The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-12-01

While their goods are sold by persistent eff
fort. Brazilians have no prejudice against
American wares, but they assert that the
requirements of their trade are not under
stood in the north, and that they purchase
their imports in Europe mainly because
merchants and manufacturers there have
taken the trouble to study the market
and find out what is wanted, and to fur
nish it in Brazil by system of rapid
transportation
The books of the L. S. Consuates show
that at present the only steamers regular
ly entering Brazilian ports under the
American flag are the three or four vessels
of the I. 5. and Brazilian S. S. line. The
steamers bring large consignments of flour,
lard and kerosene, besides a little general
merchandise; and take back all the coffee
they can carry. In bringing exports from
New \ ork, they have little competition,
except from what are known as tramp
steamers but on the return voyage they
/ have very vigorous and successful rivals
| in tile I.amport and Holt line, which plies
between Liverpool, Pernambuco, Bahia
| Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Montivedeo and
Bucnos Ayres. They bring to this coast
enormous quantities of merchandise from
England and other European countries,
and return, Ordinarily via New Y orkl,
laden with coffee for the American mar
llet. Some of these steamers run in at
Para for cargoes of India-lubber, but
those that are we'll filled up with coffee,
from parts lower down, sail directly for
| New York; whence they return from
Liverpool with full cargoes Of cotton and
flour. As may easily be seen, it is one of
the most profitable triangular courses
traversed by the ships of that thrifty ma
ton ION whose domains the sun never
sets With the cooperation of German
and other European vessels, ON the out
ward trip they take cotton, wooden and
linen goods and manufactured articles of
all kinds to Brazil, then they bring to
New York the great bulk of the enormous
amount of coffee which Brazil furnishes to
the American market, and return to Liver
pool with full eargoes of another sort.
The three OF four American steamers 90
San Paulo province a days journey be-
low Rio), take on THEN cargoes then and
there, stopping at Rio on their return for
passengers and perhaps a few additional
consgnments: but in the course of a wear
they carry only very small portion of
the coffee that is shipped to New York
They are hampered to Il considerable ex-
tent by their mail contracts which, though
worth one hundred thousand dollars
/ year to the line, compel them to lose much
time by putting in at four ports before
/ Brazilian coffee exporters naturally prefer
to ship by the Lamport and Holt line which
will deliver their cargocs in the NORTH ia
much less time am told that two of
the largest coffee importing houses ia New
y olk order all thel supplies by the Eng
| fish line in preference to the American
! because the saving OF time is of the utmost
! importance when the prices of coffee and
the rates of exchange vary from week To-
week with such extraordinary fluctuations
Brazilian merchants Say that tie British
line not only makes quicker time and
cheaper rates but that the American com
pany will not deliver coffee except at its
OWL Wharf. whereas the English and Ger
man steamers unload wherever importers
desire them to discharge then cargocs.
There are twenty-siN sailin. vessels,
comprising five lines, which ply regularly
between Baltimore and Rio de Janeilo.
under the American flag They too.
bring oul flour, kerosene, lard and lumber
and take back coffee. The trade is AN inn
portant one. and shows What can be done
by the old time method They never lack
cargoes, because the owners buy and sell
as they sail; that is, whatever they bring
into port is sold on the spot, and their re
turn cargoee supply the home market OF
Baltimore exclusively with coffee. Amer
lean sailing vessels coming to Rio with
carg0es from New loIk and New England
ports, sail away empty, hunting for car
goes farther up the coast and in the West
Indies Coffee being about the only arti-
Gle of export from Rio to the United
States, vessels that bring down flour. etc.
must either carry back that commodity or
60 with ballast The time required for
the voyage operates against the shipment
OF coffee by any vessels except steamers
and it cannot be shipped under sal except
when bought in the Brazilian market. The
Baltimore ship-owners get around the diff
ficulty by purchasing coffee on their own
account, thereby securing return freights
without reference to English and German
competition for carrying.
There is a small fleet of American YES
sells which, bring wheat from san Francis
co away around Cape Horn to the flour
ing mills in Rio These vessels return in
ballast without freight whereas if the
Baltimore plan was adopted, they could
largely supply the California market with
coffee New Orleans imports coffee direct
ly from Rio, but principally under the
a