56 COMMERCE. [1838. 



mines of silver and platinum in various parts of the country. 

 In the canton of Abaite, in the province of Minas Geraes, 

 there are rich lead mines, and a fine mine of antimony has 

 been opened near Sahara in the same province. Iron is like- 

 wise found in Minas Geraes, at Gaspar-Saarez, and there are 

 extensive iron mines and furnaces in the captainry, or prov- 

 ince, of St. Paul. 



(10.) The commerce of Brazil is rapidly increasing and 

 extending. Most of her trade, however, is carried on through 

 the vessels of other nations, although she has a very respect- 

 able commercial maiine. The imports amount to about 

 twenty-five millions ol dollars annually, and the exports or- 

 dinarily exceed that sum. Coffee is the principal article 

 exported from the central provinces; upwards of one hundred 

 and thirty-five million pounds being shipped every year, prin- 

 cipally from Rio Janeiro and its great rival, San Salvador, 

 or Bahia, on the Bay of All Saints. From the northern 

 provinces, sugar, cotton and tobacco, are exported through 

 the ports of Pernambuco,* Maranham, and Para. The best 

 caoutchouc, also, is exported from Para, in large quantities ■ 

 it is extracted from the siphonia cahuca, or sip/iouiaelastica, 

 which is found in other parts of South America, as well as 

 in Brazil, although it is nowhere so valuable as in the vicin- 

 ity of Para. Incisions are made into the tree, through the 

 bark, in several places, from which a milky juice, of a pale yel- 

 low color, and having the consistence of cream, is discharged ; 

 this is spread upon clay moulds, and dried in the sun, or by 

 the smoke of a fire. The latter process, however, blackens 

 the gum. Of late years, the juice has been extensively ex- 

 ported ; but it is generally shipped in a concrete state. It is 

 better known among us by the names of gum elastic, and 

 india rubber, than by its appropriate one of caoutchouc. 



Hides, tallow and horns, are the chief products of tho 



* A large portion of the population of Pernambuco are foreigners, who are not 

 very warmly attached to the government. Frequent emcutes and disturbances 

 have taken place — one occurring as late as January, 1819, — which have been 

 with difficulty suppressed by the government troops. 



