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After all the wonderful tales which have been published

concerning the splendid state of those countries in ancient

times, whoever reads, with any degree of sober judgment, the

history of their first discovery and conquest, will evidently

discern that, in arts, agriculture, and commerce, their

inhabitants were much more ignorant than the Tartars of the

Ukraine are at present. Even the Peruvians, the more civilized

nation of the two, though they made use of gold and silver as

ornaments, had no coined money of any kind. Their whole commerce

was carried on by barter, and there was accordingly scarce any

division of labour among them. Those who cultivated the ground,

were obliged to build their own houses, to make their own

household furniture, their own clothes, shoes, and instruments of

agriculture. The few artificers among them are said to have been

all maintained by the sovereign, the nobles, and the priests, and

were probably their servants or slaves.