sd 
1805.] 
has his price for his perfidy in proportion 
to the value of the trade he facilitates. 
There are manufa&tured in Peru fome 
coarfe woollen cloths.and linen, as like- 
wife hats, leather, &c. the only manufac: 
tures they are allowed to enjoy, though 
pofleffing a country capable of producing, 
with little labour, every raw matertal the 
manufacturer requires. 
During the late war the inhabitants of 
South America received their goods by a 
trade with the Weft India Iflands, by the 
Engiifh and American whaling-veffels on 
the coafts of Peru and Chili, by a com- 
merce from this country to the River of 
late, and round Cape Horn to Chili and 
Peru, which, with the exception of fome 
few {pecial permiffions, granted generally 
to the Spaniards, and the property cover- 
ed by our citizens, wasa clande(tine trade 
againtt the laws of Spain. 
Prom the Englifh iflands they received 
their principal fupplies, being allowed a 
trade thence by act of parliament, under 
certain reftri€tions, and protected from 
Brivith capture by licenfes from the dif- 
ferent governments. 
From Jamaica nearly the whole coun- 
try from the Gulph of Mexico to Carrac- 
cas received almoft wholly their goods, a 
grea proportion of which went to Porto- 
Bello, on account of its vicinity to the Pa- 
cific Ocean, to Nicaragua Carthagena, 
and St. Martha. From an intimate ac- 
quiaintance with the trade from Jamaica 
the two years previous to the clofe of the 
late war, I am certain that at leaft two 
millions in goods were fhipped from 
thence yearly. Porto-Bello once com- 
manded an immenfe trade. Before the 
navigation round Cape Horn was thought 
fafe or practicable, the richly laden gal- 
Jeons of Spain, after having touched at 
Carthagena, and difpofed of fuch parts of 
their cargoes asthat market demanded, at 
a certain fealon of the year, when it was 
fuppofed leait unhealthy, proceeded to 
Porto-Bello with the remainder of their 
cargoes, when a falc was held of forty 
day’s continuance for the difpofal of their 
effeéts. An Englith fhip, by a contraét 
with the Spanifh Government, was allow- 
ed an annual trade to Porto-Bello about 
the year 1720 3; was laden in England 
with a very rich cargos touched at Jamai- 
ca, put her provifions, water, &c. on 
board of tenders which accompanied her 
from thence, and proceeded to the fair at 
the time of the galleons. This privilege 
was given by the Britifh Government to 
the South Sea Company. 
~The Spanifh merchants from every 
Monruiy Mac, No, 327. — 
Defeription of the Craft of South America. 229 
part of America met at the time of the 
fair at Porto-Bello, with their gold and 
filver, and other rich produtions of the 
country, to exchange them for the manu- 
_Aagtures of Europe; and bufinefs was there 
tranfaéted, in the {pace of a few days, to 
the amount of millions. - Independent of 
the immenfe cargoes of the galleons and 
the Britifh annual fhip, great quantities 
of goods were {muggled into Porto-Bello 
at that time by the company’s fhips allow~ 
ed to trade thither with negroes under the 
AMiento contract. 
From the important difcoveries made 
in navigation about this time, and the 
{pirit of enterprize and commercial enthu- 
fiafto which pervaded Europe, hazardous 
and bold enterprizes were undertaken as 
the thirft for gold increafed, and voyages 
round Cape Horn were eftecéted and bee 
camefrequent. From this time the trade 
of Porto- Bello decreafed, and is now very 
inconfiderable, except by an illicit traffic. 
Spanifh America was formerly fupplied — 
with the manufaétures and productions of 
China and the Eaft Indies by a trading 
company at the Philippine Iflands. An 
annual galleon was fent from thence to 
Acapulco, Panama, and Lima. But the 
productions of thofe countries being af- 
forded in Europe and the United States, 
of late years, much cheaper than they can 
fhip them from the Philippines, the trade 
from thence is almoft entirely done away, 
and there is only a trifling commerce from 
Manilla to Acapulco. 
A free opening for Fredifh* commerce 
to Porto-Bello would fupply tne inhabi- 
tants from the river Nicaragua to the 
Carraccas on the Atlantic, from Guati- 
mala to Chili on the Pacific Ocean, and 
the interior country within thofe limits, 
at a much cheaper rate than they could 
be fupplied from any other quarter, ex- 
cept poflibly that the Britifh trom Trini- 
dad would be able to fupply them cheaper 
in the vicinity of Carraceas. But few of 
their goods would enter the interior, 
however ; as the rifque of feizure, and 
expences attending the fmuygling-trade, 
would deter the Spaniards from any confi- 
derable intercourfe with that ifland, when 
they could be fupplied from one of their 
own ports in the neighbourhood at much 
lower rates, and incur no hazard by tranf 
portation from one place to another. 
The fpontaneous productions of South 
America, and of which, upon this plan, 
* This barbarous word has lately been ins 
troduced in the United States as fynonymous 
to American ! 
Gg we 
