TRADE AND INDUSTRY.
553
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
