The shipments to France of the previous season's crop reached over 16,000 tons, mostly used for distilling purposes; and about 20,000 tons will probably be sent from the last crop. The large export of currants to France naturally diminishes the quantity sent to other countries. The following are the shipments from last season's crop to date, compared with those of the previous season:

There now remain for shipment altogether about 10,000 tons, of which 4,000 tons are held for shipment to the United States and France; the remaining 6,000 tons will probably be equally divided between the different markets of consumption, unless some special excitement be developed in England or France. The total crops of currants for the past ten years have been as follows:

The following are about the average range of prices of the various qualities of last season's currants, per cwt. f. o. b.:

Early in the season some badly damaged currants (by rain) were sold at 148. per cwt., but this quality was subsequently mixed with the sound. The total value of last season's crop of currants may be estimated at about $7,850,000.

The crop of valonea was very much damaged by the cold during the spring, so that the crop was unusually small, say—

In consequence of the short crop the prices demanded are so high that scarcely any of it has yet been shipped; some of the last crop also still remains to be shipped.

The crop of olives has been abundant in many places, and is estimated to yield about 23,500 tuns oil, valued at about $165 per tun f. o. b.; as yet but a small quantity has been exported, chiefly for England.

By a law passed during the administration of Mr. Tricoupi, in April last, the government abolished the dimes or tithe on all grain grown in Greece, on account of the extreme difficulty and expense in collecting the tax, and also to do away with the tyranny over the peasantry practiced by the purchasers of the tax. The collectors, generally speaking, interfered with the thrashing of the grain, which sometimes got damaged by waiting for them, and besides often taking more than they had a right to. To such an extent was this carried on in some parts that rather than be subject to it they did not cultivate at all. Instead of the dime tax a duty of so much per head on cattle used for plowing has been substituted, say 5 drachmas, or about five-sixths of a dollar; but where the produce of land exceeds 50 bushels per stremma (1,000 square meters), an additional tax of 1 drachma is leviable for every 10 bushels produced over and above the said 50 bushels, and so on up to 15 drachmas, or about $2.50, which is the highest limit. Steam plows are also subject to this tax, in accordance with their steam power.

The crops of grain of all kinds were fairly abundant; a smaller quantity than usual has been imported from Russia and Turkey. The average prices of grain have been as follows:

Wheat.

Barley
Oats.

Maize.

Per Imperial quarter.

$14.00

6965

8.10

5.00

The cocoons produced at Calamata weighed 96,250 pounds, valued at $50,000; part were shipped to France, and the remainder wound off and used on the spot.

The quantity of wine exported from Patras by the Achaia Wine Company reached 22,890 gallons, of the value of about $1 per gallon; small quantities were exported from Patras, Corinth, and other parts of the Morea, of about $7,500. The shipments by the Achaia Wine Company were for Hamburg. The quality of the wines now made in Greece is gradually improving, and as the quantity of grapes growing in the Morea is very large, there is no reason why the trade in wine should not be much extended.

PRICES OF EXPORTS.

The following are about the prices that were paid for produce exported:

The import trade with England has been fairly active during the past year, notwithstanding the very high import duty exacted, to which are to be added municipal dues, road tax, and mole dues.

The following have been the rates of exchange on London for bills at three months' date. It may be well to mention that 28 drachmas are equal to 25 francs in paper:

The Greek Government having had occasion to raise large loans for War purposes, especially from the national bank, it has been impossible, to do away with the forced currency; indeed, the only wonder is that the paper is not more depreciated in value than it is.

Of course the unsettled state of the country has a considerable prejudicial influence on trade, but not so much so as might be expected, considering that according to current reports war may break out at any time. Although people talk very glibely about war, I think most of them are convinced that something will turn up to prevent it. The Greeks are too sharp not to know that they would be at an immense disadvantage if they had to cope solely with the Turks, and I cannot believe the government will ever arrive at the point of formally declaring war, but they will sail so close to the wind that there is always the fear that they may overshoot the mark. Their finances are in a wretched state, and daily becoming worse; the loan of 120,000,000, of which it was reported that 25,000,000 had at once been taken up by wealthy Greek bankers abroad, I fear will prove to be without foundation, the report having been circulated to induce capitalists to subscribe. A fur

ther loan, however, they must raise, and the only way I can see of their doing so is by going again to the banks and allowing them to have a still larger forced currency, or by the government issuing forced paper of its own.

I append a translation of a short history of the Laurium mines, taken from a local paper, the Parateretes, which states that the account is taken from European papers, but which have not come under my observation. It may prove readable to persons interested in such matters. E. HANCOCK, United States Consul.

UNITED STATES CONSULATE,

Patras, February 28, 1882.

[Inclosure in foregoing report of Consul Hancock.]

THE MINES OF LAURIUM.

The name of Laurium means the region that forms the southern portion of Attica, in which are situated the mines of the ancient Greeks. About the year 1863 some foreigners visiting the spot, and making tests on the scoriæ and the remains of the ancient smelting places, found that they still contained some metals. These plots of land were the private property of the inhabitants of those parts. There was then formed a small company, which bought and hired these lands. They erected furnaces, foundries, and from the smelting of the ancient scoriæ and the refuse there resulted large profits on account of the argentiferous lead which they contained.

The brilliant result of the above-named company having become known throughout Greece, the Greek press commenced irritating the public opinion against the company, showing plainly that they ought to take from the hands of strangers the millions which the ancient Greeks bequeathed to their descendants. Hence arose disputes and oppositions of every kind, and the question went as far as diplomatic negotiations, and finally, about the year 1873, a Greek company bought all their rights, their buildings, their tramways, and the mechanical works of this Franco-Italian company for the sum of 14,000,000 drachmas. This new company acquired the right of working the old scoriæ and the "ekvolades"; that is to say, the earthy remains lying in heaps, originating from the metal existing in the hills and from the mines, the amount of metal therein contained not having been considered by the ancient Greeks as enough to be worth submitting to the melting process. Since then the formerly existing Franco-Italian company has been formed anew, with a capital of 12,000,000 francs, and a concession for working the principal mine, called the mine of Laurium. Both the companies are working now, one against the other, and not without constant disputes between them. The Greek company, as we mentioned before, took upon itself the smelting of the ancient scoriæ, and besides this they tried to reap a profit from the "ekvolades." But, however, after four or five years of work the bulk of the quantity of the scoria was exhausted, and the company was obliged for the continuation of its existence to depend only on smelting the "ekvolades." But these do not contain as much metal as was contained in the scoriæ, and before being smelted they must be cleared from the earth and from the sand, an operation which occasions fresh expenses and requires movable and immovable washing machinery, which it found itself obliged to buy. This machinery, not movable, is put in motion by two steam-engines of 320 horse-power, the establishing of which cost 2,800,000 franes. The stones are transported from the neighboring places by a tramway, and are thrown into large boxes having iron grates, and are washed, and, so cleared, are crushed into pieces of equal size and are placed in the smelting ovens, and the sand that it contains and earth that comes out from the washing fall into the basin constructed on purpose, and from which bricks are afterwards made.

The necessary water for the washing is conducted by channels through the means of steam-pumps, which furnish 15 cubic measures per minute. Each month there is washed a quantity of rough matter corresponding to 2,200 tons, which yield 14 per cent. of lead and 1,000 to 1,500 grains of silver from each ton.

There are twelve smelting ovens, of which eight are at work, and four are substitutes; it is proper, however, to state that they are of great power, because the broken materials only contain 75 to 80 per cent. of metal, whilst the old scoriæ contained 16 to 18 per cent.

In various neighboring places there are at work about twenty washing-machines,

but notwithstanding all the inquiries about them, it has not been postively ascertained what quantity of raw material they yield.

According to asseveration of persons well informed, they give daily about 20 to 22 tons of lead. The expense required for each ton is 35 drachmas. Five hundred and fifty work-people are engaged at the ovens and at the immovable machines; 880 collect in the neighborhood the "ekvolades," and superintend their washing and transport to the ovens. The greatest part of the work-people are Greeks from the islands, Italians, and Maltese, and the wages are about 14 to 3 drachinas per day.

It is to be observed that "ekvolades" are to be found in large quantities in mounds, and look like hills; it is calculated that they can furnish materials to last for sixty years.

Besides these there exists a smaller quantity of another sort of scoriæ containing 4 per cent. of brass, 14 per cent. nickel, and 50 per cent. iron; all the ekvolades contain a certain dose of arsenic, which was apparent from the effects on some of the work-people.

The number of people employed by the company, superintendents, engineers, machine-workers, and work-people, amount to 3,000. The other company, called "Compauie Francaise des mines a Laurion," digs up the ore of the new mines and of the old, and carries out its operations with cleverness and specialty, having always the necessary means complete; however, no one can deny that it was favored by fortune in the selection of the bed of the mines, from which the favorable operations rendered it able to give, in 1878, a clear profit of 1,800,000 francs.

The above-named company is especially occupied in extracting zinc and brass, which is submitted to the smelting operation by simple evaporation, and is sent in an unfinished condition abroad. Besides the lead is melted, which contains 3,500 grains of silver in each ton. The foundries and the smelting ovens are the same as those of the Greek company, but rather more favorably and suitably placed; the number of work-people and employés is 2,900. It is remarkable the mines worked by the ancients were only 50 centimeters high, and the same width, so that it is not at all unlikely, that the slaves who then worked in such a narrow space were not able to observe and make use of the veins of rich minerals. At present all these mines are widened, and greater height is given to them; they yield monthly raw material about 8,000 tons, which contains 50 to 55 per cent. of metal. Some of these mines extend to the distance of a mile. In the passage there are placed metal rails leading to the principal pit, to which the material is transported by steam-engines, and where it is drawn to the surface.

It is asserted by persons who are good judges that there exist such rich beds of metal that they insure to the French company large gains for many years.

During the past year 22,000 tons zinc, lead, and brass were shipped by English vessels, and 18,000 tons by French.

Further small mines belonging to small companies have been sold to the Greek, and some to the French company, but if things continue as at present this latter company will swallow up all the others, they naturally not being able to compete with it. The wonderful progress of this company will necessarily open the eyes of the natives so that they may consider that it is a work of folly to let such an undertaking slip through their hands, enriching strangers at their expense.

ROUMANIA.

Annual commercial report by Consul-General Schuyler.

UNITED STATES CONSULATE-GENERAL,

Bucharest, September 30, 1881.

AGRICULTURE.

One of the great difficulties of the agriculturist in Roumania has been that it was difficult for him to borrow money, not only because until recently he was obliged to pay a high rate of interest, but also because by the civil code the owner of the land had a prior claim upon the stock and crops belonging to the farmer, and in the provinces of Great and Little Wallachia the lands are chiefly farmed. A law was promulgated on the 8th (20th) of June, 1881, which obviates these de