 By tradition, the crew could carry private merchandise, so there was a small commercial subtext to San Blas from its inception  In the 1790s, the Bourbon monarchy approved special permits for private ships to sail from Cadiz to San Blas.In 1801 and 1807, two ships of the Royal Philippine Company stopped in San Blas, though they were officially permitted only to sail to Lima.It was not until crisis broke out in the Spanish Empire in 1810 that San Blas opened its ports to trade between Lima, Panama, San Blas, Guaymas, Monterey and Manila.