INTRODUCTION. xv 



nate orders on this head, requiring them to be carried into rigo- 

 rous execution. 



The GuARDA Costa, or guard fliips, took their rife from 

 thefe inftru6tions ; and becaufe they have made much noife in 

 the world, it may not be improper to fpeak more particularly of 

 them. It mufl: be allowed that the EngUJh^ French and Dutch had 

 Tun fuch lengths as to give real occafion for the equipping an arma- 

 ment ftrong enough to oppofe the violent meafures of all of them. 

 The Dutch vefTels mounted from 20 to 36 guns, and defied all 

 the governor of Carthagena could do , but as foon as the guard 

 fhips began to a61, they put a flop to thefe illicit proceedings, 

 and took and deflroyed more than to the value of 100,000 pounds, 

 hanging at the fame time fixteen Spanijh merchants, whom they 

 found trading on board thefe fhips, without ceremony. The be- 

 witching defire of gain carried the Spanijh captains by degrees 

 beyond all bounds of juflice ; and under colour of feizing con- 

 traband goods, they Itopt and made captures of every Englijfj velfel 

 they could, at firft under flight pretences, and at laft without any 

 pretence at all : the governors Hiaring in the profit of the prizes 

 made in this manner, were induced to fend falfe relations to the 

 court of Madrid^ and thereby raifed that fpirit of cbPcinacy, which 

 drew upon them the late war and its bad confequences. After 

 having given a detail of the manner in which the Spaniards 

 carry on their trade, the reader may polTibiy exped; to be 

 formed as to the value of the money and eliedls annually tranf- 



p or red 



