The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-09-20 00:00:00

The TRADE and CLIMATE of PANAMA.

Mr. Mallet, the British Consul at Panama, reports
a considerable increase in the traffic across the isthmus
in the last two years. The increase in 1878 is put
down by the Panama Railway Company as being 20
per cent. over that of the preceding year. The coffee
brought from Central America to Panama for ship-
ment during 1878 amounted to about 193,000
bags, the larger proportion of which went to
England. The number of passengers who crossed
the isthmus in that year was 24,893, being an
increase of 1,952 over the year 1876. The Consul
states that American manufactures are now largely
consumed on the isthmus. The manufacturers in the
States have been for some time past energetically
pushing their goods into the markets of South
American Republics; but if we have to except hard-
ware, glass, furniture, and preserved provisions, it
will be found that Manchester goods still maintain
their predominance on the isthmus. The United
States have their geographical advantage; and but
for their high tariff and shorter system of credit the
Consul says there can be little doubt that English
commerce with South America would be seriously im-
perilled by our great North American rivals.
The Consul mentions that in the department of
Chiriqui, in the interior of the State of Panama, coffee-
planting has been recently introduced with every
prospect of the most gratifying results. The fine rich
lands lying along the slopes of the mountain ranges are
most admirably adapted for coffee culture. The
climate is cool and very healthy, and the laud can be
obtained for nothing. There is steam communication
from Panama by coast and river to the heart of the
aistrict, the distance being about 300 miles, and the
produce can thus be readily and cheaply conveyed to
that port. The Consul thinks that young men in Eng-
land who can command a capital of from £2,000 to
£3,000 and who are not afraid of a little roughing it
at first, would find this a fine field for enter-
prise, which could not fail to produce in three or four
years a most lucrative and yearly increasing return.
He says the life is a healthy and enjoyable one, and
sufficient labour is obtainable at reasonable rates.
David, a good town of some 3,(100 inhabitants, is
situated in the centre of this district, about 40 miles
up the river of that name, to which place good steamers
run from Panama every fortnight. Large herds of
fine castle are bred in the extensive savannahs which
stretch away for miles around the town, and consider-
able numbers of these are brought by steamer to
Panama to supply the city and shipping,
Panama le helping for a vast temporary increase of
trade duiing the construction of an interntional canal
to unite the two oceans, if and when that great work
shall be undertaken.

A 941. carat diamond, found recently at Mekerk's
ISlish, in the South African diamond-ULU, was gold on the
spot for 47,000. The same digger" to whose lot this rare
find fell unearthed about the same time a tine stone of 28
carats and another of 104 carats, holden aeveral mailer
Ping.

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