Trade on the Madeira. 355 



er as far as Itaituba (175 miles), leaving Santarern the 28th, 

 and bringing down rubber, sarsaparilla, tobacco, farina, 

 cacao, coffee, copaiba, pepper, nuts, pirarucu, pitch, hides, 

 lumber, and limestone. A steamer leaves Manaos for San 

 Antonio, on the Madeira, tlie 27th of each month, and oft- 

 ener when there is a cargo. At present the trade on this 

 chief tributary is inconsiderable, its value, in 1872, amount- 

 ing to only $279,312. The export consists of rubber (about 

 25,000 arrobas), hides, tallow, quina, copaiba, <;acao, nuts, 

 fish, tobacco (of superior quahty for pipes), and sarsaparil- 

 la. But tlie moment the railway around the falls is fin- 

 ished, a magnificent country will roll its wealth down the 

 Madeira. Above the falls are the cities of Exaltacion, 

 Trinidad, Santa Cruz, Oruro, Cochabamba, and La Paz ; 

 tliere is the Beui valley, famous for its gold, silver, tin, 

 copper, lead, and mercury mines ; and from the banks of 

 tlie Mamord will be exported, as soon as an outlet can be 

 made, cinchona bark, rubber, coffee, cacao, sugar, rum, va- 

 nilla, balsams, copal, wax, dyes, sarsaparilla, tobacco, farina, 

 cotton, llama and alpaca wool, cattle, hides, horns, tallow, 

 dried meat, tiger and deer skins, furs, feathers, hammocks, 

 and hats. At present cattle can be bought there at $15 a 

 liead ; cinchona, $45 a quintal ; cacao, $1 50 an arroba ; 

 sugar and rice, $1 an arroba. Wild cattle swarm on the 

 grassy catnpos of Bolivia, which, as soon as a way is open- 

 ed, will supply the famishing villages on the Amazons with 

 meat, and more civilized cities with shoes. Wheat, com- 

 ing from Cochabamba, is scarce. Notwithstanding the dif- 

 ficulty and danger of passing the rapids, a considerable 

 commerce is carried on in launches and canoes, which are 

 dragged overland around the falls. About sixty descend 

 ever}' year, with a total freight of 700 tons. The present 

 exports of Bolivia amount to $6,000,000, while the inter- 

 nal commerce is valued at $75,000,000. Potosi and Cara- 



