APPENDIX. 



347 



some important branches by the war with Peru, and the system 

 adopted in Paraguay. 



The export and import trade is principally in the hands of the 

 British, though the United States and other nations participate 

 in it to a certain degree. It is depended on as the great source 

 of revenue to the state — hence they have been tempted to make 

 the duties very high, and to lay them upon both imports and ex- 

 ports, with the exception of lumber and military stores. This cir- 

 cumstance, connected with the fact, that payment is demanded at 

 the custom house before the goods are delivered, has led to a re- 

 gular system of smuggling, which is said to be carried to great 

 excess, and doubtless occasions the official returns to fall short 

 of the actual amount of the trade. This may be the r'^ason why 

 they were not given to us. The articles imported are almost 

 every variety of European and East India goods, principally from 

 England. Rum, sugar, coiFee, tobacco, cotton, and timber from 

 Brazil. Lumber of almost every description, cod fish, furniture, 

 gin, and some smaller articles, from the United States, together 

 with military stores, which, however, find their way into the coun- 

 try directly from Europe, and are thus furnished at a cheaper rate 

 than we can sell them. The principal articles of export are taken 

 from the various animals of the country, tame and wild, from the 

 ox to the chinchilla, copper from Chili, and some of the precious me- 

 tals, drawn principally from Peru; but as gold is worth 817 pr. oz. 

 and passed by tale at that rate, very little of it is exported. Hence 

 the currency of the country is gold, for they have no paper money. 

 The "Libranzas," or bills of credit, issued by the government, 

 are, however, an article of traffic among the merchants, as they are 

 received in payment of one half of the duties. No distinction is 

 made in favor of the trade of any nation, save only that the Bri- 

 tish merchants have some peculiar facilities granted them in re- 

 lation to their letters, which are an object of taxation, at least so 

 far as applies to those sent out of the country. 



In the official statements given to us, and to which I beg leave 

 generally to refer for information as to the foreign relations, the 

 productions, military and naval force, revenue and population, the 

 latter is stated at 1,300,000, exclusive of Indians. This is under- 

 stood as comprehending the population of all the provinces; but as 

 some of them are not under the government at Buenos Ayres, I 

 have thought it proper to annex the several estimates I collected 



