Of the domestic animals, the most useful are the lama and pica, both natives of this country, and inhabiting the Cordilleras, and the higher districts of Tucuman and Los Charcas. There are five species of these animals, distinguished by the names of lamo, guanaco, moromoro or ehilihucque,vicunna, and paco ; but they are often con founded by naturalists, and all the accounts which have as yet been received, concerning their different properties and appearances, are involved in considerable obscurity. Some suppose, that the guanaco and vicunna are merely the lama and paco in a state of nature ; and that the mo romoro or chilihueque, is the domestic lama of Chili. This idea, however, is sufficiently confuted by Molina, (in his A'atural History of Chili, to which we must refer our readers for a particular description of these animals). He distinguishes the guanaco as having hair, and a bunch on the back, while the lama is flat, and covered with wool. The paco approaches so near to the lanta) that it is even difficult to pronounce them a separate species ; but the vicunna is very different from both, and is an elegantly formed animal, about the size and shape of a tame goat, except that the neck is longer ; the head is round, and destitute of horns, and the muzzle short and beardless. Its wool is extremely fine, of a beautiful fawn colour, and constitutes a most valuable article of commerce. All these animals, in their wild state, inha bit and pasture on the highest parts of the mountains. They seem to delight in the regions of ice and snow, always preferring the north side of the hills, and appear more vigorous in proportion to the coldness of their si tuation. Those that are domesticated arc very service able to the inhabitants, both for food, clothing, and as beasts of burden. The lama will carry from 150 to 200 pounds weight, with the greatest safety, over precipices and rugged mountains, where man can scarcely follow it ; and a small portion of reedy grass, called ichu, is its only nourishment. Some of them, however, are of such a stubborn nature, that, when they once lie down with their load, they will sulTcr themselves to be cut to pieces rather than rise before they are sufficiently rested. They all produce bczoar-stones, but the wild animals yield the best, being both larger, and of a better quality and colour, than those produced in a state of slavery, which are small, black, and of little value.
Among the immense variety of birds which inhabit this country, and of which 1\1. Azara has enumerated 448 different species, the Nandu and Condor arc the chief. The naudu,or American ostrich, approximates nearly to the ostrich of Africa, except in the form of its feet, upon which it has three toes, while the other has only one. It is called emu by the Portuguese, and is to be found chiefly in the plains of AIonte Video, and the Pampas of Buenos Ayres. It is nearly six feet high, and runs with such rapidity, that the fleetest clogs arc outstripped in the pursuit. What is most singular in this bird is, that several of the females deposit their eggs in the same nest ; and that a single male takes the charge of hatching them, and of leading out, and pro tecting the young. The condor chiefly inhabits the ele vated pinnacles of the Cordilleras. It is commonly re ferred to the vulture species, though its great strength and vivacity are supposed to give it some claim to rank with that of the eagle. No bird that flies can be put in competition with it, either for size, for rapacity, or for rapidity in flight. It measures across the wings from 12 to 13 feet ; and the Indians assert, that it will carry off a deer or a calf in its talons with as much ease as aii eagle would a hare or a rabbit. Its beak is so strong as to pierce the body of an ox, and two condors arc capa ble of devouring that animal. All the birds of this re gion, according to Azara, may, in general, be said to be insectifcrous, as even the birds of prey feed more upon insects, frogs, toads, vipers, Ste. than upon quadrupeds and other birds ; and those birds whose form aamounce them to be graniverous, eat more insects than any other kind of food, which, however, may arise from the scar city of grain in this uncultivated country.
The profusion of vegetable productions in this viceroyalty is commensurate with its extent and the diversity of its climate ; and it would be impossible, within the bounds of one article, to give any adequate idea of their variety. Its trees are suited for every purpose of naval or domestic architecture, and many of them are extremely valuable for their beauty and dura tion. Various medicinal gums exude from their stems ; and their fruit constitutes a considerable proportion of the food of the natives. Valerian, meum, salsaparilla, an aromatic and pungent root called schynant, ginger, and many others of spontaneous growth abound in this country ; and extensive forests of trees, producing the Jesuits bark, are found in the province of Los Charcas. The herb of Paraguay, a species of tea, which is chiefly cultivated in the eastern part of that province, and in the vallies among the mountains of Maracayu, is in great request over all the southern continent of America.
The Creoles drink it at every meal, and never travel without a sufficient supply of this favourite beverage. Its use, however, is most universal in the mine coun tries, as the Spaniards suppose that wine there is pre judicial to the health. Like opium, it gives sleep to the restless, and stimulates the spirits of the torpid ; but, when taken to excess, brings on similar disorders to those which are produced by the immoderate use of strong liquors. The profits arising from the cultivation of this plant belonged formerly to the Jesuits, but since their expulsion have fallen into the hands of the crown, and arc estimated at the annual amount of 500,000 piastres.
At the first establishment of the colony of Buenos Ayres, the precious metals constituted the principal exports of Spanish America. Allured by the prospects of immediate wealth, the Spaniards disdained to dis sipate their industry on objects of inferior importance ; and the only productions of the climate, which they raised, were such as, from their rarity and value, were in great demand in the mother country. Commodities no less valuable, and of greater utility, were neglected and despised. The culture even of the vine and the olive, and the establishment of several kinds of manu facture, were prohibited under the severest penalties. Their luxuries, their cloths, their furniture, even their instruments of labour, and a considerable quantity of their provisions, were imported from Spain ; for which they gave in exchange the produce of their mines and plantations. This traffic was carried on exclusively in Spanish bottoms, and confined entirely to the ports of Porto Bello and Vera Cruz, in the Gulf of Mexico. No vessel belonging to the colonies was allowed to trade with Europe ; and even the commercial intercourse between each other was either entirely prohibited, or • fettered with the most jealous restrictions. In this state of things, Buenos Ayres languished in obscurity. She had become the object of jealousy and distrust to the mother country, on account of her appropriate situa tion for an extensive trade ; and the Spaniards, fearing lest European commodities should be introduced into Peru and the other provinces through this channel, obtained a decree from government, prohibiting every kind of commerce by the river La Plata. This measure excited great discontent in the southern colonies, who were thus deprived of every spur to industry and agri culture ; and were reduced to a state of inaction, very ill suited to their important station, and territorial resources. It was not, however, until often repeated applications had been made to the Spanish government, that the offensive prohibition was withdrawn, in 1602, and they received permission to export in their own vessels, and on their own account, 2,000,000 fanegas of -lour, 500 quintals of dried meat, and the same quantity of tallow. But this stinted grant, which was to continue in force only for six years, was loaded with restrictions. The destination of their vessels was confined to Por tuguese Brazil and the coast of Guinea ; and it was from these countries alone that they were allowed to import such commw•Ities as were merely necessary for their own consumption. At the expiry of this period, these colonies demanded that the permission should extend to every kind of merchandize, and that they should also be allowed a direct communication with Spain. This demand, however, was violently opposed by the consulates of Lima and Seville ; and it was consequently restricted to two vessels, not exceeding 100 tons each. But such was their dread of any contraband traffic be tween this settlement and the other provinces, that a custom-house was established at Cordova-del-Tucuman, which prevented the introduction of all imported com modities into the interior of Peru, under a duty of fifty per cent. ; and also the drawing of gold and silver front Peru for Buenos Ayres, even for the payment of the mules which the latter place annually furnished to the former. Notwithstanding, however, the numerous re strictions and barriers of fiscal regulation, a considera ble contraband trade was carried on with the Portuguese of St Sacramento ; which, though often interrupted, was always renewed and preserved some degree of activity in the settlement. But it was not until 1778, when a more enlightened policy began to prevail in Spain, under the ministry of Galvez, when Buenos Ayres was erected into a separate viceroyalty, and a free trade was allowed with the mother country and the interior of Peru, that it began to acquire importance and stability, and to assume its appropriate station of a commercial em porium. From this time, the general commerce of La Plata rapidly increased ; and, by a royal ordinance of the lath of April 1793, salted meat and tallow were permit ted to pass to Spain and the other colonies, free of duty.