Commerce and Communications.

For 1895 the total imports into Haiti are put at 6,232,335 dollars; and the exports at 13,788,562 dollars; in 1896, imports 6,053,835 dollars; exports 9,463,903 dollars; in 1897, imports, 6,363,798 dollars; exports, 12,549,848 dollars.

The exports consist chiefly of coffee, cocoa, and logwood. For the year ended September 30, 1897, the quantities exported were: Coffee, 73,057,397 lbs.; cocoa, 2,120,242 lbs. ; logwood, 112,756,225 lbs. Other exports are cotton, hides and skins, mahogany, and honey. Of the imports in 1897, the value of 4,379,000 dollars came from the United States; 943,000 dollars from France; 529,000 dollars from Germany; 309,000 dollars from Great Britain.

There is no report of the exact value of the commercial intercourse of the Republic with the United Kingdom in the Annual Statement' published by the Board of Trade, which gives Haiti and Santo Domingo together. But as the population of the latter State is only about one-fourth of that of Haiti, an estimate may be made of the exports and imports of each during the last five years from the statement given in the following table

The chief imports into the United Kingdom in 1897 were logwood, valued at 48,3537.; mahogany and other woods, 22,7801. The staple article of British produce exported to Haiti and Santo Domingo consists of cotton manufactures, valued at 163,0797. in 1896, 185,1077. in 1897; linens, 21,441 in 1896, 14,9197. in 1897; iron, wrought and unwrought, 31,1647. in 1896; 22,3667. in 1897.

At Port-au-Prince in 1897 there entered 234 vessels of 323,611 tons; at Cape Haiti, 203 of 274,609 tons; at Les Cayes, 144 of 163,842 tons; at Jacmel, 212 of 371,468 tons. At each port the same tonnage cleared. There are 31 post offices. Haiti joined the Postal Union in 1880.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

The Gourde, or dollar, nominal value, 4s. The coin represents 5 francs, but its value is subject to fluctuation, of which the annual average may be 17 per cent. premium on the American dollar.

During the ten years 1881-90, 2,900,000 gourdes in silver, and 75,000 gourdes in copper were issued. In 1895, silver and copper coin was issued to the amount of 1,600,000 gourdes. The bank notes in circulation are issued by the Haytian Government under the control of the Banque Nationale d'Haïti. In February, 1898, a law was passed authorising a loan of 3,500,000 United States gold dollars for the purpose of withdrawing the paper money. The weights and measures in use are those of France.

Diplomatic and Consular Representatives.

1. OF HAITI IN GREAT BRITAIN.

Chargé d'Affaires.-Louis Joseph Janvier.

Consul.-Maurice Erdmann.

There are consular agents at Cardiff, Liverpool, Southampton, Cork, Grimsby, Dundee, Glasgow.

2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN HAITI.

Consul-General.-Augustus Cohen.

Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Haiti.

1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom with Foreign Countries and British Possessions. Imp. 4. London.

Foreign Office Reports, Annual Series. London.

Haiti. Bulletin No. 62 of the Bureau of the American Republics. Washington, 1892. Reports on Trade and Shipping of Haiti, in 'Deutsches Handels-Archiv,' for May, August, and November, 1897. Berlin. United States Consular Reports for April, August, and September, 1898. Washington.

2. NON-OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Ardouin (Beaubrun), Etudes sur l'histoire de Haït. 10 vols. Paris, 1853-61.
Bonneau (Alex.), Haïti, ses progrès, son avenir. 8. Paris. 1862.

Fortunat (Dantés), Nouvelle géographie de l'île de Haiti. Port-au-Prince, 1888.

Handelmann (J.), Geschichte von Haiti. 8. Kiel, 1856.

Hazard (Samuel), Santo Domingo, Past and Present; with a glance at Haiti. London,

1873.

Janvier (L. J.), Les Constitutions d'Haïti (1801-1885). Paris, 1886. La Republique d'Haiti, 1840-82. Paris, 1883.

Justin (J.), Etude sur les Institutions Haïtiennes. Paris, 1894.

Madiou (N.), Histoire de Haiti. 3 vols. 8. Port-au-Prince, 1847.

Nau (K.), Histoire des Caziques de Haiti. 8. Port-au-Prince, 1855.

St. John (Sir Spenser), Haiti, or the Black Republic. 2nd ed. London, 1889
Tippenhauer (L. Gentil), Die Insel Haïti. 2 vols. Leipzig, 1893

HONDURAS.

(REPÚBLICA DE HONDURAS.)

Constitution and Government.

THE Republic of Honduras, established January 11, 1839, before the dissolution of the Confederation of Central America in 1839, is governed under a charter proclaimed October, 1894. It gives the legislative power to a Congress of Deputies in the ratio of one per 10,000 inhabitants. The executive authority rests with a President, nominated and elected by popular vote for four years.

President of the Republic.-Policarpo Bonilla. January 1, 1895–99.

The administration of the Republic is carried on by a Council of ministers, to whom are entrusted the departments of Interior, Public Works, War, Finance, Public Instruction and Justice.

Honduras forms with Salvador and Nicaragua the Republica Mayor de Centro-America, constituted for the purposes of foreign relations, September,

1896.

But this federation seems for practical purposes to have come to an end through the action of the de facto president of Salvador.

The active army consists of 500 men with 20,000 militia.

Area and Population.

The area of the Republic is calculated to embrace about 43,000 English square miles, with a population, in 1895, of about 400,000, or about 9 inhabitants to the square mile. The Republic is divided into 15 departments. The bulk of the inhabitants consists of aboriginal 'Indians,' and the sparse Europeandescended population, mainly of Spanish origin. The capital of the Republic is the ancient town of Tegucigalpa, with 12,600 inhabitants, situate nearly in the centre of the State. The main ports are Amapala on the Pacific, Omoa, Puerto Cortez, La Ceiba, Trujillo, Roatan, and Utila on the Atlantic.

Instruction and Crime.

The Roman Catholic is the prevailing religion, but the Constitution guarantees freedom to all creeds, and the State does not contribute to the sup port of any. Instruction is free, compulsory, and entirely secular. There is a university, 11 colleges (three of them for females), and about 683 schools with 23,767 scholars. In 1889, 1,144 persons were tried for offences. Of these 288 were condemned to lengthened periods of imprisonment (28 for homicide).

Finance.

The revenue is mainly derived from customs, and the duties on spirits and tobacco. For the years stated, ending July 30, the revenue and expenditure (in pesos) are given as follows:

Receipts from customs duties, 627,512 pesos; from excise duties on spirits, tobacco, stamped paper, &c., 762,859 pesos.

In July, 1898, the external debt of Honduras consisted of four loans, contracted from 1867 to 1870, amounting to 5,398,5707., with arrears of interest amounting to 11,972,9597.; total, 17,371,5297. No interest has been paid since 1872. The internal debt in 1896 amounted to about 6,000,000 pesos.

Production and Commerce.

Agriculture is gradually developing. The chief culture is that of bananas; other products are tobacco, sugar, maize, and coffee; while indigo, rice, and wheat are grown in small quantities. Cattle breeding is carried on extensively, and dairy farming on a small scale. The Government grants facilities for the acquisition of land by private persons and companies for agricultural and mining purposes, but labour is scarce. The mineral resources of Honduras are great-gold, platinum, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron, antimony, nickel being found in almost every department. Deposits of brown and other coal have also been found. There are about 17 important mining companies at work, but statistics of their operations are not procurable. The quantity of gold dust extracted by washings from the sands of rivers is estimated at the value of 750,000 to 1,250,000 francs a year.

For the year 1895-96, the total imports were put at 1,322, 418 pesos; and the exports at 3,125,000 pesos. For 1896-97, imports, 3, 260,575 pesos; exports, 2,647,248 pesos. The chief exports were (1897): precious metals, 1,075,000 pesos; cattle, 705,000 pesos; bananas and other agricultural produce, 839,000 pesos. The trade is mainly with the United States, but Great Britain, Germany, and France also participate.

The imports into the United Kingdom from Honduras (according to the Board of Trade Returns) amounted in 1897 to 1,5907., of which 7857. was for mahogany. The domestic exports from the United Kingdom to Honduras amounted to 39,4437., the chief article exported being cottons, 26,8847.

In 1894, 117 vessels of 71,022 tons (33 of 23,600 tons British) entered the port of Puerto Cortez.

Communications.

In 1896 there were 237 post-offices; letters, papers, &c. despatched, 370,456. There are (1897) 2,732 miles of telegraphs, with 155 offices. There is a railway from Puerto Cortez to San Pedro Sula, and thence to La Pimienta, 60 miles. A contract has been made for the construction of a railway from La Pimienta to the Pacific, and another for a line from Puerto Cortez to Trujillo.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

The Silver Dollar, of 100 cents, weighs 25 grammes, 900 fine. There are also 16, 8, 5, and 4 dollar gold pieces. The fractional silver money consists of 50, 25, 12, 10, 61, 5, and 31 cent pieces.

In November, 1894, the adoption of a gold standard equal to the American gold dollar was announced.

Diplomatic and Consular Representatives.

1. OF HONDURAS IN GREAT BRITAIN.

Envoy and Minister (for the Greater Republic).-Crisanto Medina.

Consul-General.-W. Binney.

There are Consuls at Manchester and Cardiff.

2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN HONDURAS.

Minister and Consul-General.-G. F. B. Jenner.

There are Consuls at Truxillo, Omoa, and Tegucigalpa.

Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Honduras.

1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom.

Imp. 4. London.

Annuario Estadistico for 1889, by A. R. Vallejo. Tegucigalpa, 180.

Boletin Financiero. Tegucigalpa.

Foreign Office Reports, Annual Series. London.

Gaceta Oficial de Honduras.

Honduras. Bulletin No. 57 of the Bureau of the American Republics. Washington, 18 2.

2. NON-OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Bates (H. W.), Central and South America. London, 1882.

Charles (C.), Honduras. 8. Chigo, 1890.

Fiallos (E. C.), Sketch of Central America by.

Fröbel (Julius), Seven Years' Travel in Central America. 8. London, 1853.

Gonzalez (D.), Geografía de Centro-America. San Salvador, 1878.

Lombard (Thomas R.), The New Honduras. New York, 1887.

Marr (Wilhelm), Reise nach Central-America. 2 vols. 8. Hamburg, 1863.

Pelletier (Consul E.), Honduras et ses ports. Documents officiels sur le chemin-de-fer interocéanique. 8. Paris, 1869.

Reichardt (M.), Centro-America. S. Braunschweig, 1851.

Report of the Council of the Corporation of Foreign Bondholders.

London, 1898.

Appendix for 1897.

Sapper (C.), Das nordliche Mittel-An erika. Reisen und Studien, 1888-95. Brunswick, 1897.

Scherzer (Karl, Ritter von), Wanderu gen durch die mittelamerikanischen Freistaaten Nicaragua, Honduras und San Salvador. S. Braunschweig, 1857.

Soltera (Maria), A Lady's Ride across Spanish Honduras. London, 1884.

Squier (E. G.), Honduras: Descriptive, Historical, and Statistical. 8. London, 1870.