i66 A. D. 1788. 



Spain held an exclufive privilege. The whole was under the diredlion 

 of an agent-general eflablifhed in the Havanna, who fent Spanifh veflels 

 in fearch of flaves to the foreign iflands, ^nd particularly to Jamaica, 

 whence at leafl: three fourths of the Negroes were fupplied. The num- 

 ber annually imported into the Havanna was from 2,500 to 3,000 ; and 

 about half that number were fent to Carthagena and Porto Bello, whence 

 fome of them were marched over land to Panama, where they were re- 

 Ihipped for Peru, &c. The company had the privilege of importing three 

 barrels of flour for every Negro ; and both flour and Negroes were ex- 

 empted from duty. In the year 1779, when the afllento expired, a gen- 

 eral licence was granted to all Spanifli fubjefts to carry flaves to the 

 Havanna, either in Spanifli or neutral veflt;ls, paying a duty from 26 

 to 40 dollars per head according to the fize, and 9^ per cent on the 

 money carried away. On the termination of the war the trade was re- 

 flrided to Spanifli veflels, and the duties lowered to 9 dollars per head, 

 .nnd 6 per cent on the money carried away. In the year i784Meflieurs 

 Baker and Dawfon of Liverpool contraded with the government of 

 Spain to fupply Trinidad and the province of Caracas, with 4,000 flaves, 

 to be picked from different cargoes, at 150 dollars per head clear of 

 every duty. In 1786 they made another contrad: to fupply Caracas and 

 the Havanna with flaves, not lefs than 5,000 nor more than 6,000, on 

 the fame terms. Of the proceeds a fmall part was brought home in 

 hides and other rav/ materials, and the refl; in fpecie to the amount of 

 near half a million of dollars annually. At one time a minifterial order 

 was fent out to receive no female flaves ; but the merchants obtained an 

 alteration of this order, and then two thirds males, and one third fe- 

 males, were accepted *. In February 1788 a third contrad was nego- 

 tiated for not fewer than 3,000, but as many more as they could deliver, 

 two thirds to be males, and one third females, at the prices of 200 

 dollars for men, 190 for women, 175 for boys, and 145 for girls. 

 This contrad, when ready for the king's fignature,,was put back, on the 

 propofal for abolifhing the flave trade in this country being heard of in 

 Spain. And fome Spanifli merchants at Cadiz endeavoured to entice 



* "the order of the Spanifh government for the turies, diftinguinicd themfelves b)' a difrcgard (to 



exdufion, or difproportioned number, of women call it by the mlldell name) of the lives of their 



fhows, that thcv pvcFer the extirpation of their fellow creatures of a different race from themfelves. 



flavei and replacing them by new importations, to Witnefs the extermination of the original inhiibit- 



the natural increafe by propagation ; that they ants of the Wefl-Indics. Witnefs the expulfion 



prefer the e:>toited labour of indignant captive of the Moors from Spain. And thence it follows, 



exiles to the comparatively-willing fervices of flaves that, with the polfeffion of territories ai'd advant- 



born and bred up under their protection, whom ages, which would have placed an indultrious and 



they may have a thoufand opportunities of attach- intelligent people in the very fii-fl rank among the 



ing to themfelves and to their country ; and that, nations of Europe, they luive fin k into the char- 



with great profefilons of religion, they fet them- aclei of drivers of the flaves dellined to dig the 



lelves in direft oppofition to the firft command of pretious metals for the ufe of the manufafturjng 



the bountiful Creator, to Increafe and multiply, and trading nations. 

 But the Spaaiards have, for at Icafl three ecu- 



