chap. xxir.

CONTRABAND TRADE.

161

hundred and ten years would be four hundredand sixty-two millions, or ninety-six millions twohundred and fifty thousand pounds.

In the preceding century the whole of theSpanish American dominions have been consi-dered as engaged in contraband transactions, toan extent that made it proper to add to thequantity of the gold and silver which paid thelegal duty one-fifth for that which was drawnsurreptitiously from the mines and smuggled outof the countries. As far as regards Mexico thatproportion has been deemed sufficient in thepresent century; but in the other portions ofSouth America the contraband transactions weremuch more extensive through the whole of theeighteenth century.

In the early part of that century, after thetreaty of Utrecht , a large supply of negroes wasconveyed by other nations to the Spanish do-minions; and under the Assiento contract, whichwas first made with the French , and afterwardstransferred to the English , it is calculated thatmore than fifty thousand slaves were conveyedchiefly to Buenos Ayres to be employed in themines of the western parts of that viceroyalty,and in some degree to Carraccas and Carthagenato cultivate sugar, cocoa, coffee, and the otherproductions of the tropical climate. The in-tercourse was not, however, limited to the sale ofslaves. Manufactured goods to a stipulated extent

VOL. II.

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