TRADE AND INDUSTRY.

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and of the imports of British and Irish produce and manufactures into Peru in each of the five years, 186-4 to 1868 : —

Exports from Peru

Imports of

to

British Home Produce

Great Britain

into Peru

£

£

1865

4,002,150

1,185,756

1866

3,022,017

1,355,960

1867

3,701,362

1,422,112

1868

3,400.026

1,132,363

1869

3,992,472

1,383,238

The staple article of export from Peru to the United Kingdom is guano, to the value of from 1,000,000/. to above 2,000,000/. In 1864, the exports of guano to Great Britain amounted to 113,086 tons, valued at 1,357,032/. ; in 1865 to 210,784 tons, valued at 2,529,408/.; in 1866, to 109,142 tons, valued at 1,309,704/.; in 1867, to 164,112 tons, valued at 1,996,344/.; and in 1869 to 155,766 tons, valued at 1,890,219/. Among the other articles ot export are sheep and alpaca wool, and nitre, each averaging 300,000/. per annum in value. Cotton and woollen manufactures are the principal British imports into Peru.

The chief wealth of Peru consists in the immense deposits of guano on the islands belonging to the republic, particularly the Chincha, Maccabi, and Guanape Islands.

The subjoined table shows the nationality and tonnage of vessels which sailed with cargoes of guano from these islands in the years 1864 to 1866 :

Nationality of Vessels

1864

1865

1866

Tons

Tons

Tons

Great Britain .

129,852

126,289

74,851

Netherlands

675

4,370

3,025

Belgium ....

51,362

35,480

68,907

France ....

41,561

40,953

61,711

Germany ....

49,584

82,090

46,810

Spain ....

8,509

19,283

32,785

Portugal ....

—

403

7,7ol

Italv

8,508

3,210

1.738

United States .

—

. 7,707

44,242

Mauritius ....

894

—

7,751

Other English Colonies

3,240

—

269

Havanna ....

196

3,481

—

China .... Total .

—

250

1,834

294,381

323,516

351,674