io6 A VOYAGE TO Book ÍÍ. 



failing firft to touch at Jamaica, fo that her loading 

 alone was more than half of all thofe brought by the 

 galleons; for, befides that her burden fo far exceeded 

 five hundred Spaniih tons, that it was even more than 

 nine hundred, fhe had no provifions, water, or other 

 things, which fill a great part of the iiold ; fhe indeed 

 took them in at Jamaica, from whence fhe was attended 

 by five or fix fmallcr veiTels, loaded with goods, which, 

 when arrived near Porto Bello, were put on board her, 

 and the provifions removed into the tenders ; by which 

 artifice the fingle fhip was made to carry more than 

 five or fix of the lar^eli g-alleons. 'I'his nation having: 

 a free trade, and felling cheaper than the Spaniards, 

 that indulgence was of infinite detriment to the com- 

 merce of Spain. 



In the dead time, all the trade fiirring here confifis 

 in provifions from Carthagena ; and cacao and quin- 

 quina, down the river Chagre : the former is carried iu 

 fioall veiTels to Vera Cruz, and the quinquina either 

 depofited in warehoufes, or put on board lliips, which, 

 with permilfion, come from Spain to Nicaragua and 

 Honduras; thefe fhips alio take in cacao. Somefmall 

 veflTels likewife come from the ifiands of Cuba, La 

 Trinidad, and St. Domingo, with cacao and rum. 



Whilst the aifiento of Negroes fubfifted either with 

 the French or Enghih, one of their principal factories 

 was fettled here; and was of confidcrable advantage to 

 its commerce, as being the channel by which not only 

 Panama wasfupplied with Negroes, but from whence 

 they 'were fent all over the kingdom of Peru : on 

 which account the agents of the aifiento were allowed 

 to bring with them fuch a quantity of provifions as 

 was thought necefiTary, both for their own ufe, and 

 their flaves of both fcxes. 



BOOK 



