Commerce.

Coffee, per 100 lbs.

Logwood, per 1000 lbs.

Cotton, per lb.

Cacao, per 100 lbs.

Hayti has for many years carried on a very fair commerce with Europe and America, though probably not a quarter of what she might have if her inhabitants were industrious. In the colonial days, the exports were valued at from £6,000,000 to £8,000,000 a year, and in 1790 had reached nearly £11,000,000 with a less numerous population, whilst the highest since the independence has probably not exceeded £2,300,000.

Notwithstanding foreign wars, civil wars, insurrections, and those continued conspiracies which have almost every year disturbed the country, the productive powers of the soil are so great, that nothing appears permanently to depress the exports, and therefore the imports.

The export trade of Hayti in 1835, which then included the whole island, was as follows:—

	Lbs.	Value.
Coffee	48,352,371	$6,812,849
Logwood	13,293,737	86,409
Cotton	1,649,717	247,457
Mahogany, feet	5,413,316	405,998
Tobacco	2,086,606	125,196
Cacao	397,321	47,678
		—————
		$7,725,587

At the exchange of the day this represented just £1,000,000 sterling. The last year in which the statistics refer to the whole island is 1842.

M. Madiou, in his “History of Hayti,” vol. i. p. 31, gives the amount of the produce exported in the years 1842 and 1845, but does not affix a value to them:—

1842.

Coffee	40,759,064	lbs.
Cotton	880,517	”
Logwood	19,563,147	”
Tobacco	2,518,612	”
Cigars	700,000	No.
Mahogany	4,096,716	feet

and various small amounts of miscellaneous articles.

It will be remarked that in the returns for 1845 tobacco has ceased to appear, as Santo Domingo had by this time separated from Hayti. M. Madiou considers that about 5,000,000 lbs. of coffee are consumed in the island, which is probably an under-estimate, considering the lavish manner in which it is used, and that 20,000,000 lbs. are exported as contraband, to avoid the heavy duties. This calculation appears too high. Whilst I was in Hayti, the illicit trade was considered to represent from 15 to 20 per cent of the acknowledged exports. Much, however, depends on the character of the men in power.

1845.

	Lbs.
Coffee	41,002,571
Cotton	557,480
Logwood and other woods	68,181,588
Mahogany, feet	7,904,285

The other woods consist of lignum vitæ, &c. It is curious that he makes no mention of cacao.

In the next returns it will be noticed how mahogany decreased—the cuttings near the coast were beginning to be exhausted—whilst the exports of logwood were greatly increased. This is work that just suits the negro; it can be done by fits and starts, and never requires continuous labour. The following tables may appear superfluous, but they show the effect of comparatively orderly government. These six years were free from any serious civil trouble, and no foreign complications prevented all development that was possible. The war in the States gave trade considerable impulse.

1859.

Coffee	41,712,106	lbs.
Logwood	88,177,600	”
Cotton	938,056	”
Cacao	1,397,364	”
Mahogany	2,690,044	feet

1860.

Coffee	60,514,289	lbs.
Logwood	104,321,200	”
Cotton	668,735	”
Cacao	1,581,806	”
Mahogany	2,264,037	feet

1861.

Coffee	45,660,889	lbs.
Logwood	105,757,050	”
Cotton	1,139,439	”
Cacao	1,304,561	”
Mahogany	1,659,272	feet

1862.

Coffee	54,579,059	lbs.
Logwood	167,005,650	”
Cotton	1,473,853	”
Cacao	1,743,853	”
Mahogany	2,441,887	feet

1863.

Coffee	71,712,345	lbs.
Logwood	116,669,400	”
Cotton	2,217,769	”
Cacao	2,338,400	”
Mahogany	2,016,557	feet

1864.

Coffee	45,168,764	lbs.
Logwood	153,235,100	”
Cotton	3,237,594	”
Cacao	1,399,941	”
Mahogany	2,369,501	feet

No trustworthy statistics could be obtained for the time of Soulouque, on account of the monopolies and the various interferences with commerce. In 1865 the siege of Cap Haïtien, and the disturbances which followed in 1866, the fall of Geffrard in 1867, and the civil war of 1868 and 1869, completely disturbed trade, and no reliable statistics can be obtained.

The latest trade return which I have seen is of the year 1880:—

	Lbs.
Coffee	55,562,897
Logwood	321,729,801
Cacao	2,729,853
Cotton	957,962
Mahogany, feet	71,478
Sugar	2,397

Mr. Mackenzie, who was English Consul-General at Port-au-Prince during the years 1826 and 1827, gives a table of the commerce of Hayti in 1825, which includes the whole island.

Imports.

	Vessels.	Tonnage.	Value of cargoes.
American	374	39,199	£391,784
British	78	11,952	291,456
French	65	11,136	152,681
German	17	3,185	85,951
Others	18	1,328	10,162
			————
			£932,034

The large amount of American vessels will be noticed, and the comparative extent of their trade. In 1864 English-sailing shipping rose to 281 vessels (of 41,199 tonnage) and 74 steamers, against those under the American flag, 88 sailing vessels (of 16,316 tonnage) and two steamers. This, however, was only nominal, the ravages of the Alabama having induced American shipowners to transfer their vessels to the British flag.

In 1877 the tonnage of vessels calling at the three chief ports of Hayti (Port-au-Prince, Cap Haïtien, and Les Cayes) was as follows:—

Flag.	Tonnage.
British	184,331
French	91,562
German	80,561
American	22,350

It must be noticed, however, that the English, French, and German tonnage consists principally of steamers, which have ports of call on the island, whereas the Americans have two-fifths of the sailing tonnage.

In 1863 the imports into Hayti amounted to £1,743,052, and in 1864 to £2,045,333. The United States then held the first place, having sent £762,724 and £994,266, their imports, as usual, being principally provisions and lumber. England occupied the second position with £503,630 and £626,624; France, £255,747 and £273,778. Both in the years 1863 and 1864 there was a great decrease in the amount of provisions grown in the country, partly on account of the increase of cotton cultivation; hence the very heavy imports of provisions from the United States.

The exports in 1863 and 1864 were valued at £2,458,000 and £1,895,000, the decrease arising from the inferiority of the coffee crop, and the fall in the price of goods. The average value of the principal articles of export varied as follows:—

Present Prices.

Prices have fallen lately to an unprecedented extent. During the autumn of the year 1882, coffee was once quoted as low as 16s. per 100 lbs., but rose afterwards to 24s.; and all other produce was also depreciated in value.

In 1876 the total imports into the island were £2,110,000; the total exports, £2,200,000.

In 1877 the total imports were £1,594,200; the total exports, £1,694,800, which was below the average.

In 1877 the imports into the capital were as follows, which shows a marked change in the position of the importing countries:—

Great Britain	£619,900
United States	110,200
France	103,100
Germany	36,880

In some of the smaller ports the position of the trade of the United States was relatively better. In Les Cayes, for instance:—

United States	£119,172
Great Britain	23,692
France	22,030
Germany	1,715

A portion of these imports from the United States consisted of manufactures in transit from England. We appear to be holding our own everywhere as regards piece goods and iron, whilst five-sixths of the imports of the United States consist of flour, salt pork, and other provisions. The Haytians are French in their tastes, but the cheapness of our Manchester goods enables our importers to hold their own. The great export, coffee, appears in great part ultimately to reach French ports, as it is not appreciated in other countries, whereas its cheapness and good quality recommend it strongly to the French Government for the use of the army.

When in Port-au-Prince I drew the attention of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to the great discrepancy between their published returns and those of our Board of Trade. In 1865 our exports are set down at £1,163,274, and in 1866 at £1,425,402, for the whole island. Santo Domingo takes but a small amount, whilst the Haytian custom-house did not acknowledge more than half the amount of our returns. Either we overvalue our goods in England, or the smuggling must be large.

The imports from the United States appear to have greatly fallen off since 1864, which must imply that the peasantry are planting more food and consuming a very much smaller amount of imported provisions.