HONG KONG-H. N. CONGAR, Consul.

OCTOBER 13, 1863.

It will be seen that the trade and commerce of American vessels at this port have largely fallen off. Thirty-three vessels are now in port, with little prospect of employment. Long debarred from home or European freights, even the coasting and California trade is passing out of their hands.

SANDWICH ISLANDS.

LAHAINA-ELIAS PERKINS, Consul.

September 30, 1863.

There has been no change in the commercial regulations of this kingdom for the year past. There has also been no change in the harbor dues, warehouse charges, sanitary rules, or those of entry or clearance for the same period.

The importations into and exports from this consular district are made well nigh entirely through the neighboring port of Honolulu, and they are mostly exported and imported from the United States of America. There is no information at this consulate of their character, amount, or value.

American capital in this consular district, with one or two exceptions, is employed in the growth of sugar-cane, and the manufacture of sugar from the same. There are, at this date, in this district, eleven mills employed in the manufacture of sugar from the cane, all but one of which are the property of American citizens resident in this kingdom. The machinery of the mills mentioned above is all of American manufacture. The sugar and molasses therefrom are exported mostly to the State of California, and a small portion to the English possessions in America. The quality of the sugar is said to be fully equal to the best made in Louisiana or Texas.

The amount of American capital employed in the above growth and manufacture, number of acres in cultivation, amount of sugar produced, variety of cane grown, method of cultivation pursued, as well as average yield per acre, I have not yet been able to procure from all the planters.

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HAYTI.

CAPE HAYTIEN-A. FULSOM, Commercial Agent.

Statement showing the tonnage, value of the imports, description, and value of the exports, by all nations at the port of Cape Haytien during the year ended September 30, 1863.

Import duties on the above, $191,748 Spanish; import duties on the above, $368,703 Haytien; export duties on the above, $246,010 Spanish.

PORT AU PRINce-Henry ConARD, Vice-Consular Agent.

APRIL 6, 1863.

I have now the honor to hand you herewith the quarterly returns from this commercial agency for quarter ended March 31, 1863, of the arrivals and departures of American vessels, and also of navigation and commerce, and at the same time to give you a note of the imports of American provisions for the quarter ended 31st ultimo :

I have the honor to transmit to you a statement of the commerce at this port with the United States for the year ending September 30, 1863.

The arrivals from the United States during the year ending as stated have been one hundred and twenty one vessels, carrying, namely: Flour, 64,826 barrels; pork, 31,122 barrels ; beef, 1,680 barrels ; lard, 9,992 kegs; butter, 8,083 kegs; cheese, 4,507 boxes; rice, 6,960 half barrels; sugar, 3,078 boxes; soap, 110,705 boxes; codfish, 9,491 drums; pickled fish, 12,146 barrels; herring,

21,789 boxes; hams, 649 tierces; tobacco, 4,121 bales; candles, 2,582 boxes; lumber, 1,902,704 feet; shingles, 1,882,750, together with hardware, paints, drugs, furniture, machinery, some dry goods and sundries, and amounting in value to one million eight hundred and seventy-seven thousand nine hundred and eighteen dollars and forty-six cents, ($1,887,918 46.) The exports from this port to the United States for the same time have been: Logwood, 14,612,400 pounds; cotton, 233,318 pounds; coffee, 1,326,909 pounds; honey, 13,645 gallons, amounting in value to four millions five hundred and fifty thousand four hundred and three dollars and seventy-one cents, ($4,550,403 71) Haytien currency, being only about one-fourth the value of the imports.

The reason for this great difference is that coffee and cotton form the great value of the exports, and that the description of these articles produced here find a better market in France and England than in the United States; hence they are shipped there and drawn against to pay dues to merchants in the United States.

The quantity of coffee exported from this port during the past year, as per records of the custom-house here, may be safely estimated at twenty-five millions of pounds, which quantity is considered as one-third of the entire coffee crop of the republic of Hayti.

Of cotton I cannot ascertain the quantity produced during the past year. It is, however, considered to be double or triple of that of former years, and I am satisfied that it may be safely estimated at double.

This increase in the quantity of cotton produced has been in a measure at the expense of sugar-cane. Hence rum and tafia, which are almost the entire product of the sugar-cane, have nearly doubled in price over former years.

Import duties are all estimated in American or Spanish dollars, and onefourth of the same must be paid in the same money; the remaining three-fourths must be paid in Haytien currency, at the rate of thirteen Haytien dollars for each American or Spanish dollar.

In former years the rate of exchange at the national treasury was adjusted on the first and fifteenth day of each month, to correspond with its value in the market, and the three-fourths of import duties estimated by the adjusted rate. For the year 1863 it is fixed at thirteen, which may be considered a fair average of its value.

JACMEL-CHARLES MORAVIA, Consular Agent.

Summary statement showing the description and quantity of the exports from the port of Jacmel from September 27, 1862, to September 27, 1863.

Statement showing the tonnage, value of the imports, description and value of the exports, by all nations at the port of Gonaives (Hayti) during the year ended September 30, 1863.

It is now nearly two years that this part of the island has been under Spanish rule, and as yet it remains in the same miserable state as formerly; I neither hear of nor see any improvements. Very few give their attention to agriculture, and consequently there is very little commerce.

The small amount of money in circulation is that which the troops (about three thousand men) spend from their pay. Living and all other articles of necessity are exceedingly high. The following are the present regulations of the customs here, viz:

The owners or consignees of any articles imported may pay the duties on the same, either according to the tariff of Cuba or the extinguished Dominican republic-that is to say, whichever is lowest on an article, or they may deem most favorable to their interests.

Spanish vessels pay sixty-two cents per ton; American or foreign vessels pay one dollar per ton. All foreign produce or manufactures in foreign vessels pay a maximum duty of thirty per cent. The same in Spanish vessels pay six per cent. less.

Spanish products or manufactures in Spanish vessels pay a duty of nine per cent. The same in foreign or American vessels from twenty-one and a half to twenty-eight and a half per cent.

Foreign productions pay the same in Spanish vessels as Spanish productions or manufactures in foreign vessels.

As yet there is no tariff actually decided on; but I am informed by the chief officer of the customs that a tariff (or aramel) for this Spanish part of the island is in preparation.

WM. G. W. JAEGER, United States Commercial Agent.

OCTOBER 3, 1863.

Trade and commerce within this district have continued depressed since Spain took possession. The arbitrary levies and taxes imposed upon the people of this island have so disheartened them that the majority have abandoned their "wood-cuts," and allowed their plantations to overgrow with weeds.

It is no doubt known to the department that the principal exports of this country consist, in the north part, of tobacco, and in the south of cabinet-woods, lignumvitæ, and sugar; but on account of the unsettled state of the country for the last twelve months, there have been very little of the staple products of the island prepared and sent to the seaboard, as heretofore, and the consequence has been the almost total suspension of exports and the ruin of the principal

merchants of the island.

** * It is impossible for me, in the present state of revolution and war of extermination waged against the Spaniards in this unfortunate country, to furnish the department at this time with such a report as the law and the instructions to consuls seem to require.

According to the return of Mr. Arthor Lightgero, my vice-agent at Porto Plata, only two vessels under the American flag arrived at that port during the year ending the 30th September, 186, their tonnage amounting to 238 tons; the value of their inward cargoes, $12,000; their outward cargoes, $15,360. During the same period there arrived at Porto Plata from the United States fifteen vessels under foreign flags, the majority of which had been American vessels prior to our rebellion.

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* In consequence of the destruction of the consular records and the revolutionary state of the country for some time past, I am without any return from Porto Plata for the year ending September 30, 1863.

During the year ending the 30th September, 1863, only six small vessels arrived at this port, measuring in the aggregate 866 tons; the value of their inward cargoes, $25,800. During the same period there sailed from this port for the United States under the American flag one brigantine and five schooners; the value of their outward cargoes, $18,407.

The above statement does not include all the imports nor exports from and to the United States during the year 1863, as much of the trade has been carried on by Spanish and other flags. The majority of vessels arriving here from the United States during the year have been changed from the American to the English flag, to avoid extra insurance and to escape the pirates which have been and still are preying on American commerce and its flag.

As no returns are published or made by the custom-house of the arrivals and departures of vessels, the description and value of goods imported at this place, it is imposssible to obtain any accurate information on the subject.

With regard to the exports to the United States, the information that I have been enabled to report is confined exclusively to the certified invoices of merchandise shipped in American vessels. But besides these there are many shipments of produce made when the owners reside at the port of destination, and also in foreign bottoms, of which there is no record kept or required in this consulate.

Since the Spaniards have been in possession of this island there has sprung up quite a trade with Porto Rico, and vessels trading between this port and Porto Rico can bring here, for which I cannot account, American produce and sell it at a less price than the same can be sold for here when brought direct from the United States. No doubt the facilities for smuggling are much greater, and are carried on to a greater extent in Porto Rico than they can be at this