Page images
PDF
EPUB

of sea-lions, sea-calves, and sea-wolves, bask in the sword BOOK grass.

The Spaniards brought eight hundred head of oxen to these islands in the year 1780, and they increased so rapidly that their number amounted to eight thousand in 1795. Although the island of Georgia does not belong to any nation, we mention it in this place, on account of its vicinity to the Falkland islands. It was discovered by La Roche in 1675. Georgia situated about four hundred and twenty leagues from Cape Horn consists partly of horizontal layers of black slate stone. The rocks are generally covered with ice, and no shrub can pierce through the perpetual snow that lies on the plains; pimpernel, a few lichens, and some tufts of coarse grass, are all the plants that have been observed; and the lark is the only land bird, which has been seen on the island. Captain Cook discovered Sandwich land on the Austral Thule at a hundred and fifty leagues to the south-east of Georgia, and at the 59th degree of south latitude. It is not improbable that other groups extend to the southern pole, and occasion perhaps the icebergs and variations in the course of currents, which have too often misled the adventurous navigator.

1

LXXXIX.

Shetland.

This conjecture is rendered more probable by the discovery, which was made by Mr. Smith about the year 1820, New South of New South Shetland, and a small chain of islands as yet without a name in latitude 62°. That part of New South Shetland visited by Mr. Smith contains little worthy of notice; the low grounds are sterile, the hills or rocks are covered with snow. The sea in its vicinity abounds with seals and other animals common to the antarctic regions.It is now time to turn to more genial climes.

484

BOOK XC.

BOOK

XC.

DESCRIPTION OF AMERICA CONTINUED.

Observations on New Spain.

SPANISH America may be equal in extent to the Russian empire; but that cold country contains about forty-three millions of inhabitants, while the population of the other, Extent of with all the advantages of the most delightful climate, does not exceed fifteen or sixteen millions. Of that numPopulation. ber, Mexico contain six millions, Guatimala one and a

country.

Casts.

half, the Caraccas one, New Grenada and Peru three. Humboldt supposes the population of Buenos Ayres to be about two millions and a half, and that of Chili, Cuba, and Porto Rico, one million four hundred thousand. The war which the Spaniards made against the patriots, and other causes may have perhaps retarded its progress; but at all events the country could easily maintain ten times its present number of inhabitants. The descendants of Europeans may be computed at four or five millions; the Indians are much more numerous. The Metis and Spaniards are often at variance with the natives, and sometimes with each other. But the Spanish yoke was least of all tolerated by the Creoles, whose nobles, as they have been termed, were useless and oppressive to the rest of the community. The authority of the caciques or

XC.

chiefs weighed heavily on the Indians and Metis; many BOOK individuals in a state of slavery laid claim to vain and ridiculous distinctions; and a rich and powerful clergy increased the grievances of the inhabitants. Want of union, public spirit, and a common interest, the dispersion of the people, and their great distance from each other tended to diminish the political and military force of a nation, in which some were distinguished for patriotism, exalted sentiments, and chivalrous valour.

stitutions.

The institutions of the Spanish Americans might have Public inbeen greatly improved; each burgh was governed by a cabildo or municipal council, whose jurisdiction was supreme within the boundaries over which it extended. The audiencias or sovereign courts were held in greater veneration than the deputies of kings; and a president or civil governor was obeyed more readily than a captain general. The influence of the civil magistrate contributed to the welfare of the community; but the military spirit, which has of late gained strength in the provinces, may prove hurtful to the cause of liberty. The citizens of Mexico, Caraccas, CivilizaSante Fe, Lima, and other large towns, are not deficient in tion. knowledge, but the lower orders and the country people are suffered to remain in ignorance. Public education is not conducted on proper principles, and the greater number have no means of acquiring such information as is necessary in the present day for extending the resources of a great state. The low ebb of industry must be attributed to the habits of the people, and the confusion of a revolutionary war. Mexico, as well as Italy, boasts of its statuaries and painters, but artillery, arms, hardwares, and many articles of primary utility are imported from Europe.

If the Spanish Americans have hitherto made little Indians. progress in the useful arts, the improvement of the natives has been hardly perceptible. That race, degraded before the European invasion by the despotism of their rulers, submitted to the severest hardships under the government of the first conquerors. The Indians, or as

das.

XC.

BOOK they have been called, the people destitute of reason, were reduced to a state of slavery; the destructive tendency of such a system was at last acknowledged in Spain, and it gave way to a feudal plan arranged with much ingenuity, but the distance of the natives from their sovereign renEncomien- dered it ineffectual. The country was divided into encomiendas or feudal tenures, which were granted to the Spaniards under certain conditions. The encomendero or liege lord was obliged to reside in his domains, to perform military service at the will of his king, and to protect and provide for the Indians on his fief. The natives paid a stated tribute to their patron, and were in other respects free; the superior, at least, had no title to exact any personal service from them. This sort of government established by Charles the Fifth and modified by his successors was afterwards abolished. It did not correspond with the intentions of its founder, and was in reality of little advantage to the Indians. The feudal lord claimed more than he had any right to demand, and did less for the natives than he was bound to do by the nature of his tenure.* The system of repartimientos or assessment which succeeded, proved much more disastrous. In consideration of the limited faculties and improvident character of the Indians, corregidors or judges of districts were appointed by the Spanish government. It was their office to provide the natives with cattle, grain for seed, implements of husbandry, clothing, and whatever else they required; but the price of each article was fixed, and the Spaniards were prohibited from taking any profit in these transactions. The abuses that resulted may be easily conceived, they became so flagrant that Spain bad again to interfere, and the new assessment was given up in 1779. The Indians are at present under the authority of native magistrates, but their caciques have seldom the good qualities of the corregidors, and are not

Reparti

mientos.

Present

state of the Indians.

Mercurio Peruviano, VIII. 47.

The first conquerors attached a different meaning to the word repartimiento.
Mercurio Peruviano, VIII. 49. X. 279.

XC.

tration.

less cruel, avaricious and partial. The natives are besides BOOK subject to statute-labour and restrained in the enjoyment of their civil rights; these restrictions are not the same in all the provinces. It was the policy of the Spanish government to encourage the mestizoes and metis, from a belief that the indolence and inactivity of the Indians could never be overcome; but the connexion between the colonists and the mother country was by this means weakened, and the casts became more impatient of a foreign yoke. The histo- Adminisry of modern times proves that the formation of a vast empire is everywhere accompanied with unnumbered difficulties, yet it has been maintained by political writers, that Spain managed its American possessions with much wisdom and great prudence. We may safely venture at present to entertain a different opinion; but it will be necessary to consider more minutely the policy of Spain relative to her American possessions. To check the rapacity of official System of men, their number was increased, the government supposed that the crimes of a few might in this way be prevented, that the one might oppose the other, although all were equally desirous of enriching themselves. The pomp and splendour of the viceroy's court eclipsed that of Madrid; they had not, it is true, the colonial treasury nor the military and maritime forces at their disposal; a representative of majesty might have been punished by a court of audience for abusing his power, but such events were of rare occurrence. The principal military offices were held by captain-generals, commanders, and governors, who were not entirely subjected to the caprices of a viceroy, but depended greatly on his favour for promotion and advancement. The colonists might lay their grievances before the Indian council at Madrid, the president of which was the minister of the American provinces. The inhabitants of Mexico and Peru experienced both the great delay which was thus occasioned, and the council's incompetency to judge of local matters. But their remon

adminis

tration.

« PreviousContinue »