"The general productions of the missions are, the breed of the larger
class of cattle, and sheep, horses, wheat, maize or Indian corn, beans,
peas, and other vegetables; though the productions of the missions
situated more to the southward are more extensive, these producing the
grape and olive in abundance. Of all these articles of production, the
most lucrative is the large cattle, their hides and tallow affording an
active commerce with foreign vessels on this coast. This being the only
means the inhabitants, missionaries, or private individuals have of
supplying their actual necessities, for this reason they give this
branch all the impulse they possibly can, and on it generally place all
their attention.
"It is now six years since they began to gather in hides and tallow for
commerce. Formerly they merely took care of as many or as much as they
required for their own private use, and the rest was thrown away as
useless; but at this time the actual number of hides sold annually on
board of foreign vessels amounts to thirty or forty thousand, and about
the same amount of arrobas (twenty-five pounds) of tallow; and, in
pursuing their present method, there is no doubt but in three or four
years the amount of the exportation of each of these articles will be
doubled.
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