ore to give the merchants of the town notice of the arrival
of the vessel. The same news is carried likewise with great speed
to Panama, from whence the merchants set out disguised like
peasants, with their silver in jars covered with meal to deceive
the officers of the revenue.... There is no trade more profitable
than this, for their payments are made in ready money, and the
goods sell higher than they would at any other market. It is not on
this coast alone, but everywhere upon the Spanish Main, that this
trade is carried on; nor is it by the English alone, but by the
French from Hispaniola, and the Dutch from Curassoo, and even the
Danes have some share in it. When the Spanish Guardacostas seize
upon one of these vessels, they make no scruple of confiscating the
cargo and of treating the crew in a manner little better than
pirates."

From all this, the shortcomings of the Spanish attempts at a protective
system are sufficiently evident.

In view of the hostile reception extended to them in all parts of the
Continent by the Spanish officials, it was only to be expected that
foreigners, whenever they had the opportunity, should have rendered a
whole-hearted assistance to this business of smuggling. Moreover, since
there was seldom peace between the Portuguese and the Spaniards, the
former were only too glad to foster this trade, and thus defeat the
object of the Spanish authorities, and incidentally line their own
pockets. It was all the more difficult for the Spanish Colonial
Government to maintain a consistent attitude when the introduction of
the slaves, on whom the welfare of so many districts depended, was in
the hands of foreigners.

This state of affairs applied in a far lesser degree to Brazil, since
that country was frequently able to obtain its human consignments in
Portuguese vessels from its fellow-colony of Portuguese West Africa. The
Spaniards, on the other hand, were dependent upon other nations for the
importation of their slaves, and they were from time to time accustomed
to grant special licences for this purpose. It was the reverse of likely
that men of a temperament which urged them to raid the African shores in
search of their human quarry, and to sail their black cargoes through
the tropics, would abstain from making the fullest and most general use
of an opportunity thus offered, as the Spanish officials invariably
found was the