in Spanish America, denotes a squadron of men of war, to the number of six or eight, from twenty-four to fifty pieces of cannon, which the king maintains, to prevent foreigners from trading with the Spaniards and the Indians, both in time of war and peace.

The vessels of this armadilla are those that have been so much talked of, under the name of guarda costas. They have even power to take all Spanish merchant ships they meet with on the coast that have not licenses from the king.

The South Sea has its armadilla as well as the North Sea. The ordinary abode of the former is at Calao, the port of Lima; that of the latter at Carthagena.