Alexandria Daily Advertiser

Miranda's project to revolutionise the province of Caraccas, having excited a deep interest in the public mind, we have extracted from Morse's Gazetteer, and Doctor Robertson's history, the following brief sketch of that valuable country.

Caraccas, a province of Terra Firma, South America, lies on the southern coast of the Caribbean sea. This coast is bordered in its great length by a chain of mountains, running E. and W. and divided into many fruitful valleys, whose direction and opening are towards the north, it has maritime fortified towns, Porto-Bello and La Guira. The Dutch formerly carried thither to the Spaniards all sorts of European goods, especially linen, making vast returns of silver and cocoa. The cocoa tree grows here in abundance. There are from 500 to 2000 trees in a walk, or plantation. These nuts are passed for money and are used as such in the Bay of Campeachy.
(Amer. Gazetteer.)

In Robertson's history of South America we have the following article relating to Caraccas.

'Though the province of Venezuela, or Caraccas, extends four hundred miles along the coast, and is one of the most fertile in America, it was so much neglected by the Spaniards, that during the twenty years prior to the establishment of an exclusive company for the sale of its products, only five ships sailed from Spain to that province; and during sixteen years, from 1706 to 1722, not a single ship arrived from Caraccas in Spain. During this period Spain must have been supplied almost entirely with the large quantity of cocoa, which it consumes, by foreigners. Before the erection of the company, neither tobacco nor hides were imported from Caraccas into Spain. Since the commercial operations of the company began in the year 1731, the importation of cocoa into Spain has increased amazingly. During 30 years subsequent to 1701, the number of fanegas of cocoa (each a hundred and ten pounds) imported from Caraccas, was 643,215. During eighteen years subsequent to 1731, the number of fanegas imported was 869,247; and if we suppose the importation to be continued in the same proportion during the remainder of thirty years, it will amount to 1,448,746 fanegas, which is an increase of 805,531 fanegas. During eight years subsequent to 1756, there has been imported into Spain by the company, 88,482 arrobas (each twenty five pounds) of tobacco, and hides to the number of 177,354. Since the publication of the Noticia de Compania, in 1765, its trade seems to be on the increase. During five years subsequent to 1769, it has imported 175,156 fanegas of cocoa into Spain, 36,208 arrobas of tobacco, 75,496 hides, and 221,432 pesos in specie. The last article as a proof of the growing wealth of the colony. It receives cash from Mexico in return for the cocoa, with which it supplies that province, and this it remits to Spain, or lays out in purchasing European goods.---But, besides this, the most explicit evidence is produced, that the quantity of cocoa raised in the province is double to what it yielded in 1731.; the number of its live stock is more than treble and its inhabitants much augmented. The revenue of the Bishop, which arises wholly from tithes, has increased from eight to twenty thousand pesos.'