The interior and coasting trade of Mexico is greatly impeded by the want of navigable rivers and artificial canals. The Rib de Santiago, which traverses the must populous part of the country, through a course of 170 leagues, might be rendered navigable at a moderate expense ; and canals might be opened through the val ley of Mexico ; but the great lines of communication between the capital and the principal sea ports can never be improved by natural or artificial navigations. The town of Mexico forms the central point of the in terior commerce ; and the whole surrounding table land may be travelled by wheel.carriages in all direc tions ; but, from the bad state of the roads, beasts of burden are preferred. The communication with the coasts is still more difficult ; but means are said to be recently employed for facilitating the conveyance of goods both from Acapulco and Vera Cruz. The ob jects of this interior commerce arc the exchange of goods between the different provinces, particularly be tween Mexico and the provincial internas ; several pro ductions from South America, conveyed through the country for exportation ; and the articles which are exported or imported at the two great ports of Acapul co and Vera Cruz. As the inland provinces enjoy, in a great measure, the same climate, and consequently possess the same productions, it is chiefly the con sumption of commodities by the mines which creates the interior commerce ; but, as the crops of maize are seldom equally productive over so vast an extent of country, the conveyance of this necessary article from one place to another constitutes a considerable traffic. Thousands of mules, from Chihuahua and Durango, arrive every week at Mexico with bars of silver, hides, tallow, flour, and some wine, and take back, in return, woollen cloth of native manufacture, iron, steel, mer cury, and goods from Europe and the Philippines. In time of war, when the navigation round Cape Horn becomes more hazardous, much of the cocoa of Guaya quil, the copper of Guasco, and the indigo of Guati mala, pass through the isthmus of Mexico to be ship ped at Vera Cruz.
The foreign commerce of Mexico is naturally divid ed into that of the South Sea, and that of the Atlantic Ocean. The latter experiences great disadvantages from the want of commodious seaports; and almost all its operations have for centuries been concentrated at Vera Cruz, which is rather a bad anchorage than an actual harbour. The eastern coast, besides its sand bat ks, at all times is subject to violent hurricanes dur ing the winter half of the year, and to the formidable yellow fever during the summer season. On the west ern coast are two magnificent ports, San Blas and Aca pulco, the last of which is counted one of the most admirable basins in the world. But tremendous hur ricanes blow on this coast during the months of July and August ; and, even in September and October, the two fine harbours now mentioned are difficult of access. The principal articles of exportation at Vera Cruz, (ex clusive of cocoa from Guyaquil, and indigo from Gua timala,) at an average of several years, arc— Gold and silver in ingots, coin and X3,570,000 wrought plate, to the value of Cochineal . . . . . 504,000 Sugar . . . . . . 273,000 Flour . . . . . . 63,000 Mexican indigo . . . . 43,680 Salted provisions, and other eatables 20,000 Tanned hides . . . . . 16,800 Sarsaparilla . . . . . 18,900 Vanilla . . . . . . 12,600 Jalap . . • . . . 12,600 Soap . . . . . . 10,500 Campeachy wood . . . . 8,400 Pimento of Tabasco . . . . 6,900 The articles of importation arc— Linen, cotton, woollen cloth and 2,310,000 silks, to the value of .
Paper . . . . . . 210,000
Brandy . . . . . . 210,000 Cocoa . . . . . . 210,000 Mercury . . . . . . 136,500 Iron . . . . . . 126,000 Steel . . . . . . 42,000 Wine . . . . . . 147,000 Wax • . . . . . 63,000 The average value of the whole ex 4,620,000 portation . . .
Ditto, importation . . . . 3,150,000 Commercial circulation . X7,770,000 The commerce of the western coast is confined to the Manilla galleon; the coasting trade with Guatimala and San Bias ; and a few vessels annually dispatched to Guyaquil and Lima. The oldest and most import ant branch of the trade of Acapulco, is the exchange of the precious metals of Mexico for the merchandize of China and the East Indies. A single galleon, from twelve to fifteen hundred tons, sails from Manilla about the end of July with the south-west monsoon, bringing a cargo of muslins, printed calicoes, coarse cotton shirts, raw silks, and China silk stockings, jewelleries from Canton or Manilla, spices, and aro matics ; and generally accomplishing the voyage in three or four months. The value of the cargo is li mitted by law to half a million of piastres, (105.0001. sterling) but generally amounts to three or four times that sum. Of this lucrative merchandize the merchants of Lima have the greatest, and the ecclesiastical corpo rations the next highest share ; and it is generally pur chased with so much avidity, chiefly by a few great houses in the capital, that sometimes the whole sales are completed before the arrival of the galleon has been known at Vera Cruz. The return cargo consists of bars of iron, a little cochineal, cocoa, wine, oil, Spanish wool, and principally of the precious metals, to the value of a million of piastres. A number of passengers, particularly monks sent from Spain and Mexico to the Philippines, generally go with the galleon to Manilla, which sails in February or March, and by means of the trade winds accomplishes its long voyage in 50 or 60 days. A vessel is also dispatched annually from Manilla to Lima, one of the longest and most difficult of all voy ages, as the ship must first discover the Mexican coast, and then steer southwards. The trade of Acapulco with the ports of Guayaquil and Lima is far from being active; and consists chiefly in the importation of copper, oil, Chili wine, a small quantity of sugar and quinquina (bark) from Peru, and cocoa from Guayaquil, sending thither in return a few woollens, a little cochineal, and contraband goods from the East Indies. The length and difficulty of the navigation from Acapulco to Lima, are the great obstacles to this trade between Mexico and Peru. The passage is peculiarly difficult from north to south ; and often more time is required to sail the 210 marine leagues from Guayaquil to Callao, than to pass from Acapulco to Manilla through a course of 2,800 leagues. The chief hazards and delays arise from dead calms, violent hurricanes, and strong currents among the Gallipago islands. Notwithstanding the excellence of the ports on the west coast of Mexico, the coasting trade is extremely languid ; and neither the sperma ceti whale fishery, nor the beaver fur-trade from Noot ka, has been able to arouse the Spanish energies. The customs arc not uniform in the different ports of the Spanish colonies, and are distinguished into royal and municipal duties. Free effects, i. e. the produce of Spanish agriculture and manufactures, pay, on landing, 92 per cent. ; contributable effects, i. c. the foreign pro duce manufactured in Spain, pay 121 per cent. ; foreign effects pay 7 per cent. having previously paid 15 per cent. upon entering, and 7 upon leaving the ports of the mother-country.