PERU. 
757 
Indigo is the principal article of import from Guati- 
mala. Small quantities of logwood, pitch, timber, and 
cacao, are alfo imported. The exports, which are very 
trifling, confift chiefly of wine and woollens. The wines 
and brandies of Peru might be exported with advantage 
to San Bias, for the confumption of Cinaloa, Sonora, and 
California ; hut, though permiflion has been frequently 
folicited from the government, it has been conftantly re¬ 
filled from an apprehenfion of interfering with the trade 
of the mother-country in thefe articles. 
The trade of Peru with Spain was carried on by Porto 
Bello and Panama till 174.8, when regifter-fliips were fub- 
flituted for galleons, and the voyage by Cape Horn, for 
the circuitous route formerly in ufe. It is amufing to 
conflder the progrefs made fince that time in the art of 
navigation. The firffc Spanifh veflels which failed by 
Cape Horn, were infured againft fea-rifkat Cadiz, at the 
exorbitant rate of 20 percent, of their value; but the 
veflels which perform the fame voyage at prefent are in¬ 
fured for two. The regifter-fhips, though liable to ob¬ 
jections, were preferable in every refpedl to the galleons. 
They fhortened the intercourfe between the mother-coun- 
try and the colony, and leflened the expenfe attending it. 
By affording quicker returns they led to more frequent 
adventures; and by meeting more effedtually the demand 
they diminifhed the inducements to contraband. But 
the trade was ftill clogged and impeded with much ufe- 
lefs expenfe and unneceflary delay, and fubjedted to an 
arbitrary licence, which was withheld or burdened with 
reftridlions at the caprice of the minifter. 
The regifter-fliips continued to be employed in the 
trade of Peru with the mother-country, til! the war for 
American independence, during which there was little 
intercourfe between Spain and this diftant colony. At 
the peace of 1783, the fyftem of free trade, the order for 
which had been iffued at Madrid fome years before, be¬ 
gan to be carried intoeffedf in the South Sea. According 
to this fyftem, the moft wife and liberal that Spain had 
ever laid down for her colonies, an unlimited intercourfe, 
without licences or other reftridlions, was permitted be¬ 
tween certain ports of Spain and certain ports of Spanifli 
America; and among the privileged ports of America, 
are Callao and Arica, both fttuated in Peru. The refult 
of thefe innovations was highly favourable to Peru. 
Its inhabitants enjoy foreign luxuries and conveniences 
at a cheaper rate, and in greater abundance, than before ; 
wj-jile their induftry has been excited, the value of their 
exports increafed, and the produce of their mines nearly 
doubled. Nor was the change of fyftem lefs beneficial to 
the mother-country, though fome individuals fuffered 
by it. From 1714 to 1739, a period of twenty-five 
years, the whole exports to Spain from Peru, Chili, the 
Rio Plata, and Santa Fe, did not exceed 34,000,000 of 
dollars. But, from 1785 to 1789, the exports from Peru 
and Chili alone exceeded 6,000,000 annually ; and the 
imports from Europe increafed in the fame proportion. 
For fome years, indeed, after the opening of the free trade, 
the merchants of the mother country, ignorant of the 
real ftate and refources of Peru, poured into that country 
3 greater quantity of goods than its effective demand 
required, or enabled it to confume; and, by the confe- 
quent want of fale, the depreciation of thefe goods, the 
importers paid dearly for their rafhnefs ; but, though 
fome merchants fuffered by their over-fpeculation, the 
manufactures of the mother-country were benefited by it; 
and, with regard to Peru, it would be difficult to (how 
how the abundance and low price of goods could be in¬ 
jurious to the confumer. On the contrary, the fpirit of 
induftry was awakened in that kingdom, by the fight of 
luxuries and accommodations formerly unknown to its 
inhabitants, or placed beyond their reach ; and the in - 
creafe of its exports fince the free trade, was the furelt 
proof of its growing profperity. 
But, to form a juft eftimate of the commerce of Peru, 
we mult take Buenos Ayres into the account, and con- 
fider thefe two countries, and Chili, as part of the fame 
commercial fyftem. It will then more fully appear, how 
fmail were the means, and limited the refources, of 
thefe extenfive colonies, and what falfe and exaggerated 
notions have been circulated in this country with re¬ 
gard to them. 
Dollars. 
Annual coinage of Lima, from 1790 to 1794 5>593>5i3 
Coinage of Porofi in 1791 ... 41365,175 
Annual coinage of Chili, eftimated at - 1,400,000 
Annual export of produce from Callao, from 
1785 to 1789. 724,931 
Export of produce from Buenos Ayres in 1796 1,328,840 
4-2,459 
Although, in the prefent unfettled ftate of Peru, the 
amount of its revenues, and the armed force which it 
maintains, become matters of but little importance, 
yet it may be noticed, that, under the colonial govern¬ 
ment of Spain, the revenues of the crown amounted, 
communibus annis, to about 6,000,000 dollars, and the 
expenditure to about 3,200,000 ; the balance wasannually 
remitted to the parent ftate. The armed force conlifted 
of the regulars, who were 2200, including28o cavalry 
and 40 artillery. The difeiplined militia were 8000 in¬ 
fantry, 2280 cavalry, and 490 artillery. Befides thefe 
there were 85 regiments, known as provincial militia, 
amounting to 21,700 men ; but thefe had no arms, were 
rarely muttered, and then exercifed only with flicks 
inftead of muikets, and were of little ufe except as the 
means of gratifying the vanity of the natives by con¬ 
ferring on them the military titles of colonels, majors, 
captains. See. as is faid, to the great emolument of the 
viceroy and the officers of his e!tab!ifhment. 
The works to which we have been chiefly indebted in 
the compilation of this article, are—The Modern Univer- 
fal Hiftory; Robertfon’s Hilt, of America; Annual Re- 
gifters ; Ency. Brit. Suppl. Picard’s Ceremonies Reli- 
gieufes. Mercuric Peruano, a periodical work, publifhed 
at Lima, twice a-week, from Jan. 1791 ; Prefent State of 
Peru, 4to. 1805 ; Pinkerton’s Geography, vol. iii. and 
the Edinburgh Review, N° 18. Geography of America 5 
Philadelphia, 1822 ; Macauley on Negro Slavery, 1823. 
