MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



533 



untied. The declaration of inde- 

 pendence was adopted in the 

 directorship of Mr. Pueyrredon, 

 on the 9th day of July, 1816. It 

 was succeeded by an able expo- 

 sition of the causes that extorted 

 it, to justify, to their fellow- 

 citizens and to the world, the 

 measure they had deliberately 

 voted to support with their for- 

 tunes and their lives. 



The salutary influence of this 

 bold and decisive step, was at 

 once felt throughout the country. 

 It gave new lite and strength to 

 the patriotic cause, and stability 

 to the government. The victories 

 ofChacabuco and Maipo, achieved 

 by the arms of Chili and Buenos 

 Ayres, have produced and con- 

 firmed a similar declaration of 

 independence by the people of 

 Chili, and cemented the cordial 

 union existing between the con- 

 federate states. The consequence 

 has been, that, within these ex- 

 tensive territories, there is scarcely 

 the vestige of a royal army to be 

 found, except on the borders of 

 Peru. 



Having thus traced ths prin- 

 cipal events, since the revolution 

 in Buenos Ayres, I shall proceed 

 to state the result of the informa- 

 tion received, according to the 

 best opinion I could form of the 

 extent, population, government 

 and resources of the united pro- 

 vinces, with tbeir productions, 

 imports and exports, trade and 

 commerce. 



The late viceroyalty of Buenos 

 Ayres, of which that city was the 

 metropolis, was by many consi- 

 dered the largest, as well as the 

 most valuable of all the Spanish 

 dominions in South America, 

 extending in a direct line, from 



H 



its north to its south boundary, 

 a distance of more than two 

 thousand miles ; and from its 

 eastern to its western not less 

 than eleven hundred. 



It was composed, at the com- 

 mencement of the revolution, of 

 thenineprovincesjorintendencies 

 following: — Buenos Ayres, Para-' 

 guay, Cordova, Salta, Potosi, La 

 Plata, Cochabamba, La Paz, and 

 Puno. 



Watered by the great river La 

 Plata and its numerous tributary 

 streams, which afford an easy 

 communication with countries of 

 an immense extent, and furnishing 

 an easy access to the treasures of 

 South America, it has always 

 been regarded by Spain as one of 

 her most precious acquisitions. 

 Enjoying every variety of climate 

 to be found between different and 

 distant latitudes, and blessed with 

 a large portion of fertile soil, it 

 is capable of producing all that is 

 to be found in the temperate or 

 torrid zones. Immense herds of 

 cattle and horses graze on its 

 extensive plains, and constitute 

 at this time their principal source 

 of wealth. The mines of Potosi 

 are also included within its boun- 

 daries. There are no woods for 

 a very considerable distance from 

 Buenos Ayres. No forest trees 

 are to be seen on the widely 

 extended Pampas, except at in- 

 tervals a solitary umboo. After 

 passing the Saladillo in a northerly 

 direction, the woods begin, and 

 proceeding in the upper provinces, 

 the hills appear, and mountains 

 rise in succession, interspersed 

 with rich valleys. On the east 

 side of the rivers La Plata and 

 Parana, the country is said to be 

 very fine. The Entre Rios is 

 repreiented 



