Fruits in the Gardens of Lima....Flowers....Particular Dishes, or
Cookery...._Chuno_, dried Potatoes...._Chochoca_, dried
Maize....Sweetmeats....Meals....Diseases....Medical
Observations....On the Commerce of Lima....Profitable Speculations.
The south and east sides of Lima are covered with gardens and orchards
of the most delicious fruits, both tropical and equinoctial; towards the
east there are several gardens within the walls; but the greater number
are on the outside. Among the fruits known in European gardens, and
produced in great perfection at Lima, are several varieties of the
grape; for the colonial laws of Spain have not prohibited the
cultivation of the vine in Peru and Chile, as they have done in Mexico
and New Grenada. Olives grow in great abundance and of an excellent
quality; they are not preserved here, as in France, while small and
green, but are left on the trees till they are ripe, and are then
pickled in salt and water; others are pressed and dried, when they take
the appearance of prunes. Oil is made in considerable quantities, but
it is not so fine nor so good as the French or Italian oils. The first
olive was brought to Peru in 1560 by Don Antonio de Ribera, a native of
Lima. Apples and pears prosper extremely well, though but few varieties
are cultivated. Peaches and apricots do well; of the former here are
many varieties; some called _aurimelos_ and _priscos_ are very delicate.
Nectarines, plums and cherries are scarce, and only to be found in a few
places; I have seen them in the gardens of Don Pedro de la Presa, who
laid out a most magnificent garden and orchard in the suburbs of San
Lazaro; besides which he built a stately house, and expended on both
more than two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. One of the gardens is
called de Don Jaime, the other is at Miraflores. Gooseberries or
currants I never saw in any part of South America, excepting some small
plants brought to Chile for Lord Cochrane, which, owing to inattention,
died. A wild species of currant, however, is common in some parts both
of Peru and Chile, but the fruit is small and bitter, perhaps through
want of cultivation. Several kinds of melons are produced in great
abundance and of fine flavour; the _sandias_, water melons, are large
and good. Figs are most plentiful, and well flavoured. The pomegranates
are fine and full of juice; the quinces also grow very large.
Among the tropical and equinoctial fruits, the plantain and banana
ornament the orchards with their large green leaves, being the emblem of
luxuriant fertility: this luscious and wholesome fruit ministers to the
appetite of the rich, and satisfies the hunger of the poor. No native
will drink water immediately after eating the plantain, nor any thing
but water after the banana.
Much has been said respecting the banana by several writers. Forster and
other naturalists pretend that it did not exist in America before the
conquest; but I consider the existence of it in the river Ucayale, where
it was found cultivated by the first missionaries, as well as in some of
the more internal parts of Maynas, and by Count Ruis in the valley of
St. Ana, to the eastward of Cusco, when first explored, and by myself in
Archidona and Napo, to the eastward of Quito, at Cocaniguas and Pite to
the westward--I look upon these facts as sufficient proofs to the
contrary; but what will place beyond a doubt, that the banana and
plantain are indigenous, is, that I have found beds of leaves of both
these plants in the huacas at Paramongo. Four varieties of the musa are
known in Lima, the _platano arton_ (musa paradisiaca), the _camburi_ or
_largo_ (musa sapientum), the _dominico_ or _guinea_ (musa regia), and
the _maiga_ of the sea, called _de la isla_, the first plants being
brought from Otaheite, in the frigate Aguila, in 1769. Garcilaso de la
Vega, and Father Acosta, also assert, that the banana was cultivated
before the conquest. The former says, that in the warm and temperate
regions it constituted one of the principal sources of nourishment of
the natives; and the latter speaks of its being grown in the mountains
of las Emeraldas, where I have seen it myself, and particularly in some
old plantations, now uncultivated, called by the natives _Incas vicuri_,
bananas of the Incas. The sour and the sweet oranges, lemons, limes,
citrons, and shaddocks, grow in all the gardens, and contribute greatly
to their beauty. The trees at the same time are loaded with delicious
and beautiful fruit, both ripe and green; their delicate white flowers,
in clusters, shedding their perfume around: indeed, nothing can exceed
the beauty and fragrance of these trees during the greater part of the
year. I have seen orange trees, from forty to fifty feet high, covered
with large bunches of ripe oranges; but the gardeners generally keep
them at from ten to twenty feet high, because they then bear more fruit,
and also of a better quality. The Lucuma is a large tree: the fruit is
round, and about the size of an orange; it has a green skin or rind, and
contains three large kidney shaped kernels covered with a very hard
shell: the eatable part is of a deep yellow colour, in substance and
appearance not unlike the yolk of a hard boiled egg: it is dry, and to
my taste not very palatable; but it is esteemed by many.
The _Palta_, alligator pear or vegetable marrow, is sometimes round, and
sometimes pear shaped: the tree is large and handsome, the fruit is
contained in a coriaceous rind, having in the centre a large kernel, of
a brown colour and very harsh taste. It is often used as a dye, when it
gives a nankeen colour. It is also used for marking linen; this is
effected by spreading the linen over the kernel, and with a pin pricking
through it into the kernel an indelible mark is obtained. The eatable
part of the fruit is delicious; it is seasoned with salt, pepper, &c.
according to the palate, and its taste is similar to marrow: few persons
approve of this fruit at first, but almost all become passionately fond
of it afterwards. The _pacay_ is a moderately sized tree; its fruit is
contained in a large green pod--there are several varieties--the pod of
one is sometimes more than a yard long and three inches broad. The
eatable part is a soft, cotton-like substance, which is sweet and juicy.
It envelops a black bean, and these frequently germinate in the pods,
and have a very curious appearance. The _guayaba_, guaba, grows in great
abundance, and here there are several varieties, some of which are very
good. The _granadilla_ is a creeping plant, one of the varieties of the
passion flower; the fruit is of the shape and size of a duck's egg; the
shell is rather hard, of a brown hue, and contains a very delicate
substance full of small black seeds, in taste not unlike that of a ripe
gooseberry. Another variety of this fruit has a thick rind, the interior
being much like the common granadilla: it is called _de quixos_,
because, very probably, the first seed was brought from the woods in the
province of Quixos. The _tumbo_ or _badea_ is another variety, but the
fruit is as large as a moderate sized melon, which it nearly resembles
when cut, except that the seeds are of a brownish colour. It is commonly
prepared for the table by cutting the fleshy substance or outside into
small slices, and mixing them with the juicy inside and seeds, adding to
it sugar, wine, and spices; and in this state it is really delicious.
The _palillo_ is the delicate custard-apple, which is very sweet and
fragrant. The females of Lima often dry the rind or skin, and burn it
with other perfumes. The _capuli_ is the cape gooseberry; it grows on a
small bush, and when ripe has an agreeable acid taste. The _chirimoya_
is often called the queen of fruits, and it undoubtedly deserves that
name. The tree is low and bushy; the flower is composed of three
triangular fleshy leaves; the appearance is mean, but its fragrance
surpasses that of any other flower which could be mentioned; however, it
only continues in perfection for one evening--indeed the fragrance is so
great, that one flower will scent a large room, and particularly if it
be warmed by enclosing it in the hand. The fruit has somewhat the shape
of a heart--the exterior is green, with a reticulated appearance,
occasioned more by brownish lines on the fruit than by any indented
marks, like the pine-apple: it contains several blackish seeds, about
the size of horse beans; but the larger the fruit the fewer are the
seeds. The eatable part is extremely delicate; it resembles a custard in
substance, and is generally eaten with a spoon. On the arrival of the
first Spaniards in Peru, the description they sent of this fruit to
Spain was, that it was a net filled with honey; for they knew of nothing
else to which they could compare it. Their weight in Lima is from one
to three pounds each; but in the woods of Huanuco and Loxa they are
often found to weigh from fifteen to twenty pounds each and even more.
The _guanabana_, or sour sop, has greatly the appearance of the
chirimoya; but the fruit is generally larger as well as the flower,
which is also quite different. The fruit of the guanabana often grows on
the main trunk of the tree and on the largest branches, whilst the other
grows on the branches when they are two years old. The guanabana has a
grateful acid taste, and is often dissolved in water, which is
afterwards strained and sugar added to it, forming an agreeable
beverage: a very good jelly is also made from it as a preserve, which is
most delicately transparent. The _pepino_ is an egg-shaped fruit, and
smells like a cucumber. Here are several varieties, and when ripe they
have a sweet but peculiar taste, between the raw vegetable and fruit:
they are considered unwholesome, and often called _mata serranos_,
mountaineer killers; because these people when they come down to the
coast eat large quantities of them, on account, perhaps, of their
cheapness: they bring on intermittent fevers, dysentery, &c. The _piña_,
pine-apple, is not cultivated in Lima, but brought from the neighbouring
valleys, where the climate is hotter. It does not thrive well, but it
certainly would if a little care were taken of the plants during the
season when the easterly winds blow; for these winds are often very
sharp after passing over the Cordilleras. The date does not flourish in
Lima, owing to the same cause.
The orchards here, unlike those of Europe, are always beautiful;
excepting the foreign fruit trees, which give a wintry appearance when
their branches become naked by the falling of the leaves, all the others
are evergreens, and appear in the pompous garb of spring during the
whole year. The new leaves take possession of their inheritance before
the death of their predecessors; and the inflorescence and
fructification in many trees follow the example of the leaf. The highly
rich green of the banana and plantain, their enormous leaves rustling
with every breeze, and discovering their pendent bunches of fruit; the
orange tree enamelled with green and white and gold; the pomegranate
with its crimson bell; the shady chirimoya breathing aromas to the
evening breeze; the tripping granadilla stretching from tree to tree,
and begging support for its laden slender branches; the luxuriant vine
creeping over trellises, and hiding under its cooling leaves the
luscious grape--are beauties certainly not to be surpassed; but these,
and all these, are found in every garden in the valley through which the
Rimac meanders.
The flower gardens here contain most of the varieties seen in our
gardens in England, excepting the family of ranunculuses and tulips,
neither of which did I ever see in South America; indeed, the climate is
so favourable to all kinds of vegetation, where water can be procured
for irrigation, that little care is required; but less than what is
necessary is usually bestowed. The ladies are passionately fond of
flowers, and will give very high prices for them. I have known a white
lily, a little out of season, sold for eight dollars; and good hyacinths
for two or three dollars each; and I am certain that a clever gardener
and florist, who would take to Lima a stock of seeds and roots, would
very soon amass a considerable fortune. I have observed that the
generality of the flowers of indigenous plants are yellow; and it is a
common saying, _oro en la costa, plata en la sierra_, gold on the coast,
silver in the mountains, where the general colour of wild flowers is
white. The _floripondio_ is very much admired by many for its fragrance:
it partakes of that of the lily; the tree is bushy, and grows about ten
feet high. The flowers are white, each about eight inches long, bell
shaped, and hang in clusters: one tree will scent a large garden; but if
there are more the smell is overpowering, and produces headache. The
_suche_ is a great spreading tree, and is filled with clusters of
flowers, each about two inches in diameter, which are the largest kind,
and others about an inch: they are bell-shaped, and of a fleshy
substance; some are white, others yellow, and others of a pink colour;
all are very fragrant. The _aroma_ bears a number of round yellow
flosculous flowers, deserving their name, for they are most delicately
fragrant.
The inhabitants of Lima have many dishes peculiar to the place. The
Spanish _olla podrida_, called _puchero_, is found almost on every
table: it is composed of beef, mutton, fowl, ham, sausage, and smoked
meats, mixed with casava root, sweet potatoe, cabbage, turnips and
almost any vegetables, a few peas, and a little rice--these are all well
boiled together, and form the standing family dish: bread or vermicelli
soup is made from the broth. _Lahua_ is a thick porridge from the flour
of maize boiled with meat, particularly fresh pork or turkey, and highly
seasoned with the husks of the ripe capsicum. _Carapulca_ consists of
dried potatoes, nuts, or garbansas, parched and bruised, and afterwards
boiled to a thick consistency with meat, like the lahua. _Pepian_ is
made from rice flour, and partakes of the ingredients of the lahua and
the pepian; it is a very favourite dish, and the natives say, that on
being presented to the pope by an American cook, he exclaimed, _felice
indiani, qui manducat pepiani_! _Chupi_, which is made by cooking
potatoes, cheese and eggs together, and afterwards adding fried fish, is
a favourite dish, not only on days of abstinence, but during the whole
year. Guinea pigs, _cuis_, make a very delicate dish; they are roasted,
and afterwards stewed with a great quantity of capsicum pods, pounded to
the consistency of paste: sometimes potatoes, bruised nuts, and other
ingredients are added. This is the favourite _picante_, and to my taste
is extremely delicate. Many more dishes, peculiar to the country, are
seen on the tables, all of which are seasoned with a profusion of lard,
and not a small quantity of garlic and capsicum.
I have mentioned dried potatoes--they are thus prepared: small potatoes
are boiled, peeled, and then dried in the sun, but the best are those
dried by the severe frosts on the mountains; they will keep for any
length of time, and when used require to be bruised and soaked. If
introduced as a vegetable substance in long sea voyages, I think the
potatoe thus prepared would be found wholesome and nourishing. The dried
potatoe is sometimes ground into flour; this is called chuno, and is
used to make a kind of porridge, either with or without meat.
The maize, whilst green, is prepared in the same manner, by boiling the
cobs, cutting off the grains and drying them; this is called chochoca,
and is cooked like the chuno.
Great quantities of pumpkins and gourds are eaten, and form the
principal part of the vegetable food of the poor classes; they are
large, plentiful and cheap, and will keep nearly the whole year if
placed in a dry room. Maize and beans, _frijoles_, are in general use
among the lower classes, indeed I may say among all classes, but they
are the common food of the slaves: the bean is considered very
nutritious, and those who have been accustomed to eat it prefer it to
any other vegetable, and use it as an equivalent for animal food.
An abundance of sweetmeats is eaten in South America, more, I believe,
than in any other country, and particularly in Lima, where there is such
a variety of fruit, and such plenty of sugar; but there is a great
defect in the preserves, which are always too sweet, either from a
superabundance of sugar, or by destroying the flavour of the fruit
before it is preserved; the citron and shaddock, which have a taste so
agreeable and even powerful, always lose it when preserved. A paste is
made by pounding together equal weights of blanched almonds and sugar;
it is then packed in chip boxes, and will keep for a long time; by
dissolving a small quantity in water, an excellent substitute for milk
is formed, which is very palatable with tea, and would be found useful
in long voyages.
The usual breakfast hour at Lima is eight o'clock; they seldom take more
than a cup of thick chocolate with toast, and a glass of cold water
afterwards; or sometimes a little boiled mutton, fried eggs, ham, or
sausage. The dinner hour is one o'clock. It is a very plentiful meal,
and may indeed be considered the only one during the day; soup and
_puchero_ are generally the first dishes, the rest come to table
indiscriminately, and fish is not unfrequently the last, excepting
sweetmeats, after which a glass of cold water is always drunk. Coffee is
often brought in immediately after dinner; but in the higher classes the
company rise from table and adjourn to another room, where coffee and
liquors are placed. Fruit is commonly introduced between the services,
as it is considered more wholesome to eat it then than afterwards. In
the evening a cup of coffee or chocolate is taken, or a glass of
lemonade, pine-apple water, almond milk, or some other refreshing drink,
and among the higher circles chocolate and ices are served up.
The following account of the diseases prevalent in Lima is from Dr.
Unanue:--
"Heat and humidity are the two great causes of disease in this climate;
the first predisposes and the second excites it. The suavity of the
climate promotes the pleasures of Venus, and produces those of Ceres,
and both contribute to enervate and relax the tone of the human frame.
The first symptoms of debility present themselves in the digestive
organs, and many infants, constitutionally weak, die of convulsions
produced by indigestion: epileptic affections are very common when
children begin to eat ordinary food. Young people suffer much from
cholics, particularly in autumn, owing to the debility of the stomach,
caused by excessive transpiration; indeed the inhabitants of Lima are so
well aware of the weakness of their digestive organs, that they
attribute every indisposition to _empacho_, indigestion. Owing to the
same constitutional weakness of the stomach, youth are very apt to
become afflicted with phthisis and asthma, and many who escape from
these affections, if they indulge their passions, are afterwards borne
down by obstructions of the abdominal viscera and dropsies, which, owing
to the dampness of the climate, are incurable. The functions of the
internal and external vessels becoming inverted, those being surrounded
by a body of water, these augment it incessantly by absorbing an
abundance from the humid atmosphere. Lima is often called _el pais de
los viejos_, the country of old people, because they generally live
abstemiously, and instances of extreme longevity are not uncommon."
An extract from medical observations made by Dr. Unanue, in the year
1799, may serve to convey an idea of the particular diseases prevalent
during the different seasons, beginning with the month of January, at
which time the summer solstice commences.
"In January the small pox made its appearance, hemorrhages and bilious
diarrhoeas were common; these were followed by eruptive fevers in
February. During this and the succeeding month violent catarrhs and
coughs were prevalent, particularly among children, and those adults who
were affected with asthma suffered very much. In some years, when the
summers have been oppressively warm, copious perspirations and
_lipirias_ (cholera morbus) have been known to afflict many persons, but
they were not observed in 1799.
"During March, April, and the beginning of Autumn, intermittent fevers
were very common, particularly the tertian, often accompanied with
dysentery; in May and the beginning of June dry and violent coughs were
observed, that produced an irritation of the throat and sometimes small
ulcers.
"During July quinsies afflicted several people, and cutaneous eruptions
(exanthemata milliaria) were frequent, intestinal inflammations and
dysentery were also prevalent; and during the months of August and
September pulmonic inflammations and pleurisies were frequent.
"Inflammations of the lungs were common during the month of October, as
also bilious diarrhoea; during this month the autumnal tertian began to
disappear; in November many died of the dysentery, and cutaneous
eruptions were very common. Out of 4229 patients received into the
hospital of San Andres this year 317 died."
I have observed that syphilis is never very virulent in Lima and on the
coasts of Peru, but in the interior, particularly in cold situations,
it is more prevalent and more severe.
_Berrugas_, warts of a peculiar kind, are common in some of the valleys
of the coast. They are supposed to be caused either by drinking or being
washed by the waters of certain rivers. The first symptoms are most
excruciating pains in the legs, thighs and arms (the parts where the
warts generally make their appearance), which frequently last for one or
even several months. When the warts begin to appear the pain is
relieved, and when they burst a large quantity of blood is discharged,
the pain ceases, and the patient recovers. No medicines are ever
administered for this disease, the natives believing that patience is
the only remedy. They carefully keep themselves warm, and avoid wetting
themselves, because it often produces spasms, and sometimes death.
In 1803 a new disease made its appearance during the summer in the
valley of Huaura, and proved mortal to many individuals, particularly
indians and negroes, to whom it seemed to be almost confined; for few or
no white people were infected by it. The first appearance was a small
pustule, the centre depressed, bearing a small purple spot; as it
extended, several other small pustules arose on the edges of the
original one, filled with a limpid fluid; these pustules increased to a
large size, having the resemblance of blisters raised by burning. If an
incision were made in the part affected, no blood flowed, nor did the
patient feel the operation; the flesh had a spongy appearance, and a
very pale red colour. If not relieved, the patient usually died between
the fifth and tenth day, and sometimes earlier. The method of cure
adopted was the total extraction of the diseased part, and the
application of a poultice. This disease was called by the natives _grano
de la peste_, pest pimple.
The _uta_ is another disease known in some of the valleys of Peru. It is
supposed to proceed from the sting of a small insect; however the fact
has never been ascertained. The first appearance is a small, hard, red
tumour; this bursts, and the fluid it contains produces an incurable
sore, which gradually extends, and at last occasions the most aggravated
sufferings, till death brings relief to the afflicted patient.
I shall conclude my account of Lima with some observations on its
commerce, particularly that part which is interesting to British
manufacturers.
Callao being the principal port of Peru, and the only one denominated
_abilitado general_, or free for the ingress and egress of vessels to
and from every part of the Spanish dominions, Lima was consequently the
general market for all foreign as well as home commerce, and here the
traders from the provinces repaired with such productions as were
destined for exportation, as well as to purchase a stock of manufactured
goods, either foreign or from other parts of the country, besides such
raw materials as were necessary for mining tools and those of husbandry.
Owing to the diversity of the climates in the Vice-royalty of Peru, all
kinds of European manufactured goods find a ready sale; those from
England are mostly preferred to any other: indeed many can only be
procured from that country; and the supplying of those by Great Britain
to a population of a million and a half of people must be considered as
a means of extending her commerce, and the decided preference given to
them must be highly flattering as well as beneficial to the British
nation.
On entering a house in Lima, or in any other part of Peru that I
visited, almost every object reminded me of England; the windows were
glazed with English glass--the brass furniture and ornaments on the
commodes, tables, chairs, &c. were English--the chintz or dimity
hangings, the linen and cotton dresses of the females, and the cloth
coats, cloaks, &c. of the men were all English:--the tables were covered
either with plate or English earthenware, and English glass, knives,
forks, &c.; and even the kitchen utensils, if of iron, were English; in
fine, with very few exceptions, all was either of English or South
American manufacture. Coarse cottons, nankeens, and a few other articles
were supplied by the Philippine company. Spain sent some iron, broad
cloth, Barcelona prints, linen, writing paper, silks, and ordinary
earthenware. From the Italians they had silks and velvets; from the
French, linens, lace, silks and broad cloth; from Germany, linens
(platillas), common cutlery and glass; every thing else was either
English or of home manufacture.
I do not hesitate to assert, that goods of a superior quality always
meet with early purchasers, because those who can afford to buy foreign
goods always inquire for the best; and the more modern and fashionable
the goods are, the better and the quicker is the sale. Thick broad
cloths, in imitation of the Spanish San Fernando cloth, are best for the
interior; and thin fine cloth, in imitation of the French sedan cloth,
is most suitable for Lima. The Manchester broad flannels, either twilled
or plain, with a long nap, dark and light blue, crimson and pink,
bright green, pale yellow, brown, white, and any shades or half colours,
are very saleable commodities, either on the coast or in the interior.
Kerseymeres, cords, and velveteens; Irish linens and common lawns cut
into pieces of eight yards each, in imitation of the French bretagnes
and estopillas; coarse linen in pieces of about thirty yards, imitating
the German platillas; and fine Scotch cambrics, as well as table linen,
sheeting, &c., meet a great demand. All kinds of cotton goods,
particularly stockings, muslins, and fashionable prints of delicate
colours; also dark blue prints with small white sprigs, &c., which are
used for mourning by every class, are in common use among the poor;
besides dimities, jeans, and white quilts (Marseilles), which are all
very saleable articles. Silks, damask (crimson), ribbons, particularly
narrow, and good velvets (black), are in great demand. Glass and
earthenware, all kinds of hardware and cutlery (few forks), mechanics'
tools, large hammers and wedges for the miners, spades, shovels,
pickaxes, &c.; quicksilver, in the mining districts, also iron and
steel, are saleable articles. Trinkets are not in much estimation,
because the inhabitants seldom wear any that are not of gold and
precious gems. Hats are well made in Lima, and the materials are of the
best quality. Shoes and boots are another manufacture in which the
natives excel, and their materials are tolerably good. The cordovans
from Lambayeque are excellent. Drugs are extremely dear, for even those
produced in different parts of the Spanish colonies are generally first
sent to Europe, and thence back again, except, in Lima, the chinchona
bark, sarsaparilla, copaiva balsam, guaiacum, and some others, the
produce of Peru.
I shall have occasion to mention, at different places, the utility that
would result from the introduction of machinery, not only as it was
evinced at the date of my narrative, but as rendered more apparent by
the subsequent political changes of the country.
In Lima, an intelligent Spaniard, Don Matias de la Reta, established
looms and other machinery for weaving cotton sail-cloth, and some coarse
articles of the same material. At his death the manufactory was
abandoned; but there is no doubt that the plan would have answered well
had the projector lived. At present (1824) a pottery or manufactory of
common earthenware would be a very lucrative establishment; as also, a
work for ordinary glass ware; because the materials for both may be had
conveniently, and of good qualities: the consumption of both is very
great, and their prices comparatively high. Indeed, if the introduction
of either will pay the freight and other indispensable charges, it is
evident that a speculation of this kind could not fail. All the
earthenware for ordinary purposes is manufactured here; but it is heavy,
and very clumsy: however, as it is, large quantities are sent to
different parts of the country.
Good steady mechanics--carpenters, cabinet makers, millwrights,
blacksmiths, whitesmiths, silversmiths, watchmakers or repairers,
shoemakers, and tailors, would meet with constant work and good wages;
but it would be advisable for each artificer to take a supply of tools
with him. I mention this on account of the changes that have occurred in
the governments; because during the colonial system, a foreigner was
liable to be ordered to leave the country at a very short notice; but,
notwithstanding that risk, several were established in Lima in 1808 and
the succeeding years, and were never interrupted.
The subjoined is an account of the prices of some articles, which will
convey an idea of the profits derived by the merchants, principally old
Spaniards, before the revolutions in America affected this market.
Good broad cloth, per yard, from 18 to 20 dollars.--Kerseymeres
from 7 to 10--Broad coloured flannels from 3 to 4--Fine Irish Linen
from 3 to 4--Fine German platillas from 1½ to 3--Ordinary German
platillas from 1 to 2--Fine French lawn from 3 to 4--Fine French
cambric from 10 to 12--Printed calicoes 2 to 3½--Fine printed
calicoes from 3 to 4½--Fine muslins from 3 to 5--Fine cambric
muslins from 3 to 5--Silk velvet from 10 to 12--Fine velveteens 2½
to 4. Blue and white earthenware plates, per dozen, from 12 to 18
dollars--Common German half-pint glasses from 8 to 12--Common
knives with bone handles from 10 to 12--Common knives with wood
handles from 6 to 8.
Much has been said by every writer on South America respecting the
Spanish colonial restrictions. They certainly were, like all others,
most severe, until experience proved to the government of the parent
state, that it was not the welfare of the individuals or of particular
companies or corporations employed in commerce, that could enrich the
government. The Conde de Aranda, when prime minister in Spain, was well
apprized of this truth, and what was really sound policy in him was
called liberality. However, as Peru was at so great a distance from
Europe, she never was so much oppressed as those colonies on the
opposite side of the new world.
The returns from this market have been gold, silver, and tin; bark,
cocoa, cotton, vicuña wool, sheep wool, and some drugs.