Page:Mexico in 1827 Vol 1.djvu/141

Rh any of her possessions that did not produce them. She had no idea of creating a balance of trade, by encouraging the natural resources of the colonies; nor of becoming herself the carrier between them and other nations, with whose manufactures she was, indeed, obliged to keep them supplied, but to whom she furnished in return but few of those productions, with which her American possessions abounded. The fact was, that, perhaps with a view of rendering it less difficult to keep the whole of the importations and exportations in her own hands, she never aimed at increasing the number of consumers, but rather contrived to enhance her profits, by limiting the supply. The luxuries of life were only to be obtained by the wealthy: the lower and middling classes could not aspire to a share of them; and it would be curious to be able to point out, in an authentic shape, the very limited number of those, amongst whom the importations of each Colony were distributed. To render the management of this extraordinary system less embarrassing, the channels of communication with the Mother country were reduced as much as possible. Until the year 1700, the whole of the supplies destined for America were introduced through the ports of Portobello, and Veracruz; from the first of which, remittances were made through Pănămā, (on the opposite side of the Isthmus,) to the whole line of coast on the Pacific, comprising Gūāyăquīl, Qūitŏ, Chilĕ, and Pĕrū. During the war of