366 
meafure dependent on the intelligence 
and the decifions of the magiftrates ; and 
the commerce with Spain owed its bet 
fecurity to the circulation of the filver 
entered in the bills or lading. Com- 
‘merce, on the other hand, being: at this 
time fubdivided into fo many {mailer 
branches, maintains a greater number of 
merchants; -at the fame time that the 
fortunes which accrue from it are not fo 
numerous. It is neceffary that a com- 
mercial man fhould combine his plans 
fkilfully, and extend his fpeculations, to be 
enabled to acquire a handfome property. 
The manufactures of this country 
confift almoft entirely of a few friezes, 
the ufe of which is 1 
confined to the Indians and negroes. 
There are befides an inconfiderable 
number of manufactures of hats, cot- 
ton-cloths, drinking glafies, &c. which 
do not, however, occupy much {pace in 
the fcale of the riches of Peru. Sugar, 
Vicuna-wool, cotton, Peruvian. bark, 
copper, and cocoa, (itis to be obferved, 
however, that the two latter articles, as 
well asa confiderable part of the Perue 
vian bark, are fent hither from Guaya- 
quil, &c.) are the only commodities, the 
produce of our mines excepted, which 
We export- 
The mines are the principal, it may 
indeed be faid the only fource of the 
riches cf Peru. - Notwithftanding the 
little indifiry which 1s employed in 
working them, and the fmall help. which 
commerce affords to the ers, 634,000 
marks of filver, and 6,038 of gcid, were 
{melted and refined laf year (1799) in 
the royal mint of Li and 5,162,239 
piaftres*, in both materials, were coined 
there+. 
From the mines of Gualgayocf{, and 
from that of Pafco§, about one half of 
the filver which is annually fmelted, 
coined, and wrought, is extraéted. The 
mine of Guantajaya || is abundant in ores 
® Doilazs, 
+ In the former year, 1739, 3,570,000 
piaftres in filver, and 76,763 in gold, were 
coined. : 
+ This mine is in the intendency of Truxilo, 
#78 leagues diftant fiom Lima, and from Trux- 
ilo 68. | 
§ Otherwife called Cerro Mineral de Laurie 
cocha. It is fituated at the northern extremity 
ef the Pampas de Zombon ; and is diftant froma 
Lima 45 leagues, and from Tarma 22. 
| This mine, which, in_ oppofition to the 
laws nature generally obferves, is -fituated in a 
very hot.and jandy fil, is comprehended in the 
province of Tarapaca, in the intendency of 

g 
in a Manner- 
Defeription of Peru, fram the Peruvian Mercury [Now ! 
and riclt metallic veins, but does not 
yield in proportion, in confequence of — 
the dearnefs of every neceflary, as well 
for working, as for convenience aad fub- - 
fiftence. On account alfo of - its diftance 
from the capital, the benefits which 
would otherwifé arife from it are loft: 
the ores of thirty marks the caxon *, do 
not pay themfelves; and the fame may 
be faid of the produéts of the fmaller'and 
more fuperficial veins, which oceafionally 
prefent themfelves, and in which the 
fiver is chiffeled out. It is greatly to be 
hoped that the plan of traniporting the 
produce of this mine to Callao may be 
adopted: this would not-only caufe the 
mine itfelf to flourifh, but would be be- 
neficial to all the adjacent provinces. 
That of Guarochiri F, the effects of the 
abundance of which are more immediately 
felt in this capital, does not flourith in ~- 
a degree which fhould apparently cor-. 
refpond with the richnefs of its metals, 
and the abundance.of its metallic {pots and 
veins. The adoption of the newly ‘intro- 
duced method of amalgamation; the em- 
ployment of a fufficient number of Indian 
labourers, who may be engaged without 
difficulty ; and a few reforms m the prac- 
tical part of the laborious operations ; 
thefe are the only principles on which 
this mine, as well as all the others in the 
kingdom, can be brought into a truly 
flourifhing condition. . 
The navigation of. Peru is limited. 
Our commerce in cern carries us to the. 
ports of Chile; with Guayaquil we carry ~. 
on a traffic in timber, &c. and, laftly, we 
make a few voyages to Chiloe, Juan- 
Fernandes, Valdivia, and Panama. We 
navigate with economy and with eafe ;. 
but are deficient in the fcientific-part, 
deriving noaid whatever from afironomy. 
Thofe who dave the charge of our trading 
veflels have no {kill beyond imitation 5 
.the hydrographicai charts which are con- 
fulted, are, on many accounts, defeétive 5 
and the fituation of the .coafts is more pa~ 
rallel than it is reprefenred. On another 
hand, the fogs- which almoft conftantly 
hover over the land, and hide it from the 
navigator’s view, oblige him to make a. 

; 
Arequipa. Itis difant from that intendenc j 
8s leagues, from Lima 3¢o, and from the port | 
of Iquique nearly two leagues. & 
* The caxon contains 6,250 pounds. ) 
+ This miue extends, ia a manner, over the 
whole of the province which bears its name, the | 
capital of which is the town of Guarochiri, dife 
tant from Lima 17 leagues,and from Tarma 
28. Jt belongs to the intendgncy of Lima. 9) 
.  elreuite 
; 
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