220 A Voyage to 



Tolkich. The Viceroys and Prefidents generally hold theirs feveri 

 Years ; fome Corregidores and Governors have theirs for 

 five, and the greater Number but for three. It is eafy to 

 fee into the Defign of that Regulation, which is, doubtlefs, 

 to prevent their having Time to gain Creatures, r and form 

 Parties againft a King, who is fo remote from them, that 

 it requires Years to receive his Orders > but it muft alfo be 

 granted, that this Policy is attended with many inevitable 

 Inconveniences, which, in my Opinion, are the main 

 Caufe of the ill Government of die Colony, and of the 

 little Profit it affords the King of Spaing for the Officers 

 look upon the Time their Employments laft as a Jubilee, 

 which is to come but once in their Lives; at the End 

 whereof they will be laugh' d at, if they have not made 

 their Fortune : And as it is hard not to be. overcome by 

 the Temptation of privately conniving for Money at cer- 

 tain Abufes, which by long Ufe are become Cuftoms, the 

 honefteft Perfons follow the Steps of their PredecefTors^ 

 being polfefs'd of the Opinion, that howfoever they be- 

 have themfelves, they fliall not perhaps mifs of being 

 charged with Mai- Adminiftration ; the only Means to 

 clear themfelves of which, is to appeafe their Judges with 

 Prefents, giving them Part of what they have wrong' d the 

 King and the Subjects of. I bring this Reflexion from its 

 Original, and do not lay it down here as a Conje&ure* 

 Munera, crede mihi y ptacant hominefqm Deofque. Believe me,. 

 Gifts appeafe both Men and Gods. 

 Mfary. Hence it is that fo many Maltes of Silver are convey'd 

 from the Mines crofs long Countries, and are at laft con- 

 vey'd aboard the Ships trading along the Coaft, without • 

 paying the Fifth to the King, becaufe the Merchants pay the 

 Governor fo much per Cent, the Corregidor, or fupreme Ma* 

 giftrate, pays the Juez de Defoamino^ or Judge of Conceal- 

 ments or Confifcations,andhe perhaps the Viceroy's Officers. 



For this Reafon fcarce any one of them takes to Heart 

 the publick Good, being convinced, that he ihall foon be 

 put of Place 3 and out of Power to continue the good Or- 

 der 



