"The influence of the government is in constant opposition to that of the climate. The system of prohibition exists at Chili in its fullest extent. This kingdom, of which the productions would, if increased to their maximum, supply all Europe; whose wool would be sufficient for the manufactures of France and England; and whose herds, converted into salt provisions, would produce a vast revenue ;--this kingdom, alas! has no commerce. Four or five small vessels bring, every year, from Lima, tobacco, sugar, and some articles of European manufacture, which the miserable inhabitants can obtain only at second or third hand, after they have been charged with heavy customs duties at Cadiz, at Lima, and lastly, at their arrival in Chili; in exchange they give their tallow, hides, some deals, and their wheat, which, however, is at so low a price, that the cultivator has no inducement to extend his tillage. Thus Chili, with all its gold, and articles of exchange, can scarcely procure sugars, tobacco, stuffs, linens, cambrics, and hardware, necessary to the ordinary wants of life."(Perouse's Voyage, vol. i. p. 50. Eng. ed.)

Instead, however, of 4 or 5 small ships from Lima, in 1831, 43 British ships, carrying 8,281 tons, entered Valparaiso only, besides several at the other ports! All sorts of European goods are carried direct to Chili, and are admitted at reasonable duties. The advantages resulting from this extensive intercourse with foreigners, and from the settlement of English adventurers in the country, have been already immense, and will every day become more visible. It was impossible, considering the ignorance of the mass of the people, that the old system of tyranny and superstition could be pulled to pieces without a good deal of violence and mischief; but the foundations of a better order of things have been laid; nor can there be a doubt that Chili is destined to become an opulent and a flourishing country.

Monies, Weights, and Measures of Chili are the same as those of Spain; for which, see CADIZ. The quintal of 4 arrobas, or 100 lbs., 101:44 lbs. avoirdupois. The fanega, or principal corn measure, contains 3,439 English cubic inches, and is therefore 1.599 Winch. bushels. Hence 5 fanegasi Winch. quarter very nearly. The vara, or measure of length, 33.384 Eng. inches.

=

VAN DIEMEN'S LAND, a large island belonging to Great Britain, forming part of Australia, lying between 41° 20′ and 43° 30′ S. lat., and 144° 40′ and 148° 20′ W. long. It is supposed to contain about 15,000,000 acres.

This land was discovered by the Dutch navigator Tasman, in 1642, and was named in honour of Anthony Van Diemen, at that time governor-general of the Dutch possessions in the East Indies. Previously to 1798, it was supposed to form part of New Holland, but it was then ascertained to be an island. It was taken possession of by the British in 1803; and in 1804, Hobart Town, the capital, was founded.

The surface is generally hilly and mountainous; but, though none of the land be of the first quality, there are several moderately fertile plains, and a good deal of the hilly ground is susceptible of being cultivated. On the whole, however, it is not supposed that more than about a third part of the entire surface of the island can be considered arable; but about a third more may be advantageously used as sheep pasture. As compared with New Holland, it is well watered. The climate, though very variable, is, generally speaking, good, and suitable for European constitutions; and it is not exposed to the tremendous droughts that occasion so much mischief in New South Wales. Wheat is raised in considerable quantities. Wool, however, is at present the staple produce of the colony.

Van Diemen's Land, like New South Wales, was originally intended to serve as a penal colony, and convicts are still sent to it; latterly, however, it has received a very considerable number of free settlers. In 1830, the total population of the island, exclusive of aborigines, amounted to 23,169, of whom about 10,000 were convicts. The disparity between the sexes is not quite so great here as in New South Wales.

The prosperity of the colony was formerly a good deal retarded by the enormities committed by a banditti of runaway convicts, known by the name of bush-rangers; and more recently by the hostilities of the natives. Vigorous measures have, however, been adopted for the suppression of such outrages, by confining the natives within a limited district; and it is to be hoped that they may be effectual.

Hobart Town is situated in the southern part of the island, on the west side of the river Derwent, near its junction with Storm Bay, in lat. 42° 54′ S., lon. 147° 28′ E. The water is deep, and the anchorage good. A jetty has been constructed, accessible to the largest ships. The situation appears to have been very well chosen; and the town has been judiciously laid out. In December, 1832, the district of Hobart Town contained 10,101 inhabitants, of which were, free, males 3,850, females 2,776; convicts, males 2,699, females 776. The population of the town itself, at the epoch referred to, was about 9,600. The houses are supposed to be worth, at an average, 50l. a year. There are several printing establishments in the town, and no fewer than 9 or 10 newspapers, some of them very well conducted. There is also a Book Society, a Mechanics' Institute, and several respectable schools and academies. The Van Diemen's Land Banking Company, the Derwent Bank, and the Commercial Bank, have each offices in Hobart Town. They are joint-stock companies.

Launceston, the second town in the island, is situated in the northern part, at the head of the navigable river Tamar, which falls into Port Dalrymple. Its population may amount

to about 5,000. It has a considerable trade with Sydney and Hobart Town, and recently it has begun to trade direct to England.

Trade of Van Diemen's Land.-Imports.-Malt liquors, rum, brandy, and wine, form the principal part of the imports into the colony. Next to them are piece goods, hardware, tea, sugar, &c.

Account of the Exports from the United Kingdom to Van Diemen's Land during each of the Five Years ending with 1831.

Exclusive of the imports from the mother country, Van Diemen's Land imports sugar from the Mauritius, wine and fruit from the Cape, tea from China or Singapore, piece goods from India, tobacco from Brazil, and beef, bacon, cheese, horses, &c. from New South Wales. According to the statement in the papers published by the Board of Trade (vol. i. p. 251.), the total value of the imports in 1830, was 255,2987.; of which, 153,4781. was supplied by Great Britain, 93,2511. by British possessions, and 8,5691. by foreign states.

Exports.-Wool forms by far the principal article of export, and next to it is wheat, principally sent to Sydney, whale oil, whalebone, timber, mimosa bark, live stock, potatoes, &c. The increase in the exports of wool is quite extraordinary. It is almost wholly brought to England.

Account of the Imports of Wool from Van Diemen's Land into the United Kingdom from 1827 to 1833, both inclusive.

In 1831, the imports of whale oil from Van Diemen's Land amounted to 848 tuns; and during the same year, 39,264 cwt. of bark were imported. The total real value of the articles exported in 1830 was estimated at 170,000l., distributed as follows:

Coins, Weights, and Measures, same as in England. The Spanish dollar circulates at 48. 4d.

Shipping, &c.—In 1830, there belonged to the island 26 vessels, of the aggregate burden of 2,151 tons.

Arrivals at Hobart Town in 1832.-There arrived during the year, 51 ships, of the burden of 18,214 tons; 25 brigs, of 4,201 tons; and 29 schooners, of 1,948 tons; making in all, 105 vessels, of the burden of 24,363 tons. Of these, were from England 41, New South Wales 35, India and China 3, Swan River 3, New Zealand 6, fishery 2, Mauritius 5, Launceston 10, and Desolation Island 1.

Revenue, &c.-The customs duties collected in the colony amount to about 50,000l. a year, and the whole ordinary revenue is about 70,0007.; to which has to be added, the revenue derived from the sale of land, and other sources. Government contributes about 120,000l. a year in aid of the colonial revenue, to defray the expenses of the convict establishments, &c. For the regulations as to the granting of land in Van Diemen's Land, &c., see SYDNEY. Immigrants. Of these there arrived at Van Diemen's Land, during 1832, men 926, women 769, children 416; in all, 2,131.

*The imports of wool from New South Wales in 1833, were 1,969,608 lbs.; making the total imports from Australia in that year, 3,516,869 lbs.

By comparing these prices with those of Sydney (antè, p. 576), the greater cheapness of the principal necessaries of life at the latter is obvious; house rent is also higher at Hobart Town. But it would appear that wages are rather higher in Van Diemen's Land than in New South Wales. Drunkenness is the great vice of the free, as well as of the convict population; and it is this, and not the facility of acquiring land, that renders it so difficult to procure good servants in Australia. Lieutenant Breton says, that the free women sent to the colony by government have proved no great acquisition, except by increasing the population; but we hardly think that this can be the case.

Encouragement to Emigrants.-Government has recently come to a resolution to advance, by way of loan, a sum not exceeding 201. each, to a given number of young and married agricultural labourers, intending to emigrate to Australia with their wives and families. The following are the conditions as to this advance:

Downing Street, 6th April, 1834.

OF PILOTAGE, HARBOUR DUES, ETC.

3dly. The amount of all such warehouse rent, in respect of any cask or package required to be delivered, must be paid before the same can be so delivered.

4thly. No allowance whatsoever will at any time be made, in L. s. d. respect of, nor will the government be answerable for, any loss by fire, leakage, robbery, or casualty of any kind.

the Heads at George Town, or the weather not permitting his going outside, if he be not ready to show the channel by keeping his boat in the fair way until the ship can be boarded, he shall forfeit 12 the pilotage inwards.

For every number of inches below 6, no charge is to be made; for 1-2 a foot and upwards, 1 foot is to be charged.

Colonial vessels are exempted from the payment of pilotage, unless the master shall make the signal for a pilot and accept his service. Harbour Dues at the Derwent.

For mooring and unmooring a vessel within the harbour, per register ton

For each removal of the ship within the harbour, per re. gister ton

L. s. d.

400 tons and under 500

001

500 tons and upwards

L. s. d.

0 15 0 100

1 10 0 200

2 10 0

Each vessel entering the harbour will be charged with 2 removes.
Vessels belonging to the port are not to pay harbour dues.
No vessels to be deemed colonial that are not registered in Van
Diemen's Land.

0 0 1 Colonial vessels under 80 tons per register, to be exempted from These details have been principally derived from An Account of Van Diemen's Land, published at Hobart Town in 1833; and partly from Lieut. Breton's book, and different Parliamentary Papers. (Population.-Including military, the total population of Van Diemen's Land amounted, in December, 1838, to 45,846, of whom 18,133 were convicts. The males are to the females in the proportion of about 3 to 1, and the free to the convict population nearly as 27 to 18. The total estimated value of the articles of colonial produce exported from the colony in 1838 was 581,475/.; the value of the imports during the same year being 702,9561.

Statement of the Value of the different Articles exported from Van Diemen's Land in 1835.

The progress of the colony during the last few years has been singularly rapid, particularly in the breeding of sheep, its staple branch of industry. In 1828, for example, the stock of sheep amounted to 553,698 head, whereas in 1838 it had increased to 1,214,485 head! The export of wool has increased in a like proportion, having advanced from 99,415 lbs. in 1820, to 993,979 lbs. in 1830, and to 2,609,520 lbs. in 1838! The revenue of the colony was 52,4837. in 1827, and 138,5917. in 1838. In the latter year there belonged to the colony 101 vessels, of the aggregate burden of 8,382 tons.-Sup.)

VANILLA, the fruit of the Epidendrum Vanilla, a species of vine extensively cultivated in Mexico. It has a trailing stem, not unlike the common ivy, but not so woody, which attaches itself to any tree that grows near it. The Indians propagate it by planting cuttings at the foot of trees selected for that purpose. It rises to the height of 18 or 20 feet; the flowers are of a greenish yellow colour, mixed with white; the fruit is about 8 or 10 inches long, of a yellow colour when gathered, but dark brown or black when imported into Europe; it is wrinkled on the outside, and full of a vast number of seeds like grains of sand, having, when properly prepared, a peculiar and delicious fragrance. It is principally used for mixing with and perfuming chocolate, and is, on that account, largely imported into Spain; but as chocolate, owing to oppressive duties, is little used in England, vanilla is not much known in this country.

Vanilla is principally gathered in the intendancy of Vera Cruz, in Mexico, at Misantla, Colipa, Vacuatla, and other places. It is collected by the Indians, who sell it to the whites (gente de razon), who prepare it for the market. They spread it to dry in sun for some hours, then wrap it in woollen cloths to sweat. Like pepper, it changes its colour in this operation--becoming almost black. It is finally dried by exposing it to the sun for a day. There are four varieties of vanilla, all differing in price and excellence; viz. the vanilla fina, the zacate, the rezacate, and the vasura. The best comes from the forests surrounding the village of Zentila, in the intendancy of Oaxaca. According to Humboldt, the mean exportation of vanilla from Vera Cruz may amount to from 900 to 1,000 millares, worth at Vera Cruz from 30,000 to 40,000 dollars.-Vanilla is also imported from Brazil, but it is very inferior. The finest Mexican vanilla is extremely high priced. All sorts are subjected in this country to a duty of 5s. per lb.—(See Humboldt, Nouvelle Espagne, 2d edit. tome iii. pp. 37. 46.; Poinsett's Notes on Mexico, p. 194. &c.)

VELLUM, a species of fine parchment.-(See PARCHMENT.)

(VENEZUELA.-An account of the trade of La Guayra, the principal port of this republic, in 1829, 1830, and 1831, is given under the article LA GUAYRA. The following details with respect to the foreign trade of the republic in 1833-34, are taken from the official statements contained in the Report of the Secretario de Hacienda, published at Caraccas in 1835.

Exports.-Account of the Quantities and Values of the principal Articles exported by Sea from Venezuela in 1833-34.

Imports. During the same year the total value of the imports was 3,296,411 dollars; of these the value of the cotton goods was 1,063,527 dollars; linens, 615,270 dollars; woollens, 75,437 dollars; silk, 96,912 dollars; flour, 140,770 dollars; pork, 123,477 dollars, &c.

Statement of the Import and Export Trade of Venezuela in 1833-34, exhibiting the Amount of the Trade with each Country.

The trade under the head of Denmark is entirely carried on with the island of St. Thomas. The total imports and exports from La Guayra in 1833-34 were 3,541,190 dollars, being more than half the trade of the republic. The imports and exports from Puerto Cabello during the same year were 1,445,724 dollars; the rest were from Maracaybo, Guiana, &c. The countries to which the shipping frequenting the ports of the republic belonged, is not specified; but, in all, there cleared out 242 foreign ships of the burden of 22,532 tons.-Sup.)

VENICE, a famous city of Austrian Italy, formerly the capital of the republic of that name, situated on a cluster of small islands towards the northern extremity of the Adriatic, in lat. 45° 25′ 53′′ N., lon. 12° 20′ 31′′ E. Population about 100,000. The commerce of Venice, once the most extensive of any European city, is now comparatively trifling; and the population is gradually diminishing both in numbers and wealth. Her imports consist of wheat, and other sorts of grain, from the adjoining provinces of Lombardy and the Black Sea; olive oil, principally from the Ionian Islands; cotton stuffs and hardware from England; sugar, coffee, and other colonial products from England, the United States, Brazil, &c.; dried fish, dye stuffs, &c. The exports principally consist of grain, raw and wrought silk, paper, woollen manufactures, fruits, cheese, &c., the products of the adjoining provinces of Italy, and of her own industry; but her manufactures, so famous in the middle ages, are now much decayed.

Port. The islands on which Venice is built lie within a line of long, low, narrow islands, running N. and S., and enclosing what is termed the lagoon, or shallows, that surround the city, and separate it from the main land. The principal entrance from the sea to the lagoon is at Malamocco, about 1 league S. from the city; but there are other, though less frequented, entrances, both to the S. and the N. of this one. There is a bar outside Malamocco, on which there are not more than 10 feet at high water at spring tides; but there is a channel between the western point of the bar and the village of San Pietro, which has 16 feet water at springs, and 14 at neaps. Merchant vessels usually moor off the ducal palace; but sometimes they come into the grand canal which intersects the city, and sometimes they moor in the wider channel of the Giudecca. Vessels coming from the south for the most part make Pirano or Rovigno on the coast of Istria, where they take on board pilots, who carry them to the bar opposite to Malamocco. But the employment of Istrian pilots is quite optional with the master, and is not, as is sometimes represented, a compulsory regulation. When one is taken, the usual fee from Pirano or Rovigno to the bar is 20 Austrian dollars, or about 41. On arriving at the bar, ships are conducted across it and into port by pilots, whose duty it is to meet them outside, or on the bar, and of whose services they must avail themselves.-(For the charges on account of pilotage, see post.)

Money-Formerly there were various methods of accounting here; but now accounts are kept, as at Genoa, in lire Italiane, divided into centesimi, or 100th parts. The lira is supposed to be of the same weight, fineness, and, consequently, value as the franc. But the coins actually in circulation, denominated lire, are respectively equal in sterling value to about 5d. and 4d. The latter are coined by the Austrian government.

Weights and Measures.-The commercial weights are here, as at Genoa, of two sorts; the peso sottile and the peso grosso. The French kilogramme, called the libbra Italiana, is also sometimes introduced.

The moggio, or measure for corn, is divided into 4 staje, 16 quarte, or 64 quartaroli. The staja = 2·27 Winch. bushels.

The measure for wine, anfora = 4 bigonzi, or 8 mastelli, or 48 sechii, or 192 bozze, or 768 quartuzzi. It contains 137 English wine gallons.

The botta 5 bigonzi. Oil is sold by weight or measure. The botta contains 2 migliaje, or 80 miri of 25 lbs. peso grosso. The miro 4.028 English wine gallons.

The braccio, or long measure, for woollens 26.6 English inches; the braccio for silks = 24'8 do. The foot of Venice 13.68 English inches.-(Nelkenbrecher, and Dr. Kelly.)

Historical Notice.-Venice was the earliest, and for a lengthened period the most considerable, commercial city of modern Europe. Her origin dates from the invasion of Italy by Attila in 452. A number of the inhabitants of Aquileia, and the neighbouring territory, flying from the ravages of the barbarians, found a pure but secure asylum in the cluster of small islands opposite to the mouth of the Brenta, near the head of the Adriatic Gulf. In