SPANISH SEAMEN IN THE NEW WORLD 651 



as private investment, in order to encourage Spanish seamen to 

 enter the Acapulco trade. 98 In 1724 hardly one third of the 

 men aboard the galleon were of Spanish birth." Yet notwith- 

 standing the scarcity of Spanish mariners, foreign sailors were 

 barred from the South Sea by royal decree in 1572. 100 



The sailors of the galleons were a rough class of men, discon- 

 tented, 101 living hard, hazardous lives, and dying in poverty and 

 discomfort. 102 They were variously described by men of the 

 time as "the poor sailors in the continual dangers of their fearful 

 duty"; 103 as "a class of men who lack pity, and have too much 

 greed"; 104 and as "an ungodly people, guilty of sins of the flesh 

 as well as other offenses, who know naught except to commit 

 offenses against those with whom they deal". 105 Doubtless the 

 descriptions fitted the subject. Los Rios submitted as one of 

 his recommendations to the king 



. . . That slave women be not conveyed in the ships, by which 

 many acts offensive to God will be avoided. Although that is pro- 

 hibited by your royal decree, and it is also entrusted to the arch- 

 bishop to place upon them the penalty of excommunication and to 

 punish them, this evil has not been checked; and many sailors and 



98 Dr. Santiago de Vera, Carta del Presidente de la Audiencia de Filipinas> 

 Manila, July 13, 1589. Translation in Blair and Robertson, VII. 83-94. See 

 pp. 87, 88. See also Alvarez de Abreu, op. cit., Blair and Robertson, XLIV. 307. 



99 Alvarez de Abreu, loc. cit. 



100 Stevens, p. 253. 



101 Licientiate Andre's de Alcarez [Letter to Felipe III.], Manila, August 10, 

 1617. Translation in Blair and Robertson, XVIII. 31-56. See p. 36. 



10S Licientiate Caspar de Ayala, Carta del . . fiscal de la Audiencia de 

 Filipinas, Manila. July 15, 1589. Translation in Blair and Robertson, VII. 

 112-136. See p. 125. 



103 Andres de San Nicolas, Recollect, Historia general de los religiosos descalzos 

 del Orden de los Ermitanos del gran Padre y Doctor de la Iglesia San Avgvstin, de la 

 congregacion de Espana, y de las Indias (Madrid, 1664) . Translation of the parts 

 relating to the Philippines in Blair and Robertson, XXI. 111-185. See p. 183. 



104 Casimiro Diaz, O.S.A., Conquistasdelaslslas Filipinas . . . (Vallado- 

 lid, 1890). Translations and synopses of excerpts in Blair and Robertson, XXV. 

 151-200; XXIX. 259-276; XXXVII. 149-284; XLI. 294-296; XLII. 117-312; XLV. 

 170-173. See XXXVII. 212. 



105 Miguel de Benavides, O.P., Carta del obispo de Nueva Segovia que trata del 

 estado de Manila, Tulac, May 17, 1599. Translation in Blair and Robertson, X. 

 190-197. See p. 194. 



