300 



river of that name, is in my opinion, the prin- 

 cipal point of the isthmus, in the most natural 

 supposition that the attack comes from the 

 north ; but neither the taking of Portobello nor 

 the fort of San Lorenzo de Chagre, would de- 

 termine the possession of the isthmus of Panama. 

 The real defence of that country consists in the 

 difficulty which every considerable expedition 

 will find in 'penetrating into the interior. On 

 the southern coast, which is entirely unpeopled, 

 this difficulty already exists for two or three in- 

 sulated travellers." 



After having discussed the extent of the sur- 

 face, the population, the productions, and the 

 trade of the United-Provinces of Venezuela, in 

 their present state as well as in their more or 

 less distant increase, it remains for me to speak 

 of the finances, or the revenue of the state. 

 This object is of such political importance, that 

 it comprehends one of the first conditions of 

 the existence of a government ; but after long 

 civil dissensions, after a war of thirteen years, 

 during which agriculture has retrograded, com- 

 mercial relations have been shackled, and the 

 principal sources of public revenue dried up, 

 we can only describe a state of things altoge- 

 ther transitory, and little conformable to the 

 natural riches of the country. In order to take 

 a more certain point of departure for judging 

 of the state of things when confidence and tran- 



