New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-05-14


hohs' p,opuCrroNs AND CLIMATE.
Costa Rics produces Gomez, sugal; ana's run
ne, pearl shells, turtleshell drugs, dyes; ana OK
Ssil.rt timber on the elevated lands. Wheat, po-
s.tc,s and apples are grown. Little beside coffee
1hr climate on the sea.coast IL very warm, but
on the elevated plains of San jose, where the
Greater part of the population 10 concentrated the
Climate Is cool and delightful-the thermometer
Standing throughout the year at co. to 7Oo. San
Jose is 3 900 feet above the level Of the sea, and
Cartsgo still higher
The only port on the Pacific open to foreign
commerce is Punta Arenas, which is free port.
1t is ituated on the point Of q sand spit-hence
it's name The population 10 about 5000, and Is
fast increasing. The harbor is safe, but vessels
lie about mile from shore. The tide rises and
falls feet at neap, and IL feet at spring tide.
The ports on the Atlantic are Matthias and MOin,
on the River Sarapiqui. There is but little
traffic at either place. in consequence OF the bad
ness of the roads thence to the plains OF San Jose
In short, for all practical purposes Punta Arenas
is where all the exports and imports OF the coun-
try center.
The road from Punta Arenas to San Jose, and
from San Jose to Carriage, is excellent in the dry
season, but must be bad in the wet season. AS
the coffee crop, however-whcb is the grand
staple of the cOuntryis all harvested and shipped
during the dry season. this is Of little Importance
On this road all the streams, with single excep-
tion-the River Barrsnce-have good stone
bridges. The distance from Pdnta Arenas to San
Jose is 25 leagues, and can be travelled comforta-
bly, in two days Ox-carts with cargo carry 1900
MS. weight of coffee, and make the journey in
from four to six days. $40 is the charge for
cart load of coffee, or 75c. ~ 100 lbs. Coffee
pays toll of 2Oc. or Csc. per quintal 600 f6s).
This tax lie invested in repairing the road. About
81, 0tO are expended on it annually. All other
articles are free from toll.
Government has erected several large ware
house at different points Of the road, where goods
may be placed under shelter at night. compa-
ny called the Sarapiqui Company has for some
years back been endeavorng to make road for
carts from San Jose to the river of that name, to
open communication with the Atlantic. Only
few leagues have been completed, and the COM
pany has suspended operations. This road is
hardly passable for mules except in the dry sea-
son. A few packages of valuable goods come by
this route via San Juan del Norte yearly, but
tie expense of transpOrtatiOn-Sc. per fb.-will
always prevent any great amount of trade passing
ever this road. The distance from San Jose to
Moin 10 80 leagues. Goods are transported on
mules and mems backs. A man earns So q load
A mule Fl ON $40 to $i7. The journey is four days
From Moin to San Juan del NOrte the rate is soc.
per quntal time one day. The European mail
| for Costa RIGA comes by this route The road to
Mateba is almost abandoned. An engineer is en-
ployed by the Government to superintend the
roads of the State.
IMPORTS.
The imports Of Costa RIGA are supposed to be
about 81 600, 600 per annum-$10O,0O0 from the
various Central American States, and the balance
from EurOpe-cOnssting principally of British
goods, cheap calicoes, domestics and coarse
w0olens. Molina, in his work on Costa RIGA,
states that in 4S and 49, 20 vessels tunnage l9S
arrived at Punta Arenas, and that in 1851 the
commercial movement Of exports and imports
amounted to about 90 600 tuns to and from the
same port. The best data / have been able to
procure 10 from Lloyd's List, which shows the fol-
lowing statement respecting the tunnage entering
Punts Arenas:
In ls5- 10 vessels u sax
In ls5a-los vessels. tun. isAse
of which Is were British, IL American, and 2
| Hamburg. .
Of Which hin we're British, Is American and
In 1851 vsssels.".......... ;;tun:-
Of which 9 were American, 6 British and 4
Hamburg.
II il difficult to form an estimate Of the duties
on foreign goods as duties are charged by weight.
| Tobacco rum and gunpOwder are mOn0pOllzed by
the Government and the profit On the sale OF
these articles forms an important item OF the
| revenue.
| EXPORTS.
Coffee is the chief export of Costa Rica. Other
articles are uDmp0rtant in bulk or value. found
it difficult to procure correct data on the subject.
Molina. in his work, estimates that $50, OOO quin-
tails of coffee 600 hides and large quantity Of
| pearl shells, Brazil wood and sarsaparilla were
exported. think, however, that Molina 10 rather
| too apt to overestmate. Coffee 10 cultivated only
on the high table lands in the neighbOrhoOd OF San
| Jose. i learn from reliable sources that the
largest quantity exported was 10000 quintals in
1862. In 1853 1854 and 1855, the quantity was
about 75. 600 uuiutals per annum. This year It u
supposed the exports will be 10000 or 100 wv
ouinntals, and next year, In consequence OF using
eusno az manure, it will perhaps be more. The
President, who has plantation Of 240, goo trees
told us that last year he only cropped 4,0OO gum
tails, but by using guano, which cost only dlme
satisfied he would collect at least 5000 quintais
this year. About $4,000 quintals were shiPPed
from Punta Arenas in 1885,. =,
The price Of coffee has been steadily rising IN
Punts Arenas since 1853, a. the following table
will show:
il Sc to H.
Hides have sold a. follows:
1ss, TO s In 10 Ola, % &C.
A small quantity Of gold is procured at the
mines of Aguacae, md recently few tuns Of
copper ore have been shipped to England on trial.
but the result 10 not yet known.
Fine timber for cabinet work, ship-buiding and
dye-wOods can be procured near Punta Arenas.
A steam saw mill has lately been erected there,
ard a little lumber exported.
For some years past the transportation Of coffee
to Europe has been entirely monopolized by a
Guernsey gentleman, who owns several vessels.
A. av,la NJ reta A