lOS^ A VOYAGE TO Book VII. 



or send tiiem to their factors io the inland proyin- 

 ccSj vho remit the ri'titrns in money or bills of ex- 

 change to their principals at Lima. Tliese tonsign- 

 iiieiits are repeated till they have disposed of their 

 •^'hole stock. Thus the cargo of a flotilla lasts a con- 

 siderable time, there being no immediate vciit for the 

 whole. 



The produce of the sales in the inland parts of 

 the kingdom^ is. sent to Lima m bars of silver, and 

 pjaiias", and is coined at the mint in this city. 

 Thus the traders have not only a great profit in the 

 sale of their goods^ but also in the returns of their 

 silver, \shich they take at a lower rate than is al- 

 lowed them for it. All these sales may be considered 

 as an exchange of one commodity for another; 

 for he who sells the goods agrees both with regard to 

 their price, at the rate in whii;h he is to take the silver 

 fears, or pignas; and thus two species of trade are 

 transacted at the same time, one on a sale of goods, 

 arid the other of silver. 



The reoiittaiices sent to liima during the inter- 

 val between the flotillas, are laid out in manufac- 

 tures Oilhc eoiiniry, great quantities of which come 

 from the province of Quito ; and this trade is car- 

 lied on in all respects like, the former; for the con- 

 sumption of them being equal or rather larger» 

 they arc not less necessary here than in Europe, being 

 ^'orii by all the lower class of people, who cannot 

 afford the price of the European stuffs ; and the ge- 

 Berality of traders who come to Lima purchase stuffs 

 of both kinds, that they may be provided with assort- 

 i^ients for customers of all ranks. 



Besides this commerce, which is the most consi- 

 derable, and transacted wholly by means of this, 

 city, Lima has also its particular trade with the king- 



* ?ignns ;ire porous light masses of silver, being an am?Igam o£ 

 mercury and dust talieu out of the naines, 



doms 



