a sweeping manner, on the whole of South America. Yet when we come to examine the imports from Europe, consumed in the various sections, we shall find, that no other quarter of the globe, presents so favourable a prospect, or such a field for the enterprize of man.

§ Notwithstanding the degraded state in which Spanish America has so long remained, the want of encourage, ment, and the extortions and shackles of government, the total European imports, by Humboldt, are estimated at 59,200,000 dollars, independent of contraband trade, as per following scale.

Humboldt's Statement of entire importations into all Spanish America.

Dollars.

Captain Generalship of Havana and Puerto Rico....11,000,000 Viceroyalty of New Spain, and Captain Generalship

22,000,000

5,700,000

5,500,000

Viceroyalty of Peru, and Captain-Generalship of Chili 11,500,000 Viceroyalty of Buenos Ayres

3,500,000

Total annual importation to Spanish America..59,200,000 59,200,300 dollars, at 4s. 6d.-£13,320,000 sterling.And, is this a trade, not worth the attention of the British government; one, that by the Spanish Custom House returns, under every disadvantage, independent of contraband trade, which is known to amount to at least one half, and at the low proportion at which the sections are rated by Humboldt, exceeds thirteen millions sterling? In the preceding scale, Buenos Ayres is only rated at 3,500,000 dollars, and its regular estimation on the spot, exceeds five millions; so that, when we come

to consider the immense smuggling trade, to which every facility was given by the corruption of the guards; and which was not only carried on from the different West India islands, but also in the English and United States whaling expeditions to the South Seas, and from the frontiers of the latter, to the inner provinces of Mexico, it is a very fair estimate to lay down the total annual consumption of Spanish America, in imported articles, at eighty millions of dollars, or sixteen millions pounds sterling, a calculation in strict conformity with the very best authorities. Still, can I aver, from my own experience, as well as from official Spanish documents, that not one-third of the inhabitants of that immense country, have hitherto been in the habits of wearing imported goods. By an official report in my possession, out of the seven millions of inhabitants contained in New Spain, it appears, that only one million used foreign cloathing, from its being too dear for the poverty of the remainder. Indeed the Indians and casts, are kept in so degraded a state, that they have not the means to make the purchase, and are obliged to content themselves with rags, and the coarse homespun cottons and woollens, they themselves manufacture. It has been calculated, and with sufficient accuracy, that on an average, each inhabitant of the United States, consumes, yearly, £5 worth of British manufactures; yet a trade to a warmer country, is more profitable, from a larger proportion of fine goods entering into the consumption. The state of war in which Spanish America had been long kept, and the dear rate at which its inhabitants were obliged to purchase their cloathing, drove the lower orders to the expedient of manufacturing their cotton and wool; on

which occasion, a native writer observed, that they were indebted to England, by the war she carried on against them, for having taught them to supply considerable part of their own cloathing.

Thus our own impolicy, added to the monopolies of the mother-country, principally gave rise to the establishment of manufactures in Spanish America; and the cessation of these causes, and the creation of a rivalship in prices, quality, and imitation, would, consequently, render their continuation useless, and we might, eventu ally, secure the entire consumption of seventeen millions of people. The natives of Spanish America became manufacturers, from necessity, for it cannot be supposed, that a people, possessed of extensive and fertile regions to cultivate, and a comparatively thin population, would adopt a sedentary line of life, from choice. No, they have only done it, because the productions they might raise, were of no value from the want of trade; and being possessed of the raw materials, they recurred to home manufactures, from not having wherewith to purchase imported goods. These manufactures, are, besides, unaided by machinery and art, of course, they will die away, when better and cheaper goods come into competition ; and when that period arrives, the consumption of Spanish America, will exceed one hundred and eighteen millions of dollars, and rapidly increase as new wants are created.

The United States, have, hitherto, been very great suppliers of goods in their sister continent, this being a trade in which the British merchant has had little share. In the year 1805, twenty millions were exported from England to North America, alone; and our united exports, westwards, that year, did not exceed twenty-three

millions. In 1808, after the intercourse with the United States, had been interrupted, five millions only were exported to that country, and eighteen millions to the Spanish main and the West Indies; from which it appeared, that out of the said twenty millions imported from this country by North America, thirteen millions were destined to supply the Spanish shores of the Atlantic; and, indeed, it is a fact, that only half our exports to the North American market, are consumed there, the remainder being reshipped, and sent to the Spanish main, to procure valuable returns. In 1809, seven millions were exported to North America, and nineteen to the Spanish settlements and West Indies; and in 1810, our total exports, westwards, reached twenty-eight millions, from which it may be concluded, that by proper management, the trade to Spanish America might be made the most valuable of any we have, might yet be considerably increased, and is, of consequence, deserving of the most serious consideration; for it might also be rendered the most secure. In the year 1802, Cadiz alone received from all Spanish America, 54,742,033 dollars in precious metals, and 27,096,814 do. in colonial productions; a sum equal to the total imports of England, in 1790, which did not exceed eighteen millions sterling.

Such is the import trade and consumption of the united sections of Spanish America; such are the improvements of which both are capable; nor are the returns less interesting, being composed of the richest productions of nature, besides forty-two millions of dollars in coin, which might be easily increased. This is therefore a connection of the greatest possible importance to

the mercantile interests of the British empire, and will, in future, be of great political consequence in the affairs of Europe. We have, hitherto, beheld the shutting up of one continent against us, as the precursor of ruin; the opening, therefore, of another, with such valuable resources, ought to be an object of national gladness. Our existence, as a nation, depends on our commerce, this requires peace, it, therefore, behoves us to quench the flames of war, wherever we can promote the pursuits of agriculture and trade; more, especially, in the regions out of the reach of those, who only lately were our common enemies. The history of commerce, in this country, records no instance of calamity, so severe and so extensive, as that we have lately experienced, and, on the other hand, it is universally acknowledged, that we can only relieve the burdens which have so long rested on the people, but when our manufactures and trade increase, in a corresponding degree. Whoever has viewed Spanish America, with a careful eye, will readily admit, that its long neglected regions, contain more resources than any other section of the globe; and besides its great and increasing consumption of goods, and valuable territorial productions, it, alone, affords precious metals to the world. Constant and adequate supplies, will make the people agricultural; when they have wherewith to go to market, their wants will increase, and to England might devolve a large portion of their supplies. If there is a country, in the world, that by its trade, can ever retrieve our pecuniary wants, if we ever, in time, hope to wipe away the enormous debt we are entailing on our posterity, or alleviate the burden already pressing upon us, for its support, this is the only region under the sun, where