421

4,565

20

500

203 casks

599, 150

193, 440

806, 415

33, 800

10

10

75

7,500

4277-29

TRIPOLI.

Annual report by Consul Robeson.

UNITED STATES CONSULATE,

Tripoli of Barbary, July 24, 1882.

I have the honor to transmit the following as my annual report from this consular district for the year ending June 30, 1882.

AGRICULTURE.

I beg to report that the grain crop in this regency for the year 1882 has been more abundant than that for years past. Though we have no statistics giving the number of bushels of wheat and barley grown in the regency, yet it is supposed that it will amount to four or five hundred thousand bushels more than the crop of last year.

It is thought, however, that the importation of grain will not be diminished much, if any, owing to the large number of Tunisian immigrants who settled in Tripoli during last winter, which number is said to be, by the governor general, 300,000. The exportation of grain has been prohibited by the order of the Turkish Government, giving as a reason therefor the increase of population by the Tunisians referred to. Speculation has been prohibited in grain grown in the regency for the time being. Dates, oranges, lemons, and olives have yielded good crops-above the average.

The increase of the crops is entirely owing to the large quantity of rain that fell during the spring, and not to any improvement of the cultivation of the soil or the industry of the people. Dates, oranges, lemons, and olives could be raised in almost unlimited quantities if trees were planted and properly cultivated; but instead of encouraging this industy the government collects a tax of 8 cents per annum on each date tree, and when they are tapped for the juice, which is called lakby, the tax collected on each tree by the Turkish Government is $5. The olives are taxed by an assessor, and the tax collected will average $1 per annum for each tree. This tax is considered so unjust and proved so oppressive that a few years ago the Arabs occupying the province of Elhane rose in rebellion and destroyed the entire forest of olive trees in that province. These people were the most extensive olive growers in the regency. Many of the Arabs to-day would be glad if they were rid of their groves on account of the oppressive tax. Dates, in addition to the tax laid on the trees, are taxed 1 per cent. of their gross value when offered for sale in the markets, and also the export duty is 1 per cent. The vegetable crop is considered to be the finest that has been grown for several years, and any fear that may have been entertained of a famine is now happily dispelled.

MANUFACTURES.

The goods made by hand in the town, consisting of silk, woolen, and cotton goods, have not been much affected by the disturbed state of the country. While we are not able to get the quantity that is woven, it is very considerable. The goods made are of good quality and command good prices. The price of wool has been low, and large quantities of bed covers and barracans are being woven now in the town. The silk and cotton weavers are also busy.

MINES.

. In the regency there have been no mines of any importance developed of gold, silver, iron, brass, copper, soda, coal, or other valuable mineral, nor are any known to exist. Large quantities of salt are to be found near the coast in different parts, in the lakes, which is said to be of a fine quality. The salt trade here is a monopoly, and all that is exported goes to Turkey; but the parties (the agent of the six indirect contributions) that have the monopoly are anxious to open the trade with America, and I have been informed that it could be sold at 30 cents per 100 pounds. Lime is found in large quantities almost everywhere (in fact the soil is full of it), and that of a good quality ranging in price from 75 cents to 80 cents per 100 pounds.

FISHERIES.

The fisheries for the last year have not been productive; owing to the rain storms during the winter season the fishermen were not able to successfully prosecute their calling. The capital invested here is small, and the men engaged are few in number, and why this is I cannot understand, as the fish caught find ready market at from 30 to 35 cents per pound. The boats and nets engaged in this business are of the most primitive and inferior kind, and they do not venture any distance at sea. The value of the fish caught last year amounted to $9,000. The duty paid on this article of food is 20 per cent. ad valorem.

FORESTS.

In the regency of Tripoli we cannot say that we have such a thing as a forest. The great difficulties the people have to contend with are the want of timber and running water. No such thing as a river or creek can be said to exist in the whole of the regency.

COMMERCE.

From the annexed table it will be seen that the total number of vessels entered the port of Tripoli during the year ending June 30, 1882, was 771, with a total tonnage of 271,058. While showing a decrease of 95 in the number of vessels entered this port during the year, the tonnage increased 45,526 over the previous year. Of the number of vessels entered, 319 were steamers and 452 sailing vessels.

I regret much to have to say that amongst this number of vessels not one carried the American flag.

The total number of vessels cleared have been, during last year, 770, of which 324 were steamers and 446 sailing vessels, with a total tonnage of 267,124.

IMPORTS.

The total imports entered the port of Tripoli for the year ending June 30, 1882, amounted to $3,980,263, showing an increase over the previous year of $1,720,979. The principal increase has been on the importation of the following articles, viz: Cotton goods, $125,535; woolen goods, $120,612; barley, $68,330; oil, $121,851; petroleum, $9,375; charcoal, $9,390; rice, $20,862; flour, $30,671; sundries, $811,220. On the importation of wheat there has been a falling off of $24,152.

A large majority of the goods imported into this place come from Malta. Of course it must be understood that Malta is simply the de

pot. Flour, buffalo hides, and petroleum are of American production. Cotton goods almost, if not entirely, come from England and other European countries, as also many other articles that appear to come from Malta. Sixty per cent. of the cotton goods that are entered at this port find their way to the interior and center of Africa.

EXPORTS.

During the past year ending June 30, 1822, the total value of the exports was $2,669,286, showing an increase on the previous year of $792,556. The increase was principally on the export of esparto, ivory, wool, oranges, and lemons.

ESPARTO TRADE.

The esparto trade is increasing in importance every year. The first esparto was shipped to England eleven years ago by the firm of Perry, Bury & Co. For some time it was not known to the people of Tripoli what use was made of the grass, but as soon as it became known that it was for making paper, gradually other firms entered into the trade, and since that time its trade has been increasing, and the value of exports for the year ending June 30, 1882, was $878,310. Before the exportation of esparto began no use was made of this grass; it is a hard grass and unfit for grazing. The system of gathering, packing, and shipping of this article is similar to that of cotton in the Southern States of America. First the grass is pulled by hand by both men and women, tied in small bundles, and piled into piles of about 400 pounds, These piles are sold to camel drivers for from 75 cents to 85 cents, who pack it into rope nets, place it upon camels, and transport it to the market outside of the town of Tripoli on the sea coast, where it is sold to the highest bidder, a camel load of 400 pounds averaging from $2.75 to $3. When it is pressed into bales the average weight of the bales pressed by horse-power is 400 pounds, and the average weight of the bales pressed by the steam presses is 600 pounds. At Tripoli, at present, there are two steam presses engaged in this business and some twelve or fourteen other presses.

In some places the esparto is transported from a distance of about 80 miles. The esparto grass is inexhaustible, so to speak. The land where it is grown belongs to people who have the entire right of gathering and selling the same. It seems to me that this trade is worthy of the consideration of the merchants and paper manufacturers of the United States. It is claimed that the paper made from esparto grass is of a superior quality, which admits of a beautiful finish.

TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES.

The direct trade between Tripoli and the United States was small for the year ending June 30, 1882, but the increase over the previous year was very great, amounting to about 900 per cent. The total value of goods shipped was $10,253.20, composed as follows: Goat skins, $1,542.66; camel skins, $94.03; ostrich feathers, $7,998; ivory, $608.30; bitter orange peel, orange flower water, and bitter oranges in pickle, $10.21; but this gives no correct idea of the trade between Tripoli and the United States, as a very large quantity of the ostrich feathers and ivory that are shipped to England and France are reshipped from these countries to the United States. Some merchants here claim as high as 60 per