h 5(5 P E 
leaves, is ufed for dyeing yellow, as is alfo the ilem for 
dyeing green, both of which are fad colours. A wild in¬ 
digo yields them a blue dye, and the panque a good black. 
What we have to fay upon the commerce of Peru can¬ 
not apply to any period more recent than the beginning 
of the French revolution, about the year 1789, 90; for, 
iince that time, many (hips from Europe, that have failed 
to the port’s of Peru, have found no produffions there 
which would pay any return freight; and they have al- 
1110ft uniformly, after difcharging their outward cargoes, 
proceeded to the port of Guyaquil, where a return cargo 
of cocoa could be generally obtained on fuch moderate 
terms as to pay a profit in Spain, where the demand for 
that commodity is very extenfive. 
The Pacific Ocean is by no means favourable to com¬ 
merce. On the whole extent of coaftin Peru there is no 
harbour except that of Callao, the port of Lima, which 
can be entered by a veffel of fuch a fize as is fit for the 
navigation from Europe round Cape Horn. As the wind 
conftantly blows from the fouthward, varying only as 
the coaft trends, wherever there is a high projecting head¬ 
land there is (belter, and fometimes good anchorage to 
the northward of it ; as at Ylo, Iqueque, and fome other 
parts. On every part of the ftiore, the uninterrupted 
fwell from the fea caufes fuch a tremendous furf on the 
beach, that no communication can be had with the fliore, 
by any fuch boats as are carried by European fhips. 
The natives have long ago contrived a means of palling 
this furf, on what is called a balfci, whofe buoyancy is 
fuch as to carry them over the moft terrific breakers in 
perfeff fecurity. It is conftruffed of two fkins of the 
largeil-fized feals, which are inflated and lalhed fide by 
fide. On a final! platform fixed on them, the native fits, 
with a pipe made of the entrails of the feal, communica¬ 
ting to each of the inflated fkins, with which he fills them 
by his breath, as frequently as the evaporation of the 
wind makes it necefiary. On thefe contrivances, which 
refemble two enormous bladders, the natives fear no 
waves or breakers, and frequently proceed to fuch a dif- 
yance as to lofe fight of land. By the afliftance of a pad¬ 
dle, and occafionally of a fmall fail, thefe veffels become 
perfectly manageable at fea ; and they have the advantage 
of being eafily carried to their own habitations when not 
employed on the ocean. The trade, then, up to the time 
we have mentioned, may be confidered under three divi- 
iions ; viz. that by Cape Horn, that with the ports on 
the Pacific, and that of the interior with the fouthern pro¬ 
vinces. Since the freedom of commerce in 1778, the prin¬ 
cipal trade of Peru has been carried on by Cape Horn. 
The exports and imports have been nearly doubled fince 
the freedom of commerce has been allowed, though feveral 
rich provinces have been withdrawn from the viceroyalty. 
The exports of Peru, in a general view of them, are 
gold and filver, wine, brandy, fugar, pimento, Jefuits’ 
bark, fait, Vicuna wool, coarfe woollens, and fome other 
manufactures of little value; and it receives, in return, 
European goods, live ftock, provifions, tallow, cacao, Pa¬ 
raguay tea, coca-leaf, indigo, timber, cordage, pitch, and 
copper. As luxury of drefs is the predominant paffion in 
Peru, and efpecially at Lima, fiIks, fuperfine cloths, fine 
linen, &c. form confiderable articles of imports. Iron is 
alfo indifpenfable in the mines and in agriculture. Moft 
of the linens are from Brittany, with a few from other 
parts of France and Holland: the cottons, woollens, and 
fiiks, are chiefly Spanifh. The annual demand for rough 
iron is 6000 cwt. befides many articles of hardware. 
Mercury, wax, paper, pepper,faffron, medicines, liqueurs, 
books, glafs, and furniture, form alfo principal articles 
of import. 
Lima carries on a confiderable commerce with various 
ports of the Pacific. The fertile and opulent kingdom of 
Chili fnpplies abundance of grain and fruits, fo that its 
mines, though they produce annually 1,4.00,000 dollars, 
are regarded as of fecondary importance ; the three ha¬ 
vens of Valparaifo, Conception, and Coquimbo, furnifh 
R U. 
convenient-outlets .for its opulence. Lima annually im¬ 
ports from Chili vegetable produffs amounting to more 
than 1,100,000 dollars. Wheat forms the chief article 
fent by Chili to Peru ; but Haves from Africa, falted 
meat, foap, wine, copper, dried fruits, faffron, &c. See. 
form alfo confiderable articles. The returns from Peru 
are European goods, fugar, cloths of home manufactory, 
pita, which yields a kind of flax, rice, chocolate, See. 
The chief markets and moft populous towns are on the 
coaft, Piura, Lambayeque, Truxillo ; and, in the Sierra, 
Caxamarca, the royal ftation of the mines of Chota ; to¬ 
wards the fouth, lea, Arequipa, and the royal ftation of 
Tarapaca; and towards the interior, Pafco, which is a 
mineral ftation belonging to the intendency of Tarma, 
Guanacha, Jauja, Guancavelica, Guamanga, and Cuzco. 
At thefe and other places, as Guarochiri, Caxatanbo, Sec. 
traders or agents fell for the merchants of Lima, European 
goods, liquors, and other articles fuflicient for the con- 
lumption of the neighbourhood; and the returns are 
generally in bullion or coin, but fometimes in articles of 
food for the life of the capital. The trade may yearly 
amount to 1,500,000 dollars in produ&s; while that in 
bullion and money may amount to 4,000,000. Upon the 
whole, according to Liquanda, cited by Pinkerton, the 
viceroyalty lofes, during five years, in the balance of 
maritime commerce, more than 6,500,000, but gains a 
balance with the viceroyalty of La Plata of nearly 
1,200,000, annually; fo that, the amount being deducted, 
the lofs will be reduced to about 700,000 dollars, with¬ 
out mentioning the interior commerce, which cannot 
enter into the account. 
From the Mercurio Peruano we learn, that the exports 
of Peru to Potofi, and the other provinces of the Rip 
Plata, are valued at more than 2,000,000 of dollars 
annually, and the imports at 860,000 dollars ; fo that the 
balance in favour of Peru is near 1,200,000, independent 
of the profits on the carriage of the goods, which belongs 
alfo to Peru, as the carrier^ are Peruvians. Cuf'co and 
Arequipa are the routes through which this trade paffes. 
The chief exports to the Rio Plata are brandy, wine, 
maize, fugar, pimento, indigo, and woollens. The 
brandy alone amounts to near 1,000,000 of dollars. The 
woollens, which are next in value, are chiefly made in. 
Peru, but part of them are brought from Quito. The 
provinces of the Rio Plata ufed formerly to take woollens, 
to a great amount, from Quito ; but it is now found 
more economical to procure thefe articles from Europe 
by the way of Buenos Ayres. The indigo exported 
from Peru is previoufly imported from Guatimala. The 
chief importsfrom the Rio Plata, are mules, fheep, hams, 
tallow, wool, coca leaf, paraguay leaf, and a fmall quantity 
of tin from Oruro: 20,000 mules are imported annually 
from Tucuman, for the fervice of the mines. 
The chief exports from Peru to Chili are European 
goods, previoufly imported at Callao. Sugar, coarfe 
woollens made in Peru, indigo from Guatimala, fair, 
cotton, pita, yarn, and fome other trifling articles. The 
imports are chiefly wheat, copper, tallow, wine, paraguay- 
tea, fait meat, timber, cordage, and leather. Part of the 
copper is ufed in the mint at Lima; and the remainder, 
except a fmall quantity fent to Guayaquil, re-exported 
to Spain. The ports of Chili that trade with Peru, are 
Valparaifo, Conception, and Coquimbo; but Valparaifo 
alone carries on three times as much trade as the other 
two. The timber is brought from the ifle of Chiloe. 
The trade with Panama, which was formerly of fuch 
magnitude, has declined fince the middle of the laft cen¬ 
tury, and is now reduced to a fmall importation of timber 
and cacao, and to the remains of a flave-trade which is 
every day diminifhing. The exports from Peru to Pa¬ 
nama are coarfe woollens, fugar, flour, and brandy. 
There is alfo a remittance of 300,000 dollars a-year from 
the treafury of Lima, to pay the garrifon and civil go¬ 
vernment of Panama; without which that city mull have 
fallen to Hill greater infignificance. 
Indigo 
