Spanish America, Vol. 2 (of 2)Bonnycastle, Richard Henry, Sir
History
Spanish America, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Bonnycastle, Richard Henry, Sir
Latin America -- Description and travel; Latin America -- History
Peru is the seat of two royal audiences, that of Lima and that of
Cuzco. The audience of Lima was established in 1543, and is composed
of a regent, eight oidores or judges, four alcaldes, and two fiscals,
the viceroy being president. It is divided into three chambers, and
is the superior court of appeal for the whole government. The royal
treasury is the next great office of state, composed of the viceroy,
the regent of the council, the dean of the tribunal of accounts, and
other officers, and the revenue appeals are determined by the tribunal
of accounts.
_Commerce._--The commerce of Peru is important, and on account of the
number of fine ports along its coast, it may be styled the maritime
province of the South American states.
The trade flows through three channels; by the straits of Magellan from
Europe, through the North Pacific from India and Mexico, or Guatimala;
and through the interior with the southern provinces of Chili and
Buenos Ayres. Since the trade was unshackled in 1778, its exports and
imports have doubled, and the principal branch of its commerce is that
carried on round Cape Horn.
The exports of Peru are chiefly gold, silver, brandies, sugar, pimento,
cinchona, salt, vicuna wool, coarse woollens, and other trifling
manufactures.
Its imports are European goods, linens, cottons, woollens, silks, iron,
hardware, superfine cloths, mercury, wax, paper, glass, medicines,
wines, liqueurs, books and furniture: from Buenos Ayres it receives
Paraguay tea, live stock and provisions, and from the other internal
provinces, coca leaf, indigo, tallow, cacao, timber, cordage, pitch and
copper.
Chili also supplies Lima with grain and fruits in immense quantities,
and salted meat, soap, wine, copper, saffron, &c.
The ports of Peru which are most frequented, are those named Arica,
Ilo, Iquique, and Quilca, in the intendancy of Arequipa, and Pisco,
on the south of Lima; Chancay and Guacho in Lima; and Guanchaco,
Pacasmayo, and Payta, in Truxillo, on the north.
With the southern ports, the trade is in wine, brandy, iron, dried
fruits, copper, tin, lead, &c.; with the northern, in wool, cotton,
leather, chocolate, rice and salted fish.
To the Rio de la Plata, the exports are maize, sugar, brandy, pimento,
indigo and woollens; these exports are said to amount to 2,000,000
dollars annually, and the imports from that government, to 860,000,
consisting in mules, sheep, hams, tallow, wool, coca leaf, Paraguay tea
and tin; and 20,000 mules arrive annually from Tucuman, for the service
of the Peruvian mines. A great trade is also carried on with Guayaquil
and Guatimala, but with Panama it is almost nothing.
From the Philippine islands, muslins, tea, and other East Indian goods,
are imported, amounting to 270,230 dollars annually, in return for
about 2,790,000, exported to Asia, in silver and gold.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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