No. 14.
Mr. Bartlett to Mr. Seward.
St. Pierre, November 4, 1877. (Received December 13.)
Sir: I beg to bring to your notice a few facts which relate to the trade between Martinique and the United States, and to state the means by which export of several articles from the United States to Martinique might, in my opinion, be increased.
steam coal.
There are about 50,000 to 60,000 tons of coal imported to this island per annum, of which the French Transatlantic Steamship Company uses from 30,000 to 40,000 tons per annum. This coal has been imported from Europe previous to this year, but in January last I sent a circular (which I had received from a Philadelphia coal company) to the agent of the steamship company at Fort de France, and in a short time he ordered a small cargo of coal for trial; but, on not finding it sufficient, he ordered 1,000 tons more, and he informed me a short time since that he liked the coal so well that he had ordered about 10,000 tons more. I am, therefore, led to believe (as this branch of trade has been fairly started) that it will continue to increase.
furniture.
There has been formerly imported to this island a small amount of American furniture, which is much cheaper than any made here, and in my opinion is better styled than the French furniture, owing to which facts two more firms have commenced importing American furniture largely during the past year, to whom I have given all the information that I could on the subject.
agricultural implements.
Formerly articles of this description have been mostly imported from France, but lately quite an amount has been imported from the United States, and which on being used have been much liked, owing perhaps partly to the fact that they are cheaper than those of French manufacture.
carriages.
Ten years since there was scarcely a carriage in Martinique; but since the number of them has been constantly increasing, and for the [Page 38] past two years the number of carriages imported has been nearly doubled, and at present a large number of merchants (and many others) keep a carriage. Nearly all the carriages in Martinique are of American manufacture; in fact there are a very few French carriages in use.
cotton goods.
This branch of business should (in my opinion) be carried on with the United States, for, if I am correctly informed, this class of goods can be obtained cheaper in the United States than in France, although I am not well posted on this subject. A few months ago a gentleman from Dominica informed me that one year since he had ordered from the United States £500 sterling worth of cotton goods as a trial, and that he got them cheaper than he could have in England, but it took a long time—four or five months—to obtain them, and that the freight was much more than it would have been from England, and that from England he could have obtained them in six weeks.
The prejudices of the people of this island against articles of American manufacture are to some extent (and steadily) being overcome.
means of communication.
The means of communication between Martinique and the United States are very bad. Passengers to and from the United States have to go via Saint Thomas and Havana, or Saint Thomas, Bermuda, and Halifax, with a fair prospect of the steamers not connecting (and which is very expensive) or by sailing-vessels, which is very tedious, as it takes a long time—say fifteen to thirty days. The most convenient mode of communication with the United States is by sailing-vessel for mail or passengers. Since February, 1876, there has been but one merchant who has gone to the United States (inclosed please find a list of the cargo which he bought while there), while nearly all of the leading merchants go to France once a year. An answer to a letter to France can be obtained in one month and four days, whereas it takes about three months to obtain an answer to a letter to the United States, which is a very great disadvantage to trade between Martinique and the United States, as telegraphic communication is too expensive to be used on all occasions.
Steam communication between Martinique, Guadaloupe, and the United States is badly wanted, and would be the means of greatly increasing the trade of the United States with the Windward West India Islands, for which we think there is ample room, but to do which a quicker and more certain means of communication than any in existence must be had, or, in other words, steamships.
If there could be two steamships (of about one thousand tons each) come here semi monthly, touching at Point-a-Pitre, Guadaloupe, it would greatly help American commerce, as passengers, freight, and mail from Trinidad, Grenada, Sta. Lucía, St. Vincent, Barbadoes, and Dominica for the United States would center here, as there are small sailing packets constantly running between all of these islands and Martinique, and a large number of passengers come from these islands (at present) to obtain a passage to the United States. Sailing-vessels can generally lay their course to the southern end of Barbadoes, it being southeast, and the wind being generally east-northeast, but sometimes they have to make one or two tacks, and these vessels can generally lay their courses to and from the other above-mentioned islands. The passengers, mail, and [Page 39] freight coining to Point-a-Pitre, Guadaloupe, for shipping would be from St. Christopher, Montserrat, Nevis, Antigua, St. Bartholomew, St. Martin, &c.
Fort de France, Martinique, is one of the best harbors, and has the best dry-dock in the West Indies, and the large steamers of the French Transatlantic Steamship Company take in coal while lying at the wharf.
Sugar is manufactured here the year around, so that if there was no other freight a sugar freight for a steamer of a small size could be obtained at almost any time for the United States.
One other advantage would appear to be, that merchants would go to the United States, and while there would buy many articles which are now obtained from France, as you can see what this one merchant (before mentioned) bought by going himself; and again if small lots of goods were ordered they would come by steamers, and by so doing save time, as those who ship cargoes by sailing-vessels do not like to take freight from other parties who would ship by steamer at less rates, as she would bring freight for any one. I believe that, if our government would pay liberally for carrying the United States mail between here, touching at Point-a-Pitre, Guadaloupe, and the United States, the Government of Martinique would also be liberal, as I have talked with a number of persons on this subject, and probably the Government of Guadaloupe would do something as well, if it were rightly managed and made to appear to them that they would be gainers by the project.
In case that these benefits were offered I think that there would be no difficulty in finding parties who would be willing to run the steamers.
I am, &c.,
Consul.