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The road from Mexico to Vera Cruz, by Orizaba is the least frequented: it passes by Nopoluca, San Andres, Orizaba, Cordoba, and Cotastla. The group of porphyritic mountains which contain the summits of the Pic d'Orizaba and the Coffre de Perote, prevent the engineer from tracing in a straight line, the road from the capital to the port of Vera Cruz. On the Xalapa road, we turn the great mountain of the Coffre on the north; and on the Orizaba and Cordova road, we turn the Pic d'Orizaba on its southern slope. One of these roads deviates to the north, and the other to the south; but the greatest deviation is that by Orizaba. This last road would be considerably abridged, if, instead of going to Vera Cruz by Coastla and the Venta de Xamapa, they were to pass through the hilly country, known by the name of the Sierra de Atoyaque. According to an estimate of the Regidores of the Villa de Cordova, the construction of this new road would cost 1,416,800 piastres *.

The principal objects of the interior commerce of New Spain are, 1st. The productions and goods imported or exported at the two ports of Vera Cruz and Acapulco, of which we shall afterwards speak; 2d. the exchange which is carried on between the different provinces,

* 297,528 Sterling.

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and particularly between Mexico, properly so called, and the Provincias Internas. 3d. Several productions of Peru, Quito, and Guatimala, which are conveyed through the country to be exported at Vera Cruz for Europe. Were it not for the great consumption of commodities in the mines, the interior commerce could not have any great activity between provinces which enjoy in a great measure the same climate, and which consequently possess the same productions. The elevation of the soil gives the southern regions of Mexico, that middle temperature which is necessary for the cultivation of European plants. We have already stated, that the same latitude produces the banana, the apple, the sugar cane, and wheat, the manioc, and the potatoe. The nutritive gramina which vegetate among the ices of Norway and Siberia, cover the Mexican fields of the torrid zone. Hence, the provinces situated under the 17° and 20° of latitude, very seldom require the flour of New Biscay. Fortunately, the cultivation of maize animates the interior commerce, much more than the cerealia of Europe. As it seldom happens that the maize harvest is equally good over a large extent of ground, one part of Mexico is in want, while another abounds with it, and the price of the fanega differs in two neighbouring intendancies

frequently from 9 to 22 livres tournois*. The commerce of maize is in fact of great importance to the provinces of Guadalaxara, Valladolid, Guanaxuato, Mexico, San Luis Potosi, Vera Cruz, Puebla, and Oaxaca,

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Thousands of mules arriving every week from Chihuahua and Durango to Mexico, carry besides bars of silver, hides, tallow, some wine of Passo del Norte, and flour; and they take in return woollen cloth of the manufacture of Puebla and Queretaro, goods from Europe, and the Philippine Islands, iron, steel, and mercury. We have observed in speaking of the communication between tha coasts of the South Sea and Atlantic Ocean, that the introduction of camels would be exceedingly useful in Mexico. The table lands over which the great roads pass are not sufficiently elevated for the cold to be prejudicial to these animals; and they would suffer less than horses and mules from the aridity of the soil, and the want of water and pasturage to which the beasts of burden are exposed to the north of Guanaxuato, especially in the desert by which New Biscay is separated from New Mexico. Camels, which were still used in Spain even long after the destruction of the empire of the Moors, were introduced into Perut towards the end *See vol. ii. p. 445.

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+ Garcilasso, T. ii. p. 326.

of the 16th century by Juan de Reinaga a Biscayan; but it appears that they did not propagate there. Besides the government in those barbarous times was not favourable to the introduction of these useful animals, but yielded to the instances of the conquerors, (encomendores) who pretended that the multiplication of beasts of burden prevented them from hiring out the natives to travellers and merchants, for the purpose of carrying provisions and commodities in the interior of the country.

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In time of war, when the navigation round Cape Horn is attended with danger, a great part of the 80 thousand loads* (cargas) of cocoa, annually exported from the port of Guayaquil, passes through the Isthmus of Panama and Mexico. The expence of carriage from Acapulco to Vera Cruz generally amounts to two piastrest per carga, and the preference is given to this road whenever the cocoa of Guayaquil costs at the Havannah more than 20 piastres per fanega. The price of the purchase on the coast of Quito is gene rally from four to five piastres§; the price at

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* One of these cargas contains 81 lib.; and a fanega weighs 110 lb. Castille weight.

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which it sells at Cadiz varies from 25 to 35 piastres*; and notwithstanding the extreme length of the navigation round Cape Horn, the freight from Guayaquil to Spain does not exceed from seven to eight piastrest, the fanega.

The copper of Guasco known by the name of copper of Coquimbo frequently takes the same route as the cocoa of Guayaquil. This copper only costs at Chili six or seven piastres‡ per quintal; and the ordinary price at Cadiz is 20 piastres§; but as in time of war it rises to 35 or 40, the merchants of Lima who carry on the trade in the productions of Chili, find it for their interest to send copper into Spain by Guayaquil, Acapulco, Vera Cruz, and the Havannah. These modes of communication which are very unnatural, will soon cease, whenever an active government willing to protect commerce, shall construct a good road from Panama to Portobello, and whenever the Isthmus shall be able to supply the necessary number of beasts of burden for the carriage of the productions of Quito, Peru, and Chili.

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3. The same reasons which induce the inhatants of Guayaquil to send their cocoa in time

From £5 5s. to £7 7s. Trans.

+ From £1 9s 5d to £1 13s 7d. Trans.

£15s. 2d. or 1 9s. 5d. Trans.

$449. Trans.

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