Mouth America.] 



OMENTAL COMMERCE. 



19 



one. The river is very shallow, so that vessels of burthen cannot approach 

 within 8 or 10 miles; and goods are conveyed to land in craft drawing little 

 water, the expence of which is paid by the consignees. 



Trade. — The exports to Great Britain in 1S21 were bark, umvrought 

 copper, ostrich feathers, horse-hair, hides, skins, tallow, sheep's wool, &c, 

 to the official amount of ^2*7,320. The imports were, 1st, foreign and 

 colonial piece-goods, spirits, tobacco, &c, amounting, in official value, to 

 J?;37,OaS; 2d, British and Irish produce, rh. cottons, woollens, linens, 

 siJks, glass and earthenware, hardware, cutlery, apparel, beer, upholstery, 

 &c, copper and brass, cordage, haberdashery, hats, iron, leather, plate 

 and plated ware, jewellery, &c. to the amount of J?560,27(i, in declared 

 value. 



Port Charges appear lower here than at Rio de Janeiro. The vessel 

 which touched at that place in 1818, visited Buenos Ayres, at which port 

 the amount of charges was 150 Spanish dollars, 7 reals, comprehending port 

 charges inwards, manifest^fee, Consul's duty and certificate of crew, bill 

 of health, notary's fees and stamps. 



Duties, — These are continually fluctuating. In 1S18 they were about 

 30 per cent 



The ports on the other side of Cape Horn, which are beginning to be 

 visited by East India vessels, and to be resorted to by merchants as a con- 

 venient medium of remittance from India, ore Valparaiso, Coquimbo, and 

 Copiapo on the Chili coast ; Lima, in Peru ; and Acapulco, in Mexico, 

 properly in North America. The unsettled state of the Governments in 

 these countries, and the imperfect knowledge we have of their regulations, 

 which frequently fluctuate, prevent a very accurate account of them. 



VALPARAISO is in latitude 33° 1 S., longitude 71* SI' W., situated 

 in a bay of the South Pacific Ocean. It is large, and would be larger, but 

 the mountain at the foot of which it is built, obstructs its extension. The 

 proximity of this port to Santiago has drawn hither all the commerce. The 

 harbour is free from dangers, except to the N. E. of Los Angelos, where is 

 a sunken rock, a cable's length or two from land, which must be carefully 

 avoided. Valparaiso, as well as Santiago, the capital, sustained considerable 

 damage by the earthquake in November, 1822. 



Trabe. — The demand for British merchandize, as well ai Indian piece- 

 goods, is fast increasing. The chief articles of the former are enumerated 

 under Buenos Ayres. The foreign and colonial imports from Great Britain 

 (quicksilver and spirits), amounted, in 1621, to i?15,137; the British and 

 Irish produce to i?346,51 7. Piece-goods from India met with a very favourable 

 market in 1821 ; a quantity of cinnamon, cassia, and Bengal rum was 



B 8 



