44^ A V O Y A G E T O Book VI. 



a benign climate, but deftitute of mines, or forgot- 

 ten through negledt, are looked upon as poor ; and 

 indeed, except in the plentiful furface of the earth, 

 make no wealthy appearance. This is the cafe here ; 

 and the reafon of it is evident : thofe countries are as 

 ftaples for filver and gold, which are taken from the 

 bowels of the earth only to be fent into diftant na- 

 tions with all pofllble diligence, their native country 

 being that where they make the leaft ftay : and the 

 fame pradice is obferved to be carried on, no lefs ea- 

 gerly, throughout every town and village in the In- 

 dies : for, as they cannot well do without European 

 goods, the gold and filver of America muft be paid 

 in exchange for them. 



In a province where no mines are worked, the 

 fertility of the foil, and goodnefs of its produd:s are 

 negleded ; for the fcarcity of money reduces them 

 to fuch a low price, that the hufbandman, for want 

 of an incentive to any afiiduous induftry, inftead of 

 fowing and planting all he could, confults only what 

 he may vend according to the common confumptiori, 

 befides what is neceflary for the fupport of his family. 

 And as the whole return of what he receives for his 

 fruits and grain, even when he is fo fortunate as to 

 export any, goes away again in exchange for European 

 goods, the fcarcity of money ftill continues, and he 

 is fo poor as fometimes poflibly to want even ne- 

 cefTaries. It is otherwife in provinces abounding with 

 mines ; for thefe being the objeds of the attention 

 and labours of its inhabitants, there is a continual cir- 

 culation of money. What is carried out, is replaced 

 by that drawn from the mines. Nor are they even in 

 want of European goods, or the produce of the 

 more fertile countries, plenty of traders from all parts 

 reforting to places near the mines, as the original feats 

 of gold and filver. But that province where the 

 richnefs of the mines and of the foil concenter, is 

 dogbtlefs preferable i5o thofe where nature has given 



