Governor Lowther of Barbados on Spanish Plate Fleet routes and clandestine trade

[Jolly Mon]

Here is an extract of a letter from Robert Lowther, Governor of Barbados, to the Council of Plantations in Dec. of 1715:
"The inclosed is a copy of my letter to the Governour of the Havana ,but before I acquaint your Lordshipes with the motives that induced me to write it, I must informe you; that the Spaniards sends annually a fleet of shipes with an immense sum of mony from La Vera Cruz to the coast of Caracos to buy cocoa, and the said Fleet alwayes touches (in their way thither) at the Havana,where they generally stay about six or seven weeks: from thence they pass through the Gulf of Florida, and sails a considerable way to the North of the Bahama Islands, and then steers their course to make this place in order to go to Martinique, where they have hitherto stay'd some time under pretence of getting wood and water, but in reality of purchasing such dry-goods as are proper to traffick with upon the coast of Caracos: now as the French have reap'd a most prodigious advantage by this commerce, and as Barbados lyes more convenient for this trade than Martinique and can better supply the Spaniards with all sortes of dry-goods than the French; and as nothing but the fear of the late French King's policy and exorbitant power could have made the Spaniards brook the ill usage they have received from the French for 14 years last past: I conceived that the French King's death would encourage them to take new measures, and dispose them to enterinto a trade with us if proper advances were made them: all which considerations induced me to write the inclosed letter to the new Governour of the Havana, and to pass a compliment (in H.M. name) upon the Spanish nation..."

From: 'America and West Indies: December 1715', Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies, Volume 28: 1714-1715 (1928), pp. 354-360.



This is obviously a general statement about the behavior of the Spanish fleet or parts thereof. Louis XIV had forbade the Spanish to trade with the Dutch (and anyone else except France), which clearly gave the Spanish motive for conducting surreptious trade with the Dutch colony at Curacao. I don't know when this trade began or when it ended, but I have never heard of the Spanish Flota or parts thereof making this huge detour on the voyage back to Spain from Havana.

Exactly which ship or ships would make this trip? Surely not the entire treasure flota?

If only a few ships in each fleet would make the trip, would those ships be included in the "offical" fleet records? This would be a huge risk, after all.

Was the Spanish Crown privy to the detour or was it done on the sly by Spanish colonial officials ?

Or was Governor Lowther simply mistaken about the route of the Spaniards ?

 

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[grossmusic]

I'm just guessing that Lowther's info & understanding are fragmented. The Tierra Firme probably did send (or drop off) a ship to the Antilles while they tarried in Cartagena, but this would be BEFORE the flotilla met in Cuba. In fact it may have been their first stop after leaving Old Spain under commission as the Tierra Firme. It would make sense that they wanted to get the word out to the right people about the big Fair in Portobelo which was never at a set time (the Fair only met once since the turn of the century prior to 1715). But their communications on these islands and the northern coastline of South America would also have a surreptitious aspect since the Fair was by invitation only for trusted merchants & nations. Once Louis died, it probably did open up more, though there would still be much caution due to piracy.

In fact, it would make sense that Lowther would be told the lie that they are at the end of their journey rather than the start. The actual sailing date was the Area 51 of Spain for those treasure fleet centuries.

I like that he states the 6-7 weeks for the Havana sojourn. I've heard lots of numbers for this. It seems about the median consensus.

 

[Bum Luck]

I'm just guessing that Lowther's info & understanding are fragmented. The Tierra Firme probably did send (or drop off) a ship to the Antilles while they tarried in Cartagena, but this would be BEFORE the flotilla met in Cuba. In fact it may have been their first stop after leaving Old Spain under commission as the Tierra Firme. It would make sense that they wanted to get the word out to the right people about the big Fair in Portobelo which was never at a set time (the Fair only met once since the turn of the century prior to 1715). But their communications on these islands and the northern coastline of South America would also have a surreptitious aspect since the Fair was by invitation only for trusted merchants & nations. Once Louis died, it probably did open up more, though there would still be much caution due to piracy.

In fact, it would make sense that Lowther would be told the lie that they are at the end of their journey rather than the start. The actual sailing date was the Area 51 of Spain for those treasure fleet centuries.

I like that he states the 6-7 weeks for the Havana sojourn. I've heard lots of numbers for this. It seems about the median consensus.

I agree. While there was much going on in Havana, there was no way the fleet was going to wait for another ship's side trip to the Antilles or anywhere. It must have been done earlier.

This was also penned in December 1715, and he must have known about the wrecks on the coast of Florida. In fact, it must have been common knowledge.