ULLOA S VOYAGE TO SOUTH AMERICA. ^^g 



confifts in feme bilariders from La Trinidad, the Havannah, and St. Domingo, bring- 

 ing leaf- tobacco, fnufF, and fugars ; and returning with Magdalena cacao, earthen- ware, 

 rice, and other goods wanted in thofe iflands : and even of thefe fmall veiTels, fcarcely 

 one is feen for two or three months. The fame may be faid of thofe which go from 

 Carthagena to Nicaragua, Vera Cruz, Honduras, and other parts : but the moll fre- 

 quent trips are made to Porto Bello, Chagra, or Santa Martha. The reafon why this 

 commerce is not carried on more brilkly is, that moft of thefe places are naturally pro- 

 vided with the fame kind of provifions, and confequently are under no neceflity of traf- 

 ficking with each other. 



Another branch of the commerce of Carthagena, during the tiempo muerto, is 

 carried on with the towns and villages of its jurifdidion, from whence are brought all 

 kinds of necelfaries, and even the luxuries of life, as maize, rice, cotton, live hoge, 

 tobacco, plantanes, birds, cafava, fugar, honey, and cacao, moft of which is brought in 

 canoes and champanas, a fort of boats proper for rivers. The former are a kind of 

 coafters, and the latter come from the rivers Magdalena, Sinu, and others. Their re- 

 turns confift of goods for apparel, with which the Ihops and warehoufes furnifh them- 

 felves from the galleons, or from prizes taken on the coaft by the King's frigates, or 

 privateers. 



No eatable pays any duty to the King ; and every perfon may, in his own houfe, 

 kill any number of pigs he thinks he fhall lell that day : no falted pork is eaten, be- 

 caufe it is foon corrupted by the excellive heat of the place. All imports from 

 Spain, as brandy, wine, oil, almonds, raifms, pay a duty, and are afterwards fold 

 without any farther charge, except what is paid by retailers, as a tax for their fhop or 

 ftall. 



Belides thefe goods, which keep alive this flender inland commerce, here is an office 

 for the affiento of Negroes, whither they are brought, and, as it were, kept as pledges, 

 till fuch perfons as want them on their eftates come to purchafe them, negroes 

 being generally employed in hufbandry and other laborious country works. This, 

 indeed, gives fome life to the trade of Carthagena, though it is no weighty article. The 

 produce of the royal revenues in this city not being fufficient to pay and fupport the 

 governor, garrifon, and a great number of other officers, the deficiency is remitted from 

 the treafurers of Santa Fe and Quito, under the name of Situado, together with fuch 

 monies as are requifite for keeping up the fortifications, furnifhing the artillery, and 

 other expences, neceffary for the defence of the place and its forts. 



BOOK II. 



Voyage, from Carthagena to Porto Bello* 



CHAP. I. — General Winds and Currents between Carthagena and Porto Bello, 



'\17HEN the French frigate had watered, and was ready for failing, we embarked on 



board her, on the 24th of November 1735 ; the next day we put to fea, and on 



the 29th of the fame month, at half an hour after five in the evening, came to an anchor 



n at 



