The wealth of Cadiz arises entirely from foreign com merce. The advantageous situation of its harbour ; its easy communication, by the Atlantic and the Mediterra nean, with the different countries of Europe ; and its ex tensive trade with the American continent, have render ed Cadiz one of the first commercial ports in the world. The trade with the Spanish colonies, which is by far the most useful and lucrative, and which was formerly con lined entirely to Seville, was removed to this city in the year 1720, exclusive of all the other ports of Spain ; and from its thus being the only channel through which the immense wealth of America flowed into the kingdom, it was soon raised to be one of the most opulent cities of Europe. This exclusive privilege it enjoyed for more than sixty years ; and to give our readers some idea of the riches, which entered its harbour arid were disseminated over the kingdom, we shall transcribe the cargoes of two vessels, the Trident and Asturias, which arrived at Cadiz on the 25th of August 1760, the one Irom Vera Cruz, the other from the Ilavannah.
All the productions of the Spanish colonies were pour ed into Cadiz ; and all the manufactures of the kingdom, as well as merchandise from various other countries. were transmitted through this channel to the ports of New Spain. But this privilege of exclusive commerce with the New World was taken from Cadiz above thirty years ago, and several other cities of Spain have been since allowed to share it equally. Cadiz has suffered considerably by this measure. It still, however, retains the greatest influence. Most of the galleons unload here, and it sends out and receives the richest fleets. In the year 1791, 176 Spanish vessels from America en tered this port, by which it received gold and silver, coined and uncoined, to the amount of 5,359,2031. ster ling ; and 101 vessels cleared out for the different ports in that country, whose cargoes of national productions or merchandize were valued at 1,190,6251. sterling. In 1792, it exported national goods to the amount of 2,812,5001., and received from America imports to the value of 7,295,833/. But this trade was dreadfully re duced by the war in 1801, when Spain joined France against Britain. In that year, only 20 ships entered from America, and 59 cleared out ; of which 42 were for Vera Cruz, and the rest for Carthagena, Monte Video, and Guttyra. But, independent of its traffic with the New World, Cadiz carries on a very considerable commerce with most of the nations of Europe. Fo reigners from every country have factories, magazines, and houses, in this city ; of which the principal are Irish, and but very few English and Dutch. It has about 720 commercial houses, exclusive of retail dealers, most of them Spanish. Its harbours arc continually crowded with ships from every part of the world ; the hay is scarcely ever without live or six hundred ; and it has been computed that about a thousand vessels annually enter its ports. In 179 I, the number amounted to 1010;
viz. 180 English ; 116 French ; 104 Portuguese ; 80 Dutch ; 6 Genoese ; 24 Ragusians ; 2 Venetians ; 25 Swedish ; 41 Danish ; one Russian ; one I 1 aniburgh ; one Imperial ; 90 Americans; and 339 Spanish, of which one was From Manilla, 176 from America, and 162 from the ports of Europe. Before the revolution in Spain, the principal trade of Cadiz had been engrossed by the French, who furnished it with woollen cloths from St Valery, Amiens, Havre, and Rouen ; linens from iNfor laix, St Maio, and Nantes ; pitch and tar from Bayonne; and lard and meal from Bourdeaus ; also silks, gilt ar ticles, iron ware, Ste. from Marseilles, to the annual value of more than 500,0001. ; and the fruits and produc tions of the French colonies in America ; with the mer chandise of the East Indies and China, which were brought in French vessels direct to Cadiz. Front Bri tain it received pewter, lead, copper, corn, stock-fish, cutlery, earthen ware, clock-work, drabs, druggets, friezes, and different kinds of stuffs ; and linen and spices from Holland. Its exports to the different cities of Europe consist of wool, wine, oil, brandy, olives, ci trons, oranges, raisins, figs, vermilion, cochineal, indigo, vanilla, jalap, bark, Vienna wool, cocoa, Brasil and Cam peachy wood, hides, tobacco and salt. This last article of traffic, which is obtained from the salt pits of Puerto Real, alone amounts to upwards of 830,0001. sterling. The sherry wine which is annually exported from Ca diz, is about 25,000 quintals.
The manufactures of Cadiz arc almost entirely con lined to ribbons and silk net work, which employ about twenty looms; and a few linens. Thev make also va ses of a kind of white earth called harm, which are used for filtering water.
The spirit of speculation and of trade, which prevails so much in this great commercial city, has completely absorbed all taste for science and for literature. Though Cadiz can boast of having given to the Roman empire a historian, a poet, and an eminent agriculturist,* yet in modern times it has produced no scholar, philosopher, or artist worth mentioning ; and its only establishments for the cultivation of the arts and sciences are restricted, in a great measure, to military and nautical objects, such as fortification, surgery, and navigation. The school for drawing is attended by 300 pupils, and is provided with every necessary accommodation; and the observatory, which is situated in the highest part of the city, is also well furnished with apparatus. The scho( Is for surgery are under two directors and nine professors. They have a public library and botanic garden attached to them ; and 100 young men, designed for the navy, arc here brought up by the government.