which brings me to speak of the Trade between Mexico and Old-Spain. Thirty or forty large Ships carry on the Trade between Spain and their Dominions in America; and these are almost all of them their own Veffels, no Trade being fuffered to be carried on in foreign Bottoms, or any Foreigner to vifit their Coafts, unless the South-Sea Company in England, who furnish them with Slaves, and that under feveral Reftrictions: and his Catholick Majefty, on condition that the Company fhall not carry on any clandeftine Trade, grants them the Privilege of fending out a Ship annually to trade to the Indies. The Veffels ufed by the Spaniards in transporting Merchandize from Spain to America, are generally large, and of good Force, and called Galleons: They fail in Fleets annually from Cadiz, laden with Goods of many different Nations; but the English, French, Dutch, and Italians, are Proprietors of the greatest Part of their Cargoes, and the Spaniards are, in a great measure, their Factors; for, when the Galleons return from America, with the Treasure for which the Goods have been fold, it is, most of it, diftributed amongst the Merchants and Factors belonging to those four Nations. The Spaniards, employed in this Affair, are Men of fuch ftrict Honour, that thofe, in whofe Names thefe Effects are fent over, and the Returns made, scarce ever abufe the Confidence that is placed in them, or betray their Principals; for, by the Laws of Spain, no Stranger can, directly or indirectly, trade to the Spanish WestIndies, but he forfeits his Goods. However, it cannot be fuppofed but the Government of Spain is very well apprifed, that this Trade is, in a manner, carried on by Foreigners, and, for very good Reasons, connive at it: They know their own People are not able to freight thefe Fleets; and, if they were not enabled to do it by Foreigners, their American Dominions muft want all manner of Neceffaries almoft for Cloathing and Furniture. It must be confeffed, that it would be much more for the Advantage of the Kingdom of Spain, to encourage Manufactures at Home, and trade more with the Product of their own Country: but, fince they are not to be brought to this, the next best thing they can do is, to turn Factors and Carriers for their Neighbours; for, befides the Advantages of thefe Effects paffing through their Hands, the Revenues of the Spanish Crown must be vastly increased, by the Importation and Exportation of them. The greatest Part of the Galleons fail to Porto-Bello, and are called the Flota; the other Part, called the Flotilla, or little Fleet,

fail.

fail to Vera-Cruz in Mexico. The Flota fell their Merchan dize chiefly at the Fair of Porto-Bello, where they take on board Gold, and Silver, aud other rich Treafures of Peru and Chili, in Return for their Effects. The Flotilla fell their Cargoes at the Fair of Vera-Cruz; to which place is brought the Gold and Silver of Mexico, with the Gold-duft, Precious Stones, and other Treasures of China, and the Eaft-Indies; and with these the Flotilla is freighted on its Return to Europe. The Galleons, when they go from Spain, fail to the Southweft, and get into the Way of the Trade-wind as foon as they can, which carries them into 11 or 12 Degrees of North Latitude; then, bending their Course directly Weft, they leave the Caribbee Iflands on the Right, or Star-board quarter, and continue their Course to the. Weftward, till they arrive at Rio de la Hacha, where they come to an Anchor, and Expreffes are immediately fent to Carthagena, Panama, Porto Bello, Vera-Cruz, &c. to prepare the King's Treasure for the Galleons, to take on board at their Return: At which the greatest Part of the Fleet fails to Carthagena, and Porto-Bello, and the reft to Vera Cruz. All the Galleons usually join together, on their Return, at the Havanna, in the Island of Cuba; and failing from thence to Spain in Company, take a very different Courfe from that by which they came from Europe; for, in their Return, they fail North through the Gulph of Florida; and, continuing their Course to the North-eaft, till they come into the Latitude 36 or 40, where they meet with variable Winds, they then shape it as near to the Eaft as the Winds will permit them, till they come upon the Coaft of Spain; and are ufually fix or eight Weeks in their Paffage. Thefe Fleets have fometimes, 'tis faid, brought Home near the Value of 15,000,000l. Sterl. in Gold and Silver only; of which the King has a Fifth. There is also a Trade carried on between Mexico and Cuba; Hifpaniola and Porto-Rico, as likewife between Mexica and Terra-Firma, by the Barlavento Fleet, or Guarda Coftas, confifting of fix or feven Sail of Ships, of good Burdens and Force, that ferve both as Men of War, and Merchant-men; for they are ordered to vifit all the Spanish Sea-ports in the North-Sea every Year, as well to fupply one Place with what another produces, or can furnifh, as to prevent Foreigners trading in their Ports, and to clear the Seas of Pirates. This Fleet goes to Vera-Cruz in October, or November, and remains there till March; from thence they fail to the Havanna, where they dispose of the Merchandize they bring from Mexico;

after

after which they ftand to the Northward, through the Gulph of Florida, till they come into the Latitude of 30 or 40; when they ftretch away to the South-eaft, till they make the Ifland of Porto-Rico; and, having dispatched their Business there, they continue their Course to the Southward, till they arrive at Trinity-Ifland, near the Mouth of the River Oronoko: From thence the Guarda Coftas fail to Margarita, another confiderable Island near the Main, coafting along to Comana, and fo to Caracos; then they double Cape La Vela, and coaft along by Rio de la Hecha, St. Martha, and Carthagena; on which Coaft they frequently meet with English, French, and Dutch Trading Sloops, and make Prizes of them: And, having ftaid fome time at Carthagena, they proceed to Porto-Bello; whence, having vifited the Bay of Campeachy, they return at length to Vera-Cruz again. The Smuggling, or Clandeftine Trade, carried on by the English, French, and Dutch, is very beneficial to thofe Nations; for the Goods carried over in the Galleons, are bought up at extravagant Rates at the Fair of Porto-Bello, to be tranfported again by the South-Sea to Peru; which extravagant Prices for Clothing, and Furniture, tempt the English, &c. to fit out Sloops with what Neceffaries are wanting on the Coaft of Mexico, &c. in order to trade with the Spaniards on those Coasts, who are no lefs ready to receive the Goods of these Foreigners, than they are to fell them, giving Pieces of Eight for what they buy. But, as was obferved before, if the Barlavento Fleet, or Guarda Coftas, meet with fuch Trading Veffels, they never fail to make them all Prize; and even fometimes feize on Ships that have never been concerned in this clandeftine Trade, on Sufpicion; and, finding Pieces of Eight on board, have frequently procured them to be condemned; which has been the Caufe of the many Complaints our Merchants have made, and the Ground of the late War with the Crown of Spain. For it is highly neceffary, that our Trade and Navigation, in the West-Indies, be carried on without Interruption; and the fair Trader be brought under no fuch Hardships, as may difcourage him from carrying on a Trade to our Plantations; which is fo advantageous to the Crown of Great Britain, and its Subjects, as was observed in treating of the Trade of the British Dominions in America. The Logwood-Trade, carried on by the English, has occafioned many Difputes between Britain and Spain; this Business of cutting Loogwood in the Bay of Campeachy, the English have followed for a great many Years, in a Part of the Country deftitute of Spanish or Indian Inhabitants; and VOL. I. Y looked

looked upon it, that this long Poffeffion had given them a leaft as good a Right to that Part of the Country, as the Spaniards feem to have to any of the reft: And, in fome Treaties, we are told, the Spaniards feem to have yielded this Trade to the English. However, they have thought fit, of late Years, to fall upon our Logwood-cutters, killed many of them, and carried the reft into perpetual Imprisonment, not fuffering them to be exchanged or ranfomed. As to the Trade of Paraguay, the City of Buenos Ayres is a great Mart; for hither European Merchandize is brought, and fent from hence to Peru and Chili; and hither great Numbers of Negroes are brought by the English, by virtue of the Affiento Contract. From Buenos Ayres are exported to Europe Part of the Gold and Silver of Peru, with vaft Quantities of Hides, and Tallow, and other Merchandize.

RELIGION.] The Mexicans, before the Spaniards arrived among them, acknowledged, that the World was governed by feveral Gods; and therefore built Temples, and paid their Devotions, to them. But they had the greatest Veneration for the Sun; as is evident from their afcribing whatever was great and wonderful, to the Direction and Influence of that glorious Planet. They had, however, no Image of that heavenly Body in the Temple of Mexico; for they imagined it unneceffary to make any Refemblance of that Luminary, which appeared to them every Day; or rather they supposed he governed the World by the Mediation of inferior Deities, to whom they built Temples, and paid their Devotion, as Mediators for them to that mighty Being they did not think themfelves worthy to approach directly. As to the human Sacrifices, with which the Spaniards charge the Mexicans, making thefe a Colour for all the Outrages they committed in America; for ought I can learn, they neither facrificed Beafts, or Men, conftantly, but only in the Time of great Calamity; fuch as Famine, or ill Succefs in War, to appease their angry Gods, as the Phenicians and Carthaginians did. As to the Chriftian Religion, which the Spaniards have introduced into this New World, it appears, that many Thousands of the Indians have been baptized by the Popish Miffionaries, and have embraced the Gofpel. The Peruvians, when the Spaniards arrived amongst them, acknowledged one God, the Maker of all Things, who fuftained the Univerfe; that he was invifible, but offered him no Sacrifice: However, they fhewed the profound Reverence they had for him in their Heart, by bowing their Heads, lifting up their Eyes, and by other outward Geftures, whenever his facred Name was mentioned.

Of

Of the Portuguese Empire in America. BOUNDARIES.] RASIL is bounded on ie Eaft, North, 'B' and South, by the Atlantic Ocean; on the Weft, by the Land of the Amazons, and Paraguay. SITUATION] Brafil is fituated between the Equator and 45 Degrees South Latitude; and between 35 and 58 Degrees Weft Longitude. The Length whereof is 2220; and the Breadth 900 Miles: The Square Miles are 940,000.

CLIMATE.] As to the Face of the Country, the Land is rather low than high near the Coaft, but exceeding pleasant, diverfified with Woods, and Meadow-grounds, and Trees, for the most part, Ever-greens: But on the Weft Side of it, far within Land, are high Mountains, which feparate it from Paraguay; and, in these, are innumerable Springs and Lakes, from whence iffue abundance of Rivers, that How into the greater ones of Amazon and La Plata, or run Weft to East, and fall into the Atlantic Ocean. That Part of Brafil, which lies near the Equator, like other Countries in the fame Situation, is fubject to great Rains, and variable Winds, particularly in the Months of March and September, when they have Deluges of Rain, with Storms and Tornadoes, the Country overflowed, and the Air unhealthful. The Winds and Seasons, from five Degrees to about 23 and an half South, are the very reverfe to what they are in other Parts of the World in the fame Latitudes; for, whereas the dry Season comes on in other Places South of the Equinoctial, when the Sun goes to the Northward of the Equator, and the wet Season begins when the Sun returns to the Southward, here the wet Seafon begins in April, when the South-eaft Winds fet in with violent Tornadoes, Thunder and Lightning: And in September, when the Wind fhifts to Eaft-north-eaft, it brings with it a clear Sky, and fair Weather. There are but two Winds that blow upon this Coaft, viz. the South-east, from April to September, and the North-eaft from September to April again: But 30 or 40 Leagues out at Sea, they meet with the conftant Trade-wind, which blows in the Atlantic Ocean all the Year round from the Eastward, with very little Variation.

GOVERNMENT.] The Coaft of Brafil was first discovered by Americus Vefputius, an Italian. Several private Portuguese Adventurers, foon after, went over to Brafil with their Families; but were, most of them, deftroyed by the Natives;

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and