Ch.X. south AMERICA. iii 



mountains de Caxamarca, and Chacapoyas, canvas 

 made of cotton for fails and other fluffs of that 

 kind, and alfo of Pita : Cordovaa leather, and foap 

 are made all over Valles*. From the fouthern pro- 

 vinces, as Plata, Oruro, Potofi, and Cufco, is lent 

 Vicuna wool for making hats, and fome fluffs of a 

 peculiar finenefs. Laftly, from Paraguay the herd 

 called by that name is fent, of which there is an 

 amazing confumption, it being fent from Lima a- 

 mong the other provinces, as far as Quito. There 

 is no province in Peru, which docs not remit 

 to Lima, its produds and manufactures j and fup- 

 plies itfelf from hence with the necellliry commodities. 

 Thus Lima is the emporium to which people refort 

 from all parts *, and trade being always in a conflanc 

 circulation, befides the continual refort of ftrangers, 

 the families of rank are enabled to fupport the ex- 

 pences of that fplendor I have already mentioned •, for 

 without fuch continual affillance they muff either 

 contrad their expences, or faU vidlims to their 

 oftentation. 



It would naturally be imagined that by a com- 

 merce fo extenfive and important, many vaft for- 

 tunes muff be acquired, efpecially as every branch of 

 it is attended v/ith great profits ; but if there are fome 

 who adually do acquire great riches, neither their 

 number nor opulence are equal to what might be ex- 

 pe6led \ for by 3 narrow infpedlion there will hardly 

 be found above ten or fifteen houfes of trade, exclii- 

 five of immoveables as lands and offices, whofe flock 

 in money and goods amounts to five or fix hundred 

 thoufand crowns ; and to one that exceeds this fum, 

 there are more that fall Ihort of it. Many poffefs 

 from one to three hundred thoufand crowns, and 



* Their cotton canvas is not above fou rincheswide, fo that fail* 

 iinaking in this part of America is very tedious ; but their fails 

 made of this narrow canvas, are very ikong and laftii^g. A, 



thefe 



