In New
Andalusia, the Indian name of Cumana has superseded the names Nueva
Toledo and Nueva Cordoba, which we find on the maps of the
seventeenth century.)
The province of Caracas possesses fine salt-works at Los Roques;
those which formerly existed at the small island of Tortuga, where
the soil is strongly impregnated with muriate of soda, were
destroyed by order of the Spanish government. A canal was made by
which the sea has free access to the salt-marshes. Foreign nations
who have colonies in the West Indies frequented this uninhabited
island; and the court of Madrid, from views of suspicious policy,
was apprehensive that the salt-works of Tortuga would give rise to
settlements, by means of which an illicit trade would be carried on
with Terra Firma.
The royal administration of the salt-works of Araya dates only from
the year 1792. Before that period they were in the hands of Indian
fishermen, who manufactured salt at their pleasure, and sold it,
paying the government the moderate sum of three hundred piastres.
The price of the fanega was then four reals;* (* In this narrative,
as well as in the Political Essay on New Spain, all the prices are
reckoned in piastres, and silver reals (reales de plata). Eight of
these reals are equivalent to a piastre, or one hundred and five
sous, French money (4 shillings 4 1/2 pence English). Nouv.
