642 THE HISPANIC AMERICAN HISTORICAL REVIEW 



THE SEAMEN OF THE INDIA TRADE ROUTE 



Trade between Spain and America (called India in those days) 

 during the colonial period was for the most part conducted by 

 great merchant fleets, or flotas, convoyed by one or more vessels 

 of the royal armada. This precaution was necessitated by the 

 raiding of Spanish commerce by foreign buccaneers, for these 

 ships carried the coveted treasures of New Spain, and of the 

 Orient, brought to New Spain in the Manila galleons. For a 

 short time in the middle of the sixteenth century, when danger 

 seemed least, all restrictions upon sailings were removed, but in 

 1555 the flotas were restored. There were two main fleets, the 

 one with ships for the Gulf of Mexico, the other bound for the 

 ports on the north coast of South America. Vera Cruz and 

 Porto Bello were the destination ports which served the Mexican 

 and Peruvian trade. 



Commerce with America was a monopoly in the hands of the 

 merchants of Seville, Spain, organized into the Universidad de los 

 Mareantes. This organization resembled the English gild mer- 

 chants, in that boats wains, mates, and mariners, as well as owners, 

 masters, and pilots, were included in the membership. The mari- 

 ners, however, were not allowed to hold office, nor to vote, but 

 received certain privileges, of which more will be said later. 



There was much variation in the composition of the flotas 

 and the size of the ships. Five hundred and fifty tons were 

 decreed as the maximum allowed on the India route, but the 

 difficulty of crossing the bar at San Lucar, in Spain, kept the 

 usual size down to more nearly 100 or 200 tons. 



The manning scale of vessels in the India trade fixed by the 

 Ordinance of July 14, 1522, required that every vessel of 100 

 tons burden must carry at least fifteen mariners (or able seamen), 

 8 grummets (ordinary or apprentice seamen), and three ship's 

 boys. 53 In 4552 the scale was raised somewhat, and declared to 

 be as follows: 54 . 



M Clarence Henry Haring, Trade and Navigation between Spain and the Indies 

 in the time of the Hapsburgs (Cambridge, 1918), p. 272. Hereafter cited as Haring. 



14 Manuscript collection of Martin Fernandez de Navarrete, 4 voJs. (Hydro- 

 graphic Office, Madrid, 1601-15). XXI. No. 30, cited, Haring, p. 274. 



