1802. ] 
heceflary, a meflenger with their letters ; 
and their friends and neighbours made ufe 
of the fame conveyance; or, what was 
more ufual,theyloaded travellers with letters 
and commiffions, &c.which was however at- 
tended with great delays and inconvenience, 
as from Jujui to Mendoza one is obliged 
to travel very flowly in a kind of two- 
wheeled carts. But, in 1748, the Viceroy 
Don Andonaegui inftituted regular pofts, 
Buenos-Ayres is well fupplied with 
provifions : of flefh-meat in particular 
there is fo great an: abundance, that it is 
frequently diftributed gratis to the poor. 
The river- water is rather muddy: but it 
foon becomes clear and drinkable, by 
being kept in large tubs or earthen veflels. 
Of fifth too there is a great abundance, 
Neither in the diftri&t of Buenos- Ayres 
nor in Tucuman does any fnow ever fall; 
fometimes it freezes a little, fo as to cover 
the water with’a thin coating of ice, 
which is collected and preferved with great - 
care for the purpofe of cooling their li- 
quors. 
That the climate of Buenos- Ayres is 
very falubrious, appears from the propor- 
tion of the births to the deaths ; and con- 
fequently the city has not been improperly 
named. In June, July, Auguit, and Sept. 
however, fogs arile from the river, which 
affect the lungs and breaft. The vehe- 
ment winds too, which blow from the 
Pampas, and are therefore called Pamperos, 
prove very troublefome to the inhabitants. 
Thofe who with to crofs the continent 
from Buenos-Ayres to Peru, have many 
thingssto attend to, and guard againit. 
‘The greateft danger arifes from In- 
dians who inhabit the Pampas. Whole 
troops of thefe attack travellers, and caufe 
them much lofs. The Pampas Indians, 
as wellas the other tribes of favages, fend 
out {couts to acquire intelligence of the 
number and firength of travellers. Thefe 
{pies frequently pretend to be deferted, or 
driven away and purfued by their coun- 
trymen. ‘The lazineis of the Pampas 
furpaffes all defcription. On this account 
the number does not increafe; and the 
Spaniards entertain well-founded hopes, 
that the whole race will foon be extin- 
guifhed. They are treacherous and cow- 
ardly ; and, although they can manage the 
Jance with fome {kill on horfeback, they 
do not poffefs valour fufficient to maintain 
the combat for any length of time. Their 
yittories over the Spaniards are therefore 
very rare. ”*Tis then only that their at- 
tacks prove fuccefsful, when they are able 
¢o lie in ambuhh, and {urprize their enemy, 
MontTuny Maa. No, 84. 
Otfervations on the Repeal of the Duties upon Salt. 
12] 
or when fifteen of them fight againft one 
European, 
ea 
To the Editor of the Mon thiyMagazine.. 
SIR, 
SOON after the prefent Chancellor of the 
Exchequer came into office, he gave no- 
tice of his intention of moving for the repeal 
of the duties on common falt3 or for fuch a 
mitigation of thefe as would materially leffen - 
the great inconvenience the country at prefent 
labours under, from the excefs-of thefe du~ 
ties. If youthink the following ftatement . 
of fome of the advantages which would be de- 
rived from the repeal.of thefe duties worth 
inferting in your ufeful Magazine, they are 
much at your fervice. : 
Iam, Sir, your’s, &c. H. P. 
Li 
THE advantages which the public 
would derive from the repeal of the du- 
ties on common falt are fo numerous, 
and fo important, that it would not be 
eafy to enumerate the whole of them. 
Prefented by nature with a moft abundant 
fource of wealth, the opportunity of avail- 
ing ourfelves of it, is by thefe duties, in 
great degree, taken from us. This is 
more particularly the cafe, fince our know- 
ledge of chemiftry has been fo much in. 
creafed. If thefe duties were thought 
grievous while this fcience was yet in its 
infancy; how much more {feverely mult 
they be felt, fince the modern difcoveries 
in it have opened to us fo many new modes 
of applying either fale itielf, or its 
‘component parts, to our arts and manu- 
factures? 
The benefit which would refult to the 
public from the repeal of thefe duties, 
may be coniidered under thefe two heads; 
1. The advantages which would arife 
Srom the ufe of common or marige falt be- 
ing permitted, duty-free, i its undecompofed 
ate. ‘ 
2. Thofe which would be derived from 
its decompofition, and from the application 
of its component parts to feveral of our ma- 
nufactures. 
1ft, As to the ufe of commen falt in its 
undecompofed fate. Many of the ules of 
falt in the ftate in which it is prefented to 
us on our tables, are perfectly well 
known. ‘There can be no doubt that it 
might be moft advantageoufly employed - 
to feveral other important purpofes, did 
net the prefent high duties upon it, and 
the reftri€lions which accompany thefe, 
render this impoflible. One of the moft 
obvious of thefe, ts its application to the 
purpojes of ee In the early pe- 
riods 
