OXFORD

LIBRARY

for 1805.

The present State of Peru, &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 com posed 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 Mercuries 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, hist ry, 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 Sca 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. Throughout, 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 Pern, 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 Spauiard 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 very unfortunate for the kingdo and more especially for the capi Lima, if this prejudice were to entirely done away.

"The commerce of Peru has considerably augmented, since has, by the arrival of the mercha vessels of Spain by Cape Horn, a by the grant of an unrestrained co merce, freed itself from the opp sion under which it groaned in time of the Galeons, and of the f of Porto-Bello and Panama. I' to that epoch, the bulky and or grown capitals circulated thro and were in a manner lost in, a f hands; and while the little trad tyrannized over the people, by ro gulating, at his own will, the pres of the various productions and modities, he himself received law from the monopolizing wh sale dealer. The negociations the capital with the interior we then, in a great measure, depende on the intelligence and the decisie of the magistrates; and the e merce with Spain owed its best curity to the circulation of the sils entered in the bills of lading. Com merce, on the other hand, being this time subdivided into so ma smaller branches, maintains a grea number of merchants; at the time that the fortunes which accra from it are not no numerous. Iti necessary that a commercial mai should combine his plans skilfly and extend his speculations, th enabled to acquire a handsome pro perty.

"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 Gualgayoct, 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, and 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 effe&is 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.