PACKING  AND  SHIPPING  325

ployes  of  the  consular  office,  or  even  the  consul
himself.  Besides  if  you  follow  your  shipping
instructions  there  can  be  no  cause  of  complaint, ­
  on  the  part  of  the  buyer,  should  unfavorable ­
  conditions  arise.
It  might  be  well  in  order  to  impress  upon
the  reader’s  mind  some  of  the  great  difficulties ­
  to  be  overcome  and  the  many  handlings
that  are  received  by  goods  in  transit  to  follow
in  detail  a  shipment  actually  made  from  New
York  City  to  La  Paz,  Bolivia,  the  route  being
the  usual  one  taken  by  merchandise  intended
for  that  place.  The  order  was  placed  in
February,  1913,  early  in  the  month  and  the
goods  arrived  December  22nd,  1913,  being
more  than  ten  months  on  the  way.  When  the
American  salesman  received  the  order  at  La
Paz,  it  was  immediately  forwarded  by  the
next  mail  to  New  York  City,  where  it  arrived
in  about  five  weeks.  The  shipment  of  854
cases  was  made  from  the  factory  in  the  middle
West  about  the  15th  of  April,  1913,  and  the
vessel  containing  them  sailed  from  New  York
harbor,  May  1st,  1913.  Exceptionally  bad