194 
WAREHOUSES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 
fines as a means of keeping the warehouseman honest, and of oblig 
ing him to find, at his own expense, the necessary police and fire 
protection for his warehouse. 
The goods generally bonded here are tobacco products, liquors, 
canned goods, cotton goods, and cereal products. The forwarding 
agents try to get the goods of their clients out of bond as soon as 
possible, but the merchants having their own private bonded stores 
often keep their goods in bond for many months. 
In the morning the custom-house man comes and unlocks his 
locks, and at night he comes again and locks them. If the pro 
prietors want to take out anything from the bonded store, either 
for local consumption or for export, their clerk makes out the neces 
sary declarations and takes them to the custom-house, with whatever 
money may be necessary. When the documents are brought back 
properly signed and stamped the goods are taken out of the bonded 
store and the transaction is entered in the warehouse books, which 
must be open at all times for the inspection of the customs officials. 
When goods are being put in or taken out of bonded warehouses a 
customs official is always supposed to be present. 
In the matter of bonded warehouses all foreigners are treated 
exactly alike. No Americans, to my knowledge, make any use of 
the bonded warehouses here at present, though a number did during 
the Boer war. 
W. Stanley Hollis. Consul. 
Lourenço Marquez, Portuguese East Africa, August 3, 1901^. 
SIERRA LEONE. 
(From, United States Consul Williams, Sierra Leone, West Africa.) 
There are four bonded warehouses in this colony owned and con 
trolled by the Government. Three of these are located in Free 
town and one in Sherbro. The warehouse system is essentially a 
part of the customs department, which exercises supervision and 
control. All classes of goods are stored in these warehouses except 
gunpowder and kerosene, which are stored separately. 
The scale of charges for storage follows: For cotton goods and 
goods liable to a specific duty, for one month or fraction thereof, 
one-half penny (1 cent) per cubic foot; for goods other than cotton, 
not liable to specific duty, for first month, one-half penny (1 cent), 
and subsequent months 2 pence (4 cents) per cubic foot; for storing 
or depositing firearms and ammunition other than gunpowder, one- 
half penny (1 cent) per cubic foot; for storing or depositing every 
100 pounds of gunpowder for six months, 3 shillings (73 cents) ; 
for every 100 pounds of gunpowder remaining in store after six 
months, 5 pence (10 cents) per month; for quantities of less than 
Ü00 pounds, a proportionate rate. All fees for storage or deposit of 
firearms or gunpowder are payable in advance. The charges on 
petroleum are 1 penny (2 cents) per month on every case of 10 gal 
lons. 
The length of time goods are allowed in bond is two years, but 
the owner or proprietor of any such goods, if desirous of reware-