The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-17
III.

Incidents such as this suggest what. In truth.
was the fact. that the Spaniards were no match
for the French rovers In seamRnship. Mr..
Payne believes that there was n corresponding
inequality in the arts OF shipbuilding and gun
merry and he points out that an inferiority on
the part Of the Spanish vessels for the purpose
OF attack and defence necessarily resulted from
the situation. For while these were selected
or built with an eye for a capacity for carrying
bulky cargoes. the French cruisers were light
and easily handled, manPuvrinR quickly
round the unweldy bulls OF the enemy, and
infiictlnR damage which II was impossible
TO retaliate. Contemporary opinion. how
ever. assigned other reasons for the con-
tinued successes OF the French corsaira The
principal one was the niggardliness OF the
Spanish shipowners in taking precautions for
the protection OF their vessels. The Royal Coun-
ell OF the Indies had ordered that all vessels
employed In the American trade should be
provided with proper appliances Of defence,
and had prescribed n minimum equipment for
the purpose 1t is. nevertheless. certain that
most OF tho Spanish vessels put to sea very
imperfectly armed. The haste with which the
preparations for sailing often had to be COM
pleted was sometimes assigned as pretext
but more obvious motive was unwillingness
to cucumber vessels with an improbable
tonnage OF heavy guns. balls, and powder
ment OF gunners and soldiers. 1t 10 true
that commissaries were required to take
oath that no vessel had received a sail
ing permit without carrying the prescribed
armament, but the commissaries, II was
said could be induced to forswear them
selves by the present OF q few ducats. As a
matter Of fact. It sometimes happened that
three or four large Spanish ships would sail
for America. having among them nothing bet
Tor To- tha % ATT Nh.n Il
OF rusty iron guns. a dozen or two OF shot in
the locker and q single cask OF half-spoiled
powder Under such circumstances It was not
surprising that the harbors OF Normandy and
Brittany were full OF captive Spanish barks.
Mr.. Payne draws attention to another infer
ence drawn from the stories that have come
down to us. the inference. namely. that the
Spaniards were as inferior to the French in
personal courage as they undoubtedly were in
seamanship. Some OF the stories certainly
falslfy the proverb which asserted one Span
lard to be match for four Germans. three
Frenchmen. or two Italians. 1t is related, for
example. that two French rovers, after taking
caravel bound for Cabo de Nea had boldly
cast anchor of tho island OF Mona. half
way between Espaniola and Puerto Rico
and well-known Spanish depot. Tho
authorities at ST. Domingo despatched a
feet OF Ave ships to capture them. One
French Captain deemed 1t prudent to
rum and succeeded in making good mis- escape.
The other vessel was taken. carried to St Do
mingo. and condemned to be towed out to sea
and burned. The French sailors loudly cnrs-
ing the cowardice OF their commander. were
sent prisoners to Spain. for which purpose
they were distributed among Q squadron OF
homeward- bound vessels. Five OF the French
sailors. as 1t happened. were shipped aboard
caravel laden with sugar and carrying $4,000
ducats in gold. While the Spaniards were
doing on their watch these FIVE desperadoes
slipped their irons. attacked their captors.
flung them overheard. and brought the cara
vel trium phantly into French port