64. MEXICO. sand plants, arranged in lines, like the Aloes in the Maguey plantations already described, and cut down to a certain height, in order to enable the Nopaleros to clean them more easily. In the year 1758, a government registry office was esta- blished at Oaxaca, in consequence of the complaints of some English merchants, who had received cargoes of adulterated Cochineal, in which all the Cochineal produced in the pro- vince was ordered to be examined and registered. By the official returns in my possession, it appears that the value of the Cochineal entered upon the books of this office up to 1815, was 91,308,907 dollars, which, upon fifty-seven years, gives an average of 1,601,910, dollars per annum, without making any allowance for contraband, which has always been carried on to the amount of nearly half a million more. The number of pounds collected during the same time was 37,835,104!lbs. ; so that the price current upon the spot, averaged two dollars, three and a half reals, a pound ; it has varied, however, from six, to thirty-four reals, and has even risen from six, to twenty-four, in the same year. The annual registered exportation of Cochineal from Vera- cruz, has amounted, according to the Consulado reports, during a term of twenty-five years, (from 1796 to 1820 in- clusive,) to 34,316,961 dollars, being the value of 352,843 Arrobas of Cochineal ; which gives an average of 1,372,678 dollars, and 14,113 Arrobas upon each year. The total registered produce of Oaxaca being, as we have seen, 37,835,1041bs. (1,513,404 Arrobas,) on the term of fifty- seven years, which gives 26,550 Arrobas as the average of each year, it becomes evident, that an illicit trade, to an enormous extent, must have been carried on ; as the diffigr- ence between the produce and the exportation, would leave 12,437 Arrobas as the annual home consumption of Mexico, where, certainly, not half that number of pounds are em- ployed. If, therefore, it be supposed that one-Fourth more
