Spanish East Indies not materialize.) In a similar vein, to promote innovation and education among the residents of the islands, Governor-General José Basco y Vargas established the Economic Society of the Friends of the Country. For over 256 years, the Spanish East Indies were governed by a governor-captain general, and an audiencia. All economic matters of the Philippines were managed by the Viceroyalty of New Spain, located in Mexico. Because the eastward route was more widely used for military purposes, in addition to commerce that included the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade, most government correspondence went through Mexico, rather than directly to Spain (with the
East Indies theatre of the French Revolutionary Wars to Macau. After seeing his charges into harbour in December, Captain Edward Cooke investigated Manila himself in "Sybille", accompanied by "Fox". There he discovered the weak state of the Spanish squadron. Other British ships were operating in the East Indies: in July 1797, "Resistance" and a force of EIC troops captured Kupang on Timor but were subsequently driven off by an armed uprising by the Malay citizens of the town. In the street fighting 13 British troops and 300 Malays were killed. "Resistance" was subsequently lost on 24 July 1798, accidentally destroyed with more than 300 of its crew in