Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/383

 GUIANA, BRITISH 331

L6.216 oz. valued at 59,8012. were produced. Id the period 1901-2 to L919 the diamonds won amounted to 174,228 carats, valued at 384,8902.; n the year 1919, 16.706J carats, valued at 95,7102. Deposits of manganese )re and mica have been found, and oil is also believed to exist. There are huge deposits of bauxite (the ore of aluminium) which are being geo- logically examined by the Government. Investigations of the enormous ivaterpower resources of the Colony are al>o being carried out.

-

1913 1916 (pre-war)

1917

£

3,8- ." 3.524,798

1919

Imports 1. Exports 1.

£ £

1,694.155 2,471,944 2,193,120 ( 3,758,066

I 3,271,017 4,315,939

£ 3,590,812 4,240,832

1 Including bullion and specie; and transit trade, amounting to 82,7261. in 1913, J8J.370/. in 191C, 365,300/. in 1917, 441.6071. in 1918., 315,4321. in 1919.

Chief imports (1919) : Flour, 426,3862. ; textiles manufactured, 356,7712. ; tobacco, cigars and cigarettes, 67,9302. ; machinery, 348,6452. ; manures, 202,7862.; fish, 118,1732. ; coal, 40,9162.; hardware, implements, ind tools, 61,0692. ; oils, 110,6962. ; beef and pork (pickled or salted), 58,1262. ; lumber, 72,0452.; beer and ale, 13,7552.; spirits, 27,2462.; boots and shoes, 81,6652.: bntter, 28,6582. Chief domestic exports (1919): Sugar (83,140 tons), 2,475,6602. ; rum (4,342,769 proof gallons), 491,3502. ; balata, 205,093/. ; charcoal, 8,6602. ; timber', 14,5432. ; rice (15,551,090 lb.), 198,2262. : diamonds (rough), 83,6502.

The value of imports and exports is in general determined by declarations, subject to acrutiny. The value* are accurate so far as they relate to imports subject to ad valorem duty; in other cases they are not so reliable. Quantities arc ascertained by the Cus- toms officers. The countries recorded as those of consignment or destination are those disclosed by declarations or shipping documents, and may not be the countries of origin of imports or ultimate destination of exports.

Imports (exclusive of transhipments) from United Kingdom (1919), 1,102,7512. ; from Canada. 719,7752. ; from United Statts, 1,234,8342. Exports (exclusive of transhipments), United Kingdom, 1,333,5472. ; to Canada, 1,635,5162. ; United States, 142,8202.

In 1919, 3,428 vessels, with a total tonnage of 711,518, entered and cleared (in 1917, 4,775 vessels of 682,906 tons), mainly British and Dutch. The registered vessels in 1919 were 17 steamers of 1,358 tons, and 18 sailing vessels of 1,308 tons.

Railways, 97£ miles ol various gauges : 4tt. b*£in., 3ft. 6m., and 3 ft.3J in. ; 450 miles river navigation ; 39 miles of canals ; 322 miles of good roads. A Government survey party is now engaged (1919) on a topographical and economic survey of the country between the Rupununi, jSavannah and the Berbicc and Demerara Rivers — a route along which it was contemplated before the war to run a railway. There are 75 post-offices, of which 45 are telegraph offices, 50 money order offices, 51 savings banks, and 9 travelling post offices. There are about 573 miles of post-office tele- graphs and cables, and a telephone exchange in Georgetown and New Amsterdam having (1916-17) 1,790 miles of aerial wire, and 5 J miles of cables, with 800 subscribers ; 100 miles of land line are also maintained for railway, telephones, and signals.

Accounts are kept in dollars and cents, the dollar being equal to 45. 2d. In circulation are British gold, silver and bronze coin, with some silver 'bits,' — fourpenny pieces — local coins. Notes are issued by the Royal Bank of Canada and Colonial Bank in denominations of 5, 20, and 100