rawox-hides; 43,752 horse-hides; 24,436 skins of a finer sort, 46,800 arrobas of melted tallow; 771 arrobas of Vicunna wool; 2264 arrobas of common wool; and 291 arrobas of the wool of the Guanaco, or camel-sheep; 11,890 goose wings; 451,000 ox-horns; 3223 cwt. of copper; 4 cwt. of tin; 2541 tanned hides; 222 dozen of manufactured sheep-skins; 2123 twt. of salted beef; and 185 cwt. of salted pork.

From the Havanna two ships arrived. These were freighted with 22,159 arrobas of sugar; 239 casks of brandy; 212 large vessels full of honey; 258 arrobas of cacao; 1864 arrobas of white wax: and 750 varas of acana wood; the whole value of the imports from the Havanna amounting to 123,562 piasters. In the same year fourteen ships sailed from BuenosAyres to the Havanna. Their cargoes consisted of 24,060 piasters in gold; 69,050 cwt. of salted flesh, 15,600 arrobas of tallow; 252 dozens of manufactured sheepskins; 323 skins of a finer sort; 190 arrobas of wool; 280 goosewings; the value of all these exports to the Havanna amounting to 160,110 piasters.

Two ships from Lima and Guayaquil, brought 10,975 arrobas of sugar; 200 salt-stones; 1472 arrobas of cacao; 816 arrobas of rice; 378 pounds of cinnamon; 990 pounds of indigo; the value of the whole amounting to 50,154 piasters. In return, 20,94 hoes; 238 slaves; 1680 arrobas of tallow; 620 pounds of thread; 42 dozen pairs of silk stockings; and 120 hats, were sent from Buenos-Ayres to the above named places. The value of all these exports amounted to 67,150 piasters.

In the same year, 1350 negroslaves were imported in four Spanish, and five foreign ships. On the other hand, two foreign ships, and nine belonging to the country, sailed from Buenos-Ayres on a slave-trade voyage, carrying with them 159,820 piasters in money,

VOL. I....NO. IV.

and of the productions of the country and other merchandize, as much as was estimated at 24,703 piasters.

The rapid increase of trade in the province, clearly appears from à comparative state of the imports and exports of the years 1795 and 1796. In this latter year, there were imported 932,481 piasters worth of goods from Spain; 760,361 piasters' worth from the Havanna; and 50,154 piasters' worth from Lima, more than in the year immediately preceding. The importation of negro-slaves, likewise exceeded in value that of the former year, about 11,895 piasters. The exports too were likewise much more considerable: the excess of those to Spain amounting to 274,476 piasters.

But, in the following years, through the war, and the insecu rity of commerce thereby occasioned, a change for the worse had taken place. This we learn from the Correo Mercantil of the year 1799, No. 3, which contains a letter from Buenos-Ayres, dated October 31, 1798, relative to the stagnation of trade. According to this letter, above three millions of skins were lying in the warehouses of the capital and Montevideo, which could not be exported, on account of the danger of their falling into the hands of the enemy. Many sorts of European goods and manufactures were totally wanting, or had risen to prices excessively high. In particular, a great want was felt of European linen; in lieu of it, however, they substituted stuffs, either manufactured from cotton in the country itself, or imported from Peru. Of these stuffs, which are much esteemed, above a million of ells were, in the abovenamed year, imported into BuenosAyres. Those most in request, come from the country of the Chiquitos and Moxos. Brandy and Spanish liquors could not be procured at any price. They endeavoured, however, to supply the most pressing wants, by encouraging the manufactures of the coun

7

try; so that the stagnation of trade may eventually prove beneficial to the province, by forcing them to the knowledge and exercise of their own powers and resources.

Montevideo is the most considerable, and most advantageously situated harbour of the whole province. Don Bruno de Zabala was the first, who, in the year 1731, settled here with fourteen or fifteen families from Palma, one of the Canary islands, and laid the foundations of the city. Since that time it has greatly increased, and still continues to rise in importance, in proportion as the trade of the province becomes more extensive. Provisions are here very plentiful and cheap. This abundance of the necessaries of life, encourages, in the common people, a propensity to idleness, which has given rise to an order of strollers who are called Gauderios. Their mode of life resembles that of the gypsies, except that they are not addicted to thieving. These vagabonds are natives of Montevideo, or the circumjacent places: they are very badly clothed, their whole dress consisting only of a coarse shirt, and a worse upper garment. These articles of dress, together with horse-furniture, serve them for bedding, and a saddle for a pillow. They stroll about with a kind of small guitars, to the sound of which they sing ballads of their own composition, or such as they have learned from others. Love is in general the subject of these songs. Thus they wander about the country, and endeavour to divert the peasants, who, in return, shew their gratitude by furnishing them with victuals during their stay with them, and even giving them other horses when they lose their own. This liberality and generosity will appear the less surprising, when it is considered, that in this country horses are of very little value. Great herds of them run about wild in the vast plains, and seem to belong to whoever will take the trouble of catching them. The

Gauderios generally march about in parties consisting of four, and sometimes even of more. With respect to the means of procuring food, they give themselves so little concern, that, when setting out on an excursion, they provide themselves only with a rope, a few balls, which are fastened to the ends of the ropes, and a knife. When attacked by hunger, they contrive to get one of the young cows or bulls, which run about wild, entangled in their snares. They throw the captured animal down, tie its legs together, and then cut, even before it is dead, the flesh, together with the skin, from the bone, make a few incisions in it, and, thus prepared, put it to the fire: when halfroasted, it is devoured without any addition or condiment, except a little salt, when they happen to carry any with them. Some of them kill a cow merely for the purpose of obtaining the flesh between the ribs and the skin. Others eat nothing except the tongue, which they roast in the red-hot embers. The remainder of the carcase is all left in the field, and becomes the prey of carnivorous birds and wild beasts. Others again are still more easily satisfied, taking nothing but the marrow-bone, from which they cut off all the flesh, and then hold it over the fire till the marrow becomes soft and fluid. Sometimes they practise the following singular mode of cookery. Having killed a cow, they take out the entrails, and, collecting all the tallow and lumps of fat, put them into the hollow carcase. They then kindle some dried cow-dung, and apply it to the tallow, that it may take fire, and penetrate into the flesh and bones. For this purpose, they close up the carcase as well as possible, so that the smoke comes out at the mouth, and another aperture made in the lower part of the belly. In this manner a cow often continues roasting a whole night, or a considerable part of the day. When it is done enough, the company place themselves around, and each

cuts for himself the piece he likes best, and devours it without bread or salt. What remains, is left in the field, except any of them happens to carry a portion of this favourite food to some particular friend.

There are two ways of travelling from Montevideo to BuenosAyres: one of them by land as far as El Real de San Carlos. In the dry season of the year, this is the shortest; but, in the rainy season, the smallest rivulets swell to such a height, that no one can cross them without danger, sometimes not at all. At San Carlos boats are always in readiness to transport passengers across the Rio de la Plata, which is here ten leguas broad, and to carry back the orders of the governor, and all kinds of provisions, to San Carlos. The most usual manner of travelling from Montevideo to Buenos-Ayres, is by water. If the weather be favourable, a boat may perform this passage in twenty-four hours, though the distance be forty leguas; but, when the wind is contrary, it may happen, that fourteen days will scarcely be sufficient.

Buenos-Ayres is situated on the western bank of the great river De la Plata. So lately as forty years ago, this city was considered as only the fourth as to rank and importance in the viceroyalty of Peru. Lima then held the first rank, and next in importance to that capital, were Cuzco and Santiago in Chili. Since that time, circumstances have greatly altered, and at present, Lima alone can be reckoned superior to Buenos-Ayres. Since this latter city became the seat of a new government, it has greatly increased, and still daily increases, in consequence of the improved state of agriculture and commerce, and, in the course of time, will probably rise to an equal rank with Lima itself. Formerly, the citizens of Buenos-Ayres had no country-houses; and, except peaches, none of the finer sorts of fruits

were produced here. At present, there are but few persons of opulence but have villas, and cultivate in their gardens all kinds of fruit, culinary plants, and flowers. The houses are in general not very high; but most of them are built in a light but beautiful manner.

At Buenos-Ayres, the men, as well as the women, dress after the Spanish mode, and all the fashions are brought thither from the mother country. The ladies in BuenosAyres are reckoned the most agreeable and handsome of all SouthAmerica; and, though they do not equal those of Lima in magnificence, yet their manner of dressing and decorating themselves is not less pleasing, and even evinces a greater delicacy of taste.

Until the year 1747, no regular post was established either in Buenos-Ayres, or the whole province of Tucumah, notwithstanding the great intercourse and trade with the neighbouring provinces. Merchants sent, as often as they found it necessary, a messenger with their letters; and their friends and neighbours made use of the same conveyance; or, what was more usual, they loaded travellers with letters and commissions, &c. which was however attended with great delays and inconvenience, from Jujui to Mendoza one is obliged to travel very slowly in a kind of two-wheeled carts. But, in 1748, the viceroy Don Andonaegui instituted regular posts.

as

Buenos-Ayres is well supplied with provisions of flesh-meat in particular, there is so great an abundance, that it is frequently distributed gratis to the poor. The river water is rather muddy: but it soon becomes clear and drinkable, by being kept in large tubs or earthen vessels. Of fish too there is a great abundance.

Neither in the district of BuenosAyres, nor in Tucuman, does any snow everfall: sometimes it freezes a litde, so as to cover the water with a thin oating of ice, which

is collected and preserved with great care for the purpose of cooling their liquors.

That the climate of BuenosAyres is very salubrious, appears from the proportion of the births to the deaths; and consequently the city has not been improperly named. In June, July, August, and September, however, fogs arise from the river, which affect the lungs and breast. The vehement winds too, which blow from the Pampas, and are therefore called Pamperos, prove very troublesome to the inhabitants.

Those who wish to cross the continent from Buenos-Ayres to Peru, have many things to attend to, and guard against. The greatest danger arises from Indians who inhabit the Pampas. Whole troops of these attack travellers, and cause them much loss. The Pampas Indians, as well as the other tribes of savages, send out scouts to acquire intelligence of the number and strength of travellers. These spies frequently pretend to be deserted or driven away and pursued by their countrymen. The laziness of the Pampass surpasses all description. On this account the number does not increase; and the Spaniards entertain well-founded hopes that the whole race will soon be extinguished. They are treacherous and cowardly; and, although they can manage the lance with some skill, on horseback, they do not possess valour sufficient to maintain the combat for any length of time. Their victories over the Spaniards are therefore very rare. 'Tis then only that their atttacks prove successful, when they are able to lie in ambush, and surprise their enemy, or when fifteen of them fight against one European.

SPECIMENS OF LITERARY RESEMBLANCE.

(Continued from page 218.)

LETTER III.

MY DEAR P.

THE observations which I offered on two beautiful passages, the

The two poets chanced to have the same subject in contemplation. Your attention will be caught at first view by a striking similarity of manner in the execution of their design. It will be observed also, that this manner, so admirably suited to their purpose, is out of the common way, very far beyond the reach of common minds. In order to aggravate the distress, and to render the inflicted torments more poignantly excruciating, a rich and luxurious banquet is, with exquisite refinement, previously prepared by each of these great masters, and spread in splendid array before the face of the unfortunate sufferers ;

the sight of which, while they are withheld from partaking it, irritates the cravings of hunger, even to agony. Their constrained abstinence is enforced in both, by the same poetical machinery. In Gray, Fell Thirst and Famine exactly correspond to the chief of the furies in Virgil. The baneful smile, scowled on the baffled guest, in the former, carries with it, perhaps, more of scorn and mortifying insult, than the more direct opposition of the Fury, with her up-lifted torch and thundering voice, does in the latter. Still, however, the imagery ....the turn of thought....the plan and structure of the piece, and the disposition of the parts, are in both instances precisely the same.

Whence this extraordinary congruity arose, or by what means it was affected, I will not take upon me to determine. So far I will venture to say, and I assure myself of your cordial concurrence, that Gray's charming stanza, when seen by itself, has very much the air of an original.

"Common sense," we are told on high authority, "directs us for the most part to regard resemblances in great writers, not as the pilferings, or frugal acquisitions of needy art, but as the honest fruits of genius, the free and liberal bounties of unenvying nature.”

The LEARNED CRITIC calls for

this liberality of judgment in behalf of the Poets, with whom particularly he was concerned. I find myself, just at this present, very much disposed to claim the same consideration for the writers in Prose, having in my mind two passagss from two celebrated writers in that form, which I am strongly tempted to send you.

The late Dr. Ogden, who in my judgment, holds the very highest rank amongst the most eminent preachers, in one of those excellent sermons on the fifth commandment, addressing himself to a young man, whose behaviour he supposes less correct than it ought to be, enforces the obligations of children to

their parents in a strain of irresistible eloquence, as follows:

"Now so proud! self-willed! inexorable! thou couldst then only ask by wailing, and move them by thy tears; and they were moved. Their heart was touched with thy distress: they relieved and watched thy wants, before thou knewest thine own necessities, or their kindness, They clothed thee; thou knewest not that thou wast naked. Thou askedst not før bread; but they fed thee."

Did you ever read? or can any young man, however proud, selfwilled, inexorable, ever read this impassioned address without emotion? Nor can we easily persuade ourselves otherwise than that the respectable author was here transcribing the affections of his own heart; for, as appears from the short memoirs of his life, drawn up and prefixed to an edition of his sermons, in two volumes, by the late Dr. Hallifax, he was a truly affectionate and dutiful son, such one as "maketh a glad father."

It may not be uninteresting to see the same thoughts worked up into an elegant form by an admired Ancient. Xenophon, you will recollect, in his Memoirs of Socrates, introduces the Philosopher discoursing in the following terms:

Η γυνη υποδεξαμενη το φορτιον τατο, βαρυνομένη τε και κινδυνευεκ τέρι τα 6.8, και μεταδίδεσα της τροφής, ή και αυτή τρέφεται, και συν πολλῳ ποιω

διενεγκέσα και τέπεσα τρέφει τε και επιμελείται, εδε προπεπονθυια εδεν yalov, &de гINOKON TO BPEΦΟΣ ΥΦ ΟΤΟΥ ΕΥΠΑΣΧΕΙ, «δε ΣΗΜΑΙΝΕΙΝ ΔΥΝΑΜΕΝΟΝ 0ΤΟΥ ΔΕΙΤΑΙ.

XEN. MEM. 1. ii. c. 11.

The sentiments under the expressions, marked in the English text by Italics, and by capitals in the Greek, bear, you will take notice, a striking resemblance to each other; and, though evidently most just and natural, are, so far as my observa