighteen months, owing to the civil war in America, causing the great advance in the price of cotton,) $150,000. Exports: palm and fish oil, coffee, copal, ivory, and ground-nuts, $250,000. Brazils.-Imports: rum, sugar, and tobacco, $100,000. Exports: palm and ground-nut oil, wax and hides, $20,000. Great Britain. The principal article imported has been coals; 5,000 tons freighted in American bottoms at the low rate of 25 and 28 cents per ton. Valuation, including freight laid down here, is $55,000. The great drawback to the commerce of this place is the exorbitant high duties which is levied on all merchandise imported, (more particularly on American,) which, according to treaty, has to pay two-thirds, and national vessels one-third, on an average. I may safely estimate it at 35 per cent. ad valorem on all merchandise imported from the United States. The currency of this province of Augela was formerly fourteen hundred reis to the American or Spanish dollar, but in July, 1861, on the arrival of the new governor, the currency was changed to the same rate as Lisbon, which is nine hundred and twenty reis to the American or Spanish dollar, one milreis equal to one dollar nine and a quarter cents. The sanitary condition of this place for the past eighteen months has been rather unfavorable, the yellow fever and black vomit having made its appearance for the first time, and supposed to have been brought from the Brazils. Cases terminated fatally have been principally new-comers. FAYAL.-CHARLES W. DABNEY, Consul. Statement of imports at the island of Fayal during the quarter ended Decem Statement of exports from the island of Fayal during the quarter ended December 31, 1861. Statement of imports at the island of Fayal during the quarter ended March Statement of exports from the island of Fayal during the quarter ended March Statement of imports at the island of Fayal during the quarter ended June Countries from which imported. United States.. Great Britain.. Lisbon....... 30, 1862. Nature of imports. Lumber, vinegar, salt, provisions, nail plates, Dry goods, flax, paint oil, iron, sugar, rice, iron Tobacco, coffee, sugar, wine, brandy, rum, spices, salt, candles, leather, furniture, dry goods... St. Michael's, Terceira, &c. Corn, wine, goods, furniture... Amount in 4,875,620 5,876,400 25,397, 400 13, 257, 600 49,407,020 ་ Statement of exports from the island of Fayal during the quarter ended June St. Michael's, Terceira, &c. Lumber, wheat, beans, cheese, oil, &c.......... 7, 118, 480 16,895, 540 Return of last quarter not received. DOMINIONS OF THE NETHERLANDS. ROTTERDAM.-GEORGE E Wiss, Consul. I have the honor to transmit herewith OCTOBER 17, 1862. 1. Annual report of exports from Rotterdam to the United States, from November 28, 1861, to September 30, 1862. 2. Annual report of stocks of tobacco in the warehouses of Rotterdam. 3. Annual report of sales of American merchandises at Rotterdam. 4. Prices current of American merchandises at Rotterdam, in its monthly course, and reduced to American currency. The remarkable change which the international commerce between Rotterdam and the United States had to undergo during the last twelve months may be duly ascribed to the influence of our civil war; and there are two causes, especially to be mentioned, which have altered its former conditions in no little degree: First. The want of those American merchandises, the production of which is especially confined to certain States in our country now in war with our government, i. e., cotton, Virginia tobacco, sugar, &c. Secondly. The danger of shipments to the United States, partly having really existed from the cruisers of the rebels, partly exaggerated by the European press, and the anxiety of the merchants at this place. By the first cause the regular law of commerce, mediating the wants of producers and consumers, was altered, the stocks of the most demanded and current wares nearly died out, and the merchandises got rather an object of speculating on change than of satisfying and furnishing the consumers-a result easily to be shown by articles like cotton increasing in price from 24 cents to 60 cents, or Virginia tobacco, from 9 cents to 16 cents. By the second cause relating to the export from here to the United States our navigation was more concerned than the international commerce, the vessels of neutral colors being preferred to ours for shipments; but in cases of neutral vessels being not at hand, even commerce was retarded and disencouraged. However, in the last months, these difficulties of our vessels of getting cargoes more and more disappeared, The height of our new tariff, although interfering much with the export from this place to the United States, did not cause great dissatisfaction among the merchants here, and most of them would yield to the good reasons for it. |