Ch. xiii. General Deductions, $c. 515 



they increased very slowly while they were wan- 

 dering in the land of Canaan, on settling in a fer- 

 tile district of Egypt, doubled their numbers every 

 fifteen years during the whole period of their stay.* 

 But not to dwell on remote instances, the Euro- 

 pean settlements in America bear ample testimony 

 to the truth of a remark, that has never I believe 

 been doubted. Plenty of rich land to be had for 

 little or nothing, is so powerful a cause of popu- 

 lation, as generally to overcome all obstacles. 



No settlements could easily have been worse 

 managed than those of Spain, in Mexico, Peru, 

 and Quito. The tyranny, superstition, and vices 

 of the mother country were introduced in ample 

 quantities among her children. Exorbitant taxes 

 were exacted by the crown ; the most arbitrary 

 restrictions were imposed on their trade ; and 

 the governors were not behind hand in rapa- 

 city and extortion for themselves as well as their 

 masters. Yet under all these difficulties, the colo- 

 nies made a quick progress in population. The 

 city of Quito, which was but a hamlet of Indians, 

 is represented by Ulloa as containing fifty or sixty 

 thousand inhabitants above fifty years ago.f Lima, 

 which was founded since the conquest, is men- 

 tioned by the same author as equally or more po- 

 pulous, before the fatal earthquake in 1746. Mexico 

 is said to contain a hundred thousand inhabitants ; 

 which, notwithstanding the exaggerations of the 



* Short's New Observ. on Bills of Mortality, p. 259, 8\o. 

 1750. 



t Voy. d'Ulloa, torn. i. liv. v. ch. v. p. 229, 4to. 1752. 



LL 2 



