CHAP. XXV.

BUENOS AYRES.

255

any other part of Spanish America except Colum-bia. The produce of the precious metals beforethe time of its revolutionary sufferings amountedannually to about four million two hundred andsixty thousand dollars, but since the commence-ment of those disastrous events it has graduallyat first and rapidly of late years declined. Thisseems to have been owing in a great part to thericher proprietors having been attached to the causeof Spain , and to the Indians having followed theirbenefactors. But when the Liberators invadedthose peaceful spots, the proprietors were eitherbanished orput to death, and their followers pressedinto the military service of the invaders. TwoEnglish travellers have visited those countries, andthough it is evident from the spirit of their worksthat their feelings were engaged on the side ofthe invaders or liberals, yet the picture they giveof the effects of this liberal desolation are so con-nected with the subject of decreased production ofthe precious metals that they are highly deservingof attention. Their description, though hereonly applied to one particular portion of theliberated continent of South America , may withfew exceptions be considered as equally applicableto every part of that vast tract of country.

Captain Andrews passed from the city of BuenosAyres by Juijui Salta and Tucuman to Potosi.Nothing can be more melancholy than the de-scription he gives of the whole district, but espe-