Ch. VI. SOUTH AMERICA. 105 



the fair comes under deliberation. And for this pur- 

 pofe the deputies of the feveral parties repair on board 

 the commodore of the galleons, where, in prefence of 

 the commodore, and the preñdent of Panama ; the 

 former, as patron of the Europeans, and the latter, of 

 the Peruvians ; the prices of the leveral kinds of mer- 

 chandifes are I'ettled ; and all preliminaries being ad- 

 juÜed in three or four meetings, the contracts are 

 ligncdj.and made public, that every one may conform, 

 bimfelf to them in the laic of his eíFeéis. Thus all 

 fraud is precluded. The purchafes and falcs, as likewife 

 the exchanges of money, are tranfa<Sled by brokers, 

 both from Spain and Peru. After this, every one be- 

 gins to difpofe of his goods ; the Spanifh brokers era- 

 bark mg their cheils of money, and thofe of Peru fend- 

 ing away the goods they have purchaled, in vefTels 

 called chatas and bongos, up the river Chagrc. And 

 thus the (íúr of Porto Bello ends. 



Formerly this fair was limited to no particular 

 time ; but as a long- itay, in fuch a fickly place, ex- 

 tremely afFt<5tcd the health of the traders, his catholic 

 majefly tranl'mitted an order, tliat the fair Hiould not 

 laÜ above foity days, reckoning from that in which 

 the fhips came to an anchor in the harbour ; and that, 

 if in this fpace of time the merchants could not agree 

 rn their rates, thofe of Spain fhould be allov/cd to carry 

 their goods up the country to Peru ; and accordingly 

 the commodore of the galleons has orders to re- 

 embark them, and return to Carthagena ; but other- 

 wife, by virtue of a compacl between the mercliants 

 of both kingdoms, and ratified by the king,noSpanifh 

 trader is to fend his goods, on his own account, be- 

 yond Porto Bello : and, on the contrary, thole of Peru 

 cannot fend remittances to Spain, for purchafing goods 

 there. 



Whilst the Engliih were permitted to fend an an- 

 nual ihip, called Navio de PerraiíTo, íhe ufed to bring 

 ío the fair a large cargo on her own account, never 



failing 



