228 



her industry. Such is the state of dawning; 

 society in South America, that the population 

 of Venezuela, which at most equals the mean 

 population of two departments of France # , 

 stands in need annually, for its interior con- 

 sumption, of merchandize and foreign articles 

 to the amount of 35 millions of francs. More 

 than four-fifths of those articles come by dif- 

 ferent ways, from the markets of Europe. Yet, 

 the population of Venezuela is poor, frugal, and 

 little advanced in civilization. If, according to 

 the statements of imports, it appears to have a 

 great consumption, and feeds the industry of 

 commercial nations by its wants, this arises 

 from its being entirely destitute of manufac- 

 tures, and that the most simple mechanical arts 

 have scarcely begun to be practised there. The 

 maroquins and curried hides of Carora, the 

 hammocks of the Island of Marguerita, and the 

 blankets of Tocuyo, are objects of very small 

 importance even for the inland trade. All the 

 fine tissues and coloured linens used at Vene- 

 zuela come from foreign ports. , When the 

 commerce of France with the American colonies 

 was most flourishing, before the year 1789, she 

 exported to them to the amount of 80 millions 

 of francs, in the productions of the French soil 

 and industry. This amount is little more than 

 that of the total value of the foreign consump- 

 * See above, p. 187, note * , 



