Manila
It is 1821¸ and for 250 years the Philippine Islands have been under the thumb of the Spanish crown. But¸ in the end¸ the Spaniards do not really control everything. In the shadow of the colonial power¸ self-willed natives have established secret maritime trade with neighboring islands and the Asiatic mainland. Using odd-looking punts and fragile bamboo barks¸ these black market traders cram their boats with nutmeg¸ silk¸ jade¸ and ginseng¸ and set sail to smuggle them into MANILA. Succes in each venture is uncertain¸ as the seaworthiness of both boats and captains is poor. To add to their woes¸ pirates lie in wait to plunder boats that cannot escape them.Given all this¸ it is not surprising that wares that reach the black markets in MANILA command high prices¸ making the venture worth the risk for those who succeed. The black market dealers use accomplices to ensure they get the wares¸ bribe pilots to aid their cargoes and hinder others¸ and insure their cargoes against failure. And a few wealthy merchants hire pirates to attack the black market boats and secretly pocket the profits from these raids.