223 



V. Trade of La Guayra, in 1797. 



A. Exports, value 1,113,695 piastres 



Namely : — 





INDIGO, 



Pounds. 



COTTON, 



Pounds. 



CACAO, 



Fanegas* 



COFFEE, 



Pounds. 



TOBACCO 



Pounds. 



SUGAR, 



Cases. 



HIDES, 



Pieces. 



COPPER, 



Pounds. 



For Spain 



61,785 



50,285 



46,075 



153,699 







671 



2,000 



For the United 















States - - 



2,256 





4,024 







738 







FortheForeign 

















W.I. Islands 



56,894 



57,711 



20,733 



155,813 



175,719 



638 



286 



400 





120,935 



107,996 



70,832 



309,512 



175,719 



1,376 



957 



2,400 



A. Imports, value : — 



a From Spain 98,388 piastres 



b Foreign : 



From the United States 76,568 



the West Indies 389,844 



Total imports 564,800 piastres 



Export and Import Duties, paid at the 



Custom House 242,160 piastres 



In comparing these statements, which are taken from the 

 registers of the custom-house at La Guayra, with those of 

 the ports of Spain in my possession (Vol. iv, p. 240), we see 

 that according to the declarations of the vessels, less cacao 

 has entered Spain from Caraccas than from La Guayra. The 

 diminution of the imports and exports in 1797, indicate no 

 decline of national industry ; it is the consequence of the re- 

 newal of maritime war, Spain having till then, since its peace 

 with the French republic, enjoyed a happy neutrality. The 

 registers of the Custom-house, which I have just stated, 

 during four years, 1789, 1792, 1794, and 1796, give, for the 

 average of the imports of La Guayra, which is the principal 

 port of Venezuela, 2,678,000 piastres 5 and for the average 

 of the exports, 2,317,000 piastres. If we fix on the years 



