658 THE HISPANIC AMERICAN HISTORICAL REVIEW 



Providence reliev'd us for a month with sharks and Cachorretas the 

 seamen caught, which, either boil'd or broil'd were some comfort. Yet 

 he is to be pity'd who has another at his table; for the tediousness of 

 the voyage is the cause of all these hardships. 'Tis certain, they that 

 take this upon them, lay out thousands of pieces of eight in making 

 the necessary provision of flesh, fowl, fish, bisket, rice, sweetmeats, 

 chocolate, and other things; and the quantity is so great, that during 

 the whole voyage, they never fail of sweetmeats at table, and chocolate 

 twice a day, of which last the sailors and grummets make as great a 

 consumption, as the richest. 135 



On solemn feast days an extra allowance of rations was served out. 

 An interesting custom, related by Gamelli Careri, of the Sailor's 

 Court of Signs (held aboard the galleon when the first signs of 

 approach of land appeared), depicts a happier side to the life of 

 the sailors. 



. . . A canopy being set up for the sailors court of Senas, or signs, 

 after dinner the two Oydores or judges and the president took their 

 seats, being clad after a ridiculous manner. They began with the 

 captain of the galeon, chief pilot, . . . and other officers of the 

 ship; and after them proceeded to the trial of the passengers. The 

 clerk read every man's indictment, and then the judges pass'd sentence 

 of death, which was immediately bought off with money, chocolate, 

 sugar, biscuit, flesh, sweetmeats, wine and the like. 136 



These payments seem to have satisfied a turbulent and not too 

 well fed crew, who, were they not appeased, were ready to inflict 

 the kind of punishments with which they were most familiar. 



. . . The best of it was, that he who did not pay immediately, or 

 give good security, was laid on with a rope's end at the least sign given 

 by the president-tarpaulin. I was told a passenger was once kill'd 

 aboard a galeon, by keelhauling him; for no words or authority can check 

 or persuade a whole ship's crew. . . The sport lasted till night, 

 and then all the fines were divided among the sailors and grummets, 

 according to custom. 137 



135 Gemelli Careri, op. oil., in Churchill, IV. 464, 

 136 /6id., p. 467. 

 137 Ibid. 



