wealbk04-第41章

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and；　in　what　constitutes　the　real　riches　of　every　country；　the

animal　and　vegetable　productions　of　the　soil；　there　was　at　that

time　nothing　which　could　well　justify　such　a　representation　of

them。

　　　　　The　Cori；　something　between　a　rat　and　a　rabbit；　and　supposed

by　Mr。　Buffon　to　be　the　same　with　the　Aperea　of　Brazil；　was　the

largest　viviparous　quadruped　in　St。　Domingo。　This　species　seems

never　to　have　been　very　numerous；　and　the　dogs　and　cats　of　the

Spaniards　are　said　to　have　long　ago　almost　entirely　extirpated

it；　as　well　as　some　other　tribes　of　a　still　smaller　size。　These；

however；　together　with　a　pretty　large　lizard；　called　the　ivana；

or　iguana；　constituted　the　principal　part　of　the　animal　food

which　the　land　afforded。

　　　　　The　vegetable　food　of　the　inhabitants；　though　from　their

want　of　industry　not　very　abundant；　was　not　altogether　so　scanty。

It　consisted　in　Indian　corn；　yams；　potatoes；　bananas；　etc。；

plants　which　were　then　altogether　unknown　in　Europe；　and　which

have　never　since　been　very　much　esteemed　in　it；　or　supposed　to

yield　a　sustenance　equal　to　what　is　drawn　from　the　common　sorts

of　grain　and　pulse；　which　have　been　cultivated　in　this　part　of

the　world　time　out　of　mind。

　　　　　The　cotton　plant；　indeed；　afforded　the　material　of　a　very

important　manufacture；　and　was　at　that　time　to　Europeans

undoubtedly　the　most　valuable　of　all　the　vegetable　productions　of

those　islands。　But　though　in　the　end　of　the　fifteenth　century　the

muslins　and　other　cotton　goods　of　the　East　Indies　were　much

esteemed　in　every　part　of　Europe；　the　cotton　manufacture　itself

was　not　cultivated　in　any　part　of　it。　Even　this　production；

therefore；　could　not　at　that　time　appear　in　the　eyes　of　Europeans

to　be　of　very　great　consequence。

　　　　　Finding　nothing　either　in　the　animals　or　vegetables　of　the

newly　discovered　countries　which　could　justify　a　very

advantageous　representation　of　them；　Columbus　turned　his　view

towards　their　minerals；　and　in　the　richness　of　the　productions　of

this　third　kingdom；　he　flattered　himself　he　had　found　a　full

compensation　for　the　insignificancy　of　those　of　the　other　two。

The　little　bits　of　gold　with　which　the　inhabitants　ornamented

their　dress；　and　which；　he　was　informed；　they　frequently　found　in

the　rivulets　and　torrents　that　fell　from　the　mountains；　were

sufficient　to　satisfy　him　that　those　mountains　abounded　with　the

richest　gold　mines。　St。　Domingo；　therefore；　was　represented　as　a

country　abounding　with　gold；　and；　upon　that　account；　（according

to　the　prejudices　not　only　of　the　present　time；　but　of　those

times）　an　inexhaustible　source　of　real　wealth　to　the　crown　and

kingdom　of　Spain。　When　Columbus；　upon　his　return　from　his　first

voyage；　was　introduced　with　a　sort　of　triumphal　honours　to　the

sovereigns　of　Castile　and　Arragon；　the　principal　productions　of

the　countries　which　he　had　discovered　were　carried　in　solemn

procession　before　him。　The　only　valuable　part　of　them　consisted

in　some　little　fillets；　bracelets；　and　other　ornaments　of　gold；

and　in　some　bales　of　cotton。　The　rest　were　mere　objects　of　vulgar

wonder　and　curiosity；　some　reeds　of　an　extraordinary　size；　some

birds　of　a　very　beautiful　plumage；　and　some　stuffed　skins　of　the

huge　alligator　and　manati；　all　of　which　were　preceded　by　six　or

seven　of　the　wretched　natives；　whose　singular　colour　and

appearance　added　greatly　to　the　novelty　of　the　show。

　　　　　In　consequence　of　the　representations　of　Columbus；　the

council　of　Castile　determined　to　take　possession　of　countries　of

which　the　inhabitants　were　plainly　incapable　of　defending

themselves。　The　pious　purpose　of　converting　them　to　Christianity

sanctified　the　injustice　of　the　project。　But　the　hope　of　finding

treasures　of　gold　there　was　the　sole　motive　which　prompted　him　to

undertake　it；　and　to　give　this　motive　the　greater　weight；　it　was

proposed　by　Columbus　that　the　half　of　all　the　gold　and　silver

that　should　be　found　there　should　belong　to　the　crown。　This

proposal　was　approved　of　by　the　council。

　　　　　As　long　as　the　whole　or　the　far　greater　part　of　the　gold；

which　the　first　adventurers　imported　into　Europe；　was　got　by　so

very　easy　a　method　as　the　plundering　of　the　defenceless　natives；

it　was　not　perhaps　very　difficult　to　pay　even　this　heavy　tax。　But

when　the　natives　were　once　fairly　stripped　of　all　that　they　had；

which；　in　St。　Domingo；　and　in　all　the　other　countries　discovered

by　Columbus；　was　done　completely　in　six　or　eight　years；　and　when

in　order　to　find　more　it　had　become　necessary　to　dig　for　it　in

the　mines；　there　was　no　longer　any　possibility　of　paying　this

tax。　The　rigorous　exaction　of　it；　accordingly；　first　occasioned；

it　is　said；　the　total　abandoning　of　the　mines　of　St。　Domingo；

which　have　never　been　wrought　since。　It　was　soon　reduced

therefore　to　a　third；　then　to　a　fifth；　afterwards　to　a　tenth；　and

at　last　to　a　twentieth　part　of　the　gross　produce　of　the　gold

mines。　The　tax　upon　silver　continued　for　a　long　time　to　be　a

fifth　of　the　gross　produce。　It　was　reduced　to　a　tenth　only　in　the

course　of　the　present　century。　But　the　first　adventurers　do　not

appear　to　have　been　much　interested　about　silver。　Nothing　less

precious　than　gold　seemed　worthy　of　their　attention。

　　　　　All　the　other　enterprises　of　the　Spaniards　in　the　new　world；

subsequent　to　those　of　Columbus；　seem　to　have　been　prompted　by

the　same　motive。　It　was　the　sacred　thirst　of　gold　that　carried

Oieda；　Nicuessa；　and　Vasco　Nugnes　de　Balboa；　to　the　Isthmus　of

Darien；　that　carried　Cortez　to　Mexico；　and　Almagro　and　Pizzarro

to　Chili　and　Peru。　When　those　adventurers　arrived　upon　any

unknown　coast；　their　first　inquiry　was　always　if　there　was　any

gold　to　be　found　there；　and　according　to　the　information　which

they　received　concerning　this　particular；　they　determined　either

to　quit　the　country　or　to　settle　in　it。

　　　　　Of　all　those　expensive　and　uncertain　projects；　however；

which　bring　bankruptcy　upon　the　greater　part　of　the　people　who

engage　in　them；　there　is　none　perhaps　more　ruinous　than　the

search　after　new　silver　and　gold　mines。　It　is　perhaps　the　most

disadvantageous　lottery　in　the　world；　or　the　one　in　which　the

gain　of　those　who　draw　the　prizes　bears　the　least　proportion　to

the　loss　of　those　who　draw　the　blanks：　for　though　the　prizes　are

few　and　the　blanks　many；　the　common　price　of　a　ticket　is　the

whole　fortune　of　a　very　rich　man。　Projects　of　mining；　instead　of

replacing　the　capital　employed　in　them；　together　with　the

ordinary　profits　of　stock；　commonly　absorb　both　capital　and

profit。　They　are　the　projects；　therefore；　to　which　of　all　others

a　prudent　lawgiver；　who　desired　to　increase　the　capital　of　his

nation；　would　least　choose　to　give　any　extraordinary

encouragement；　or　to　turn　towards　them　a　greater　share　of　that

capital　than　that　would　go　to　them　of　its　own　accord。　Such　in

reality　is　the　absurd　confidence　which　almost　all　men　have　in

their　own　good　fortune　that；　wherever　there　is　the　least

probability　of　success；　too　great　a　share　of　it　is　apt　to　go　to

them　of　its　own　accord。

　　　　　But　though　the　judgment　of　sober　reason　and　experience

concerning　such　projects　has　always　been　extremely　unfavourable；

that　of　human　avidity　has　commonly　been　quite　otherwise。　The　same

passion　which　has　suggested　to　so　many　people　the　absurd　idea　of

the　philosopher's　stone；　has　suggested　to　others　the　equally

absurd　one　of　immense　rich　mines　of　gold　and　silver。　They　did　not

consider　that　the　value　of　those　metals　has；　in　all　ages　and

nations；　arisen　chiefly　from　their　scarcity；　and　that　their

scarcity　has　arisen　from　the　very　small　quantities　of　them　which

nature　has　anywhere　deposited　in　one　place；　from　the　hard　and

intractable　substances　with　which　she　has　almost　everywhere

surrounded　those　small　quantities；　and　consequently　from　the

labour　and　expense　which　are　everywhere　necessary　in　order　to

penetrate　to　and　get　at　them。　They　flattered　themselves　that

veins　of　those　metals　might　in　many　places　be　found　as　large　and

as　abundant　as　those　which　are　commonly　found　of　lead；　or　copper；

or　tin；　or　iron。　The　dream　of　Sir　Walter　Raleigh　concern