[XXXII-53] Some machinery for refining sugar, ginning cotton, distilling liquors, cleaning coffee, sawing lumber, and extracting fibres have been introduced. Nic., Mem. Min. Fomento, 1871, 3.
[XXXII-54] Mats, baskets, palm-leaf and maguey hats, and cordage. The hammocks of Masaya and Sutiaba are much esteemed. Cotton fabrics are coarse but strong, and dyed with permanent colors, and of original design. They also make good rebozos, but the silk in some of them is imported. Hides enter into the manufacture of several common articles. Rum is made and sold by the govt. The miller's art is in its infancy. Lévy, Nic., 486-91; Squier's Cent. Am., 373; Rocha, Cód. Nic., i. 188-90; Nic., Reg. Ofic., 328-9; Sandoval, Rev. Polít., 58.
[XXXII-55] Aside from some furniture, arms, etc., their hammocks, nets, cotton goods, and pottery, are all made in a very primitive manner. There is no skill whatever. Fernandez, Col. Doc., iii. 366-8; Costa R., Censo, 1864, p. xxv. Beer and rum are also made, the latter said to be a good imitation of Jamaica; distilling rum is a govt monopoly. Laferrière, De Paris à Guatém., 53; Costa R., Col. Ley., v. 122-45; xi. 331-46.
[XXXII-56] Subsidies granted in 1885 for silk culture and manufacturing paper, rebozos, cotton goods, and sacks. Costa R., Gaceta, Aug. 2, 5, 12, 13, 1885; Pan. Star and Herald, Sept. 9, 1885.
[XXXII-57] An official report for 1882 gave the following as about the extent of such industry in that year: 1,600 rush hats and 1,600 of jipijapa, 200 M tiles, 7 M jars, 525 M bricks. Pan., Mem. Sec. Fomento, 1882, annex L. It is said that a factory for making carriages was opened in 1885. Pan. Star and Herald, Jan. 5, 1886.
[XXXIII-1] Two or three vessels at most came every year to Acajutla from Peru with wines, olive oil, and other articles for the table, and 200,000 or 300,000 pesos in specie for the purchase of indigo. From Cuba came eight or ten vessels with petty cargoes of rum, onions, etc., the average worth being $5,000 or $6,000. They each took back, besides indigo, 30,000 or 40,000 pesos in coin and in gold and silver bullion. Mex., Gaceta, 1804-5, xii. 178-80; Cancelada, Ruina N. Esp., 48-9; Córtes, Col. Doc., ii. 341; Henderson's British Hond., 30-1, 35; Guat., Apuntam., 136-41; Nic. y Hond., Docs., 11-12; Arrillaga, Informe, in Cedulario, iv. 60-1; Urrutia, Modelo, 2-3; Guat., Gaz., vii. 293-320, passim; iii. 70, 464, 504.
[XXXIII-2] This hybrid commerce was effected through Belize and Curaçoa; and also by foreign whalers at Realejo and Acajutla, where they were wont to enter with the pretext of procuring water and fresh stores, and while in port sold English goods, receiving in return copper, wool, sugar, cacao, etc. Humboldt, Essai Polít., ii. 467-73.
[XXXIII-3] Bustamante, Voz de la Patria, iv. no. 18, 4-8; Guat., Recop. Ley., i. 745-7; ii. 301; U. S. Gov. Doc., H. Ex. Doc., 75, 215-16, x., Cong. 31, Sess. 1; Squier's Trav., i. 44-5.
[XXXIII-4] In 1853 the several governments entered into contracts with the Central Am. Steam Navigation Co., an American concern, to run a line of steamers once a month between Iztapam in Guatemala and Panamá, touching at Acajutla, La Libertad, La Union, Amapala, Realejo, San Juan del Sur, and Puntarenas, for the conveyance of passengers, merchandise, and mails at fixed rates, each government paying a subsidy, and allowing exemptions from port dues and other privileges. The service began early in 1854, and continued with repeated trips in each month, first by the Panamá Railway Company's steamers, and subsequently by those of the U. S. Pac. Mail Steamship Company. Costa R., Boletin Ofic., Feb. 16, 1854; Id., Col. Ley., xii. 256-7; Salv., Gac., Jan. 20, 1854; Id., El Rol, Dec. 1, 1854; Cent. Am. Miscel. Doc., 44; Hunt's Merchants' Mag., xxiii. 113.
[XXXIII-5] Guatemala: chief articles of export, cochineal, coffee, cotton, wool, sugar, India-rubber, hides, and indigo; also rice, mules, cacao, pork, horns, timber, sarsaparilla, vanilla, tobacco, etc. Cochineal at one time was a great staple, the export being nearly 68,000 centals in 1860-4, and about 59,000 centals in 1870-4; reduced to about 2,845 in 1879-83. The principal importations were comestibles, wines and liquors, cotton, linen, woollen, and silk fabrics, clothing, hats, fancy goods, furniture, arms, articles for agric., arts, and sciences. Arms, lead, and gunpowder might not be imported without special permission of the govt. Some articles were exempt from duty, such as material for ship-building, instruments for medicine, surgery, science, schools, arts, implements of agric., machinery, and tools for manuf., steam-engines, money, gold, silver, guano, mineral, coal, etc. Articles of luxury paid an import duty; foreign manufactures entered with a high duty. Small amounts should be paid at the time of entry in cash; and larger sums, part at the adjustment of the duties, and the rest in instalments of from one to three months. The republic has several ports open to foreign commerce on both oceans; namely, Santo Tomás, Livingston, and Golfo Dulce, which is navigable only for vessels of light draught, on the Atlantic, and San José, San Luis, Champerico, and Ocós on the Pacific. Iztapam or Independencia was closed in 1853, and the custom-house removed to the roadstead of San José, which is sheltered by a bold breakwater. Actual value of foreign trade: imports, 1851-7, $7,672,682; 1860-4, $6,268,227; 1871-5, $12,304,289; 1876-80, $15,054,152. The average of importations in the five years 1880-4 was $2,700,000. The largest importations in 1883 were from G. Britain, including Belize, $884,205; U. S., $529,458; France, $149,687; Germany, $128,296; Switzerland, $76,278; Spain, $65,470; China, $54,855. The rest from Belgium, Cent. Am., Italy, Colombia, and Denmark. The war between Guat. and Salv., and revolution in Pan., paralyzed trade in 1885. It is noticed that notwithstanding the greater proximity and wealth of the U. S., Guatemala's commercial relations are greater with England. Exports: 1851-7, $9,613,099; 1860-4, $7,386,541; 1870-4, $12,418,083; 1879-83, $22,552,867. Coffee loomed up from none in 1860-4, 695,671 centals in 1870-4, to 1,519,494 centals in 1879-83. Sugar was also a prominent staple, followed by India-rubber. The number of merchant vessels which visited Guat. ports on the Pac. during 1883 were 7 steamers of the Pac. Mail S. Co., which made their periodical trips; 3 stmrs. of the Kosmos (German) line, to which special privileges were granted by the Guat. govt, in 1882. Sailing vessels, 6 Am., 1 Eng., 6 French, 3 German, and 1 Salvadoran. To Livingston, on the Atlantic, came monthly 4 Am. and one Eng. steamer. Seven vessels did coasting trade under the Eng. flag. Vessels arrived in 1884, 171 with 173,982 tons; departed 168 with 173,758 tons, carrying away 109,402 packages of merchandise and products of the country.