119 



has almost equalled that of Mexico * ; it rose 

 in the province of Venezuela to 40,000 arrobas, 

 or a million of pounds, the value of which 

 exceeded 1,250,000 piastres I shall here 

 give from official documents J, never before 

 published, the progressive augmentation of this 

 branch of agriculture at Aragua. 



Exportation of Indigo by the way of La Guayra. 

 Annual mean) im __ mm ds 

 from 1774 to) 



1784 126,233 



1785 213,172 



1786 271,005 



1787 432,570 



1788 505,956 



1789 -718,393 



1792 680,229 



1794_ 898,353 



1796 737,966 



In this statement no attention has been paid 

 to the contraband trade, which may be corn- 



* The commerce of Guatemala amounts to 1,200,000 or 

 1,500,000 pounds of indigo. 



f The pound of indigo at ten rials of plate. 



% Expediente relativo al Comercioy Crecido contrabando de la 

 Provincia de Caracas, dirigido al Exc. Senor Don Pedro V arela, 

 por el Conde de Casa Valencia, 13 Junto, 1797. — Informes de 

 Don Esteban Fernandez de Leon, Intendente de Caracas , del 26 

 Sept., 1795. (MSS.) 



