The period comprehended in these returns, is a term of twenty-five years, (from 1796 to 1820;) and although it is to be regretted that the various items, of which the importations consisted, are not specified in the Balanza General, or General Balance of Trade, (which is the name given to the Consulado Report,) still, as these may be ascertained from other sources, and more particularly from Humboldt, the General Balance is important, in as much as it gives the total annual amount of the registered Exports and Imports on a long term of years.
According to Humboldt's estimate, in 1803, the first of these (the Exports) consisted annually of
| Value. | |
| Gold and Silver | 17,000,000 |
| Cochineal | 2,400,000 |
| Sugar | 1,300,000 |
| Flour | 300,000 |
| Indigo (native) | 280,000 |
| Salt Meat | 100,000 |
| Hides | 80,000 |
| Sarsaparilla | 80,000 |
| Vanilla | 60,000 |
| Jalap | 60,000 |
| Soap | 50,000 |
| Campeche Wood | 40,000 |
| Tabascan Pepper | 30,000 |
or 21,780,000 dollars, which he fixes as the Average amount of the Exports, as given by the Custom-house Registers during several years of peace.
