pendence of
the Republic of Uruguay, it ought to be mentioned that the Government of
Monte Video has preserved an undepreciated silver currency through all
its difficulties, whilst the Buenos Ayrean Government has issued such
masses of paper without ever redeeming it, that the Buenos Ayrean paper
dollar is not worth more than 4-1/4d. at the present time. The other
states of the Argentine Confederation positively refuse to take the
Buenos Ayrean paper money, but foreign merchants are compelled to take
it, or to dispose of their goods by barter, which is seldom possible.

The consequence of the liberal commercial system adopted by Monte Video,
aided by the excellence of its situation has been to raise that city, in
fourteen years, to the position of one of the first commercial places in
America, as will be seen from the following summary of the export and
import trade in 1842, the year before the commencement of the siege:--

EXPORTS.

638,424 Hides, salted $2,553,696
780,097 Hides, dry 2,340,291
60,904 Hides 91,356
100,583 Skins of Sheep 201,706
111,801 (arrobas) Tallow 223,602
4,444 (tons) Bones 31,108
2,690 (arrobas) Mares Oil 4,035
26,462 (arrobas) Hair 79,386
946,955 Horns 28,408.5
96,540 (arrobas) Wool 144,810
3,341 (dozens) Skins of Sheep 6,682
8,019 (quintals) Garras 8,019
1,109 (tons) Ashes 8,872
18,198 (arrobas) Fat 36,396
424 (dozens) Skins of Nonatos 848
938 Ditto Nutria 2,345
513,641 (quintals) Meat 1,540,923
121 (barrels) Tripe, salted 726
150 (barrels) Meat 1,200
2,065 (boxes) Candles 6,195
170 (dozens) Tongues 170
470 Mules 9,400
2,380 (lbs.) Ostrich Feathers 892.4
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Value of Exports $7,321,066.1
Value of Imports on which duty was paid $9,237,696
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How much this extensive trade ha