S28 



carried by land upon mules, with great troubl<? 

 and expense to the merchant. This beneficial 

 innovation will probably be followed by others 

 of still greater importance. Several large ships 

 have also been built in the harbour of Conception 

 and the mouth of the river Maule. The external 

 commerce is carried on with Peru and Spain. 

 In the first twenty-three or twenty-four ships of 

 five or six hundred tons each are employed, 

 which are partly Chilian and partly Peruvian. 

 These usually make three voyages in a year ; 

 they carry from Chili wheat, wine, pulse, al- 

 monds, nuts, cocoa-nuts, conserves, dried meat, 

 tallow, lard, cheese, sole leather, timber for 

 building, copper, and a variety of other articles, 

 and bring back in return, silver, sugar, rice, and 

 cotton. The Spanish ships receive in exchange 

 for European merchandise, gold, silver, copper, 

 "vicugna wool, and hides. A trade with the East 



in the quantily shipped from that coined arises from the re- 

 ceipts from Lima. The remittances of gold and silver to 

 Spain are usually made from BHtnos Ajres ; the first, being 

 less biuiky,^ is carried by the monthly packets in sums of two 

 or three thousand ounces; as to the second, it is sent in two 

 convoy ships in the summer, by which conveyances gold is also 

 renjitted. In calculating the gold from the remittances, it 

 amounts to six hundred and fifty-six thousand dollars, and the 

 silver to two hundred and forty-four thousimd. The copper, 

 which is extracted from the mines, is estimated from eight to 

 ten thoijsand quintals. From these data it will not be difficult 

 to form a general estimate of all that Chili produces auuuallj. 



