The Commercial Agency of the United States of America at San Andres, United States of Colombia December 31, 1873 CHANGES SOCIAL AND COMMERCIAL The social and commercial changes on the island from the year 1850 to this epoch have been marvelously great. At that time, Slavery existed and cotton was cultivated by slave labor. Some straggling coconut trees were in existence from which coconut oil was made and some tortoise shell was also taken. These were exchanged for clothing and other necessaries by the slave holders who were themselves comparatively poor, living mostly in houses thatched with grass and wattled with sticks,wwith two trading vessels from Jamaica, money being seldom seen, none be- ing in regular circulation. As for the slaves and their children, I cannot conceive how they p cenmo enc Once ives novi rue): could have subsisted otherwise than by stealing from their owners that which however w: no allowance either of clothing or food from their owners and s_the work of their own hands, for they had were only allowed one Saturday per fortnight and every Sunday to cultivate a piece of land lent to them from the products of which they were expected to provide food and clothing for themselves and their children, the cultivation of cotton for themselves being prohibited at that. In those days, the slave adult or child would bow low and with a profusion of "tanki maas. 's", would pick up a five-cent piece ifLIVINGSTON LETTER cont'd. PAGE 2 thrown to him and would be on hand in what was called "his time" to work for his owner or any other person for a small remunera- tion in clothing, soap, slat or tobacco. At that time the schooners regular visited the island from Ja- maica which supplied clothing and other necessaries and took away the cotton, coconut oil and tortoise shell. A brig owned by Messrs. Henry and David who resided at Salt Creek, I believe, being one ofi'the company which went regularly to San Juan del Norte and Salt Creek which latter place is situated quite near to the place called Port Lemon, from New York occasionally touched at the island to barter merchandise for cotton and tor- toise shell. A New Granada packet schooner brought the mai from Cartagena once a month and vended anesade, sugar,: tobacco, etc. receiving tortoise shell in return. THE CULTIVATION OF COCONUTS ON SAN ANDRES ISLAND It was about the year 1850 that the attention of five or six slave holders were turned to planting coconuts and before the emancipation of their slaves they had secured large coconut groves which is now the support of their offspring in easy cir- cumstances, who would otherwise be destitute. The emancipation came off in the year 1853, Thrift was soon manifested among the emancipated part of the population. Lands were purchased and cleared, the timbers felled and coconuts planted and, by the time 1856 had dawned upon San Andres, it had become a coconut country.LIWINGSTON LETTER PAGE 3 American vessels had become regular traders and the former slave, the present principal controller of the commerce. Coconuts at that time fetched eight dollars per thousand and the people,viewing it in the light of great favor from God, were thankful and quite satisfied with the price, not expect- ing or anticipating any increase in that department. The Amer- ican vessels were regular traders but none could load up at this place alone. A CONTRAST Rather unusually, the price of the article kept pace with the increase of the article, the price advancing first to ten dol- lars, then to twelve, til by the year 1855, it was commanding sixteen dollars per thousand and one hundred and fifty thousand could be furnished per month. The people now would complain that coconuts were bringing nothing if they fell to fifteen dol- lars, showing also the usual increase of covetousness with the increase of prosperity. The price of coconuts is now twenty-five dollars, occasionally run up to thirty and even thirty-five and more than two hundred and fifty thousand are furnished per month. Four American schooners are regular traders whilst others came from San Blas to fill up. One barque and two schooners under the English flag, "whitewashed Yankees", are regular traders and others un- der the same flag came to fill up or load for the Costa Rica Railroad Company who have established a large store here. Said railroad company have a steamer that comes here occasionally from Port Lemon.LIVINGSTON LETTER PAGE 4 The controllers of the commerce of the island are principally those who used to be slaves or their posterity. Their houses are now all shingled, boarded round and painted, much nicer and more expensive than their owners' houses were. Money is plentiful and the persons who in 1850 would bow low to the earth to pick up a five-cent piece and who were wont to utter their plaintive "ha de maasa" with naught but tatters to don on any occasion are to be seen in broadcloth, muslins, costly fashionably dressed hats and go on board the vessels to order their boats to be sent for their coconuts and to order goods brought for them from the United States.Whilst the captains called these people "niger" or "orangutang" in their absence they are highly flattered by them in’their presence, which makes them conceive themselves to be as of as much importance as emperors or caesars. They know or own no distinction what- ever among the whole race of man on earth, will not hi selves to be cooks or helps lest it derogate from their gentle- man or ladyship and the offspring of their former owners have_ to beg and wait as well as pay to get their coconuts prepared for shipment, aré obliged to carry loads on their head and do all kinds of work for themselves. Bone and sinew is the capital to bring in wealth here, It is King Coconut that reigns and he that furbishes a goodly supply that receives deference and whilst an attempt to depreciate the price of coconuts below twenty-five dollars per thousand would bring the trader the wrath of the holders, and the threat to feed his ine with their nuts again, the opportunity arising out of four or five vessels being here to load to get the priceLIVINGSTON LETTER PAGE S up to thirty or thirty-five dollars, causeg an excitement proximating to electioneering in the United States among those stable growers and vendors of the nectar of the coconut palm tree, Oranges and other tropical fruits about, cassada, starch, pimiento and tortoise shell are shipped and these may rise and fall in price without creating a sensation but one unfavorable to coconuts range will change the pleasant smiling sable visage to that contraction of brow and that defiant expression of countenance which have, I have been credibly informed, at least in one instance, caused those limped drops to flow from the fountain, which is an indication of despair. W What change in a quarter century! Commercially and socially, we see the wheel of destiny surely be in that time turned, Almighty God, by thee. Those state first founded by the firm decree, will by thy power achieve their destiny. United let them always still remain. At war let them be never seen again. Given under my hand and the seal of this commercial agency at San Andres, the thirty-first day of December of 0873. PHILLIP BEEKMAN LIVINGSTON UNITED STATES V, COMMERCIAL AGENT.