Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

The Treasure of the San José: Death at Sea in the War of the Spanish Succession

2008; Duke University Press; Volume: 88; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1215/00182168-2008-023

1527-1900

John S. Leiby,

Historical Influence and Diplomacy

On the fateful night of June 8, 1708, a mighty Spanish galleon sunk beneath the sea after a clash with superior British forces near the entrance to the port of Cartagena; but her saga did not end there. The San José, because of the stories which swirled after its demise, became a matter of historical legend and mystery. Carla Rahn Phillips’s newest historical offering is not just the history of a ship but rather an account of the waning years (and consequences) of Spanish Habsburg rule and the transition to the Spanish Bourbons. In particular, it deals with the era of the War of the Spanish Succession and successfully adds insights into its context in terms of a world conflict.We find in the lucid prose of this book that by the late seventeenth century the Spanish monarchy was terribly in debt and hence very dependent on the treasure emanating from its New World realms. With regard to this discussion there is little that is new, but in reference to the San José and its sister ship (San Joaquín) we learn that the relationship between money and politics was very much in the forefront. Spanish ship construction specifications were expressed principally in codos (roughly 22 inches) in each measured dimension, while the actual shipbuilders were paid in terms of toneladas (tonnage; a tonelada was equal to 1.42 cubic meters of carrying capacity). It is therefore not surprising that Spanish galleons (warships built to accompany merchant ships and to carry treasure for the crown) grew in size from between 500 and 700 toneladas in 1666 to 800 toneladas by 1679, as recommended by crown edicts or publications. Both the San José and San Joaquín were projected in their initial designs to be around 1,200 toneladas each; although neither reached such a size both for reasons of economy and, more importantly, stability. At every step in the construction of both ships inspections took place, and when the workmanship was deemed satisfactory further funds were forwarded to the shipbuilders. This reflects the care with which such vessels were built at the behest of the Spanish Navy. In the end the San Joaquín (1,026 toneladas) was slightly larger than the San José (1,009 toneladas), as delineated in the documents in the Archivo General de Indias.The man who would eventually command the ill-fated San José — Don José Fernández de Santillán (later the count of Casa Alegre) — remains a man of great controversy. According to the records uncovered by Phillips, Don José was not averse to using his noble status (plus monetary payments to the Spanish Crown) to obtain important posts within the Spanish Navy and elsewhere within Spain’s extensive bureaucratic state. When he eventually became the captain-general of the Tierra Firme fleet he had very little service to commend him for such a high post. Hence this book shows the level of corruption involving the acquisition of high government positions during the Habsburg era, as demonstrated many years ago by John Lynch and others. With this work we find that this corruption persisted with the onset of the supposed more efficient governance of the Spanish Bourbons. It is clear that money talks, no matter what the historical era. Yet the Count of Casa Alegre’s inexperience may explain in part the eventual demise of the San José. After its tragic sinking in June 1708 along with its captain and the majority of its crew, the crown took testimony concerning the events leading up to its loss. According to Don Francisco Medina, who participated in a junta presided over by Casa Alegre (during the final days of the Portobelo fair), the captain-general was warned that a superior force of British warships had been sighted and appeared to be awaiting to intercept any fleet that might depart Portobelo destined for Cartagena. Medina went on to say that he continued to object to the captain-general’s decision to set sail for Cartagena. Such testimony, which was substantiated by others, suggests as the author concludes that it was these particular decisions which doomed the San José.This is a well-written and well-researched book which can be effectively read by both scholar and novice. It reads somewhat like a detective novel that remains a delight to read over and over again. Certainly the quest to find the wreck of the San José will continue, perhaps because of Phillips’s estimation that the ship had somewhere around ten million pesos aboard when it sank. Both the Spanish and Colombian governments certainly will be in the wings to claim such a treasure if it is ever found.