COMMERCE
189
The principal imports are textile fabrics, dress, &c,, 4,598,682/. ; and food, drinks, &c., 3,817,828/. in 1897.
The trade of the Cape (excluding specie) was distributed as follows during the last four years : —
—
1894
1895
1896
1897
United King- / Imports from
dom \ Exports to .
British Pos- / Imports from
sessions \ Exports to .
Foreign i Imports from
Countries \ Exports to .
£
8,877,632
13,352,658
605,674
56,110
1,815,339
287,770
£
10,427,201
16,316,001
736,584
68,011
2,448,620
414,125
£
12,807,332
16,404,464
811,171
86,636
4,316,536
460,738
£
12,839,271
19,019,161
883,233
83,844
4,209,374
333,799
The value of the imports (of merchandise) and exports (colonial), ex- cluding diamonds sent through by post office, at the leading ports has been as follows : —
—
Cape Town
Port Nollotli
Port Eliza- beth
East London
Mossel Bay
,j,Q7 \ Imports . ^^^' } Exports .
£ 3,343,105 8,304,897 4,457,126 8,672,837 5,149,824 11,319,159
£
21,847 246,723
36,007 218,463
24,342 300,783
£ 6,790,963 2,020,467
8,677,780 1,921,394 7,877,481 1,949,878
£ 2,890,021
755,399 3,456,569
851,436 3,121,270
817,368
£ 162,712 145,258 203,075 181,133 220,430 146,702
The value of the trade (excluding diamonds, bullion, and specie) with the United Kingdom, during five years is returned by the Board of Trade as follows : —
—
1893
1894
1895 1896
1897
Imports into U. K,
from Colony Exports of British
produce to Colony
£ 4,799,748 7,249,530
£ 4,301,521 6,978,128
£
4,709,259 9,016,997
£
4,460,317
10,687,173
£ 4,195,741 9,976,849
In the last five years the imports of wool — sheep and goats' — into the United Kingdom from Cape Colony were as follows : —
—
1893
1894
lt95
1896
1897
Quantities Value
lbs. 74,858,363
£ 3,105,517
lbs. 64,290,619
£ 2,613,438
lbs. 70,494,420
£ 2,915,041
lbs. 79,716,185
£ 2,824,243
lbs. 69,921,750
£ 2,484,313
Among the minor imports into Great Britain from the colony in 1897 were copper ore, of the value of 314,418/. ; feathers, chiefly ostrich, of the Value of 569,538/. ; and skins and hides, of the value of 743,790/. The
