1802.] 
©acao; 1264 arrobas of white wax; and 
7§0 varas of acana wood ;——the whole 
value of the imports from the Havannah 
amounting co 123,562 piatters. In the 
fame year, fourteen fhips failed from Bu- 
enos-Ayres tothe Havannah. Their car-. 
goes confifled of 24,060 pialters in gold ; 
69,050 cwt. of falted fleth ; 13,600 arro- 
bas of tallow ; 252 dozens of manufac- 
tured fheep-fkins; 323 fkins of a finer 
fort; 190 arrobas of wool; 280 goofe- 
wings ;—the value of all thefe exports. to 
the Havannah amounting to 160,110 piaf- 
cers. 
Two fhips from Lima and Guayaquil 
brought 10,975 arrobas of fugar; 200 
falt-ftones ; 1472 arrobas of cacao; 816 
arrobas of rice ; 378 pounds of cinnamon; 
¢90 pounds of indigo ;—the value of the 
whole amounting to 50,154 piafters. In 
return, 20,94 hoes; 238 flaves; 1680 
arrobas of tallow ; 620 pounds of thread ; 
42 dozen pairs of filk-ftockings ; and 
1z0 hats,were fent from Buenos- Ayres to 
the above named places,—The value of 
all thefe exports amounted to 67,150 pia{- 
ters. | 
- In the fame year, 1350 Negro flaves 
were imported in four Spanifh and five 
foreign fhips. On the other hand, two 
foreign fhips, and nine belonging to the 
country, failed from Buenos-Ayres ona 
flave-trade voyage, carrying with them 
159,820 piafters in money, and of the 
productions of the country and other mer- 
chandize as much as was eftimated at 
24,703 pialters. 
The rapid increafe of trade in the pro- 
vince clearly appears from a comparative 
ftate of the imports and exports of the 
years 1795 and 1796. In this latter 
year, there were imported 932,481 pia(- 
ters worth of goods from Spain; 760,361 
piafters worth from the Havannah ; and 
50,154 piafters worth from Lima, more 
than in the year immediately preceding, 
The importation of Negro-flaves, like- 
wife, exceeded in value that of the for- 
mer year about 11,895 piafters. The ex- 
ports too were likewife much more confi. 
derable: the excefs of thofe to Spain alone 
amounting to 274,476 piafters. 
But, in the following years, through 
the war, and the infecurity of commerce 
thereby occafioned, a change for the 
worfe had taken place, This we learn 
from the Correo Mercantil of the year 
17993 No. 33, which contains a letter 
- from Buenos-Ayres, dated October 31, 
1798, relative to the ftagnation of trade. 
According to this letter, above three mil- 
jions of skins were lying in the warehoutes 
i 
Account.of Buenos-Ayres, in South America. 
Jearned from others. 
119 
of the capital and Montevideo, . which 
could not be exported on account of the 
danger of their falling into the hands of 
the enemy. Many forts of European 
goods and manufactures were totally want- 
ing, or had rifento prices exceffively high. 
In particular, a great want was felt of 
Evropean linen; in lieu of it, however, they 
fubftituted flufts,either manufaétured from 
cotton in the country itfelf, or imported 
from Peru. Of thefe ftuffs, which are 
much efteemed, above a million of .ells 
were, , in the above-named year, 
imported into Buenos-Ayres. Thofe mot. 
in requeft come from the country of the 
Chiquitos and Moxos, Brandy and Spa- 
nith liqueurs could not be procured at 
any price. They endeavoured, however, to 
fupply the moft prefling wants by encou- 
raging the of manufactures the country; fo 
that the ftagnation of trade may eventu- 
ally prove beneficial to the province, by 
forcing them to the knowledge and exer. 
cife of their own powers and refources. 
Montevideo is the moft confiderable, 
and moft advantageoufly fituated, harbour 
of the whole province. Don Bruno dé 
Zabala was the firt who, in the year 
1731, fettled here with fourteen or fifteen 
families from Palma, one of the Canary, 
Iflands, and laid the foundations of the 
city. Since that time, it has greatly ine. 
creafed, and ftill continues to rife’ in im«: 
portance, in proportion as the trade of the 
province becomes more extenfive. Provi-. 
fions are here very plentiful and cheap. 
This abundance of the neceffaries of life 
encourages, in the common people, a pro- 
penfity toidlenefs, whichhas givenrifeto an. 
order of ‘ftrollers, who are called Gaude- 
rios. ‘Their mode of life refembles that 
of the Gypfies, except that they are not 
addicted to thieving. Thefe vagabonds 
are natives of Montevideo or the circum- 
jacent places: they are very badly cloath- 
ed, their whole drefs confifting only of a 
coarle fhirt, and a worfe upper garment. 
Thefe articles of drefs, together with 
horfe-furniture, ferve them tor bedding, 
and a faddle for a pillow. ‘hey ftroll 
about with a kind of {mall guitars, to the 
found of which they fing ballads of their 
own compofition, or fuch as they have 
Love is in general 
the fubje&t of thefe fongs. Thus they 
wander about the country, and endeavour 
to divert the peaiants, who, in return, fhew 
their gratitude by furnifhing them with 
victuals during their ftay with them, and 
even giving them other horfes when they lofe 
their own. ‘This liberality and generofity 
will appear the leis furprifing, when it is 
confidered, 
