ing treasure was now despatched without the escort of several men of war. At Vera Cruz a vast amount of gold and silver was stored, awaiting convoy, and on the arrival of a French squadron under the count de Chateau Renaud, was placed on board the fleet. Eluding an English squadron that lay in wait in Tortuguilla Sound, the flota arrived in safety off Cádiz; but flnding that harbor closely blockaded by the enemy, sailed for the port of Vigo. There they were attacked by a powerful squadron; several vessels were captured; the remainder were sunk, and treasure amounting to at least seventeen million pesos lies buried to this day on that portion of the coast of Galicia, all efforts to recover it having as yet proved unsuccessful.[1]
At the close of 1701 Montañez received orders to garrison Vera Cruz with a force of six thousand men; for during that year it became evident that war could not be averted, and the Spanish provinces in America offered no more tempting prize to a hostile armament. The viceroy lost no time in placing this and other ports in New Spain in a thorough state of defense. On the 4th of February 1702 he issued a proclamation warning his subjects of the impending danger, and inviting all single men to proceed to Vera Cruz in the service of his Majesty, promising them liberal pay and kind treatment. He also caused the arrest of all idlers, thus inducing many to enlist as volunteers. It is related that on one occasion, after visiting the jail, he repaired to the criminal court, and finding there a number of men listening to the pleadings of the lawyers, marched them off to prison, declaring that persons who had nothing better to do were not earning an honest livelihood, and must be treated as vagrants.
But New Spain had within her own borders ene-
- ↑ Alaman, Disert., iii. app. 46-7; confirmed by Rivera, Hist. Jalapa, i. 106. Zamacois states that the amount shipped on board the treasure fleet was 38,500,000 pesos, of which sum the Spaniards landed 12,000,000 at Vigo, leaving 26,500,000 pesos unaccounted for. Hist. Méj., v. 513-14.
