214 



tity of beef annually used in the capital of 

 France *. 



I might add to the productions of the vege- 

 table and animal kingdoms of Venezuela the 

 enumeration of the minerals, the working of 

 which is worthy the attention of the govern- 

 ment ; but having been devoted from my youth 

 to the practical labours of mines, which had 

 been placed under my management, I know 



* The following table proves how great is the consumption 

 of meat in the towns of South America, near the Llanos : — 



Towns. 



Years. 



Population. 



Oxen. 



Caraccas 



1799 



45,000 



40,000 



Nueva Barcelona. . . 



1800 



16,000 



11,000 



Portocabello ...... 



1800 



9,000 



7,500 



(Paris 



1819 



714,000 



70,800) 



The consumption at Mexico, of which the population is four 

 or five times less than that of Paris, does not exceed 16,300 

 oxen j consequently it does not appear much greater than at 

 Paris ; but we must not forget, 1st, that Mexico is situated 

 on a table-land cultivated with corn, and far from pasturage $ 

 2d, that this town reckons nearly one-fourth of copper- 

 coloured Indians among its inhabitants, who eat little meat ; 

 and 3d, that the consumption of sheep is 273,000, and of 

 hogs at Mexico is 30,000 - 3 while at Paris, notwithstanding 

 the enormous difference of population, it was in 1819 only 

 329,000 of the former, and 65,000 of the latter. See above, 

 Vol. iii, p. 464, 465 ; Vol. vi. p. 76, and my Political Essay 

 on New Spain, Vol. ii, p. 68+. Recherches stat. sur la ville 

 de Paris, par le comte de Chabrol, 1823, tableau 72. 



t According to the statement given in this Work by the Author, the 

 consumption of sheep at Mexico was 278,923, and of hogs, 50,676.— 

 Trans. 



