![]() ![]() The return voyage east to Acapulco was much more difficult. For example, in a 16-year period between 17, only eight ships put in at Guam. And the risk and danger encountered by our ships at said island is so notorious that it became necessary to force the Generals, if they did not leave there the subsidy and other goods for the Mission, to pay a fine of 2000 ducats and to pay for damages.”Įven though it was mandated, there were numerous instances of ships passing the Mariana Islands without stopping. “It will be well to point out that a stopover has never been necessary at said islands, and that said galleons stop there only because they are obliged to do so, to leave the Royal subsidy there indeed, it is a well-known fact that there is no safe port there, that upon passing by there they are forced at times, either to continue with the subsidy because it cannot be unloaded, or to cut the cable suddenly, even leaving behind the launch and the boat, with many of their men. In 1749, Fray Juan Velarde, the Procurator General of the Philippines wrote to the Archbishop of Manila about the stopover in the Mariana Islands: As soon as the ship was provisioned and the Governor and Commander of the ship exchanged pleasantries, the galleon would be on its way to Manila. The ship also brought the annual situado and Socorro (subsidy and relief) of about 34,000 pesos to support the mission and to pay the soldiers, administrators and whatever else was needed for the island. This allowed ships to replenish supplies and was the only means for communication between Spain and the Marianas colony. In 1668 a royal decree required the galleons to stop in Guam in the Mariana Islands on their westward voyage from Acapulco to Manila. While the navigation was easy, the voyage was arduous for the passengers and crew who sometimes succumbed to disease and illness. In order to avoid the typhoon season which runs roughly from May to November in the northern Pacific, the King of Spain in 1620 ordered that the last day for leaving Acapulco was the 25th of March. Of course, this was the case if the ships left Acapulco on time. John Francis Gemelli Careri wrote, “They always run in a strait line, in a smooth sea as if they were in a canal, without any roughness or water.” After a brief sojourn in the Mariana Islands it was another two to three-week trip to Manila. The ships would depart Acapulco, located at 17 degrees latitude, head toward the 18th latitude where they would catch the trade winds and stay between the 10th and 15th latitudes all the way to the Mariana Islands. A few years after the first voyages a standard route was already well established. The navigation from Acapulco to Manila was relatively easy. What follows is a description of the trade route and the cargo transported by the Spanish galleons as they plied across the often dangerous waters of the Pacific Ocean. CHamorus participated in trade with the galleons and provided water and food to the passing ships. The Mariana Islands was one stop along the route. The galleons carried spices, porcelains and other luxury goods from Asia and gold and silver from the Americas in one of the largest complexes of global exchange of people and goods in human history. The Manila Galleon Trade Route was the major route traveled by Spanish galleons from 1565 to 1815 across the Pacific connecting Acapulco in New Spain (Mexico) to the east and Manila, Philippines in the west. Original map courtesy of Donald Rubinstein.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |