demand for that particular one. The shipping charges are always the same. White being valued at 12 rials, and brown at 8 rials per arobe. What will 42 bbls. of white Havana sugar come to, weighing gross 415 Ar. 18 lbs. Tare and tret on the whole 858 lbs. at 26 rials per arobe? The current money is the Spanish dollar and its parts of ,, and, under their Spanish names. There is often a premium of 10 to 15 per cent. on the doubloon of $16, nominal value. ST. THOMAS. Merchants generally state their accounts with the Americans in dollars and cents-but the currency consists of real and imaginary moneys. The real are stivers, bits and twobit pieces. The doubloon with the parts, viz., 1, §, and‰. The stiver is a brass coin, of which there are 75 to a dollar. The bit is a coin, part silver and part brass, and equal in value to 5 stivers. The two-bit piece is of the same metal, twice as large and double in value to the other. The doubloon goes by weight and passes for $16, if it weighs a Spanish dollar. The parts of the doubloon pass at the nom inal value. ST. MARTIN'S. On the French or south side of the island, the government standard of France is the money of account; but sales are frequently made for dollars, which have to each, 8 bits, of 6 stivers each. Four twenty cent pieces with heads pass for a dollar, giving only eighty cents to the dollar. On the Dutch side, 6 stivers make a bit, 8 bits are called a piece of Eight-12 bits make a current dollar—15 bits make a Spanish dollar. There are small pieces of silver, or 5, 6, 9, and 10 stiver pieces. The value of the doubloon depends on the plenty or scarcity of money. It is generally at 19 to 20 dollars. The English measures are used in buying and selling on both sides of the island. The Dutch 100 lbs = = 110 lbs. English. ST. EUSTATIA. This place has the same currency as the Dutch side of St. Martins. BRAZIL-RIO JANEIRO. The standard or par value of a Spanish dollar was formerly considered at 800 reïs, but it is now enhanced by Government to 960 reis, by the coinage of the dollar bearing that value in Bank Paper. The quintal is 4 arobes of 32 lbs. each, 100 lbs. lbs. Eng. = 1021 The Vara is 43 inches, the Covado 26 inches. 180 Medidas 140 gallons, 12 alquiers 13 W. bushels. Sugars. The best sugars are those which come earliest to market. Age makes a material alteration in the quality by rendering them damp, and destroying the crystallization. The crop generally begins to appear in October, and by February following it is nearly all brought in. Coffee. The greater part of the crop is exported from July to December, during which period, the quality is better than that which comes to market in other months. Coffee embarked on board vessels partly laden, generally loses colour. When vessels are entirely full, this complaint is seldom made. The custom of this port is, that the expense of landing and taking in cargo on freight, is payable by the vessel, unless expressly stipulated to the contrary in the bills of lading, or by special contract. Hard Spanish dollars should be expressed in contracts for freight, when that coin is bargained for; and the vague expression of $ must be avoided, as it leads to many disputes. No vessel should be chartered to this place, having less than thirty working lay-days, exclusive of Sundays and holydays, and those carrying 1000 barrels or upwards should in no case have less than 60 lay-days. 500 hides of 28 lb. each, purchased here, cost on board Reis 2277,795, which amount, with 23 per cent. commission for endorsing and negotiating the bill, was drawn for on London at 50d. for 1000 reis. The remittance from the United States to meet this sum being made, when bills on London were at $4,2% per £. Required the actual cost in the United States of the hides per lb. on board at Rio Janeiro. 100 100—2,50—97,50 100 :: 2277,795 : 2336,200 ARBITRATION OF EXCHANGE. When the rates of exchange between several countries in succession are given, to find the rate of exchange between the first and last place in the correspondence. RULE. Find by proportion the value of the sum originally remitted in the different moneys of the countries through which it passes according to the rates of the different exchanges, and so proceed till the whole is finished. Or, Multiply all the first terms of the different statings together for a divisor, and the second terms, together with the sum remitted, for a dividend, and the quotient is the amount received in the denomination of the last place in the correspondence; from this result the rate of exchange is readily found by proportion. EXAMPLES. 1. A merchant in London has credit for 500 piastres in Leghorn for which he can draw directly at 52d. sterling per piastre, but choosing to have it remitted by a circular rout, they are sent, by his order, to Venice at 95 piastres for 100 ducats banco; from thence to Cadiz at 350 maravadies per ducat banco; from thence to Lisbon at 630 reas per piastre of 272 maravadies; from thence to Amsterdam at 48d. Flemish for 400 reas; from thence to Paris at 54d. Flemish per crown; and from thence to London at 30d. sterling per crown: What is the arbitrated price between London and Leghorn per piastre, and what is gained or lost by this circular remittance, without reckoning expenses? piast. d. ban 95 : 100 d. b. :: piast. : 1 : 350 mar. 272 reas. : 630 :: 1842101 :: 526% : mar : The calculation may be abridged by omitting such antecedents and consequents as are alike, and reducing such as admit of a common measure, to the lowest term, as in vulgar fractions. The demand may be placed at the bottom instead of the top as above: The result would be the same. Amount received by circular remittance 500 piastres at 52d. £ s. d. 118 10 41 108 6 8 Gained by circular remittance Ans. £10 3 81 5617770. Arbitrated value of a piastre by ditto "It is very easy to fancy problems and theories in Compound Arbitration, where great advantages might be made by numerous combinations of exchange, but seldom does any opportunity occur in practice of realizing such speculations. On the contrary, men of experience are satisfied with combining the exchanges of three places only, and there are few instances of the kind that will not afford room for a reasonable profit." Comparative values of English, French, Spanish, and United States' Coins. The fineness of English and United States' gold being 22 carats, or 1, an ounce of it must contain 440 grains pure and 40 grains alloy; and it is minted into £3 17s. 101d. or 934 pence: therefore, as 934.5d.: 240d. :: 440: 113.0016 grains, the weight of pure gold in one pound sterling or gold sovereign. The United States' gold eagle contains 247 grains pure and 221 grains alloy; therefore, as 113.0016: 247.5 :: 240d, |