TH HE Spanish government has continually been too jealous of their American riches, ever to permit any authentic accounts of them to get abroad, and they have been particularly fo with regard to all matters of revenue arifing from their poffeffions in that part of the world. We think therefore the following tract, taken from an original, paper that has fallen into our hands, may not be unacceptable to the public. An Abstract from the King's Books in the Royal Treafury at Goanaxuato fince the Establishment of that Office the 30th of April, 1665, to December 31, 1778, fhewing, by Accounts made up every five Years, the Weight of the Gold and Silver on which Duties have been paid, and the whole Amount of those Duties during the above Period of 114 Years. 12 Dwts. 1680 to 1684 16,578 6 9 300,517 7,431 6 8 287,356 5 1685 to 1689 82,599 7 36,944 6 II 375,924 о 8 2∞ 1690 to 1694 74,361 4 4 404,736 6 34,481 5 7 1695 to 1699 79,848 2 429,708 7 34,856 i I 72 385,553 7 10 420,035 5 5 9,684 4 12,496 5 11,600 I 10,656 0 10 499,946 2 3 564,518 7 444,802 3 574,203 4 505,760 1 4 506,596 5 679,037 2 2 518,256 6 1725 to 1729 1730 to 1734 35,729 5 43,896 7 164,225 735 to 1739-1531,352 4 2 707,247 5 I 767,449 6 81,096,546 4 5 91,281,914 2 14,034 5 3 753,415 O 10 12,127 2 9 1,084,419 I 45,350 O 11| 1,236,564 1 2 1,018,640 5 21,159,069 2 21,292,578 6 -146,613 2 21 1,379,636 2 511,526,249 4 I 7 Cañellans of fin. Marks of Silver of Duties on Gold. Duties on Silver. 2,059,072 3 6 1,713,364 4 1,722,139 3 111 1,471,292 7 -2,039,664 7 7 2,137,658 6 2,152,847 3 2,216,344 1 10 2 10 22,749,644 6 723,879,771 1 12 Dwts. Rials. 4 1,928,723 7- 219,071 Rials. 1,494,337 4 93,774 7 3 55,584 1760 to 1704 220,014 2 1,318,300 4 74793 1765 to-1769. 184,104 6 9 1,379,148 6 6 60,088 4 5 11,909,234 1 7 78,888 6 6 3 78,685 3 Periods of five Years. Gold of 22 Carats. 2 463 4 1770 to 1774- Totals The Caftellan of gold of 22 carats was worth 18 rials, from the 30th of April, 1665, to December following, and was then reduced to 1632 rials, or dollars 23. On the 25th of June, 1743, the value of the Caftellan got up to dollars 2191, or rials 2121: on the 18th of May, 1744, it was fixed, and ftill remains without any variation, at dollars 2, or rials zo. Every mark of silver of 12 dwts. was worth, from the time of the eftablishment of this office to the 8th of March, 1677, dollars 81; the value then was reduced maravedies, and at that rate it has continued to this day, viz. dollass 8, 5 rials, 30 maravedies. The duties on gold bullion were first rated at per cent. on the grofs, and of the net, value, which amounted to 21 per cent. and fo continued till Auguft 1, 1701. The fovereignty-duty of four dollars per LCO caftellans, which before had been collected at the mint, was then added, and the whole amounted to 22% per cent. at which rate they continued till November 1723. The duties were then reduced (subject however to variation according to the price of the bullion) to 12 per cent. and underwent no other alteration till January January 1777. A farther reduction then took place, to about 11 per cent. and on the 12th of September following the duties were fixed at 3 per cent. and have remained on that footing to this day. ty: all filver plate however was rated at about 12; and all gold plate taxed only at 3 per cent, according to the regulations then. made, which ftill remain in prac tice. It is worthy remark, that the duties in general were never, during the whole courfe of 114 years, The filver mines contributed their share to the revenue, at the rate of 10 per cent. till June 1700, at which time the fovereign-fo low as at prefent;, nor the produce paid into the Royal Exchequer fo great at any period, as during the laft 4 years, from 1775, to 1778. ty duty of rial per mark of 11 dwts, allowing the deduction for other impofts, the colt, and freight of the (Azoques) quickfilver, ufed in fmelting was transferred from the mint hither; fo that from the faid date to the 25th January 1777, the filver from the mines was fubject to i27 per cent. but fince then, the fovereignty duty being taken off, the rate of du. ties has reverted to its old eltablifhment of 10 per cent. The filver in ingots, which the imerchants barter for other articles of trade, including even the famples, were at different times, till 18th November 1723, fubject to impofts of 20 and 22 per cent, but fince then the filver appropriated for this traffick has been put on the fame footing as that of the miners. Plate, or whatever quantity of bullion was intended to be wrought, at first paid the fame duties (except the fovereignty duty) as that intended for coinage, being confidered of the fame clafs; but in 1708 and 1709, the duties were no more than 10 per cent. on the value of all wrought filver. In 1763, an additional tax of 1 doliar upon every mark of 11 dwts. was exacted, and wrought goid continually bone a proportionate fhare of the duties till January 1777, when both gold and filver bullion was exempted from the fovereignty da. Mexico, 19th June, 1779. [Signed] JUAN ORDONNEZ. Keeper of the Records. 3 OCUL Chundes Gofaul, a Bramin of fuperior caft, whofe character as a merchant and a man of integrity was very refpectable amongit Europeans, and exceedingly fo with every native of this country who had any knowledge of him; for he maintained a great many poor daily at his houfe, and in the neighbourhood where he lived;—and he extended his generofity to many Europeans, by lending them money when in diftrefs.He was Governor Verelt's Banian; and from that circumflance, I believe, you can confirm all I have advanced in Gocul's favour. Gocul had been confined to his room about a fortnight by a fever and flux: I frequently vifited him in that time, but did not apprehend his diffolution was fo near, till last Tuesday morning, the zoth inft. when on fending to enquire after his health, my fervant informed me he was removed from his own houfe to the banks of a creek that runs from Collyghaut (a place held facred by the Hindoos, and where the water is taken up that is ufed in adminiftering oaths to Hindoos in and about Calcutta) into the river Ganges, as you know is customary with them, in order to die in or near that river, or some creek that runs into it. At about nine o'clock in the evening of that day I went to fee him, where he lay on a Fly Palanquin in a boat in that creek. His fervant told me he could hear, but was not able to speak to any body. I went near him, and called to him by name; he knew my voice, turned about, and held out his hand to me: I took hold of it, and found it very cold: he preffed mine, and faid he was obliged to me for coming to fee him. I told him he would get his death by lying expofed without covering (for he was naked to his hips) to the moist air this rainy feafon, close to a nafty muddy bank he faid, he wifhed to be cold, for that he was then burning with heat, (although his hand, as obferved before, was very cold). I then put my hand to his forehead, which was alfo very cold; ftill he infifted that he was burning with heat. begged him to allow me to order him to be carried back to his own house; he shook his head, but faid nothing in anfwer. I repeated the request, but he fhook his head again without faying a word. I I did not imagine fuch a propofition would be attended to, because it is an invariable cuftom, you know, amongst the Hindoos, when given over by their Doctors, to be removed to the banks of the Ganges, or of fome creek that runs into it, which they have a very fuperftitious veneration for; and I have heard that if a Hindoo dies in his own house, it is razed to the ground. Gocul's is a very large houfe, and such a circumstance would confequently be a great detriment to the eftate. I ftaid about a quarter of an hour with him. On coming away he repeated his obligations to me for the vifits I paid him during his illnefs, and for my attention to him at that time in particular, and preffed my hand very hard at parting, for he was perfectly fenfible, and I believe, if proper care had been taken of him, it was in the power of medicine to have restored his health. There were a vast number of Bramins reading and praying near him. Early the next morning I fent my fervant to ask how he was: he brought me for answer that Gocul was in the fame ftate as when I left him the preceding night; and whilft I was at breakfast one of his dependants came to tell me he was dead. I went to fee him foon after, and found him covered with a fheet. I then enquired if either of his wives (for he had two) would burn with him; but nobody there could inform me. I defired one of his dependants to let me know if either of them refolved to burn, that I might be prefent: this was about eight o'clock laft Wednesday morning. At At ten o'clock the corps was carried to Collyghaut, a little village about a mile higher up the creek, and about 2 miles from Calcutta. Between twelve and one o'clock the fame day, Mr. Shakespeare, who had an esteem for Gocul, whofe nephew Joynerain Gofaul is Mr. Shakespeare's Banian, called on me to let me know that Gocul's first wife Tarrynell was refolved to burn. We accordingly went together, and reached Collyghaut in time, where Gocul lay on a pile of Sandal wood and dry ftraw, about 4 feet from the ground, on the banks of the creek, as naked as when I saw him the night before. His wife, we were told, was praying on the edge of the creek, where we were informed her children (two boys and one girl), one of the boys feven years the other five, and the girl thirteen months old, were prefent with her and Kiftenchurn, Gocul's eldest brother that at firft fight of her children, the strong ties of human mature ftruggling with her refolution, drew a tear from her; but the foon recovered herself, and told her children their father was dead, and he was going to die with him; that they must look to their uncle, pointing to Kif tenchurn, who, with his fon Joynerain beforementioned, would be both father and mother to them; and that they must therefore obey them in the fame manner as they would Gocul and herself if living. Then turning to Kiftenchurn, fhe enjoined him, and recommended him to enjoin Joynerain (who was then at Dacca) to be fathers and protectors to her children, and committed them to their care. up This done, fhejleft her children. and advanced towards the funeral pile, which was furrounded by a vaft concourfe of people, chiefly Bramins, about eight or ten feet from it, fo that there was a free paffage round the pile. Mr. Shakef peare and I were in front of the circle, and had a perfect view of the following fcene. As foon as the appeared in the circle, I thought the was fomewhat confufed; but whether from the fight of her husband laying dead on the pile, or the great crowd of people affembled, or at feeing Europeans among them, for there were two befides Mr. Shakespeare and myself, I cannot tell however, the recovered herself almoft inftantaneously. She then walked unattended gently round the pile in filence, ftrewing flowers as the went round; and when he had nearly compleated the third time, at Gocul's feet fhe got upon the pile without affiftance, ftrewed flowers over it, and then laid herfelf down on the left fide of her husband, raising his head and puting her right arm under his neck; and turning her body to his, threw her left arm over him; and one of the Bramins raised his right leg, and put it over her legs without a fingle fyllable being uttered. They being thus closely embraced, a blue fhawl was laid over them, and they were not feen afterwards by any body. Some dry straw was laid over the fhawl, and then fome light billets of Sandal wood was put on the ftraw; but all together not fufficient to prevent her raising her. felf up, throwing all off, and entirely extricating herfelf from the pile, if he had repented, or from feeling |