LITTLE 

 JOURNEYS 



America, not to mention the Philippines. These colo- 

 n i es covered a territory stretching over five thousand 

 miles from North to South. 



Twice a year Spain sent out trading ships, convoyed by 

 armed cruisers. Trade then was monopoly and extor- 

 tion. The goods sent out were as cheap and tawdry as 

 could be palmed off; and all that were brought back 

 were bartered for at the lowest possible prices. Cheat- 

 ing in count, weight and quality was considered per- 

 fectly proper, and as the Government officials at home 

 got a goodly grab into all transactions in way of per- 

 quisites all went swimmingly or fairly so. 

 For a Spainard to trade with any other nation was 

 treason and if caught, his property was confiscated 

 and probably his head forfeited. No foreigners were 

 allowed in the colonies, and exclusion was the rule. 

 To hold her dependencies Spain thought she must 

 keep them under close subjection; and she seemed 

 beautifully innocent of the fact that she was the de- 

 pendent, not they. She did not believe in Free Trade. 

 QThe Government was absolutely under military rule. 

 Of the botany, zoology, geology, not to mention the 

 topography of her American posessions, the officials of 

 Spain knew nothing save from the tales of sailors. 

 Such were Spanish conditions when Humboldt got 

 himself smuggled on board the " Pizarro ' and sailed 

 away June, 4th, 1799. 



With Humboldt was one companion, Bonpland, a 

 Swiss by birth, and a rare soul. Humboldt was a nat- 

 uralist and a philosopher and by nature he was a trav- 

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