Hayti, or, The Black republic / by Sir Spenser St. John.

  • Spenser Buckingham St. John
Date:
1884
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Hayti, or, The Black republic / by Sir Spenser St. John. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    352/370 (page 330)
    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 con- sumed 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 calcula- tion 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- Coffee .... Cotton .... Logwood and other woods Mahogany, feet Lbs. 41,002,571 557,480 68,181,588 7,904,285 The other woods consist of lignum vitae, &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 com- paratively orderly government. These six years were free from any serious civil trouble, and no foreign complications prevented all development that was pos-