6o4 ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 



CHAP. X. — Trade and Commerce of Lima, 



THE city of Lima could not have attained to fuch fplendour, if, befides being the 

 capital of Peru, it had not been alfo the general ftaple of the kingdom. But as it 

 is the refidence of the government and chief tribunals, fo it is alfo the common fadory 

 for commerce of every kind, and the centre of the produ£ls and manufa<3:ures of the 

 other provinces, together with thofe of Europe, brought over in the galleons or regif- 

 ter-fliips ; and from hence they are diftributed through the vail extent of thefe king- 

 doms, whofe wants are fupplied from Lima, as their common mother. At the head 

 of this commerce is the tribunal Del Confulado, which appoints commilfaries to refide 

 in the other cities of its dependencies, extending through all Peru. 



All the wealth of the fouthern provinces is brought to Lima, where it is embarked 

 on board the fleet, which, at the time of the galleons, fails from Callao to Panama. 

 The proprietors of the treafure commit it to the merchants of Lima, who traffic at the 

 fair with this and their own flock. The fame fleet returns to the harbour of Paita, 

 where the European merchandizes of value purchafed at Porto Bello fair are landed, in 

 order to avoid the delay of failing to Callao, and fent by land to Lima, on droves of 

 mules ; but thofe of lefs value are carried thither by the fame fliips. 



On the arrival of thefe commodities at Lima, the merchants remit to their correfpon- 

 ^ents fuch parts as they had a commifllon to purchafe, referving the reft in warehoufes to 

 difpofe of on their own account to traders, who at this time refort to Lima, or fend 

 them to their factors in the inland provinces, who remit the returns in money or bills 

 of exchange to their principals at Lima. Thefe confignments are repeated till they 

 have difpofed of their whole ftock. Thus the cargo of a flotilla lafts a confiderable 

 time, there being no immediate vent for the whole. 



The produce of the fales in the inland parts of the kingdom, is fent to Lima in bars 

 of filver, and pignas *, and is coined at the mint in this city. Thus the traders have 

 not only a great profit in the fale of their goods, but alfo in the returns of their filver, 

 which they take at a lower rate than is allowed them for it. All thefe fales may be 

 confidered as an exchange of one commodity for another ; for he who fells the goods 

 agrees both with regard to their price, at the rate in which he is to take the filver bars, 

 or pignas j and thus two fpecies of trade are tranfaded at the fame time, one on a fale 

 of goods, and the other of filver. 



The remittances fent to Lima during the interval between the flotillas, are laid out 

 in manufadlures of the country, great quantities of which come from the province of 

 Quito ; and this trade is carried on in all refpeds like the former ; for the confumption 

 of them being equal or rather larger, they are not lefs neceflary here than in Europe, 

 being worn by all the lower clafs of people, who cannot afford the price of the Euro- 

 pean ftuflfs ; and the generality of traders who come to Lima purchafe ftuffs of both 

 kinds, that they may be provided with aflbrtments for cuftomers of all ranks. 



Befides this commerce, which is the moft confiderable, and tranfaded wholly by 

 means of this city, Lima has alfo its particular trade with the kingdoms both of North 

 and South America. The moft confiderable commodity received from the former is 

 fnufF, which is brought from the Havannah to Mexico, and after being there improved, 

 is forwarded to Lima, and from thence fent into the other provinces. This trade is 



* Pignas are porous light maffes of filver, being an amalgam of mercury and duft taken out of the 

 mioes. 



carried 



