The present State of Pery, &c. drawn from Original Documents, chiefly written in the Peruvian Capital, with Engravings, &c. 4to.

THE

HE war now existing with Spain, and the probability of its operations being extended into the wide spread, but little known regions of South America, induce us to regard the publications which have appeared, in the course of the year, relating, in any degree, to the Spanish empire in that division of the new world, as peculiarly interesting to the British reader, and worthy, in an eminent degree, of our early and most marked attention.

The preface to the work now be fore us, to which is signed the name of "Joseph Skinner," gives us to understand, that it has been wholly compiled from a most valuable body of materials, which originally appeared at Lima, in the form of a periodical work, entitled, "El Mercurio Peruano,"* and which fell into the editor's hands by the chance of war.

An academical society, established in the capital of Peru, appears, about the commencement of the year 1791, to have determined upon publishing a series of essays, the

main tendency of which was to elucidate the moral, political, and natural features of that country, and also to lay the foundation of a regular system of future national improvement. The result of their labours were given, at stated times, to the world, and from those essays which appeared during the first sixteen months, Mr. Skinner has composed this singular volume, not without, he says, having also referred himself, in the progress of his undertaking, to various other authentic sources of information.

"Whatever can tend to interest or amuse the British reader, has been selected, and given, in a more or less abridged form, according to the relative importance and curiosity of the objects of inquiry." But an event, which befell Mr. Skinner, in the course of his pursuits, with a view to render the Peruvian Mer. curies intelligible to his countrymen, put it in his power to render the work, at once, much more entertaining, instructive, and ornamental. His stumbling on a painting representing the Indian festival, in the great square of Lima, on the event of the accession of his present Catholic majesty, Charles the fourth, to the throne. "The painting in

question,

question, the production of an untutored native," enabled the editor to illustrate many of his subjects with appropriate engravings, in which the design of the artist has been strictly adhered to; but it must be remembered, that as he was placed on an eminence, his picture presents what is termed, by painters, a bird's eye view, which will account for the species of perspective preserved in them.

We certainly agree with the editor, that such a society as we have described, establishing itself under the peculiar circumstances of the country, in the capital of Peru, the members of which, in treating the diversified subjects of literature, philosophy, history, and ethics, and displaying a profound knowledge of ancient and modern learning, is a novelty as welcome as it was unexpected. Whether it still exist at Lima, is not accurately known, but the Peruvian Mercury, as may well be supposed, after having met with a variety of restraints, was discontinued about five or six years after its commencement.

We shall now proceed to give our readers such extracts from this sin. gular volume, as appear to us best calculated for their amusement and instruction.

The following general idea of Peru, not determined to any particular either of its history or literature, is well worthy notice, and may be considered a fair specimen of the merit of the work itself.

"This great empire, the foundation

In 1718.

of which by the Incas remains enveloped in the obscurity of a series of fables, and of an uncertain tradition, has lost much of its local grandeur since the time when it was stripped, on the north side, of the provinces which form the kingdom of Quito,* and afterwards of those which, towards the east, constitute the viceroyalty of Buenos Ayres. † Its present extent in length runs, north and south, over a space of from four hundred and twenty to four hundred and fifty leagues, from two degrees to nearly twentythree degrees of south latitude; and its greatest breadth is from one hundred to one hundred and twenty leagues, east and west, from two hundred and ninety-seven to three hundred and ten degrees of west longitude, the first meridian being taken at the Peak of Teneriffe. The river of Guayaquil divides it from the new kingdom of Granada on the north side. The depopulated territory of Atacama separates it from the kingdom of Chile towards the south. Another horrible desart, of more than five hundred leagues extent, separates it towards the cast from the provinces of Paraguay and Buenos Ayres; and lastly, the Pacific Sea washes its western shores.

"A chain of barren and rugged mountains; several sandy plains, which in a manner reach from one extremity of the coast to the other; and several lakes of many leagues in extent, some of which are situated on the summits of the above chain of mountains, occupy a great part of

+ In 1778.

the

the Peruvian territory. Through out, the breaks, and the vallies, which enjoy the benefit of irrigation, present to the view an extensive range of delightful plains, replete with cities and towns, and the climate of which is highly salubrious. That of the elevated spots of La Sierra is extremely cold. In the pampas, or plains, of Bombon,* Fahrenheit's thermometer is constantly at from thirty-four to forty degrees above zero.

"The population of Peru, so far as relates to the original casts, is composed of Spaniards, Indians, and negroes. The secondary specieses best known, and proceeding from a mixture of these three, are the mulatto, the offspring of the Spaniard and negro woman; the Quarteron, of the mulatto woman and Spaniard; and the Mestizo, of the Spaniard and Indian woman. The final subdivisions which are formed by the successive mixtures, are as many as the different possible combinations of these primitive races.

"The rural operations of sowing and planting, as well as domestic employments, have constantly fallen to the lot of the negroes. It is true, indeed, that within these four years past several white people have engaged in these different tasks. Prior to this, any one, neither a negro nor a mulatto, who should have hired himself as a valet or a labourer, would have been in a manner reputed infamous: to such a length was prejudice, or it may perhaps be said, pride, carried on this head. There are many enlightened

politicans, who think it would be very unfortunate for the kingdom, and more especially for the capital, Lima, if this prejudice were to be entirely done away.

"The commerce of Peru has been considerably augmented, since it has, by the arrival of the merchant vessels of Spain by Cape Horn, and by the grant of an unrestrained commerce, freed itself from the oppression under which it groaned in the time of the Galeons, and of the fairs of Porto-Bello and Panama. Prior to that epoch, the bulky and overgrown capitals circulated through, and were in a manner lost in, a few hands; and while the little trader tyrannized over the people, by regulating, at his own will, the prices of the various productions and commodities, he himself received the law from the monopolizing wholesale dealer. The negociations of the capital with the interior were then, in a great measure, dependent on the intelligence and the decisions of the magistrates; and the commerce with Spain owed its best security to the circulation of the silver entered in the bills of lading. Commerce, on the other hand, being at this time subdivided into so many smaller branches, maintains a greater number of merchants; at the same time that the fortunes which accrue from it are not no numerous. necessary that a commercial man should combine his plans skilfully, and extend his speculations, to be enabled to acquire a handsome property.

It is

"The manufactures of this country

consist

consist almost entirely of a few friezes, the use of which is in a manner confined to the Indians and negroes. There are besides an inconsiderable number of manufactures of hats, cotton cloths, drinking glasses, &c. which do not, however, occupy much space in the scale of the riches of Peru. Sugar, vicuna wool, cotton, Peruvian bark, copper, and cocoa (it is to be observed, however, that the two latter articles, as well as a considerable part of the Peruvian bark, are sent hither from Guayaquil, &c.) are the only commodities, the produce of our mines excepted, which we export.

"The mines are the principal, it may indeed be said, the only source of the riches of Peru. Notwithstanding the little industry which is employed in working them, and the small help which commerce affords to the miners, 534,000 marks of silver, and 6,380 of gold, were smelted and refined last year (1790) in the royal mint of Lima; and 5.206,906 piastres, in both materials, were coined there. +

"From the mines of Gualgayoc‡, and from that of Pascos, about the

* Dollars.

one half of the silver which is annually smelted, coined, and wrought, is extracted. The mine of Guantajaya is abundant in ores and rich metallic veins, but does not yield in proportion, in conse quence of the dearness of every necessary, as well for working as for convenience and subsistence. On account also of its distance from the capital, the benefits which would otherwise arise from it are lost: the ores of thirty marks the caxon, do not pay themselves; and the same may be said of the products of the smaller and more superficial veins, which occasionally present themselves, aud in which the silver is chiselled out. It is greatly to be hoped that the plan of transporting the produce of this mine to Calloa may be adopted, since such an expedient would not only cause the mine to flourish, but would be beneficial to all the adjacent provinces.

"That of Guarochiri**, the effecs of the abundance of which are more immediately felt in the capital, does not flourish in a degree which should apparently correspond with the richness of its ores,

¶The caxon contains 6,250 pounds.

turers.

"The navigation of Peru is limited. Our commerce in corn carries us to the ports of Chile; with Guayaquil we carry on a traffic in timber, &c.; and, lastly, we make a few voyages to Chiloe, Juan-Fernandes, Valdivia, and Panama. We navigate with economy and with ease; but are deficient in the scientific part, deriving no aid whatever from astronomy. Those who have the charge of our trading vessels have no skill beyond imitation. The hydrographical charts which are consulted, are, on many accounts, defective; and the situation of the coasts is more parallel than it is represented on them. On another hand, the fogs which almost constantly hover over the land, and hide it from the navigator's view, oblige him to make a circuitous course, by which his voyage is considerably protracted. Until about the year 1780, it was a source of vast riches to a commercial house to keep a vessel of its own employed in the coasting trade; but in proportion as mercantile speculations have been since multiplied, the price of freightage has been

“The fishery is a branch of industry exclusively belonging to the Indians situated on the coast; but they are destitute of skill, and, being at the same time unprovided with proper boats and fit instroments, keep constantly within sight of the coast, venturing but a very small distance to sea. Hence arise the scarcity and dearness of fish, so often experienced at Lima, and in all the places along the coast. A few years ago several boats of a particular construction were built, for the purpose of fishing throughout the whole extent of these seas; but this scheme was shortly afterwards abandoned. The lakes of Peru afford but few fishes. Were the Indian to resort to them, he would not estimate the fruit of his labours: content with his maize and his dried pease, he considers the multiplicity of foods as a voluntary surrender of health and life.

"Agriculture might, generally speaking, be made to supply our wants, insomuch that our subsistence ought not to be so precarious as it is, nor so dependent on foreign aid. In the vallies adjacent to the capital, wheat may be cultivated with the greatest success. The bad, uneven roads, together with the delays and expence of carriage, almost entirely obstru& the internal circulation of this king. dom, and are so many obstacles in the way of agriculture. The valley of Jauja, affords many proofs

dent