8o 



THE ISLAND OF 



fifts in hides, ufiially ftiled, of the Havana, which are excellent, and of 

 great value ; fugar, tobacco, admirable in its kind, ^c. Though Grangers 

 zxt prohibited to trade, yet a contraband commerce is carried on brifker here 

 than that at La Vera Cruz. It mufl be obferved, that the traffic of the ifland 

 of Cuba is not entirely confined to the Havana, but extends itfelf to other 

 ports, particularly Sant Jago de Cuba, where there are frequendy many little 

 vefTels from the Canaries, and other parts, which trade entirely for the com- 

 modities of the country. As to the general commerce, this port is the place 

 of rendezvous for all fliips, particularly from Puerto Velo, and Vera Cruz, 

 which return into Spain from the Indies. The Havana is regularly fupplied 

 with European goods, only by the regifter-fhips from Cadiz and the Caitaries. 

 The flota and galleons bring there no more than the refufe of their cargoes, 

 which they had not been able to difpofe of at Carthagena, Puerto Velo, or 

 Vera Cruz. While the fleet is in the bay, provifions are excefTively dear 

 on fhore, and money fo plenty, that a Spaniard expedls half a piece of eight 

 a day from a male flave, and a quarter from a female, out of what they can 

 earn by their labour. The fleet generally fails from thence through the chan- 

 nel of Bahama, in the month of September, and is the rlchefl: in the world, 

 fince in filver and merchandize, there is feldom lefs than 30,000,000 pieces 

 of eight on board, or 6,750,000 pounds of our money. 



The firfl: attempt that was made upon this city, after the Spaniards fettled 

 here, was in 1 536, by a French pirate, who took the place, which then con- 

 fided only of wooden houfes thatched, and made the Spaniards redeem it 

 from fire, by 700 ducats, as was faid before. It happened, that three fhips 

 arriving from New Spain the next day after he was failed with the ranfom, 

 unloaded their goods with all expedition, and purfued the pirate; but the com- 

 manders behaved fo cowardly, that he took all the three, one whereof was an 

 admiral's (hip; which fo emboldened the pirate, that he returned to^h^Havanay 

 .and made the inhabitants pay him 700 ducats more» After this the Spaniards 

 built their houfes of ftone, and a fort at the mouth of the harbour, but the city 

 being ftill open on the land-fide, fome Englijh cruizers in thofe feas landed not 

 far from the town, and having entered it before day-break, the Spaniards 

 fled into the woods, and left the place to be plundered. During the war 



between 



