The commerce of Peru is divided into three branches, viz. its commerce by land with the provinces of the Rio Plata—its commerce by sea with the other colonies,— and its commerce with the mother country. To Po tosi, and the other provinces of Rio Plata, its chief exports are brandy, wine, maize, sugar, pimento, indigo, and woollens. Of these, the brandy and woollens are the most important ; and altogether the export trade is valued at more than two millions of dollars. From Rio Plata, it receives mules, sheep, hams, tallow, wool, cocoa-leaf, paraguay leaf, and a small quantity of tin. Of the mules, there are 20,000 annually brought from Tu cuman, for the service of the mines ; and the value of the whole imports is about 860,000 dollar's. This traffic with the Rio Plata passes through the routes of Cusco and Are quipa. In the trade with the other colonies, forty-one vessels are employed, of which the united tonnage amounts to 351,500 quintals, and which are manned by 1460 sea men. The chief exports to Chili are, European goods, sugar, coarse woollens, indigo from Guatimala, salt, cot ton, pitayam. The imports are chiefly wheat, copper, negro slaves, tallow, Ivinc, Paraguay tea, salt meat, cord age, leather, and timber from Chiloe. To Guyaquil the exports are almost entirely European goods, with a little flour, wine, brandy, and copper ; and the imports are chiefly cacao and timber. The trade to Panama, which has greatly diminished since the middle of the last cen tury, consists of an exportation of coarse woollens, sugar, flour, and brandy, and a small importation of timber, cacao, and slaves. To Guatimala are sent some woollens and wine ; and indigo, with a small quantity of logwood, pitch, timber, and cacao, are brought back in return. The total value of these exports to the other colonies, is 1,694,755 dollars ; and of the imports, 2,066,824.
The trade with Spain consists in the exportation of gold, silver, Jesuit's bark, and Vicuna wool ; for which European goods are returned. The value of the annual exports is nearly six millions of dollars. This trade, which was formerly carried on by Porto Bello and Panama, by the galleons, has, since the year 1748, been conveyed in register ships, by Cape Horn, which at first were insured at the exhurbitant rate of twenty per cent of their value, but now are insured for two per cent. Since 1783, this trade has been made free between certain ports in Spain, and others in the South Sea, without being subject as for merly to licenses and restrictions ; a regulation which has been attended by the greatest benefits to both countries.
The inhabitants of Peru are composed of European Spaniards, Spanish Creoles, native Indians, Mestizoes, Negroes, Mulattoes, and Samboes. The Europeans are
either persons in office, in the military, civil, and eccle siastical departments of the state, who generally return to the mother country with the fortunes which they have ac quired, or mere adventurers, without credit or connexions, who have made their way to America in quest of wealth, but who often perish miserably under the effects of their poverty and vices. The Creoles have sometimes titles of nobility, and possess large estates, but are excluded from all offices of trust and honour. They are very proud of their superiority above the other castes, and fond of parade ; but have naturally good talents, which qualify them for learning and science when they have the advantages of education ; and they are mild, humane, and kindly in their dispositions. The Peruvian Indians, who form nearly one-half of the whole population, are, like the Creoles, remarkably long-lived, and retain their vigour to a very advanced age. In Caxamarca, a province which contains only about 70,000 inhabitants, there were found, in 1792, eight persons, whose ages were 114, 117, 121, 131, 135, 141, and 147. The Mestizoes, who are the offspring of Spaniards and Indians, are next in rank to the Creoles, and next to the Indians in point of number, much attached to the former, and constantly at variance with the latter. The negro slaves in Peru are either employed. n domestic service, or on the farms sugar plantations. There are numerous free negroes, who are in general idle and disorderly. The mulattoes, whom the Spaniards call the gypsies of South America, from their resemblance in complexion and manners to the Spanish gypsies, are much employed as servants, and the women particularly as wet nurses to the children of the Creole ladies. The free mulattoes are usually tradesmen, and carry on most of the mechanical professions. The character and situation of these different castes resemble so nearly those of Mexico, that we refer to the account given of that country for fuller and more minute details. (See also LINIA.) The progress of the late revolution in the Spanish pro vinces of South America, is yet too little known to admit of any correct details ; but its influence may be supposed to produce many important alterations in the general state of Peru and the adjoining countries, as well as in many of the particulars which have been given in this article, as descriptive of its condition under the dominion of old Spain. (v)