Ch. IX. SOUTH AMERICA. . ^3 



This commercial tumult lads while the galleons 

 contlaue in the bay : for they are no fooner gone, than 

 filence and tranquillity refume their former place. 

 This the inhabttants of Carthagena call tiempo mu- 

 erto, the dead time ; for, with regard to the trade car- 

 ried on with the other governments, it is not worth 

 notice. The greateft part of it confifts in fome bi- 

 kndersfrom La Trinidad, theHavannah, and St. Do- 

 mingo, bringing leaf-tobacco, fnufF, and fugars ; and 

 returning with Magdalena cacao, earthen ware, rice, 

 and other goods wanted in thofe iflands. And even of 

 thefe fmall veflels, fcarcely one is feen for two or three 

 months. The fame may be faid of thofe which go 

 from Carthagena to Nicaragua, Vera-Cruz, Honduras, 

 and other parts •, but the mofl frequent trips are made 

 to Porto Bello, Chagra, or Santa Martha. The rea- 

 'fon why this commerce is not carried on m.ore brifldy 

 is, that mod of thefe places are naturally provided 

 with the fame kind of provifions and confequently are 

 tiinderno necelTity of trafficking with each other. 



Another branch of the comn'ierce of Carthagena, 

 during the tiempo muerto, is carried on with the 

 towns and villages of its jurifdidlion, from whence are 

 brought all kinds of necelTaries and even the luxuries 

 of life, a^ maize, rice, cotton, live hogs, tobacco, 

 plantanes,-birds^ cafava, fugar-, honey, and cacao, moft 

 of which is brought in canoes and champanas^ a fort 

 of boats proper for rivers. The former are a kind of 

 :Coafters, and the latter come from the rivers Magda- 

 . Jena, Sinu, and others. Their returns confifl: of goods 

 for apparel, with which the Ihops and warehoules 

 furnifli themfelves from the galleons, or from prizes 

 falcen on the coaft by the king's frigates, or priva- 

 teers. 



No eatable pays any duty to the king •, and every 

 perfon may, in his own houfe, kill any number of pigs 

 he thinks he ihall fell that day-, no faked pork is 

 eateji, becaufe it is foon corrupted by the exceflive 



