118 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
ACCOUNT of the PRESENT STATE of the 
PROVINCEOf BUENOS-AYRES, 72 SOUTH 
AMERICA*, 
INCE the time of Ulloa and of Con- 
damine, the ftate of this part of South 
America has undergone great alterations 
for the better. The whole traét of coun- 
try which now conftitutes the province of 
Buenos-Ayres, was formerly fubjeét to 
the controul of the Viceroy of Peru; but, 
in 1778, it was erected into a feparate 
government. The country has been great- 
~ Jy benefited by this regulation, and parti- 
eularly by an edi& of the King of Spain, 
promulgated in the fame year, by which a 
tree trade was granted. In 1791, Spanifh 
as well as foreign merchants moreover re- 
ceived permiffion to import Negro-flaves 
and hardware, and to export in return the 
produétions of the country. ‘This encou- 
ragement, has contributed greatly to the 
advancement of agriculture, and the in- 
creafe of population: and, fuch is the fer- 
tility of the foil, that, if the fame wife 
regulations fhould continue in force, Bue- 
_nos-Ayres will probably become, in a 
fhort time, the granary ot South America 
and of Spain. Another royal ediét, dated 
April 10, 1793, allowed the exportation 
of falted meat, as likewife of tallow, duty 
free. 
The moft opprefiive fetters on induftry 
and commerce having been removed by 
thefe and fimilar royal-ediéts, the profpe= 
rity of the country muft continue to in- 
creafe every year; for, in thefe regions 
which are blefied with the moft favour- 
able climate, nature alone, if no impedi- 
ments be thrown in her way, will almoft 
fpontaneoufly produce every thing. The 
province of Buenos-Ayres has a very 
great extent, every where abounding with 
the molt fertile cultivated lands: thefe 
are interfected, im every direétion,. by 
brooks and rivers, which all flow into the 
‘great river De la Plata. The pafture- 
grounds fupport millions of beeves,horfes, 
fheep, and {wine. Such numbers of horn- 
ed cattle are reared, that, in the year 
1792, 825,609 ox-hides were fhipped for 
Spain—not to reckon fuch as were uled 
in the country, or were bartered for Ne- 
gro-flaves.. ‘There is an abundance of 
falt ; and no want of convenient places 
where boats and fhips may take in a car- 
go of falted flefh-for exportation. The 
Rio de la Plata, the Uraguay, Parana, 
and other fmaller freams, afford great ad- 
Ne Soy ay ee 
* From the Viagero Univerfal. 
Account of Buenos-Ayres, in South America. 
vantages in this refpe€t. There are likes 
wife fome good and -capacious harbours, 
as, for initance, thofe of Buenos-Ayres 
itfelf, of Montevideo, Maldonado, and 
the Bay of Barragan.. The fifhery on 
the coatts, efpecially of the whale’ and 
fea- wolf, is frequently very productive: and 
in the interior of the country the chafe 
furniflies: many articles for commerce ; . 
for the {kins of the tigers that are found 
here are no lefs e(teemed for their beauty, 
than the oftrich-feathers, of which there 
(March 3, - 
is great plenty. In the villages and dif- 
tricts of the Miffions, cotton, and like- 
wife flax and hemp are cultivated. Nor is 
this province entirely deftitute of gold- ~ 
mines: fome of them are worked near 
Maidonado and San Luis, at the diftance 
of two hundred Jeguas from the capital. 
We fhall be beft enabled to form a 
correct idea of the profperity and com- 
merce of this country, by taking a view 
of the imports and exports. In the year 
1796, there arrived thirty-five loaded fhips 
from Cadiz ; twenty-two from Barcelona, 
Malaga, and Alfaquez; nine from Co- 
runna; five from ‘Santander; one from 
Vigo; and one from Gijon. The value 
of that part of the cargoes which confifted 
of Spanifh produétions, amounted to 
1,705,866 American piatters. The value 
of the foreign manuta€tures, &c. which’ 
were imported in the above fhips, amount- 
ed to 1,148,078 ; and {jum total of both, 
to 2,853,944 piafters. On the other hand, 
there failed from Buenos-Ayres twenty- 
fix fhips for Cadiz; ten for Barcelona, 
Malaga, and Alicante; eleven for Co-- 
runna; and four for Santander. Thefe 
carried coined and uncoined gold of the 
value of 1,425,701 piatters. The value 
of the filver exported amounted to nearly 
2,556,304, and that of the other produc- 
tions of the province to 1,076,877 ° pi- 
afters. The value of all the exports con- 
fequently amounted to 5,058,882. The 
goods exported confifted of 874,593 raw 
ox-hides; 43,752 horle-hides; 24,436 
fkins of a finer fort; 46,800 arrobas of © 
melted tallow; 773 afrrobas of Vicunna 
wool; 2264 arrobas of common wool ; 
andzgtarrobas of the wool of the Guanaco 
or camel-fheep; 11,890 goofe-wings ; 
451,000 ox-horns ; 3223 cwt. of copper ; - 
4 cwt. of tin; 2541 tanned hides; 222 
dozen of manufaétured fheep-fkins; 2128 
cwt. of falted beef; and 185 cwt. of falted 
pork. 
From the Havannah two fhips arrived. 
-Thele were freighted with 225159 arrobas 
of fugar; 239 cafks of brandy; ara 
large veflels full of honey 3 258 arrebas of 
cacae g 
