all Spaniards who engaged in it. It was an easy matter to bribe the not over-conscientious or over-vigilant officials, and thus to procure goods at cheap rates instead of paying tribute to the merchants of Seville. For twenty-eight years the South Sea Company and private adventurers carried on a contraband trade, almost to the exclusion of Spanish commerce, until, at the convention of Madrid in 1750, the former agreed to annul the asiento, receiving in return certain commercial privileges, and a money compensation of 500,000 pesos. During this period the commerce between the Spanish provinces and Europe was estimated at 286, 000,000 pesos, of which amount English smugglers and slavers absorbed no less than 224,000,000 pesos, and only 62,000,000 pesos, or less than 22 per cent of the entire sum, fell to the share of the Spanish galleons.[1]
During the last years of his administration the viceroy was constantly engaged in petty warfare with the contraband traders; but to no purpose. All that man could do he did. The troops were kept on the alert; the armada de Barlovento also rendered good service, in consideration of which they received their pay[2] at no very long intervals, and sometimes even with regularity, the latter a rare incident in those days. But on the thinly peopled coast of New Spain were many excellent and secluded anchorage grounds, and the population being for the most part in league
- ↑ Zamacois, Hist. Méj., v. 531.
- ↑ In his instructions to his successor the viceroy says that the armada de Barlovento had received assistance from himself and his predecessors, as the troops were in arrears of pay, but that if a trustworthy person were sent to examine the accounts of the different garrisons, it might be found that the king was a creditor rather than a debtor. The instructions relate to other matters, and are remarkable for their terseness and vigor of expression. Linares, Instruccion á su sucesor, in Vireyes de Mex. Instruc., MS., fol. i. 49, ii. 23. In June 1687 the seamen and troops belonging to the armada mutinied at Vera Cruz on account of not having received their pay, which was at the rate of about eleven pesos a month, and because they were not satisfied with this amount. On receiving a portion of their back pay and a full pardon they returned to their duty. Rivera, Gob. Mex., i. 262-,3. Robles, 476, states that a force of mulattoes was sent against them and that three of the mutineers were killed.
