Argentina 139 



country except the broad highway of the seas, was 

 compelled by law to transport its exports and imports 

 across a continent, over a range of mountains from 

 twelve to fifteen thousand feet high, for thousands of 

 miles up the western coast, across the isthmus, and 

 thence to Cadiz by a sea-route as long, if not longer, 

 than that which lay between their ports and the home 

 country. The little settlements on the River Plate by 

 force of circumstances were compelled to become colo- 

 nies of smugglers, and even the officials sent out from 

 Spain to enforce the iniquitous regulations enacted at 

 the suggestion of "the gang' in Cadiz, themselves 

 became smugglers. In course of time the English and 

 Dutch sea-rovers made sport of the sea-power of Spain, 

 and English, Dutch, and French captains began to 

 trade, in spite of Spanish prohibitions, with the colonies 

 on the River Plate. Although the merchants of Cadiz 

 protested, and threatened dire vengeance, sometimes 

 even executed it, the shipmasters of the world began 

 to find out that hides could be bought cheaply at 

 Buenos Aires and that there was a ready market there 

 for European goods. For nearly two hundred years 

 the commerce originating on the great internal water- 

 ways which lead to and from what are now the republics 

 of Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay was 

 subjected to restrictions by the Spanish government 

 which simply appear amazing in the light of modern 

 progress, and even trade with Peru was after a while 

 only allowed to be carried on subject to a duty of fifty 

 per cent, ad valorem upon all goods either exported 

 or imported. The Portuguese, who established them- 

 selves directly opposite Buenos Aires, at Colonia, carried 

 on a very profitable contraband traffic. The people of 

 Buenos Aires after a time became accustomed to buying 



