Page:Mexico (1829) Volumes 1 and 2.djvu/365

 MEXICO. 325 But, as I have already stated with regard to 1823, the trade of Alvarado and Veracruz in 1824, was not by any means the trade of Mexico ; for, although the British vessels chartered for the Gulph, still cleared exclusively at these two ports, no less than five thousand tons of American shipping are known to have been employed, in 1824, in the trade be- tween Tampico and the United States. It becomes, therefore, doubly necessary to ascertain the amount of this trade, (which consisted principally in the im- portation of European goods,) before any estimate can be formed of that of the country in general; but this is un- fortunately impossible ; no authentic information upon the subject, either public or private, having yet been obtained. Allowing, however, four miUions of dollars for the value of the Imports and Exports in the 5000 tons of shipping ad- mitted to have been employed, and adding these four millions to the gross amount of the trade of Alvarado and Veracruz, (16,774,587 dollars,) there will be found to be but little differ- ence between the trade of Mexico in 1824, and its annual average value before the declaration of Independence, viz.: 21,545,606 dollars, omitting, of course, the Imports and Exports on the account of the Royal Treasury, and taking only those comprehended in the Balanza General. It was in the mode of introduction, and in the quality of the articles introduced, rather than in their aggregate amount, that the greatest change took place. In 1821, the whole of the Imports, with the exception of 37,995 dollars, were introduced in Spanish bottoms, from Spain, or her immediate dependencies, without any interven- tion, or participation in the trade by any foreign power. In 1822, the Imports from Spain and her dependencies amounted only to 2,553,255 dollars ; while the direct Imports from foreign countries rose to 1,169,7^4 dollars, or upwards of thirty times their amount in 1821. In 1823, the Spanish Imports, at Alvarado and Veracruz,