By the foregoing lists it appears that on the basis of the articles and amounts of our exports to Brazil in 1890, goods of the value of $9,174,665 were made subject to reduction and free entry in her ports; and as our total exports to Brazil aggregated $11,902,496, the amount affected by reciprocity was nearly 78 per cent of the whole. Of the amount so affected, viz, $9,174,665, the sum of $7,114,151 was in agricultural products, or 77.54 per cent. The percentages respectively in the free list and the reduction list are shown at the foot of the figure columns. These are encouraging to agricultural interests, and increase of exports, which seems sure to follow, will magnify their importance, and probably increase their ratio.

But it is not so much in the increase of our agricultural exports and others to Brazil that the benefits of the established reciprocal arrangements lie, so far as the increase is concerned. It is more in the fact that all that part of Spanish America from which we derive coffee, sugar, etc., will be compelled to make with us similar arrangements, or 19152-No. 2-7

to submit to the alternative presented in the third section of the act, before quoted. Already reciprocity has been arranged, with Spain rel ative to the Spanish West Indies, and with Santo Domingo, San Salvador, Nicaragua and British Guiana, by which, as with Brazil, it is expected that our exports, principally of agricultural products, will help not only to wipe out the large balance of trade against us, but to increase nearly or quite to the same extent the volume of the trade. The balance against us in 1890 with Brazil was $17,416,260; with Cuba and Porto Rico, which both depend upon us as purchasers of sugar, it was $42,938,008 in a total trade of $72,772,416; the combined balances against us for the year being $90,354,268. An increase of market to this extent for our productions almost at once certainly means greatly more for the future than these figures show.

IMPORT AND EXPORT DUTIES.

It has been noted that the constitution of Brazil provides that after the year 1895 export duties shall cease. At the present time export duties are levied by the different States, for their own needs, at different rates, and by the Government in addition at a fixed rate. The Government rates were stated in 1889 by the director of statistics of the ministry of finance of Brazil, in a letter to the American minister, as follows:

Additional export duties by the States from which shipments are made, however, make them much higher. For instance, the whole duty upon rubber gum at the port of Pará, through which the product of the Amazonian region is shipped, is 21 per cent ad valorem. In Pernambuco the tax upon sugar in 1890 was 3 per cent and 5 cents per bag or barrel; upon hides, 20 per cent; goat and sheep skins, 10 per cent; half hides from other States, 25 per cent; dry salted hides, 3 per cent, etc. This was the State tax. The tax upon coffee by the different States varies, and is hard to determine; but with the addition of the Government 7 per cent it appears to vary from 11 to 16 per cent ad valorem. At Santos it is 14 per cent; cacao, 16; hides, 19; tobacco, 16; rubber, 14; Brazil wood, 23; and piassava, 20 per cent. The whole foreign trade of Rio Grande do Sul in 1887 was $3,288,248, nearly equally divided between imports and exports. The combined import and export duties were $1,362,810, or at the rate of over 41 per cent ad valo

rem.

By decree of the Provisional Government of Brazil, promulgated October 11, 1890, a scale of duties on imports was put in force which still continues, from which the following extracts are made relating to agricultural and kindred articles of present interest, viz:

Such in general Brazil appears to be, in its physical character and conditions, and in those governmental and other artificial characteristics which influence its relations to the world relative to surplus productions and demands upon those exterior to it. Yet, being in great part an undeveloped and superficially explored country, no judgment can be passed upon it which may not be subject to some modification as development proceeds. The soil and climate characteristics, however, remain constant, and carry their dependent general conditions with them. Brazil is mainly under tropical natural forces, and her productions of soil which shall yield the most profit with the least labor will naturally correspond; and no endeavors of her population as a whole will sensibly alter or extensively modify natural conditions.

On the other hand, with increase of population and social improvement, and of production suited to climate, the demand for products of other countries will steadily increase; and upon such interchange of dissimilar productions between dissimilar portions of the world, involving the least conflict of labor systems and activities, and hence the least interference of conservative regulations, depends the fairest profits upon exchange, combined with the mimimum cost to consumers.

CHILE.

The Republic of Chile lies along the southwestern coast of South America, reaching from Peru to the southern extremity of the continent, and includes the islands south of the Strait of Magellan, except a portion of Tierra del Fuego and States Island, and also includes a few islands west of the central coast line, among which are Easter Island and Juan Fernandez, of Robinson Crusoe fame. According to an official publication of the Chilean Government issued in 1888 the Republic extends from 17° 57' to 56° 35' south latitude, is 2,750 miles long and from 106 to 186 miles wide, and contains 290,834 square miles; being a little less in extent than the area embraced in Texas, New Mexico, and the Indian Territory. The situation of the country and its topographical features give it all the varieties of climate except the arctic, while the Andean and subsidiary ranges of mountains, running generally parallel with the length of the country, multiply the local diversities, but limit their extent. On the whole the climatic characteristics are favorable to health, and with irrigation to a rich and considerably varied agricultural production.

PROVINCES AND POPULATION.

According to the latest official statements of 1890 and to the Chilean census of 1885 the Republic is divided into twenty-three provinces and one territory, and these into seventy-two departments. The intendants administering in the former and the governors of the latter are appointed by the President. The departments are divided into townships according to population, and the magistrates of these are elected by direct vote of the people.

The last census, taken in November, 1885, gives the population as 2,525,819, in which the excess of females was about 10,000. The increase from the census of 1875 was at the rate of 17 per cent. The following statement shows the principal political divisions of the country, their capitals, and the population at that date:

It was estimated that fully 15 per cent of the population were not enumerated in the census returns, besides 50,000 Araucanian Indians, still considerably independent. With the addition of these the total population would amount to 2,954,691. About 35,000 Peruvians and 13,000 Bolivians have augmented the number of the population since the census of 1875, and there are about 37,000 people of other countries resident in Chile, including a thousand from the United States, making over 87,000 of foreign birth; and considerable colonization is constantly going on. Of the population nearly all are of European descent, or of mixed Caucasian and native Indian blood, there being no African element present.

TOPOGRAPHICAL FEATURES.

The Bulletin of the National Society of Agriculture of Chile for 1890 gives substantially the following description of the physical features of the country: The eastern side, throughout the most of its extent, runs up to the summit of the great Andean Range, which there divides Chile from the Argentine Republic and Bolivia; while to the west the Maritime or Coast Range, touching the coast at some points, follows the same general north and south course. Between these ranges the Central Valley of Chile extends from 33° to 41° 30' of south latitude, nearly 590 miles, and it is this valley which gives an agricultural character to the country and contains its most flourishing towns and cities.

The Andes is the most remarkable of the mountain chains, rising into peaks of 22,300 feet in height, covered with snow during three-fourths of the year, and presenting few practicable defiles. The coast mountains reach an elevation of little more than 11,000 feet at their highest, and the chain is broken, presenting openings through which several rivers rising in the Andes flow to the Pacific. This range has much gentler slopes than the former, and is crowned with forests. From 410 30′ the country changes its aspect, its valleys sink towards sea level,