Report given by Hernando Pérez Barreto, notary public, on a cargo of slaves that left Angola for New Spain

In 1631 Captain Juan de Burgos left Angola with a cargo of 400 slaves bound for Veracruz. It had been registered, as was mandatory, at the House of Trade (Casa de Contratación) of Seville, the agency in charge of this type of commerce with the New World. The ship never arrived at its destination, so Miguel de Neve, one of the freight partners, made an official complaint and an investigation was made. Evidence was given that, after numerous vicissitudes, the governor of Havana had organized a false sale for his own benefit, claiming that there were only 120 slaves remaining since the others had died on the voyage or had escaped. Despite the supposedly rigorous control of the Casa de Contratación, slave smuggling as well as fraud and bribery by royal officials were very frequent in trade with the Indies. Family Gómara y Arias de Saavedra.