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the rage for deep play, are fo bewitching, and take fuch full poffeffion of the mind, as even to give a new bent to the natural temper. Under its influence, the cautious become enterprizing, and the covetous profufe. Powerful as this charm naturally is, its force is augmented by the arts of an order of men known in Peru by the cant name of fearchers. Thefe are commonly perfons of defperate fortunes, who, availing themfelves of fome skill in mineralogy, accompanied with the infinuating manner, and confident pretenfions peculiar to projectors, addrefs the wealthy and the credulous. By plaufible defcriptions of rich veins hitherto unexplored; by producing when requifite, fpecimens of promifing ore; by affirming, with an impofing affurance, that fuccefs is certain, and that the expence must be trifling, they feldom fail to perfuade. An affociation is formed; a fmall fum is advanced by each copartner; the mine is opened; the fearcher is entrufted with the fole direction of every operation; unforeseen difficulties occur; new demands of money are made; but, amidst a fucceffion of disappointments and delays, hope is never extinguished, and the ardour of expectation hardly abates. For it is obferved, that if any perfon once enter this feducing path, it is almoft impoffible to return; his ideas alter, he feems to be poffeffed with another fpirit, vifions of imaginary wealth are continually beROBERTSON Vol. III. X

fore his eyes, and he thinks, and speaks, and dreams of nothing else. 1)

Fatal effe&s of it.

Such is the fpirit that must be formed, wherever the active exertions of any fociety are chiefly employed in working mines of gold and filver. No fpirit is more adverfe to fuch improvement in agriculture and commerce, as render a nation really opulent. If the fyftem of administration in the Spanish colonies haď been founded upon principles of found policy, the power and ingenuity of the legislature would have been exerted with as much ardour, in reftraining its fubjects from fuch pernicious induftry, as is now employed in alluring them towards it. Projects of mining "(fays a good judge of the political conduct of nations) inftead of replacing the capital employed in them, together with the ordinary profit of ftocks, commonly abforb both capital and ,, profit. They are the projects, therefore, to ,, which, of all others, a prudent lawgiver, who defired to increafe the capital of his ,, nation, would leaft chufe to give any extraordinary encouragement, or to turn towards them a greater share of that capital than would go to them of its own accord. ,, Such, in reality, is the abfurd confidence which all men have in their own good for1) Ulloa Entreten. p. 223

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tune, that wherever there is the leaft pro,,bability of fuccefs, too great a fhare of it ,, is apt to go to them of its own accord. "m) But in the Spanish colonies, government is ftudious to cherish a spirit which it should have laboured to deprefs, and, by the fanction of its approbation, augments that inconfiderate credulity, which has turned the active industry of Mexico and Peru into fuch an improper channel. To this may be imputed the flender progrefs which Spanish America has made during two centuries and a half, either in useful manufactures, or in thofe lucrative branches of cultivation, which furnifh the colonies of other nations with their ftaple commodities. In comparison with the precious, metals, every bounty of nature is so much defpifed, that this extravagant idea of their value has mingled with the idiom of language in America, and the Spaniards fettled there denominate a country, rich, not from the fertility of its foil, the abundance of its crops, or the exuberance of its paftures, but on account of the minerals which its mountains contain. In queft of thefe, they abandon the dilightful plains of Peru and Mexico, and refort to barren and uncomfortable regions, where they have built fome of the largest towns which they poffels in the New World. the activity and enterprise of the Spaniards orim) Dr. Smith's Inquiry, &c. ii. 155.

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ginally took this direction, it is now fo difficult to bend them a different way, that although, from various caufes, the gain of working mines is much decreased; the fafcination continues, and almost every perfon, who takes any active part in the commerce of new Spain or Peru, is ftill engaged in fome adventure of this kind. n)

Other commodities of the Spanish colonies.

But though mines are the chief object of the Spaniards, and the precious metals which thefe yield, form the principal article in their commerce with America; the fertile countries which they poffefs there, abound with other commodities of fuch value or fcarcity, as to attract a confiderable degree of attention. Cochineal is a production almoft peculiar to New Spain, of fuch demand in commerce, that the fale is always certain, and it yields fuch profit, as amply rewards the labour and care employed in rearing the curious infects of which this valuable drug is compofed, and preparing it for the market. Quinquina, or Jefuits Bark, the moft falutary fimple, perhaps, and of most · restorative virtue, that Providence, in compaffion for human infirmity, has made known unto man, is found only in Peru, to which it affords a lucrative branch of commerce. The indigo of Guatimala is fuperior in quality to

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n) See NOTE LXII.

that of any province in America, and cultivated to a confiderable extent. Cacao, though not peculiar to the Spanish colonies, attains. to its highest state of perfection there, and from the great confumption of chocolate in Europe, as well as in America, is a valuable commodity. The Tobacco of Cuba, of more exquifite flavour than any brought from the New World; the fugar raised in that ifland, in Hifpaniola, and in New Spain, together with drugs of various kinds, may be mentioned among the natural productions of America, which enrich the Spanish commerce. To thefe must be added, an article of, no inconfiderable account, the exportation of hides; for which, as well as for many of those which I have enumerated, the Spaniards are more indebted to the wonderful fertility of the country than to their own forefight and induftry. The domeftick animals of Europe, particularly horned cattle, have multiplied in the New World with a rapidity which almoft exceeds belief. A few years after the Spaniards fettled there, the herds of tame cattle became fo numerous, that their proprietors reckoned them by thousands. o) Lefs attention being paid to them, as they continued to increafe, they were fuffered to run wild, and spreading over a country of boundlefs extent; under a mild climate, and covered with rich pafture, their number became im

e) Oviedo ap. Ramuf. iii. IoI, B. Hackluyt, iii. 466. 511.

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