254 HISTORICAL SKETCH. 



inhabit — a territory producing gold, silver, 

 platina, copper, pearls, sugar, coffee, co- 

 coa, tobacco, cotton, indigo, vanilla, co- 

 chineal, dying vs^oods, gums, resins, and 

 balsams; sarsaparilla, cinchona, contrayer- 

 va, and wood of every species; in short, 

 almost every article, except tea (and that 

 may be produced there), which is import- 

 ed into Europe from any part of the 

 world : having an immense number of 

 mines, the value of which it is impossible 

 to estimate, and possessing the means of 

 producing all the articles of vegetable 

 growth which enter into commerce, to an 

 amount much more than sufficient to sup- 

 ply all Europe and North America, as 

 well as its own population, however it 

 might increase. 



Some idea may be formed of the extent 

 of this immense territory, and of its vast 

 natural resources, when it is known that 



