The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-10-17

patr1>, tlc ZEAL an enterprise which has the great
object II bringing the ciyilizing element Of the
tivty ana WITH the progressive elements which fo
low In its trah'"
(Rubrica of the l.resident.I MUNoz.
The advantage WHICH must accrue to the COM
merce OF the United States by the opening OF the
great northern and 0rIentSl slope OF Bolivia have
been too often enlarged upon 10 make IL necessary
for me TO give you more than sketch OF them La
this letter. Hitherto our commerce with Bolivia has
amounted to nothing directly. A few goods only
have found their way into the country through tue
Valparaiso market.
1885. the great entrepot ' Of bolivian trade Owing
To- tne custom house treaty made with Peru IL
that year nearly oil the Bolivian imports found their
way through the peruvian port OF africa. In 1904
In 1884 before the new custom house arrange.
81, sol tons, showing q very large increase
In the trade Of the country. II would be extremely
as an account of it would show the gains OF Peru
upon Bolivian commerce with other countries All
centres OF consumption OF $780, gold, per ton, fog
mule freight across the Andes-t0 Cochabamba for
inhabants it Costs about SIS gold per TOM IRON
CoDiJa and about $40 from AFRICA Some years these
wary ana 9ay n eesa 20 - al s
roughly estimated reaches 50, ojOv0 annually Eng
land absorbs two.thirds and France the remainder.
The exports OF Bolivia TO Europe IN 1864 amounted
to some $2,000,000 gold-the heavy balance against
her she was Obliged to pay in the product
81 600 annually, and is almost entirely absorbed
BY Europe and the frontier countries OF Bolivia The
the above amount annually smuggied ACROSS her
border into Salta.
the great mineral districts are 80 situated relative
to the az cultural districts that there Is extraor
binary movement or internal trade. This, by
full estimate In 1S45, amounted annually to
gold. To-day IL cannot be iar fiOm $50 o0D 600. The
products OF the valley OF iungas Alone lying at the
head waters OF the Benl river, amount TO 10000 OO0
yearly and are distributed all over the republic.
Bolivia Impoverished by the ever heavy balance
Of trade against her. payable In her silver products,
foundation Of q great future. The freight across
the C0rdllera has shut products the richest most
abundant and varied OF any counrry in the world.
Her inability TO make use OF these to balance her
trade account has brought her to condition which
almost threatens her dissolution as separate ma
ti0nality. 1t Is no wonder, then that she arasps ut
the navigation OF her rivers even with such an ex-
traordinary concession as the above. Heretofore
her treaty OF March, 1867, with this empire and tha
freedom Of the Amazon decreed September = 1867.
with her rights under article forty-tW0 OF the same
gave her new and immediate Impulse.
The only obstruction to continuous navga ION TO
the centres Of population OF Bolivia, which average
from LOGO to 800 mics from the mouth OF the Am.
AEON, the rapids, or cachuel5 OF the Madera ana
Mamore, all clustered together and numbering sew
enteen. Fourteen OF these Oler no lnpeulnent,
either up or down, to canoe navigation and none
for steamers. the other three are more formidable
Lateral canals the longest OF which VIII not ex-
coed mile, are required to make their transit.
BY the way OF the Amalon European or United
States goods can be delivered in any OF the great
capitals OF Bolivia for half the cost OF delivering
them even after they the Pacific coast by taef
present route via cape Horn.
The concession here given controls over 5000
miles OF navgable rivers taps country three times
tue size OF France If include great part Of the
rich Brazilian province OF Mato-Groso with Its
1O0, 900 inhabitants ana its valuable productions.
Ninetenths OF the 900 population OF Bolivia lie
within easy reach Of these streams, while some
twenty ports varying from 1000 to $4,000 fnhabt-
tants, exist upon the river margins, butt up by the
internal trade Of the country. Of late years
limited commerce by canoes has sprung up between
these ports and the mouth Of the Amazon. The
voyage down takes some seventy days; the return
voyage from six to seven months
1t would take mucn time aud space to enumerate
the products OF this vast Orient Of Bolivia Us yet un
touched by the commerce OF the world The choicest
Peruvian bark. gums, India rubber, medicinal roots
and balsams, dense forests OF the fest and rareSS
cabinet woods tobacco unsurpassed by that or Cuba,
cOffee which Arabia cannot rival. and chocolate NOS
second to any produced In Mexico-all In abundance
and at prices fabulOusly small.
The annual anG immediate rolling OF at least
tons OF freight up the Amazon and the return
OF an equal II not greater amount will give the rse
great touch Of life to the valley OF that king OF rvers
II is perhaps a matter Of congratulation that ths
trade in its and natural How falls into American
hands,