20 obrajes, and more than 300 trapiches at that time, who altogether wrought up 63,900! arrobas of Mexican sheep-wool. According to accurate lists, drawn up in 1793, there were arreras at that period at Queretaro, in the obrajes native alone, 215 looms, and 1500 workmen who manufactured 6042 pieces, or 226,522 varas of cloth (paños): 287 pieces, or 39,718 varas of ordinary woollens (verguatillas); 207 pieces, or 15,369 varas of baize (bayetas); and 161 pieces, or 17,960 varas of serge (xergas). In this manufacture they consumed 46,270 arrobas of wool, the price of which only amounted to 161,945 piastres. They reckon in general seven arrobas of wool to one piece of cloth and bayeta; six arrobas to one piece of xerguatilla, and five arrobas to one piece of xerga. The value of the cloths and woollen stuffs of the obrajes and trapiches of Queretaro at present amounts to more than 600,000 piastres, or three millions of francs per annum. On visiting these workshops, a traveller is disagreeably struck, not only with the great imperfection of the technical process in the pre. paration for dyeing, but in a particular manner also with the unhealthiness of the situation, and the bad treatment to which the workmen are exposed. Free men, Indians, and people of colour, are confounded with the criminals * £122,448 Sterling. Trans. wook distributed by justice among the manufactories, in order to be compelled to work. All appear half naked, covered with rags, meagre, and deformed. Every workshop resembles a dark prison. The doors, which are double, remain constantly shut, and the workmen are not permitted to quit the house. Those who are married, are only allowed to see their families on Sundays. All are unmercifully flogged, if they commit the smallest trespass on the order established in the manufactory. We have difficulty in conceiving how the proprietors of the obrajes can act in this manner with free men, as well as how the Indian workman can submit to the same treatment with the galley slaves. These ptended rights are in reality acquired by stratagem. The manufacturers of Queretaro employ the same trick, which is made use of in several of the cloth manufactories of Quito, and in the plantations, where from a want of slaves, labourers are extremely rare. They choose from among the Indians the most miserable, but such as show an aptitude for the work, and they advance them a small sum of money. The Indian, who loves to get intoxicated, spends it in a few days, and having become the debtor of the master, he is shut up in the workshop, under the pretence of paying off the debt by the work of his hands. They allow him only a real and a half, or 20 sous tournois per day X of wages; but in place of paying it in ready money, they take care to supply him with meat, brandy, and clothes, on which the manufacturer gains from fifty to sixty per cent.; and in this way the most industrious workman remains for ever in debt, and the same rights are exercised on him, which are believed to be acquired over a purchased slave. I knew many persons at Queretaro, who lamented with me the existence of these enormous abuses. Let us hope that a government friendly to the people, will turn their attention to a species of oppression so contrary to humanity, the laws of the country, and the progress of Mexican industry. With the exception of a few stuffs of cotton mixed with silk, the manufacture of silks is at present next to nothing in Mexico. In the time of Acosta, towards the conclusion of the sixteenth century, silk worms brought from Europe where cultivated near Panuco, and in la Misteca, and excellent taffeta * was there manufactured with Mexican silk. We have already observed that it was not the bombyxmori, but an indigenous caterpillar which supplied the raw materials, for the silk handker * Acosta, lib. iv. c. 32, p. 179. of this volume. See also Chap. x. p. 57. VOL. III. H H Salive wond chiefs manufactured by the Indians of Misteca, and the village of Tistla near Chilpansingo. New Spain has no flax or hemp manufactories; and the manufacture of paper is also unknown in it. The manufacture of tobacco is a royal right. The expence of the manufacture of cegars and snuff, annually amounts to more than 6,200,000 livres tournois *. The manufactures of Mexico and Queretaro are the most considerable. The following is an account of the whole manufacture during the years 1801 and 1802. Price of Tobacco purchased from Crown, on the sale of Tobacco 3,993,834 4,092,629 626,319 594,229 On my passage through Queretaro, I visited the great manufactory of cegars (fabrica de *253,0601. sterling. Trans. Articles in balance of trace puros y cigarros), in which 3000 people, including 1900 women, are employed. The halls are very neat, but badly aired, very small, and consequently excessively warm. They consumé daily in this manufacture 130 reams (resmas) of paper, and 2770 pounds of tobacco leaf. In the course of the month of July, 1808, there was manufactured to the amount of 185,288 piastres; viz. 2,654,820 small chests (carillas) of cegars, which sell for 165,926 piastres, and 289,799 chests of puros or cegars, which are not enveloped in paper. The expence of manufacture of the month of July alone, amounted to 31,789 piastres. It appears that the royal manufactory of Queretaro annually produces more than 2,200,000 piastres, in puros and cigarros. The manufacture of hard soap is a considérable object of commerce at Puebla, Mexico, and Guadalaxára. The first of these towns produces nearly 200,000 arrobas per annum; and in the intendancy of Guadalaxara, the quantity manufactured is computed at 1,300,000 livres tournois. The abundance of soda which we find almost every where at elevations of 2000 or 2500 metres; in the interior table land of Mexico, is highly favourable to this manufacture. The tequesquite of which we * At 6561 or 8201 feet. Trans. |