Monte Video has in consequence become a sort of entrepôt for the supply of those provinces, as well as of a portion of the neighbouring Brazilian population in the Rio Grande; and to such an extent, that the importations of foreign goods there were valued at no less than 3,000,000 in 1835, and had reached 3,500,000 hard dollars in 1836; whilst the exports were nearly equal in amount, and now constitute an important proportion of the returns in the general account of the trade with the River Plate.
The amount of the imports into the port of Buenos Ayres has been diminished in proportion. In 1837 they were barely equal to 7,000,000 hard dollars, according to the official valuation, being a falling off of nearly a third from what they were before the war with Brazil.
Making allowances for this difference in its course, the foreign trade with the River Plate has varied little in its general amount for the last five years.
So far as regards the British trade, although there may appear to be a diminution in the value of our exports to the River Plate, as compared with what they were in the years immediately preceding the war between Buenos Ayres and Brazil, it will nevertheless be found upon analysis that there has been a large increase in the quantity, especially of our most important manufactures, viz., the cottons, the quantity of which now sent to the River Plate is double what it was in 1825, though the total declared value has only increased in the proportion of from about 350,000l. to 400,000l., the apparent discrepancy being accounted for by the greatly reduced rate at which we can now afford to sell these goods; in the linens there is also an increase; in the woollens there is, on the other hand, a slight falling off; the silk goods sent out have varied very little in value, but their amount was never of any importance.
The following is an account, taken from the custom-house returns, of the average quantities of these several descriptions of goods sent to the River Plate in the four years from 1822 to 1825, inclusive, compared with the last four years from 1834 to 1837, inclusive:—
| Average Quantity from 1822 to 1825, inclusive. | Average Quantity from 1834 to 1837, inclusive. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cottons, | yards | 10,811,762 | 18,151,764 |
| Linens, | do. | 996,467 | 1,176,941 |
| Woollens | pieces | 40,705 | 30,428 |
| yards | 139,037 | 100,183 | |
| Silks, | value | £16,612 | £15,047 |
Upon the whole, the River Plate has been decidedly the most important of all the markets which have been opened to us for the sale of British manufactures in Spanish America. It takes off a much larger quantity of them than either Mexico, Columbia, or Peru; and although it would appear on the face of the official returns that of late years an equal or rather larger amount has been sent to Chile, the truth is, that a considerable part of those shipments were in reality destined for the southern ports of Peru, and the west coast of Mexico.
A comparative account of our exports to all those several countries during the last nine years will be found with the other returns of trade in the Appendix, and will show the relative and aggregate amount of British produce and manufactures taken by the new states during that period.
The average yearly value of them sent to the River Plate in the last five years amounted to £680,000.