53 2

COSTA RICA.

Licences

Church funds consolidated Bullion office and mint Sale of beer Fines on cattle Public lands and titles Miscellaneous receipts Proceeds of loans

Total . Expenditure of 1867-

Government and legislature Courts of Justice ....

"War department ....

Public works department Custom-house and Government offices . Diplomatic and consular bodies . Ecclesiastical salaries .... Public instruction .... Collection of monopolies Interest and liquidation of internal debt Cost of Government brewery Advances made to merchants Municipal expenses Payments to State contractors

Total

Dollars

11,861

11,740

144,83-1

4,714

845

7,275

119,747

1(14,440

Cents 45 93 88 21 62 98 66

1.501,785

94

£300,357

Dollars

Cents

111,717

78

46,251

72

131,547

54

199,116

23

525,950

49

12,956

83

15,416

69

10,260

244,623

27

91,890

1

7.557

89

8.612

80,182

79

108,344

1,594,427 £318,885

40

Costa Eica lias a small foreign debt, amounting to 104,500 dollars, or 20,900/., owing to Peru. All the other liabilities of the state, representing a total of nearly 3,000,000 dollars, or 600,000/., are internal. During the years 1867-69, steps were taken for the liquidation of the public debt.

The area of the republic is calculated to embrace 26,040 English square miles, including some disputed territories on the northern frontier. The population, in a government estimate of the year 1860, is returned at 126,750; but in another semi-official state- ment — in 'Moniteur Universel ' of December 17, 1865 — given as numbering 120,499 souls. Nearly one-third of the inhabitants are aborigines, or ' Indians,' while another third have sprung from a mixture of races. There are also about one thousand free negroes. The population of European descent, many of them pure Spanish blood, dwell mostly in a small district on the Rio Grande, around and not far off the capital of the republic, the city of San Jose.

Costa Kica carries on a considerable trade, chiefly with Great Britain. The value of the total imports and exports in the five

years 1864-68 amounted to : —