The Spanish register ship Licorne and her voyage to Lima according to the Dutch newspaper Middelburgsche Courant 28 July 1785

Aranjueze, 30 June. According to letters received from Cadiz departed 19 May 1784 the register ship Licorne towards Lima bud didn’t succeed in passing Cape Horn and was forced to seek a safe shelter and arrived not earlier as 26 January after a voyage of 8 months and 7 days at Moldonado/Montevideo. Underway were quite of troubles caused by floes resulting after one collision in loosing the foremast and heavily damaging the rigging. More as hundred sailors died due to the fatigue and eating spoiled food.

Spanish register ships la Concordia and el St. Christobal safely arrived at Cadiz according to the Dutch newspaper Middelburgsche Courant dated 31 July 1766

Madrid, 1 July. The marquis de Real Tefore, president of the West Indies merchant trade at Cadiz informed the king that two register ships la Concordia and el St. Christobal arrived safely. The first departed 29 January from Callao de Lima with a cargo valued 822,785, ecus fort in gold and silver on behalf of the crown and 2.123,859 ecus fort for private account and 41.622 arob. cacao, 2,792 quintalen copper and 816 arob. shells and some fruits. The latter departed Havana 1 May 1765 had a cargo of 19,800 ecus forts, 25,575 arob. sugar and 1,500 quintalen Campeche wood.

The Spanish galleons as described in 1760-1761 according to reverend Edward Clarke

Thanks to the fact that nowadays more and more books are digitized we are able to read books that are some times for decades no longer available for the public for several reasons. That’s quite a pity while these books contains useful information while the archives are destroyed, incomplete or nor accessible.

P. 257: “The Spanish trade to South America is carried on by annual ships, usually divided into three classes, the Flota, the Register Ships, and Galleons; of which the following is the most accurate account I could meet with.

P. 258: These are another fleet, which carry on all the trade of Terra Firma, by Carthagena, and of Peru, by Panama and Portobello, in the same manner as the Flota serves for the trade of New Spain. When the Flota arrives at the Havanah, and joins the Galleons and Register ships, which assemble at the fame port from all quarters, some of the cleanest and best sailing vessels are dispatched to Old Spain with advice of the contents of these several fleets, as well as with treasure and goods of their own, that the court may judge what indulto, or duty, is proper to be laid on them, and what convoy is necessary for their safety. The fleet which is called the Galleons, consists of eight men of war of 500 tons each, designed principally to supply Peru with military stores; but in reality laden, not only with those, but with every other kind of merchandize on a private account, so as to be in too weak a condition either to defend themselves,

P. 259: or protect others. Under the convoy of these are twelve fail of merchant ships, not inferior to the Galleons in burthen. This fleet of the Galleons is regulated in much the fame manner with the Flota, and is destined for the exclusive commerce of Terra Firma, and the South-Sea, as the Flota is for that of Mexico. As soon as this Galleon fleet arrives at Carthagena, expresses are dispatched to Portobello, and to all the adjacent towns, but particularly to Panama, that they may get ready all the treasure which is deposited there, to meet the Galleons at Portobello; at which place all the persons concerned in the various branches of this extensive trade, assemble. There is no part of the world where business of such great importance is negotiated in so short a time; for in a fortnight the fair is over. During the fair, heaps of wedges and ingots of silver are thrown about upon the wharfs, as things of no value. The display of gold, silver, and precious stones on one hand, and of the various and rare workmanship of the several ingenious fabrics of Europe on the other, are truly astonishing.”

Source
Rev. Edward Clarke. Letters concerning the Spanish nation: written at Madrid during the years 1760 and 1761. London, 1763.

The Spanish register ships towards the New World towards the New World as described by John Cambell in 1747

Thanks to the fact that nowadays more and more books are digitized we are able to read books that are some times for decades no longer available for the public for several reasons. That’s quite a pity while these books contains useful information while the archives are destroyed, incomplete or nor accessible. Campbell described in his book the trade shipping between Spain and the New World.(1)

P.280: “The method in which this trade is carried on is well enough known in general, but few enter far enough into its particulars. In order to give as distinct an account of this matter as possible, we shall speak of the Galleons, the Flota, the Flotilla, Register-Ships, and Guarda Costas; and when we have done this, the reader will perfectly comprehend the mystery of the Spanish policy in this point.”

P. 284: “A register-ship is so called, from its being registered with all the Effects embarked in Spain, in the books kept for that purpose in the Chamber of Seville. As this general account will not probably appear satisfactory, I shall endeavour to state the matter more fully. A company of mer-

P. 285: chants having, as they conceive, just grounds to imagine that European Goods are greatly wanted at some particular ports in the West Indies, they draw up a memorial or petition, containing these reasons in the clearest and concisest terms, and lay it before the Council of the Indies. The prayer of this petition is, That they may have leave to send a ship of three hundred tons burthen, or under, to the port they mention. When leave is obtained, they pay a certain sum to the crown, which is generally between thirty and fifty thousand pieces of eight, besides presents, and those no small ones, to the King’s officers, from the greatest to the least. That this however may not induce any suspicion of fraud, they register their ship and cargo, that it may appear consistent with their petition and licence, and yet (such a fatality there attends on all custom-house cautions) this ship of under three hundred Tons generally carries upwards of six hundred ton of goods, and affords accommodation for passengers besides. Copies from the register are transmitted to the Governor and Royal officers at the port, to which the register-ship is bound; and such is their diligence, such their integrity, that when the ship comes to an anchor in the port, they make a very narrow enquiry, and yet there is seldom or never any fraud discovered, but, on the contrary, this ship of six or seven hundred

P. 286: ton returns into Europe with an authentick certificate from all the King of Spain’s officers, that she does not carry quite three hundred, together with a Bill of Lading in the same strain of computation. By these register-ships there is sometimes a gain of two, or three hundred cent- which enables the owners to pay so bountifully for cheating the King, having first got the money by robbing his subjects. These register-ships go to Buenos Ayres, St. Martha, Porto Cavallo, and other places, to which neither the Galleons nor Flota come; yet, generally speaking, they return with those fleets, as they sometimes go out with them, and so leave them in a certain Latitude. The Spanish Grandees often interest themselves in procuring such licences; and some people do not stick to say that they find their account in it.”

Source
John Campbell. The Spanish empire in America: Containing, a succinct relation of the discovery and settlement of its several colonies etc. London, 1747.

Note
1. Just like Rev. Edward Clarke did in 1760 and 1761.

Register ships as described by William Douglass in 1760

Thanks to the fact that nowadays more and more books are digitized we are able to read books that are some times for decades no longer available for the public for several reasons. That’s quite a pity while these books contains useful information while the archives are destroyed, incomplete or nor accessible.

p. 74: “The register ships are all upon the fame footing; we shall only instance from the Canaries, they are allowed four or five register ships of about 150 tons each, viz. two to Havana, one to Caraccas, one to Campeche, one to St. Jago de Cuba, to carry no dry goods, only wines and brandies; may bring home silver, and coarse goods, viz. sugar, hides, snuff, &V. but no cochineal, indigo, &c. are generally twelve months upon the voyage.”



Source
William Douglass. A summary, historical and political, of the first planting, progressive improvements and present state of the British settlements in North-America. London, 1760.

Spanish fleet underway from Cadiz towards Carthagena in June 1730 according to the Dutch magazine Europische Mercurius

This Dutch magazine published all kind of information (for instance political and economical) dealing with was going within Europe. So it becomes possible to get an impression of what was common known within a country of what was going on in their own country and other European countries in their own time. In August 1730 was a list published of the fleet which left the Bay of Cadiz towards Carthagena [Colombia?] on 26 June commanded by rear admiral Don Manoël Lopes Pintado. The following ships were part of that fleet, their original name and that’s of their captains and maestres got a Dutch spelling, but is mostly still recognizable. 

Ships belonging to the crown

Capitana, St. Luis, maestra Gabriël Cordoves Pintado of 1.045 tons, armed with 64 guns and a crew of 504 men.

Almirante, St. Fernando, maestre Joseph de Landa of 1,045 tons, armed with 64 guns and a crew of 509 men.

Warships

St. Carlos, captain Fernando Alvarez la Baz, maestre Joseph Ortis de Escobar of 1,200 tons, armed with 66 guns and a crew of 501 men.

St. Francisco de Assis, captain Joseph Pizanno, meastre Josep Vaz y Llarena armed with 60 guns.

N.S. de Aranzazu, captain Mattheo de la Puente, maestre Franco Antonio Alvarez of 366 tons, armed with 30 guns and a crew of 125 men.

N.S. de la Esperanza, captain?, maestre Antonio de Soza, armed with 12 guns and a crew of 87 men. 

Merchant ships

St. Rafaël y Santo Domingo de Calzada, captain Joseph Fernando Romero, maestre Juan del Rio Herrero of 431 tons, armed with 28 guns and a crew of 80 men.

N.S. del Carmen, St. Guil.o y las Animas, captain and maestre Martin Ruiz Colorado of 324 tons, armed with 28 guns and a crew of 80 men.

El Espiritu Santo y N,S. de. Rosario, captain Joseph Armaolea, maestre Manoël de Egusquisa of 356 tons, armed with 28 guns and a crew of 80 men.

N.S. del Rosario y Santa Isabel, captain and maestre Pedro de Santestevan of 253 tons, armed with 25 guns and a crew of 72 men.

N.S. de los Dolores alias el Rayo, captain and maestre Joseph de la Justa of 373 tons, armed with 26 guns and 78 men.

Jesus Nasareno alias la Paz, captain and maestre Bernabé de St. Gines of 273 tons, armed with 26 guns and 78 men

N.S. del Rosario, St. Franco Xavier y St. Antonio de Padua, captain and maestre Luis Lorazo of 205 tons, armed with 26 guns and a crew of 78 men.

St. Francisco Xavier, St. Miguel y las animas, captain Antonio de Rade, maestre Estevan de Yturria of 227 tons, armed with 22 guns and a crew of 66 men.

N. del Rozario y St. Gaëtano, captain?, maestre Andres de Luzuriaga of 272 tons, armed with 34 guns and crew of 64 men.

La Santissima Trinidad, N.S. del Rozario y St. Joseph, captain?, maestre Miguel Lorenzo de Aguerra of 190 tons, armed with 14  guns and a crew of 46 men.

N.S. del Rozario y St. Christoval, captain Gregorio de Requena, maestre Nicolas de Francia of 232 tons, armed with 18 guns and 52 men.

N.S. de Regla, St. Francisco Xavier y las Animas, captain?, maestre Francesco Joseph Sobrados of 105 tons, armed with 14 guns and a crew of 45 men.

N.S. de la Concepcion y St. Antonio Abad, captain Pedro Golarte, maestre Adrian de Acosta of 309 tons, armed with 26 guns and 78 men.

St. Antonio de Padua alias el Hercules, captain?, maestre Pedro Sacy Sagardia of 174 tons, armed with 16 guns and a crew of 49 men.

N.S. de Loretto y St. Francisco Xavier, captain Augustin Fernandez de Lara, maestre Juan del Asison of 212 tons, armed with 18 guns and a crew of 51 men.

Source

Europische Mercurius, XLI part, vol. 2, July-December 1730. chapter August, Amsterdam, 1731.

Spanish register ships as described in 1760-1761 according to reverend Edward Clarke

Thanks to the fact that nowadays more and more books are digitized we are able to read books that are some times for decades no longer available for the public for several reasons. That’s quite a pity while these books contains useful information while the archives are destroyed, incomplete or nor accessible.

P. 257: “The Spanish trade to South America is carried on by annual ships, usually divided into three classes, the Flota, the Register Ships, and Galleons; of which the following is the most accurate account I could meet with.

P. 258: “Register ships are sent out by merchants at Cadiz or Seville, when they judge that goods must be wanted at any certain port in the West-Indies. The course is, to petition the council of the Indies for licence to fend a ship of 300 tuns burthen, or under, to that port: they pay for this license 40,000, or 50,000 dollars, besides presents to the officers, in proportion to the connivance necessary to their design. For tho’ the license runs only to 300 tons at most, the vessel fitted out is seldom less than 600. This ship and cargo are registered at the pretended burthen. It is required too, that a certificate be brought from the King's officer at the port to which the register ship is bound, that she does not exceed the size at which she is registered; all this passes of course. These are what they call Register ship, and by these the trade of Spanish America has been carried on principally for some years past: which practice has been thought as much to the prejudice of their trade, as it is contrary to all their former maxims for carrying it on.”

Source

Rev. Edward Clarke. Letters concerning the Spanish nation: written at Madrid during the years 1760 and 1761. London, 1763.

The Spanish Flota described in 1760-1761 according to reverend Edward Clarke

Tanks to the fact that nowadays more and more books are digitized we are able to read books that are some times for decades no longer available for the public for several reasons. That’s quite a pity while these books contains useful information while the archives are destroyed, incomplete or nor accessible.

P. 257: “The Spanish trade to South America is carried on by annual ships, usually divided into three classes, the Flota, the Register Ships, and Galleons; of which the following is the most accurate account I could meet with. The Flota is a fleet consisting of three men of war, and fourteen or fifteen merchant ships, from 400 to 1000 tuns burthen; they are loaded almost with every fort of goods which Europe produces for export; all forts of woollens, linens, silks, velvets, laces, glass, paper, and cutlery; all forts of wrought iron, watches, clocks, quicksilver for the use of their miners, horse-furniture, shoes, stockings, books, pictures, military stores, wines, fruits, Sec. so that all the trading parts of Europe are highly interested in the cargo of this fleet. Spain itself fends out little more than the wine and fruit; this, with the freight, and commissions to the merchant, and the duty to the King, is almost all the advantage, which that kingdom derives from her commerce with the Indies. This fleet is fitted out at Cadiz, and bound to La Vera Cruz, Mexico: they are not permitted to break bulk on any account, till they arrive there. When all the goods are landed and disposed of at La Vera Cruz, the fleet takes in the plate, precious stones, cochineal, indigo, cocao, tobacco, sugar, and hides, which are the returns for Old Spain. From La Vera Cruz they fail to the Havanna in the Island of Cuba, which is the place of their rendezvous, where they meet the

P. 258: Galleons.”

Source

Rev. Edward Clarke. Letters concerning the Spanish nation: written at Madrid during the years 1760 and 1761. London, 1763.

The Manila galleon according to Rev. Edward Clarke in 1760 and 1761

Ron van Maanen

Thanks to the fact that nowadays more and more books are digitized we are able to read books that are some times for decades no longer available for the public for several reasons. That’s quite a pity while these books contains useful information while the archives are destroyed, incomplete or nor accessible. Clarke supplied more information about the so-called Manila galleon which departed during centuries from Manila towards Acapulco and which galleons were known for the value of their cargoes.

P. 257: The Spanish trade to South America is carried on by annual ships, usually divided into three classes, the Flota, the Register Ships, and Galleons; of which the following is the most accurate account I could meet with.”

p. 259: “The whole trade between the East Indies and Spanish America, is carried on by one great Galleon, which arrives at Acapulco from the Philippine islands, on the coast of China, in the month of December. They fee no other land in their whole voyage of 3000 leagues, which they perform in five months, than the Little Ladrones. The ship is laden with all the rich commodities of the East, as cloves, pepper, cinnamon, nutmegs, mace, china, japan wares, callicoes plain and painted, muslins of every fort, silks, precious stones, rich drugs, and gold dust. At the fame time the rich ship from Lima

p. 260: comes in, and is not computed to bring less than, two millions of pieces of eight in silver, (450,000 l. Sterling) Several other ships from the different parts of Chili and Peru, meet upon the same occasion; and besides the traffic for the Philippine commodities, this causes a very large dealing for every thing which those countries have to exchange with one another, as well as for the purchase of all sorts of European goods. The fair at Acapulco lasts sometimes for thirty days. As soon as the goods are disposed of, the galleon prepares to set out on her voyage to the Philippines with her returns, chiefly in silver, but with some European goods too, and some other commodities of America. I speak here, as though there were but, one; vessel on the trade with the Philippines; and in fact these is only nominally one trading vessel, the galleon itself, of about 1200 tons; but another attends her commonly as a fort of convoy, which generally carries such a quantity of goods, as in great measure disables her from performing that office; The galleon has often above 1000 people on board, either interested in the cargo, or merely passengers; and there is no trade in which so large profits are made; the captain of the vessel, the; pilots, the mates, and even the common sailors, making, in one voyage, what in their several ranks may be considered as easy fortunes. It is said by the writer of Lord Anson’s voyage, that the Jesuits have the profits of this ship to support their missions. This commerce to so vast a value, though carried on directly between different parts of the King of Spain’s own dominions, enriches them in proportion but very little; the far greater part of every thing which comes from the Philippines, being the produce, or fabric of other countries. The Spaniards add none of the artificial value of labour to any thing. The Chinese are largely interested in (his cargo; and it is to them they are indebted for the manufacturing such of their plate, as is wrought into any better fashion than rude ingots, or inelegant coins. When this Acapulco Fair is over, the town is comparatively deserted; however, it remains for the whole year the most considerable port in Mexico for the trade with Peru and Chile, which is not very great.”

Source

Rev. Edward Clarke. Letters concerning the Spanish nation: written at Madrid during the years 1760 and 1761. London, 1763.

Note

1. This note is added by me. The in the text mentioned Lord Anson is George Anson, 1st Baron Anson (23 April 1697-6 June 1762) who was appointed in 1740 as commodore while commanding a squadron which was to attack the Spanish South American colonies during the so-called War of Jenkin’s Ear. This expedition was a failure although he succeeded in capturing the Manila galleon Nuestra Señora de Covadonga off Cape Espiritu Santo on 20 June 1743. The prize captured with her 1,313,843 pieces of eight. The cargo was sold at Macau to the Chinese inhabitants.  

The Spanish azogues of quick-silver ships as described by William Douglass in 1760

Thanks to the fact that nowadays more and more books are digitized we are able to read books that are some times for decades no longer available for the public for several reasons. That’s quite a pity while these books contains useful information while the archives are destroyed, incomplete or nor accessible.

p. 73: “The azogues or kings (1)p. 74: quicksilver ships have licences for some dry goods.”

Source
William Douglass. A summary, historical and political, of the first planting, progressive improvements and present state of the British settlements in North-America. London, 1760.

Original footnote
1. The azogues quick-silver is only for refining the Mexico silver. Peru produces native cinnabar, the ore of quick-silver; the quick-silver mines of Peru were discovered anno 1567. Virgin silver is spungy and brittle, being so called from its having no mixture of alloy or impregnation, but in the state in which the quick-silver left it. Other metals with the denomination virgin (gold, copper), signify grains or lumps of natural metal, requiring little or no refining.

The British navy and privateers versus the Spanish navy according to the Dutch newspaper Middelburgsche Courant dated 31 August 1779

Madrid, 2 August. According to letters from Cadiz arrived the register ship La Purissima Conception coming from Vera Cruz safely. She was loaded with cash money and stores valued 3.000,000 piasters. She was underway attacked by two British privateers but forced these to retreat  while she was armed like a warship.

According to letters from Algeziras pursued Don Antonio Barcelo with his chebecqs in the Strait of Gibraltar the British warship Panther (1) and 2 frigates driving these ships back tot Ceuta. He was since then strengthened by two other warships and blockaded the British ships which returned to Gibraltar in that port.

Note
1. J.J. Colledge/Ben Warlow. Ships of the Royal Navy. London, 2006.  A 60-gun 4th rate launched at Martin&Hennikers at Chatham on 22 June 1758 with a builders measurement of 1,285 tons and as dimensions 154 x 48'5" which was broken up in November 1813.