Page:Pictures of life in Mexico Vol 2.djvu/222

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198
PICTURES OF LIFE IN MEXICO.

These statements are exclusive of the contraband trade from the United States by Santa Fé, and by the English and Americans on the sea-coasts.

The exports from the whole republic (chiefly its own productions) may be rated as follows:—

Exports.
Dollars.
Precious Metals Specie, through Vera Cruz 4,000,000
Mazatlan and San Blas 2,500,000
Silver and gold, through other ports 5,000,000
Silver, through Tampico. 7,000,000
Cochineal, jalap, vanilla, sarsaparilla, and hides 1,000,000
Sundries 500,000
—————
Total 20,000,000

From this estimate about 18,500,000 dollars in the precious metals are exported annually from Mexico. The mines produce nearly 22,000,000 dollars of silver of which it is calculated that 12,000,000 are coined in the seven mints of the republic per annum. There is a difference of about 8,000,000 dollars between the imports and exports—a large proportion—all which is estimated to be covered by smuggling.