The Californians are an idle, thriftless people, and can make
nothing for themselves. The country abounds in grapes, yet they buy
bad wines made in Boston and brought round by us, at an immense price,
and retail it among themselves at a real (12 1/2 cents) by the small
wine-glass. Their hides, too, which they value at two dollars in
money, they give for something which costs seventy-five cents in
Boston; and buy shoes (like as not, made of their own hides, and which
have been carried twice around Cape Horn) at three or four dollars,
and "chicken-skin" boots at fifteen dollars apiece. Things sell, on an
average, at an advance of nearly three hundred per cent upon the
Boston prices. This is partly owing to the heavy duties which the
government, in their wisdom, with the intent, no doubt, of keeping the
silver in the country, has laid upon imports. These duties, and the
enormous expenses of so long a voyage, keep all merchants, but those
of heavy capital, from engaging in the trade. Nearly two-thirds of all
the articles imported into the country from round Cape Horn, for the
last six years, have been by the single house of Bryant, Sturgis &
Co.
Pages:
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137