A.—6

32

The imports for the year (see Table III.) were only £16,249, showing an apparent falling-off of £7,868 as compared with those of the previous year, 1891. This is attributed to various causes, the chief being the heavy stocks of goods in hand at the end of the year 1891 and the very light stocks now held. This view is supported by a comparison of the imports during the December half-year of 1891, which were £13,568, with those for the corresponding half-year of 1892, £7,998. The falling-off was chiefly in clothing, piece-goods, provisions, hardware, and lumber, all of which are now very lightly held. The exports supply the almost sole purchasing-power of the islands, and so long as they flourish the imports must on the whole keep pace with them. In connection with this subject, it is also to be observed that vessels have, during 1892, been purchased and paid for by the Natives, and other expenditure has been incurred, which must be met from the proceeds of the exports, though the official statement of imports is not swelled thereby. The imports for 1892 were received as follows : From New Zealand, £10,995 ; from Tahiti, £5,254. The chief imports from Tahiti were : Clothing, £238; piece-goods, £2,357; provisions, £337 ; breadstuffs, £502 ; groceries, £252 ; timber, £194 ; hardware, £373 ; tobacco, £132. The falling-off in the imports has been proportionally much larger with the imports from Tahiti than with those from New Zealand. The figures are as follows : Imported for December half-year : From New Zealand, 1891, £7,806 ; 1892, £5,293. From Tahiti, 1891, £5,762 ; 1892, £2,705. While for the whole year 1892 the imports from Tahiti were only £5,254, which is more than £500 less than those for the closing half-year only of 1891, the imports from New Zealand, on the other hand, for the whole year 1892 were £10,995, against £7,806 for the closing half-year of 1891. In connection with the imports, I may observe that the timber trade was at one time of considerable extent, and large quantities of kauri were sent from Auckland to Earotonga, whence it was distributed to other islands. This trade has been lost through the bad quality of the kauri timber occasionally sent. The other islands are now supplied with Californian timber from Tahiti, which was imported to the value of £5,260 during the year 1891. In the same way Tahiti, during 1891, imported fifteen thousand two hundred and thirty-one pounds' worth of flour and breadstuffs, from which it supplies the other islands. The New Zealand flour has not been equal to the Californian, but the biscuits are good and are obtaining a good name, which a few shipments of bad quality would soon lose. In salted and preserved meats and provisions of all kinds the superiority of New Zealand is undoubted, but the trade in these articles is also being pushed in the Islands from California, and none but really good sound provisions should be sent. The Natives in all the islands use large quantities of tobacco, but prefer a strong, rank-flavoured kind, which they grow partly for themselves, and for the supply of which they all trust chiefly to Tahiti, where it is grown in considerable quantities. The postal-rates charged at the post-offices in the Cook Islands are as follows: Within the Federation—Letters, 1-Jd. per half-ounce or fraction of half-ounce; if unclosed, Id. per ounce or fraction of an ounce. Post-cards, Id. each. Newspapers, free. Beyond the Federation—Letters to all countries, a uniform rate of 2-J-d. per half-ounce or fraction of a half-ounce. Newspapers, Id. each. The postages are to be paid in English money, but Postmasters are authorised to receive Chilian money at 2s. 6d. to the dollar if English money is not to be obtained. The stamps at present in use are Id., ljd., 2d., and 10d., with post-cards Id., but a new issue is to take place in April next. The denominations will be the same, with an addition of a stamp atsd. The trade in postagestamps has become so wide that this information seems to me worth inserting in a trade report from these islands. I should like to have been able to add some information as to the import and export of specie (Chilian dollars) in the Cook Islands, but the only figures available are not complete, and would not be reliable. They show an import of $5,613, against an export of $8,733. This would leave a balance of export to the extent of $3,120. Considering that the exports of produce so largely exceed the imports for 1892, this additional export of coin is not likely to be correct. Feedeeick J. Moss, British Eesident.

Table I.—Shipping and Navigation. Report of all Shipping at the Port of Rarotonga, Cook Islands, during the Year ending 31st December, 1892.

Nationality. No. Sailing. Tonnage. Sailing. Steam. Men-of-war. Total. No. Tonnage. No. Tonnage. No. Tonnage. 3ritish French American ... Native 39 3 8 29 3,190 180 336 1,626 Inivards. 15 9,420 1 2,380 55 3 8 29 14,990 180 336 1,626 Total 79 5,332 15 9,420 1 2,380 95 17,132 British French Lmerican ... Native 37 2 7 31 3,035 120 294 1,728 Outwards. 15 9,420 1 2,380 53 2 7 31 14,835 120 294 1,728 Total 77 5,177 15 9,420 2,380 93 16,977