Page:Mexico (1829) Volumes 1 and 2.djvu/367

 MEXICO. known in Mexico, have been entirely supplanted by French, which, in 1824, appear to have been imported, through Alva- rado and Veracruz alone, to the amount of 927,366 dollars, out of a total importation of 1,062,970 dollars.* The native manufactures, of which I have spoken in the beginning of this Section, have shared the fate of those of Spain : they have fallen gradually into disuse, as the Mexicans have discovered that much better things may be obtained at a much lower price, and will soon disappear altogether. Qiie- retaro, indeed, is still supported by a Government contract for clothing the army ; but the cotton-spinners at La Puebla, and in other. towns of the Interior, have been compelled to turn their industry into some other channel. This, in a country where the population is so scanty, is not only not to be regretted, but may be regarded as advantage- ous : a few of the towns, indeed, may suffer by the change at first, but the general interests of the country will be promo- ted, as well as those of the foreign manufacturer, who may not only hope for a return in valuable raw produce for his manufactures, from the labour of these additional hands, but must see the demand for European productions increase, ex- actly in proportion to the decrease in the value of the home- made cotton and woollen manufactures, which averaged, be- fore the Revolution, ten millions of dollars annually. This sum is now added to the wants of the country, or, in other terms, to the amount of European manufactures annu- ally consumed by New Spain. Such are the principal changes produced by the Revolution in the intercourse between Mexico and Europe. It would be superfluous to trace them through all the minor branches of the actual trade of the country, nor have I the means of not Spanish,) all the wine imported direct from Europe, with the brandy entered as Aguardiente Frances. The imports through Cuba I consider as Spanish produce.
 * In making this calculation, I have taken as French, (or at least,