their authority not be sufficient, they may ask for help from the office of the captain of the port. ART. 14. Captains of vessels in port are obliged to give each other all possible assistance in case of any serious accident of whatever nature. ART. 15. No vessel once anchored is allowed to change her anchor ground without previously asking for and obtaining permission from the captain of the port, who shall grant it when there is a just cause. ART. 16. No captain is allowed to overhaul his vessel inside the harbor without permission from the captain of the port, who shall point out the place where this operation is to be performed. ART. 17. It is absolutely forbidden to boil pitch, tar, or rosin on board of vessels lying in port. The captain of the port may give permission for such operations when needful, and designate in each case the place where they should be performed. ART. 18. Sailors on guard shall notify their chiefs immediately if they notice any removal of anchors or buoy ropes or robbery of goods or other effects on the wharves or on board of any vessel. ART. 19. It is not allowed to take ballast without permission of the captain of the port and previous to taking the precautions determined by law for such cases, so as not to obstruct the anchorage. ART. 20. Vessels which carry on board a fire engine must keep it in perfect condition and ready for use in case of need. ART. 21. No guns nor other arms shall be fired in the port without express permission of the captain of the port. ART. 22. Captains of vessels lying in the port are required to hoist their respective flags on Sundays and on all other holidays prescribed by the law. ART. 23. No vessel can leave the port after 6 p. m. without permission of the competent authorities. ART. 24. The entrance into the port must always be free to the vessels which enter and leave; consequently, it is strictly forbidden to anchor in a place which obstructs the traffic. ART. 25. Should a vessel, on leaving the port, cause any damage to another one, she is obliged to immediately drop her anchor and await the result of the summary investigation which shall be made as to the culpability of the case, in accordance with the maritime laws; and should she continue her voyage before the judgment of the captain of the port, in the terms prescribed, she will be held culpable, guilty and confessed, and absolutely responsible for the damage done. But should the investigation be protracted on account of the circumstances of the case, she may leave the place, giving bail satisfactory to the captain of the port to answer for all damages and fines. ART. 26. For loading and discharging, the following order shall be observed: The vessel which enters port first (without exception of flag) shall discharge first, and the others successively in order of entry; and for loading, the one which finishes unloading first shall be the first to commence, and the same order shall be continued, provided, however, that the wharves are not occupied by vessels unloading, as this last operation has the preference. Steamers shall have preference over sailing vessels in both cases, and postal steamers over all others. ART. 27. A vessel which enters in a damaged condition and requires to be unloaded at once shall be attended to with due regard to the urgency of the case. ART. 28. Vessels anchored in the bay which need to send a boat on shore or vice versa after 6 p. m. shall provide such craft with a light. ART. 29. Owners and consignees of goods can not leave on the wharves mer chandise of any kind without previous permission of the collector of the customhouse and captain of the port, with exception of mineral coal, which may remain on the place designated for that purpose. ART. 30. No captain shall admit on board of his vessel sailors enlisted in the service of other vessels and who have received their pay in advance. ART. 31. Captains of foreign vessels are not allowed to discharge men of their crew except for justified reason and always subject to the consent of the captain of the port. ART. 32. The difficulties which may arise on board of the vessels lying in this port from collection of wages, illtreatment, or other causes, shall be adjusted before the captain of the port, to whom the interested party shall apply at any hour day or night, according to the gravity of the case. ART. 33. All officials of the wharves, revenue officers, or inspectors in the service of the National Government shall strictly enforce the orders of the captain of the port as expressed in these regulations. ART. 34. The failure to comply with any of the instructions to which this regulation alludes, and which does not call for any other proceeding, shall render offenders liable to fines of from 100 to 200 bolivars or to arrest and imprisonment in the public jail in accordance with the law, according to the judgment of the captain of the port. ART. 35. The fines alluded to in the preceding article shall be paid to the treasury of the custom-house by order of the collector of said office. ART. 36. Captains, owners, or consignees of national and foreign vessels which anchor in this port, as also masters of canoes, lighters, boats, and craft of all descriptions, are obliged to provide themselves with a printed copy of these regulations, so that they may not allege ignorance of the duties imposed upon them. The cost of the regulations shall be 2 bolivars each copy, which shall be applied to the printing of same. ART. 37. Against all the decisions of the captain of the port which refer to the fines mentioned in article 34 of these regulations, an appeal can be made to the Ministry of War and Marine. ART. 38. The harbor regulations enacted by this office under date of March 31, 1875, are hereby annulled, and the present ones shall enter into force from the date of proclamation. NOTE.-Special attention of the captains of vessels which enter into this port is called to the three buoys placed to protect the submarine cable existing between this port and that of La Guayra; they are placed in a parallel line with the coast to the south, at an approximate distance of 400 meters from the point called “La Garita," in the direction towards the Island of Goaiguaza. These buoys are painted red and are of ellipsoid form, crowned by a visible point, formed with the letters C. F. IMPORTS OF PARAGUAY. I give below a list of the chief imports of this country in 1898. These articles are the only ones worth the attention of our exporters, as the others are imported in quantities too insignificant to justify inquiry. The 1898 report not being published, the following list of imports was copied by me from the custom-house books. Cotton goods, printed and white for dresses, undershirts, oxford drill, laces, satinets, and other similar things...... ......kilograms... Ladies' cotton goods, called cambrics, batiste, muslin, crape, and other similar goods...... .kilograms.... 1,725 5,175.00 ............dozen... Beaver hats and hats of hare and rabbits and of wool, down to ordinary, dozen....... Fine hats of the above materials.. Mercery. Lace of cotton, wool, or mixed, imitation valenciana or crochet..kilograms... ....dozen... NOTE.-Great quantities of Florida water formerly came from the United States, but now it comes principally from Germany, which falsifies the article. NOTE.-Many come in with revolvers on their persons, which escape duty. Ready-made articles. Empty bags of cloth........ ..kilograms... Cotton undershirts with long sleeves, down to ordinaries.....................do....... NOTE. All of the above articles came in last year free-i. e., all under the head "without tax or duty." I am told that the importations are much larger than officially given, because of smuggling. It will be seen that cotton goods have the largest sale, amounting to nearly $1,000,000 gold. I would advise our exporters to send representatives with samples, and to sell goods at reduced prices for the purpose of introduction. It is not necessary to praise or describe them as American goods, but put them on their own merits. Give a responsible house the exclusive agency and grant the customary six months' credit. JOHN N. RUFFIN, ASUNCION, May 1, 1899. Consul. SUGAR IN PARAGUAY. Vice-Consul Harrison, of Asuncion, writes, under date of May 17, 1899: Sugar cane is being cultivated in Paraguay to a larger extent than ever before, and is proving profitable. Each cane is about 2 inches in diameter and 6 to 8 feet high. One ton of sugar cane will give 35 to 40 gallons of juice, and each gallon of juice 1% pounds of sugar. The cane grown here is of a good class and makes fine sugar and rum. There is only one sugar mill in the whole country, and this can not supply the demand. The importation of sugar into the country is very large, most of it coming from France. The sugar made in the country is selling at a very high price, and with American mills and skilled labor the quality could be improved to great advantage. Common labor is cheap, but skilled workmen are not procurable in the country. The following is an estimate of the cost of a sugar plantation in Paraguay-capital, $138,000: 5 miles of plantation railway, 2 engines, and 50 trucks....... 22, 000 Machinery, plants, tools, etc..... 26, 860 I steam launch and 2 barges.... Distilling apparatus...................... I steamer wharf and deposits.... 3, 600 I, 500 15,000 |