.South America, J 



ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



market, except small quantities of the inferior sorts of Bengal indigo. 

 There is an increasing demand for Cliina goods ; but tea is almost excluded, 

 by the fondness which prevails for la verba, or herb of Paraguay, a decoction 

 of which is drunk universally in Chili, and is preferred to tea throughout 

 great part of South America. Previous to the revolution;, Chili consumed 

 a quantity equal to more than two millions of pounds of this article. 

 Besides its metals, Chili produces several articles suitable for export- 

 ation, among which are Chinchilla skins, the procuring of which affords 

 employment, for four or five months in the year, to many persons who hunt 

 the animals among the hills adjoining Coquimbo, Huasco, and Copiapo. 

 They are not met with S. of Coquimbo. 



The copper trade of Chili is thus conducted : — Goods are sent from 

 England or Calcutta adapted to the Chili market, and consigned to British 

 or American merchants, resident at Santiago. The returns can be made 

 only in bills, specie, or copper. If the last be preferred, the consignee at 

 Santiago writes to his correspondent at Coquimbo, that a ship will call at 

 such a time on the Coast for so many quintals of copier, which the latter 

 purchases at a specified price by the appointed clay, and draws bills upon 

 Santiago for the amount. The consignee and his correspondent charge 

 their respective commissions. 



The beneficial operation of free trade was never more visible than in 

 Chili since the revolution, as the following table of prices will shew : — 



ARTICLES. 



iWil. 



I'mi*. 



Copper, per quintal . .Dollars ['2 to 111 



U to 7 







60 





B 



25 



Wheat, per fnaega. . - 



n 



8 





h 



(i 



.In krtl li^'-i", pel (jnintal „ 



7to74 



10 



Cnts*u, or soft Cat, per 







botlca, of 50 lbs..... ~ 



iit.-fi/ 



8 



Prleatn Former Prices in Former 



ARTICLES. 



1M21. 



Price*. 



Fine riotli, pur yard . 



. . Dollars 12 



2a 



Coarse Ditto, ditto . 



... - » 



5 



Printed Cotton Goods, 



do. Reals 2.} to 3 



18 to 24 



Velveteens,, .ditto . . 



. . - 2 



2fl 



Crockery, per crate . . 



40 



350 



Hardware, ditto . . 



-100 



300 



Gloss, .... ditto .. 



.. 100 



200 



Duties.— These are represented to be equal to 35} per cent, on a 

 valuation nearly 30 per cent, lower than the market price. Copper pays a 

 duty of two Spanish dollars per quintal. 



LIMA. — Tliia city, in latitude 12 g 15 S., longitude about 77° W., is 

 delightfully situated in the Valley of Rimac ; its walls are washed by a river, 

 over which is an elegant stone bridge. The Cordilleras of the Andes are 

 towards the N. It has many ornamental buildings, churches, convents, 

 colleges, nunneries, besides bronze fountains, &c. The streets are broad, 

 clean, well-paved, and at right angles. Most of the houses have gardens, 

 refreshed with water by canals. The houses are built mostly of wood, and 



