[Footnote 156: The account in the text appears applicable to what is now called El Viejo, or the old town, nearly 12 miles from the port, but modern Realejo stands almost close to the entrance of the bay or harbour.—E.]

This is a large gulf or branch of the sea, running eight or ten leagues into the country, and nearly of the same breadth. The S.E. extreme point is called Cape Casurina, or Casiquina, in lat. 12 deg. 53' N. and long. 87 deg. 36' W. and the N.W. point is Cape Candadillo, in lat. 18 deg. 6' N. and long. 87 deg. 57' W. Within this bay are several islands, the principal of these being named Mangeru and Amapaila. Mangera is a high round island, two leagues in circuit, inclosed on all sides by rocks, except on its N.E. side, where there is a small sandy creek. The soil is black and shallow, full of stones, and produces very lofty trees. It has a small town or village in the middle inhabited by Indians, and a handsome Spanish church. The inhabitants cultivate a small quantity of maize and plantains, having also a few cocks and hens, but no beasts except dogs and cats. From the creek to the town there is a steep rocky path. Amapalla resembles the other isle in soil, but is much larger, and has two towns about two miles asunder, one on its northern end, and the other on the east. The latter is on a plain on the summit of a hill, and has a handsome church. The other town is smaller, but has also a fine church. In most of the Indian towns under the Spanish dominion, the images of the saints in their churches are represented of the Indian complexion, and dressed like Indians; while in the towns inhabited by Spaniards, the images have the European complexion and dress. There are many other islands in the bay, but uninhabited.

Captain Davis went into the gulf with two canoes to procure some prisoners for intelligence, and coming to Mangera, the inhabitants all ran away into the woods, so that only the priest and two boys were taken. Captain Davis went thence to the isle of Amapalla, where the inhabitants were prevented from retiring into the woods by the secretary, who was an enemy to the Spaniards, and persuaded them the English were friends; but by the misconduct of one of the Buccaneers, all the Indians run away, on which Davis made his men fire at them, and the secretary was slain. After this the casique of the island was reconciled to the English, and afterwards guided them wherever they had occasion to go, especially to places on the continent where they could procure beef.

A company of English and French Buccaneers landed some time afterwards on this island, whence they went over to the continent, and marched by land to the Cape River, otherwise called Yare, or Vanquez river, which falls into the gulf of Mexico, near Cape Gracias a Dios, on the Mosquito shore. On reaching that river near its source, they constructed bark canoes, in which they descended the stream into the gulf of Mexico. They were not, however, the first discoverers of this passage, as about thirty years before, some English went up that same river to near its source, from the gulf of Mexico, and marched thence inland to a town called New Segovia, near the head of Bluefield's river.

While in this bay of Amapalla, some difference arose between the two captains, Davis who had succeeded to Cooke in command of the Revenge, and Eaton of the Nicholas, when they resolved to separate: But they first deemed it proper to careen their ships, for which this place afforded every convenience, and to take in a supply of fresh water. Both ships being in condition for sea, Captain Eaton took 400 sacks of flour on board his ship, and agreed with Captain Cowley to take the charge of the Nicholas as master. From this period therefore, which was in the end of September, the voyages of Cowley and Dampier cease to be the same, and require to be separately narrated.

SECTION II.

Continuation of the Narrative of Cowley, from leaving the Revenge, to his Return to England.

On leaving the gulf of Amapalla, the Nicholas steered for Cape Francisco, in lat. 0 deg. 50' N. near which they encountered dreadful storms, attended by prodigious thunder and lightning. From thence they proceeded to the latitude of 7 deg. S. but found the country every where alarmed. They went next to Payta, in lat. 4 deg. 55' S. where they took two ships at anchor, which they set on fire, because the Spaniards refused to ransom them. Leaving the coast, they went to the island of Gorgona, in lat. 2 deg. 50' N. about four leagues from the main, which the privateers usually called Sharp's Island. This is about two leagues long by one league broad, having a good harbour on its west side, and affording plenty of wood and water. It is a common saying in Spanish South America, that it rains often in Chili, seldom in Peru, and always at Gorgona, where they allege there never was a day fair to an end. Though this be not strictly true, it is certain that this island has rain more or less at all seasons, on which account, perhaps, it has always remained uninhabited. They sailed from Gorgona W.N.W. till in lat. 30 deg. N. when they steered W. by N. to lat. 15 deg. N. till they considered themselves beyond danger from the rocks of St Bartholomew; after which they returned into the lat. of 13 deg. N. in which parallel they continued their voyage for the East Indies.

They had a regular trade-wind, and a reasonably quick passage across the Pacific Ocean, except that their men were mostly ill of the scurvy; and on the 14th of March, 1685, being in lat. 13 deg. 2' N. they came in sight of the island of Guam. By Captain Cowley's calculation, this run across the Pacific Ocean extended to 7646 miles, from the island of Gorgona to Guam.[157] They came next day to anchor in a bay on the west side of the island, and sent their boat on shore with a flag of truce. The inhabitants of a village at that place set fire to their houses, and ran away into the interior, on which the boat's crew cut down some cocoa trees to gather the fruit, and on going again on board were threatened by a party of the natives, who sallied out from some bushes on purpose to attack them. A friendly intercourse was however established between the English and the natives, and trade took place with them till the 17th, when the natives attacked the English suddenly, but were beat off with heavy loss, while none of the English were hurt.

[Footnote 157: Gorgona is in long. 78 deg. 33' Guam in 216 deg. 40', both W. from Greenwich. The difference of longitude is 138 deg. 07', which gives 9530 statute miles, or 2762 marine leagues, so that the computation in the text is considerably too short.—E.]

On the 19th the Spanish governor of the island came to a point of land not far from the ship, whence he sent his boat on board with three copies of the same letter, in Spanish, French, and Dutch, desiring to know who they were, whence they came, and whither they were bound. Captain Eaton answered in French, saying that they had been fitted out by some gentlemen in France to make discoveries, and were come in quest of provisions. In reply the governor invited Captain Eaton on shore, who landed with a guard of twenty men doubly armed, and was politely received. On the 18th the governor sent ten hogs on board, together with a prodigious quantity of potatoes, plantains, oranges, papaws, and red pepper, in return for which Captain Eaton sent a diamond ring to the governor worth twenty pounds, and gave swords to several Spanish gentlemen who came off with the provisions. Next day the governor sent to procure some powder, of which he was in want, as the natives were in rebellion, and Captain Eaton gave him two barrels, for which to the value of 1400 dollars were offered in gold and silver, but Eaton refused to accept the money, in consequence of which the governor sent him a diamond ring, worth fifty pounds. Every day after this the governor sent them some kind of provisions, and about the end of March, when about to sail, the governor sent them thirty hogs for sea store, with a large supply of rice and potatoes.

On one occasion the Indians attacked a party of the English, who were on shore to draw the sein, but were beaten off with much loss; yet they afterwards endeavoured to prevail on Captain Eaton to join them in driving out the Spaniards, which he positively refused. On the 1st April, leaving the bay in which they had hitherto remained, the Nicholas anchored before the Spanish fort; and after several civilities on both sides, set sail in the afternoon of the 3d April with a fair wind.

This island of Guam is about fourteen leagues long by six broad, and contains several very pleasant vallies, interspersed with fine fertile meadows, watered by many rivulets from the hills. The soil in these vallies is black and very rich, producing plenty of cocoas, potatoes, yams, papaws, plantains, monanoes, sour-sops, oranges, and lemons, together with some honey. The climate is naturally very hot, yet is wholesome, as constantly refreshed by the trade-wind. The Indian natives are large made, well proportioned, active and vigorous, some being seven feet and a half high, and go mostly naked, both men and women. They never bury their dead, but lay them in the sun to putrefy. Their only arms are slings and lances, the heads of these being made of human bones; and on the decease of any one his bones make eight lances, four from his legs and thighs, and as many from his arms. These lance heads are formed like a scoop, and jagged at the edges like a saw or eel-spear; so that a person wounded by them dies, if not cured in seven days.

The great annual ship between Manilla and Acapulco touches here for refreshments, and the Spaniards said there were sometimes eight ships in one year at this place from the East Indies. They said also, that they had built a ship here, in 1684, of 160 tons, to trade with Manilla, and pretended to have a garrison here of 600 men, most of the Indians being in rebellion.

The Nicholas sailed from Guam W. by S. and on computing that they were 206 leagues from that island, they changed to due W. The 23d, when they reckoned themselves 560 leagues west of Guam, they met with a very strong current, resembling the race of Portland, and fell in with a cluster of islands in lat. 20 deg. 30' N. to the north of Luconia, [the Bashee Islands.] They sent their boat ashore on the northermost of these islands, in order to get some fish, and to examine the island, on which they found vast quantities of nutmegs growing, but saw no people, and as night was drawing on they did not venture to go any distance from the shore. To this island they gave the name of Nutmeg Island, and called the bay in which they anchored English Bay. They observed many rocks, shoals, and foul ground near the shore, and saw a great many goats on the island, but brought off very few.

On the 26th of April they were off Cape Bojadore, the N.W. point of Luconia, and came soon after to Cipe Mindato, where they met the S.W. monsoon, on which they bore away for Canton in China, where they arrived in safety and refitted their ship. They had here an opportunity of making themselves as rich as they could desire, but would not embrace it; as there came into the port thirteen sail of Tartar vessels, laden with Chinese plunder, consisting of the richest productions of the East. The men, however, would have nothing to do with any thing but gold and silver, and Captain Eaton could not prevail upon them to fight for silks, as they alleged that would degrade them into pedlars. The Tartars therefore quietly pursued their affairs at Canton, unconscious of their danger.

Having repaired the ship, Captain Easton sailed for Manilla, intending to wait for a Tartar ship of which they had information, bound from that port, and half laden with silver. They even got sight of her, and chased her a whole day to no purpose, as she was quite clean, and the Nicholas was as foul as could well be. They then stood for a small island, to the north of Luconia, to wait for a fair wind to carry them to Bantam. Instead of one island, they found several, where they procured refreshments.[158] Learning from an Indian that in one of these islands there were plenty of beeves, they sent a boat thither with thirty men, who took what they wanted by force, though the island was well inhabited.

[Footnote 158: The indications in the text are too vague to point out the particular islands at which the Nicholas refreshed. Immediately north from Luconia are the Babuvanes Isles, in lat 19 deg. 30', and still farther, the Bashee Islands, in 20 deg. 30', both N.]

Leaving these islands about the middle of September, 1685, they were for three days in great danger on the banks of Peragoa, in lat. 10 deg. N. after which they came to a convenient bay in an island not far from the northern coast of Borneo, where they set up a tent on shore and landed every thing from the ship, fortifying themselves with ten small guns, in case of being attacked by the natives, and hauled their ship on shore to clean her bottom. At first the natives of the island avoided all intercourse with the English; but one day the boat of the Nicholas came up with a canoe in which was the queen of the country with her retinue, who all leaped into the sea to get away from the English. They took up these people with much difficulty, and entertained them with so much kindness that they became good friends during two months which they continued afterwards at this island. At this time the Spaniards were at peace with the sovereign of Borneo, and carried on an advantageous trade there from Manilla; of which circumstance Captain Eaton and his people got intimation, and passed themselves for Spaniards during their residence.

This great island is plentifully stored with provisions of all kinds, and many rich commodities, as diamonds, pepper, camphor, &c. and several kinds of fine woods, as specklewood and ebony. Cloves also were there to be had at a reasonable price, being brought there from the neighbouring islands by stealth. The animals of Borneo, as reported by Cowley, are elephants, tigers, panthers, leopards, antelopes, and wild swine. The king of Borneo being in league with the Spanish governor of the Philippines, the English passed themselves here as Spaniards, and were amply supplied by the natives during their stay with fish, oranges, lemons, mangoes, plantains, and pine-apples.

The Nicholas sailed from this place in December, 1685, proceeding to a chain of islands in lat. 4 deg. N. called the Naturah islands,[159] whence they went to Timor, where the crew became exceedingly mutinous; on which Captain Cowley and others resolved to quit the Nicholas, in order to endeavour to get a passage home from Batavia. Accordingly, Cowley and one Mr Hill, with eighteen more of the men, purchased a large boat, in which they meant to have gone to Batavia, but, owing to contrary winds, were obliged to put in at Cheribon, another factory belonging to the Dutch in Java, where they found they had lost a day in their reckoning during their voyage by the west. They here learnt the death of Charles II. and that the Dutch had driven the English from Bantam, which was then the second place of trade we possessed in India. The Dutch were forming other schemes to the prejudice of our trade, wherefore Cowley, with Hill and another of the Englishmen, resolved to make all the haste they could to Batavia, to avoid being involved in the subsisting disputes. They were kindly received by the governor of Batavia, who promised them a passage to Holland.

[Footnote 159: The Natuna Islands, in long. 108 deg. E. from Greenwich.—E.]

Cowley and his remaining companions embarked at Batavia in a Dutch ship in March, 1686. They arrived in Table bay at the Cape of Good Hope on the 1st June, where they landed next day, and of which settlement, as it then existed in 1686, Cowley gives the following account:—

"Cape Town does not contain above an hundred houses, which are all built low, because exposed to violent gales of wind in the months of December, January, and February. The castle is very strong, having about eighty large cannon for its defence. There is also a very spacious garden, maintained by the Dutch East India Company, planted with all kinds of fruit-trees, and many excellent herbs, and laid out in numerous pleasant walks. This garden is near a mile in length and a furlong wide, being the greatest rarity at the Cape, and far exceeding the public garden at Batavia. This country had abundance of very good sheep, but cattle and fowls are rather scarce. We walked out of town to a village inhabited by the Hodmandods, or Hottentots. Their houses are round, having the fire-places in the middle, almost like the huts of the wild Irish, and the people lay upon the ashes, having nothing under them but sheep-skins. The men seemed all to be Monorchides, and the whole of these people were so nasty that we could hardly endure the stench of their bodies and habitations. Their women are singularly conformed, having a natural skin apron, and are all so ignorant and brutish that they do not hesitate to prostitute themselves publicly for the smallest imaginable recompense, of which I was an eye witness. Their apparel is a sheep-skin flung over their shoulders, with a leather cap on their heads, as full of grease as it can hold. Their legs are wound about, from the ankle to the knees, with the guts of beasts well greased.

"These people, called Hodmandods by the Dutch, are born white, but they make themselves black by smearing their bodies all over with soot and grease, so that by frequent repetition they become as black as negroes. Their children, when young, are of a comely form, but their noses are like those of the negroes. When they marry, the woman cuts off one joint of her finger; and, if her husband die and she remarry again, she cuts off another joint, and so on however often she may marry.

"They are a most filthy race, and will feed upon any thing, however foul. When the Hollanders kill a beast, these people get the guts, and having squeezed out the excrements, without washing or scraping, they lay them upon the coals, and eat them before they are well heated through. If even a slave of the Hollanders wish to have one of their women, he has only to give her husband a piece of tobacco. Yet will they beat their wives if unfaithful with one of their own nation, though they care not how they act with the men of other nations. They are worshipers of the moon, and thousands of them may be seen dancing and singing by the sea-side, when they expect to see that luminary; but if it happen to be dark weather, so that the moon does not appear, they say their god is angry with them. While we were at the Cape, one of the Hodmandods drank himself dead in the fort, on which the others came and put oil and milk into his mouth, but finding he was dead, they began to prepare for his burial in the following manner:—Having shaved or scraped his body, arms, and legs, with their knives, they dug a great hole, in which they placed him on his breech in a sitting posture, heaping stones about him to keep him upright. Then came the women, making a most horrible noise round the hole which was afterwards filled up with earth."

On the 15th June. 1686, Cowley sailed from the Cape, the homeward-bound Dutch fleet consisting of three ships, when at the same time other three sailed for Bolivia. On the 22d of June they passed the line, when Cowley computed that he had sailed quite round the globe, having formerly crossed the line nearly at the same place, when outward-bound from Virginia in 1683. On the 4th August they judged themselves to be within thirty leagues of the dangerous shoal called the Abrolhos, laid down in lat. 15 deg. N. in the map: but Cowley was very doubtful if any such shoal exist, having never met with any one who had fallen in with it, and he was assured by a pilot, who had made sixteen voyages to Brazil, that there was no such sand. The 19th September, Cowley saw land which he believed to be Shetland. They were off the Maes on the 28th September, and on the 30th Cowley landed at Helvoetsluys. He travelled by land to Rotterdam, whence he sailed in the Ann for England, and arrived safe in London on the 12th October, 1686, after a tedious and troublesome voyage of three years and nearly two months.

SECTION III.

Sequel of the Voyage, so far as Dampier is concerned, after the Separation of the Nicholas from the Revenge.[160]

This is usually denominated Captain William Dampier's first Voyage round the World, and is given at large by Harris, but on the present occasion has been limited, in this section, to the narrative of Dampier after the separation of Captain Cowley in the Nicholas; the observations of Dampier in the earlier part of the voyage, having been already interwoven in the first section of this chapter.

[Footnote 160: Dampier's Voyages, Lond. 1729, vol. I. and II. Harris, II. 84.]

This voyage is peculiarly valuable, by its minute and apparently accurate account of the harbours and anchorages on the western coast of South America, and has, therefore, been given here at considerable length, as it may become of singular utility to our trade, in case the navigation to the South Sea may be thrown open, which is at present within the exclusive privileges of the East India Company, yet entirely unused by that chartered body.—E.

* * * * *

Captain Eaton in the Nicholas having separated from the Revenge, left the Gulf of Amapalla on the 2d September, 1684, as formerly mentioned, which place we also left next day, directing our course for the coast of Peru. Tornadoes, with thunder, lightning, and rain, are very frequent on these coasts from June to November, mostly from the S.E. of which we had our share. The wind afterwards veered to W. and so continued till we came in sight of Cape St Francisco, where we met with fair weather and the wind at S.

Cape St Francisco, in lat. 0 deg. 50' N. is a high full point of land, covered with lofty trees. In passing from the N. a low point may be easily mistaken for the cape, but soon after passing this point the cape is seen with three distinct points. The land in its neighbourhood is high, and the mountains appear black. The 20th September we came to anchor in sixteen fathoms near the island of Plata, in lat. 1 deg. 15' S. This island is about four miles long and a mile and half broad, being of some considerable height, and environed with rocky cliffs, except in one place at the east end, where the only fresh-water torrent of the isle falls down from the rocks into the sea. The top of the island is nearly flat, with a sandy soil, which produces three or four kinds of low small trees, not known in Europe, and these trees are much overgrown with moss. Among these trees the surface is covered with pretty good grass, especially in the beginning of the year, but there are no land animals to feed upon it, the great number of goats that used to be found here formerly being all destroyed. Is has, however, a great number of the birds named Boobies and Man-of-war birds. Some say that this island got the name Isola de Plata from the Spaniards, from the circumstance of Sir Francis Drake having carried to this place their ship the Cacafoga, richly laden with silver, which they name Plata.

The anchorage is on the east side, about the middle of the island, close to the shore, within two cables length of the sandy bay, in eighteen or twenty fathoms, fast ooze, and smooth water, the S.E. point of the island keeping off the force of the south wind which usually blows here. In this sandy bay there is good landing, and indeed it is the only place which leads into the island. A small shoal runs out about a quarter of a mile from the east point of the island, on which shoal there is a great rippling of the sea when the tide flows. The tide here has a strong current, setting to the south with the flood, and to the north when it ebbs. At this east point also there are three small high rocks, about a cable's length from the shore; and three much larger rocks at the N.E. point. All round the isle the water is very deep, except at the before-mentioned anchorage. Near the shoal there are great numbers of small sea-tortoises, or turtle, formerly mentioned as found at the Gallapagos. This island of Plata is four or five leagues W.S.W. from Cape San Lorenzo.

After remaining one day at this isle, we continued our voyage to Cape Santa Helena, in lat. 2 deg. 8' S. This cape appears high and flat, resembling an island, covered on the top with thistles, and surrounded by low grounds, but without any trees. As it jets far out to sea, it forms a good bay on its north side, a mile within which is a wretched Indian village on the shore, called also Santa Helena; but the ground in its neighbourhood, though low, is sandy and barren, producing neither trees, grass, corn, nor fruit, except excellent water-melons; and the inhabitants are forced to fetch their fresh water from the river Calanche, four leagues distant, at the bottom of the bay. They live chiefly on fish, and are supplied with maize from other parts, in exchange for Algatrane, which is a bituminous substance issuing from the earth near this village, about five paces above high-water mark. This substance, by means of long boiling, becomes hard like pitch, and is employed as such by the Spaniards. To leeward of the point, directly opposite the village, there is good anchorage, but on the west side the water is very deep. Some of our men were sent under night in canoes to take the village, in which they succeeded, and made some prisoners; but the natives set fire to a small bark in the road, alleging the positive orders of the viceroy.

We returned from thence to the island of Plata, where we anchored on the 26th September, and sent some of our men that evening to Manta, a small Indian village on the continent, seven or eight leagues from Plata, and two or three leagues east from Cape Lorenzo. Its buildings are mean and scattered, but standing on an easy ascent, it has a fine prospect towards the sea-side. Having formerly been inhabited by the Spaniards, it has a fine church, adorned with carved work; but as the ground in the neighbourhood is very dry and sandy, it produces neither corn nor roots, and only a few shrubs are to be found. The inhabitants are supplied with provisions by sea, this being the first place at which ships refresh, when bound from Panama to Lima and other parts of Peru. They have an excellent spring of fresh water between the village and the sea. Opposite to this village, and a mile and a half from the shore, there is a very dangerous rock, being always covered by the sea; but about a mile within this rock there is safe anchorage, in six, eight, and ten fathoms, on hard clear sand; and a mile west from this, a shoal runs a mile out to sea. Behind the town, and directly to the south, a good way inland, there is a very high mountain rising up into the clouds, like a sugar-loaf; which serves as an excellent sea-mark, there being no other like it on all this coast. [161]

[Footnote 161: The great Chimborazo is probably here meant, about 135 English miles inland from Manta, and almost due east, instead of south, as in the test.—E]

Our men landed about day-break, a mile and a half from the village, but the inhabitants took the alarm, and got all away, except two old women, from whom we learnt that the viceroy, on receiving intelligence of enemies having come across the isthmus of Darien into the South Sea, had ordered all their ships to be set on fire, all the goats in the isle of Plata to be destroyed, and that the inhabitants on the coast should keep no more provisions than were necessary for their present use.

We returned to our ship at Plata, where we remained for some time unresolved what course to pursue. On the 2d of October, the Cygnet of London, Captain Swan, came to anchor in the same road. This was a richly-loaded ship, designed for trading on this coast, but being disappointed in his hopes of trade, his men had forced Captain Swan to take on board a company of buccaneers he fell in with at Nicoya, being those we heard of at Manta, who had come by land to the South Sea under the command of Captain Peter Harris, nephew to the Captain Harris who was slain before Panama. As the Cygnet was unfit for service, by reason of her cargo, Captain Swan sold most of his goods on credit, and threw the rest overboard, reserving only the fine commodities, and some iron for ballast. Captains Davis and Swan now joined company; and Harris was placed in command of a small bark. Our bark, which had been sent to cruise three days before the arrival of the Cygnet, now returned with a prize laden with timber, which they had taken in the Gulf of Guayaquil. The commander of this prize informed us, that it was reported at Guayaquil, that the viceroy was fitting out ten frigates to chase us from these seas. This intelligence made us wish for Captain Eaton, and we resolved to send out a small bark towards Lima, to invite him to rejoin us. We also fitted up another small bark for a fire-ship, and set sail for the island of Lobos on the 20th October.

Being about six leagues off Payta on the 2d of November, we sent 110 men in several canoes to attack that place. Payta is a small sea-port town belonging to the Spaniards, in lat. 5 deg. 15' S. built on a sandy rock near the sea-side, under a high hill. Although not containing more than seventy-five or eighty low mean houses, like most of the other buildings along the coast of Peru, it has two churches. The walls of these houses are chiefly built of a kind of bricks, made of earth and straw, only dried in the sun. These bricks are three feet long, two broad, and a foot and a half thick. In some places, instead of roofs, they only lay a few poles across the tops of the walls, covered with mats, though in other places they have regularly-constructed roofs. The cause of this mean kind of building is partly from the want of stones and timber, and partly because it never rains on this coast, so that they are only solicitious to keep out the sun; and these walls, notwithstanding the slight nature of their materials, continue good a long time, as they are never injured by rain. The timber used by the better sort of people has to be brought by sea from other places. The walls of the churches and of the best houses are neatly whitened, both within and without, and the beams, posts, and doors are all adorned with carved work. Within they are ornamented with good pictures, and rich hangings of tapestry or painted calico, brought from Spain. The houses of Payta, however, were not of this description, though their two churches were large and handsome. Close by the sea there was a small fort, armed only with muskets, to command the harbour, as also another fort on the top of a hill, which commanded both the harbour and lower fort. The inhabitants of Payta are obliged to bring their fresh-water from Colon, a town two leagues to the N.N.E. where a fresh-water river falls into the sea; and have also to procure fowls, hogs, plantains, maize, and other provisions from that and other places, owing to the barrenness of the soil in its own neighbourhood. The dry and barren tract of this western coast of America begins at Cape Blanco in the north, and reaches to Coquimbo in 30 deg. S. in all of which vast extent of coast I never saw or heard of any rain falling, nor of any thing growing whatever either in the mountains or vallies, except in such places as are constantly watered, in consequence of being on the banks of rivers and streams.

The inhabitants of Colon are much given to fishing, for which purpose they venture out to sea in bark-logs.[162] These are constructed of several round logs of wood, forming a raft, but different according to the uses they are intended for, or the customs of those that make them. Those meant for fishing consist only of three or five logs of wood about eight feet long, the middle one longer than the rest, especially forewards, and the others gradually shorter, forming a kind of stem or prow to cut the waves. The logs are joined to each other's sides by wooden pegs and withes, or twisted branches of trees. Such as are intended for carrying merchandise are made in the same manner and shape, but the raft consists of twenty or thirty great trunks of trees, thirty or forty feet long, joined together as before. On these another row of shorter trees are laid across, and fastened down by wooden pegs. From, this double raft or bottom they raise a raft of ten feet high, by means of upright posts, which support two layers of thick trees laid across each other, like our piles of wood, but not so close as in the bottom of the float; these being formed only at the ends and sides, the inner part being left hollow. In this hollow, at the height of four feet from the floor of the raft, they lay a deck or floor of small poles close together, serving as the floor or deck of another room; and above this, at the same height, they lay just such another sparred deck. The lower room serves for the hold, in which they stow ballast, and water casks or jars. The second room serves for the seamen and what belongs to them. Above all the goods are stowed, as high as they deem fit, but seldom exceeding the height of ten feet. Some space is left vacant behind for the steersman, and before for the kitchen, especially in long voyages, for in these strange vessels they will venture to make voyages of five or six hundred leagues.

[Footnote 162: I suspect this to be a mistaken translation of barco-longo, long barks, or rafts rather, as the subsequent description indicates.—E]

In navigating these vessels, they use a very large rudder, with one mast in the middle of the machine, on which they have a large sail, like our west country barges on the river Thames. As these machines can only sail before the wind, they are only fit for these seas, where the wind blows constantly one way, seldom varying above a point or two in the whole voyage from Lima to Panama. If, when near Panama, they happen to meet a north-west wind, as sometimes happens, they must drive before it till it changes, merely using their best endeavours to avoid the shore, for they will never sink at sea. Such vessels carry sixty or seventy tons of merchandise, as wine, oil, flour, sugar, Quito cloth, soap, dressed goats skins, &c. They are navigated by three or four men only; who, on their arrival at Panama, sell both the goods and vessel at that place, as they cannot go back again with them against the trade-wind. The smaller fishing barks of this construction are much easier managed. These go out to sea at night with the land-wind, and return to the shore in the day with the sea-breeze; and such small barco longos are used in many parts of America, and in some places in the East Indies. On the coast of Coromandel they use only one log, or sometimes two, made of light wood, managed by one man, without sail or rudder, who steers the log with a paddle, sitting with his legs in the water.[163]

[Footnote 163: On the coast of Coromandel these small rafts are named Catamarans, and are employed for carrying letters or messages between the shore and the ships, through the tremendous surf which continually breaks on that coast.—E.]

The next town to Payta of any consequence is Piura, thirty miles from Payta, seated in a valley on a river of the same name, which discharges its waters into the bay of Chirapee [or Sechura.] in lat. 5 deg. 32' S. This bay is seldom visited by ships of burden, being full of shoals; but the harbour of Payta is one of the best on the coast of Peru, being sheltered on the S.W. by a point of land, which renders the bay smooth and the anchorage safe, in from six to twenty fathoms on clear sand. Most ships navigating this coast, whether bound north or south, touch at this port for fresh water, which is brought to them from Colon at a reasonable rate.

Early in the morning of the 3d November, our men landed about four miles south of Payta, where they took some prisoners who were set there to watch. Though informed that the governor of Piura had come to the defence of Payta with a reinforcement of an hundred men, they immediately pushed to the fort on the hill, which they took with little resistance, on which the governor and all the inhabitants evacuated Payta, but which we found empty of money, goods, and provisions. That same evening we brought our ships to anchor near the town, in ten fathoms a mile from shore, and remained six days in hopes of getting a ransom for the town; but seeing we were not likely to have any, we set it on fire, and set sail at night with the land-breeze for the island of Lobos. The 14th we came in sight of Lobos de Tierra, the inner or northern island of Lobos, which is of moderate height, and appears at a distance like Lobos del Mare, the southern island of the same name, at which other island we arrived on the 19th. The evening of the 29th we set sail for the bay of Guayaquil, which lies between Cape Blanco in lat. 4 deg. 18', and the point of Chanday, or Carnera, in 2 deg. 18' both S. In the bottom of this bay is a small isle, called Santa Clara, extending E. and W. and having many shoals, which make ships that intend for Guayaquil to pass on the south side of this island.

From the isles of Santa Clara to Punta arena, the N.W. point of the island of Puna, is seven leagues [thirty statute miles] N.N.E. Here ships bound for Guayaquil take in pilots, who live in a town in Puna of the same name, at its N.E. extremity, seven leagues [twenty-five miles] from Punta arena. The island of Puna is low, stretching fourteen leagues E. and W. and five leagues from N. to S.[164] It has a strong tide running along its shores, which are full of little creeks and harbours. The interior of this island consists of good pasture land, intermixed with some woodlands, producing various kinds of trees to us unknown. Among these are abundance of Palmitoes, a tree about the thickness of an ordinary ash, and thirty feet high, having a straight trunk without branches or leaf, except at the very top, which spreads out into many small branches three or four feet long. At the extremity of each of these is a single leaf, which at first resembles a fan plaited together, and then opens out like a large unfolded fan. The houses in the town of Puna are built on posts ten or twelve feet high, and are thatched with palmito leaves, the inhabitants having to go up to them by means of ladders. The best place for anchorage is directly opposite the town, in five fathoms, a cable's length from shore.

[Footnote 164: Puna is nearly forty English miles from N.E. to S.W. and about sixteen miles from N.W. to S.E.]

From Puna to Guayaquil is seven leagues, the entrance into the river of that name being two miles across, and it afterwards runs up into the country with a pretty straight course, the ground on both sides being marshy and full of red mangrove trees. About four miles below the town of Guayaquil, the river is divided into two channels by a small low island, that on the west being broadest, though the other is as deep. From the upper end of this island to the town is about a league, and the river about the same in breadth, in which a ship of large burden may ride safely, especially on the side nearest the town. The town of Guayaquil stands close to the river, being partly built on an ascent, and partly at the foot of a small hill, having a steep descent to the river. It is defended by two forts on the low grounds, and a third on the hill, and is one of the best ports belonging to the Spaniards in the South Sea. It is under the command of a governor, and is beautified by several fine churches and other good buildings. From this place they export cocoas, hides, tallow, sarsaparilla, drugs, and a kind of woollen cloth called Quito-cloth. The cocoas grow on both sides of the river above the town, having a smaller nut than those of Campeachy.[165] Sarsaparilla delights in watery places, near the side of the river.

[Footnote 165: The cacao, or chocolate-nut is probably here meant, not the cocoanut.—E.]

Quito is a populous place in the interior of the country, almost under the line, being in lat. 0 deg. 12' S. and long. 78 deg. 22' W. from Greenwich. It is inclosed by a ridge of high mountains, abounding in gold, being inhabited by a few Spaniards, and by many Indians under the Spanish dominion. The rivers or streams which descend from the surrounding mountains carry great abundance of gold dust in their course into the low grounds, especially after violent rains, and this gold is collected out of the sand by washing. Quito is reckoned the richest place for gold in all Peru,[166] but it is unwholesome, the inhabitants being subject to headaches, fevers, diarrhaes, and dysenteries; but Guayaquil is greatly more healthy. At Quito is made a considerable quantity of coarse woollen cloth, worn only by the lower class all over the kingdom of Peru.

[Footnote 166: Quito was annexed to the empire of Peru, not long before the Spanish conquest, but is now in the viceroyalty of New Granada.—E.]

Leaving our ships at Cape Blanco, we went in a bark and several canoes to make an attempt on Guayaquil, but were discovered, and returned therefore to our ships, in which we sailed for the island of Plata, in lat. 1 deg. 15' S. where we arrived on the 16th December. Having provided ourselves with water on the opposite coast of the continent, we set sail on the 23d with a brisk gale at S.S.W. directing our course for a town called Lovalia, in the bay of Panama. Next morning we passed in sight of Cape Passado, in lat. 0 deg. 28' S. being a very high round point, divided in the middle, bare towards the sea, but covered on the land side with fruit-trees, the land thereabout being hilly and covered with wood. Between this and Cape San Francisco there are many small points, inclosing as many sandy creeks full of trees of various kinds. Meaning to look out for canoes, we were indifferent what river we came to, so we endeavoured to make for the river of St Jago, by reason of its nearness to the island of Gallo, in which there is much gold, and where was good anchorage for our ships. We passed Cape St Francisco, whence to the north the land along the sea is full of trees of vast height and thickness.

Between this cape and the island of Gallo there are several large rivers, all of which we passed in our way to that of St Jago, a large navigable river in lat. 2 deg. N.[167] About seven leagues before it reaches the sea, this river divides into two branches, which inclose an island four leagues in circuit. Both branches are very deep, but the S.W. channel is the broadest, and the other has sand-banks at its mouth, which cannot be passed at low-water. Above the island the river is a league broad, having a straight channel and swift current, and is navigable three leagues up, but how much farther I know not. It runs through a very rich soil, producing all kinds of the tallest trees that are usually met with in this country, but especially red and white cotton-trees, and cabbage-trees of large size. The white cotton-tree grows not unlike an oak, but much bigger and taller, having a straight trunk, without branches to the top, where it sends out strong branches. The bark is very smooth, the leaves of the size of a plum-tree leaf, dark green, oval, smooth, and jagged at the ends. These trees are not always biggest near the roots, but often swell out to a great size in the middle of their trunks. They bear silk-cotton, which falls to the ground in November and December, but is not so substantial as that of the cotton-shrub, being rather like the down of thistles. Hence they do not think it worth being gathered in America; but in the East Indies it is used for stuffing pillows. The old leaves of this tree fall off in April, and are succeeded by fresh leaves in the course of a week. The red cotton-tree is somewhat less in size, but in other respects resembles the other, except that it produces no cotton. The wood is hard, though that of both kinds is somewhat spongy. Both are found in fat soils, both in the East and West Indies.

[Footnote 167: Nearly in the indicated latitude is the river of Patia, in the province of Barbacoas. The river St Jago of modern maps on this coast is in lat. 1 deg. 18' N. in the province of Atacames, or Esmeraldas.—E.]

The cabbage-tree is the tallest that is found in these woods, some exceeding 120 feet in height. It likewise is without boughs or branches to the top, where its branches are the thickness of a man's arm, and twelve or fourteen feet long. Two feet from the stem come forth many small long leaves of an inch broad, so thick and regular on both sides that they cover the whole branch. In the midst of these high branches is what is called the cabbage, which, when taken out of the outer leaves, is a foot in length, and as thick as the small of a man's leg, as white as milk, and both sweet and wholesome. Between the cabbages and the large branches many small twigs sprout out, two feet long and very close together, at the extremities of which grow hard round berries, about the size of cherries, which fall once a year on the ground, and are excellent food for hogs. The trunk has projecting rings half a foot asunder, the bark being thin and brittle, the wood hard and black, and the pith white. As the tree dies when deprived of its head, which is the cabbage, it is usually cut down before gathering the fruit.

As the coast and country of Lima has continual dry weather, so this northern part of Peru is seldom without rain, which is perhaps one reason why this part of the coast is so little known. Besides, in going from Panama to Lima, they seldom pass along the coast, but sail to the west as far as the Cobaya Islands, to meet the west winds, and thence stand over for Cape St Francisco. In returning to Panama, they keep along the coast, but being deeply laden, their ships are not fit to enter the rivers, the banks of which, and the seacoast, are covered with trees and bushes, and are therefore convenient for the natives to lie in ambush. The Indians have some plantations of maize and plantains, and also breed fowls and hogs. On the 27th December, 1684, we entered the river of St Jago [Patia] with four canoes by the lesser branch, and met with no inhabitants till six leagues from its mouth, where we observed two small huts thatched with palmito leaves. We saw at the same time several Indians, with their families and household goods, paddling up the river much faster than we could row, as they kept near the banks. On the opposite, or west side, we saw many other huts, about a league off but did not venture to cross the river, as the current was very rapid. In the two huts on the east side we only found a few plantains, some fowls, and one hog, which seemed to be of the European kind, such as the Spaniards brought formerly to America, and chiefly to Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Cuba, where, being previously marked, they feed in the woods all day, and are recalled to their pens at night by the sound of conch shells.

We returned next morning to the mouth of the river, intending to proceed to the isle of Gallo, where we had directed the ships to meet us. This small uninhabited island, in lat. 3 deg. N.[168] is situated in a spacious bay, three leagues from the river Tomaco, and four and a half from an Indian village of the same name. It is moderately high, and well stored with timber, having a good sandy bay at its N.E. end, near which is a fine stream of fresh water; and over against the bay there is good anchorage in six or seven fathoms. There is only one channel by which to approach this island, in which are four fathoms, and into which it is necessary to enter with the flood, and to come out with the ebb. The river Tomaco is supposed to have its origin in the rich mountains of Quito, and takes its name from that of a village on its banks.[169] The country on this river is well peopled by Indians, among whom are a few Spaniards, who traffic for gold with the natives. This river is so shallow at the mouth, that it can only be entered by barks. The town of Tomaco is small, and situated near the mouth of the river, being chiefly occupied by the Spaniards, who trade in this neighbourhood. From this place to that branch of the river St Jago where we were then at anchor is five leagues.

[Footnote 168: The lat. of Gallo is only 1 deg. 57' N. That assigned in the text would lead to the isle of Gorgona, in 2 deg. 54' N. but the description of our author suits much better with Gallo.—E.]

[Footnote 169: The island and point of Tomaco are placed in modern maps at the mouth of the Mira, off which are many islands, in lat. 1 deg. 40'N.]

As the land here is low and full of creeks, we left the river on the 21st December, and crossed these small bays in our canoes. In our way we saw an Indian hut, whence we took the master and all his family, and rowing forwards, we came to Tomaco at midnight. We here seized all the inhabitants, among whom was one Don Diego de Pinas, a Spanish knight, whose ship was at anchor not far off to load with timber, and in which we found thirteen jars of good wine, but no other loading. An Indian canoe came to us, in which were three natives, who were straight and well-limbed, but of low stature, having black hair, long visages, small eyes and noses, and dark complexions. Several of our men, who had gone seven or eight leagues up the river, returned on the 31st, bringing with them several ounces of gold, which they had found in a Spanish house, whence the inhabitants had fled.

On the 1st January, 1685, while going in our canoes from Tomaco to Gallo, we took a packet of letters in a Spanish boat bound from Panama to Lima, by which the president of Panama wrote to hasten the Plate fleet from Lima, as the armada from Spain had arrived in Porto Bello. This intelligence made us change our intention of proceeding to Lavelia, instead of which we now proposed to make for the Pearl Islands, not far from Panama, past which all ships bound from the south for Panama must necessarily pass. We accordingly sailed on the 7th, and next day took a vessel of ninety tons, laden with flour; and continuing our voyage with a gentle wind at S. we anchored on the 9th at the island of Gorgona, on its west side, in thirty-eight fathoms clean ground, two cables length from shore, in a sandy bay, the land round which is very low.

Gorgona is in lat. 2 deg. 54' N. twenty-five leagues from Gallo, and is remarkable for two high risings or hills called the Saddles. This island is two leagues long by one league broad, and is about four from the continent, having another small isle at its west end. It is full of tall trees, and is watered by many rivulets, having no animals except monkies, rabbits, and snakes. It is very subject to heavy rains, and the only observable difference in the seasons here is, that the rains are more moderate in summer. The sea around is so deep that there is no anchorage except at the west end, where the tide flows eight feet. Muscles and periwinkles are here in great plenty, and the monkies open the shells at low water. There are also abundance of pearl oysters, fixed to loose rocks by their beards, four, five, and six fathoms under water. These resemble our oysters, but are somewhat flatter and thinner in the shell, their flesh being slimy and not eatable, unless dried beforehand and afterwards boiled. Some shells contain twenty or thirty seed pearls, and others have one or two pearls of some size, lying at the head of the oyster, between the fish and the shell; but the inside of the shells have a brighter lustre than even the pearls.

The 13th January we pursued our voyage for Isla del Rey, being two men of war, two tenders a fire-ship, and a prize vessel. With the trade-wind at S. we sailed along the continent, having low land near the sea but seeing high mountains up the country. On the 16th we passed Cape Corientes, in lat. 5 deg. 32' N. being a high point with four small hillocks on the top, and at this place found a current setting to the north. The 21st we came in sight of Point Garachina, in lat. 7 deg. 20' N.[170] The land here being high and rocky, and without trees near the shore. Within the point there is plenty of oysters and muscles. About twelve leagues from this point are the islands called Islas del Rey, or the Pearl Islands.[171] Between these and the Point of Garachina there is a small flat barren island, called Galleria, near which we came to anchor.

[Footnote 170: Carachina Point is in lat. 8 deg. 10' N.]

[Footnote 171: The Isla del Rey is a considerable island in the bay of Panama, and the Archipelago de las Perlas are a multitude of [illegible] islets N. by W. from that island.—E.]

The King's or Pearl Islands, are a considerable number of low woody isles, seven leagues from the nearest continent, and twelve leagues from Panama, stretching fourteen leagues from N.W. by N. to S.E. by S. Though named Pearl Islands in the maps, I could never see any pearls about them. The northermost of these isles, called Pachea or Pacheque, which is very small, is eleven or twelve leagues from Panama; the most southerly is called St Paul's Island, and the rest, though larger, have no names. Some of them are planted with bananas, plantains, and rice by negroes belonging to the inhabitants of Panama. The channel between these islands and the continent is seven or eight leagues broad, of a moderate depth, and has good anchorage all the way. These isles lie very close together, yet have channels between them fit for boats.

At one end of St Paul's Island, there is a good careening place, in a deep channel inclosed by the land, into which the entrance is on the north side, where the tide rises ten feet. We brought our ships in on the 25th, being spring tide, and having first cleaned our barks, we sent them on the 27th to cruise towards Panama. The fourth day after, they brought us in a prize coming from Lavelia, laden with maize or Indian corn, salted beef and fowls. Lavelia is a large town on the bank of a river which runs into the north side of the bay of Panama, and is seven leagues from the sea; and Nata is another town situated in a plain on a branch of the same river.[172] These two places supply Panama with beef, hogs, fowls, and maize. In the harbour where we careened, we found abundance of oysters, muscles, limpits, and clams, which last are a kind of oysters, which stick so close to the rocks that they must be opened where they grow, by those who would come at their meat. We also found here some pigeons and turtle-doves.

[Footnote 172: From the circumstances in the text Lavelia seems to be the town now named San Francisco, near the head of the river Salado, which runs into the gulf Parita, on the west side of the bay of Panama.—E.]

Having well careened our ships by the 14th February, and provided a stock of wood and water, we sailed on the 18th, and came to anchor in the great channel between the isles and the continent, in fifteen fathoms, on soft ooze, and cruised next day towards Panama, about which the shore seemed very beautiful, interspersed with a variety of hills and many small thickets. About a league from the continent there are several small isles, partly ornamented with scattered trees, and the King's Isles on the opposite side of the channel give a delightful prospect, from their various shapes and situations. The 18th we went towards Panama, and anchored directly opposite Old Panama, once a place of note, but mostly laid in ashes by Sir Henry Morgan, and not since rebuilt. New Panama is about four leagues from the old town, near the side of a river, being a very handsome city, on a spacious bay of the same name, into which many long navigable rivers discharge their waters, some of which have gold in their sands. The country about Panama affords a delightful prospect from the sea, having a great diversity of hills, vallies, groves, and plains. The houses are mostly of brick, and pretty lofty, some being handsomely built, especially that inhabited by the president; the churches, monasteries, and other public edifices, making the finest appearance of any place I have seen in the Spanish West Indies. It is fortified by a high stone wall, mounted by a considerable number of guns, which were formerly only on the land side, but have now been added to the side next the sea. The city has vast trade, being the staple or emporium for all goods to and from Peru and Chili; besides that, every three years, when the Spanish armada comes to Porto Bello, the Plate fleet comes here with the treasure belonging to the king and the merchants, whence it is carried on mules by land to Porto Bello, at which time, from the vast concourse of people, everything here is enormously dear.

The Spanish armada, which comes every three years to the West Indies, arrives first at Carthagena, whence an express is dispatched by land to the viceroy at Lima, and two packets are also sent by sea, one for Lima, and the other for Mexico, which last I suppose goes by way of Vera Cruz. That for Lima goes first by land to Panama, and thence by sea to Lima. After remaining sixty days at Carthagena, the armada sails to Porto Bello, where it only remains thirty days to take in the royal treasure brought here from Panama, said to amount to twenty-four millions of dollars, besides treasure and goods belonging to the merchants. From Porto Bello the armada weighs always on the thirtieth day, but the admiral will sometimes stay a week longer at the mouth of the river, to oblige the merchants. It then returns to Carthagena, where it meets the king's money from that part of the country, as also a large Spanish galleon or patache, which, on the first arrival of the armada at Carthagena, had been dispatched along the coast to collect the royal treasure. The armada, after a set stay at Carthagena, sails for the Havannah, where a small squadron called the flota meets it from Vera Cruz, bringing the riches of Mexico, and the rich goods brought by the annual ship from Manilla. When all the ships are joined, they sail for Spain through the gulf of Florida.

Porto Bello is a very unhealthy place, on which account the merchants of Lima stay there as short time as possible. Panama is seated in a much better air, enjoying the sea-breeze every day from ten or eleven in the forenoon till eight or nine at night, when the land-breeze begins, and blows till next morning. Besides, on the land side Panama has an open champaign country, and is seldom troubled with fogs; neither is the rainy season, which continues from May till November, nearly so excessive as at Porto Bello, though severe enough in June, July, and August, in which season the merchants of Peru, who are accustomed to a constant serene air, without rains or fogs, are obliged to cut off their hair, to preserve them from fevers during their stay.

The 21st February, near the Perico islands opposite to Panama, we took another prize from Lavelia, laden with beeves, hogs, fowls, and salt. The 24th we went to the isle of Taboga, six leagues south of Panama. This island is three miles long and two broad, being very rocky and steep all round, except on the north side, where the shore has an easy dope. In the middle of the isle the soil is black and rich, where abundance of plantains and bananas are produced, and near the sea there are cocoa and mammee trees. These are large and straight in their stems, without knots, boughs, or branches, and sixty or seventy feet high. At the top there are many small branches set close together, bearing round fruit about the size of a large quince, covered with a grey rind, which is brittle before the fruit is ripe, but grows yellow when the fruit comes to maturity, and is then easily peeled off. The ripe fruit is also yellow, resembling a carrot in its flesh, and both smells and tastes well, having two rough flat kernels in the middle, about the size of large almonds. The S.W. side of this isle is covered with trees, affording abundant fuel, and the N. side has a fine stream of good water, which falls from the mountains into the sea. Near this there was formerly a pretty town with a handsome church, but it has been mostly destroyed by the privateers. There is good anchorage opposite this town a mile from the shore, in sixteen to eighteen fathoms on soft ooze. At the N.N.W. end is a small town called Tabogilla, and on the N.E. of this another small town or village without a name.

While at anchor near Tabogilla, we were in great danger from a pretended merchant, who brought a bark to us in the night, under pretence of being laden with merchandise to trade with us privately, but which was in reality a fire-ship fitted out for our destruction. But on her approach, some of our men hailed her to come to anchor, and even fired upon her, which so terrified the men that they got into their canoes, having first set her on fire, on which we cut our cables and got out of her way. This fire-ship was constructed and managed by one Bond, who formerly deserted from us to the Spaniards. While busied next morning in recovering our anchors, we discovered a whole fleet of canoes full of men, passing between Tabogilla and another isle. These proved to be French and English buccaneers, lately come from the North Sea across the isthmus of Darien, 200 of them being French and 80 English. These last were divides between our two ships, under Captains Davis and Swan; and the Frenchmen were put into our prize, named the Flower, under the command of Captain Gronet, their countryman, in return for which he offered commissions to Captains Davis and Swan, from the governor of Petite Goave, as it is the custom of the French privateers to carry with them blank commissions. Captain Davis accepted one, but Captain Swan had one already from the Duke of York.

Learning from these men that Captain Townley was coming across the isthmus of Darien with 180 Englishmen, we set sail on the 2d March for the gulf of San Miguel to meet Townley. This gulf is on the east side of the great Bay of Panama, in lat. 8 deg. 15' N. long. 79 deg. 10' W. thirty leagues S.E. from Panama; from whence the passage lies between Isola del Rey and the main. In this gulf many rivers discharge their waters. Its southern point is Cape Carachina, in lat. 8 deg. 6' N. and the northern, named Cape Gardo, is in lat. 8 deg. 18' N. The most noted rivers which discharge themselves into this gulf, are named Santa Maria, Sambo, and Congo. This last rises far within the country, and after being joined by many small streams on both sides of its course, falls into the north side of the gulf a league from Cape Gardo. It is deep and navigable for several leagues into the country, but not broad, and is neglected by the Spaniards owing to its nearness to the river of Santa Maria, where they have gold mines. Santa Maria is the largest of the rivers in this gulf, being navigable for eight or nine leagues, as far as the tide flows, above which it divides into several branches fit only for canoes. In this river the tide of flood rises eighteen feet. About the year 1665, the Spaniards built the town of Santa Maria, near six leagues up this river,[173] to be near the gold mines. I have been told, that, besides the gold usually procured out of the ore and sand, they sometimes find lumps wedged between the fissures of rocks as large as hens eggs or larger. One of these was got by Mr Harris, who got here 120 pounds weight of gold, and in his lump there were several crevices full of earth and dust.

[Footnote 173: In modern maps the river which seems to agree with this description of the Santa Maria, is called Tlace, one of the principal branches of which is named Chuchunque. The gold mines of Cana and Balsa are placed on some of its branches, on which likewise there are several towns, as Nisperal, Fichichi, Pungana, Praya, and Balsa.—E.]

The Spaniards employ their slaves to dig these mines in the dry season; but when the rivers overflow, as the mines cannot be then worked, the Indians wash the gold out of the sands that are forced down from the mountains, and which gold they sell to the Spaniards, who gain as much in that way as they do by their mines. During the wet season, the Spaniards retire with their slaves to Panama. Near the mouth of the Santa Maria, the Spaniards have lately built another town, called Scuchadores,[174] in a more airy situation than Santa Maria. The land all about the gulf of San Miguel is low and fertile, and is covered with great numbers of large trees.

[Footnote 174: This probably is that named Nisperal in modern geography, the appellation in the text being the Spanish name, and the other the name given by the Indians.—E.]

While crossing the isthmus, Gronet had seen Captain Townley and his crew at the town of Santa Maria, busied in making causes in which to embark on the South Sea, the town being at that time abandoned by the Spaniards; and on the 3d March, when we were steering for the gulf of San Miguel, we met Captain Townley and his crew in two barks which they had takes, one laden with brandy, wine, and sugar, and the other with flour. As he wanted room for his men, he distributed the jars among our ships, in which the Spaniards transport their brandy, wine, and oil. These jars hold seven or eight gallons each. Being now at anchor among the King's islands, but our water growing scarce, we sailed for Cape Carachina, in hopes of providing ourselves with that necessary article, and anchored within that cape, in four fathoms on the 22d. We here found the tide to rise nine feet, and the flood to set N.N.E. the ebb running S.S.W. The natives brought us some refreshments, but as they did not in the least understand Spanish, we supposed they had no intercourse with the Spaniards.

Finding no water here, we sailed for Porto Pinas, about fifty miles to the S. by W. in lat. 7 deg. 33' N. which is so named from the vast numbers of pine-trees which grow in its neighbourhood. The country here rises by a gentle ascent from the sea to a considerable height, and is pretty woody near the shore. At the entrance into the harbour there are two small rocks, which render the passage narrow, and the harbour within is rather small, besides which it is exposed to the S.W. wind. We sent our boats into this harbour for water, which they could not procure, owing to a heavy sea near the shore; wherefore we again made sail for Cape Carachina, where we arrived on the 29th March. On our way we took a canoe, in which were four Indians and a Mulatto, and as the last was found to have been in the fire-ship sent against us, he was hanged.

On the 11th of April we anchored among the King's isles, where we met with Captain Harris, who had come with some men by way of the river of Santa Maria. The 19th, 250 men were sent in canoes to the river Cheapo, to surprise the town of that name. The 21st we followed them to the island of Chepillo, directly opposite the mouth of the river Chepo, or Cheapo, in the bay of Panama, about seven leagues from the city of Panama, and one league from the continent. This is a pleasant island, about two miles long, and as much in breadth, low on the north side, but rising by a gentle ascent to the south. The soil is very good, and produces in the low grounds great store of fine fruits, as plantains, mammees, sapotas, sapadillos, avogato pears, star-apples, and others. Half a mile from shore there is good anchorage, opposite to which is a very good spring of fresh-water near the sea.

The Sapadillo-tree is altogether like a pear-tree, and the fruit resembles a bergamot pear, but somewhat longer. When first gathered it is hard and the juice clammy; but after keeping a few days it becomes juicy and sweet. It has two or three black kernels, resembling pomegranate seeds. The Avogato-tree is higher than our pear-trees, having a black smooth bark, and oval leaves. The fruit is about the size of a large lemon, green at first, but becomes yellow when ripe, having a yellowish pulp as soft as butter. After being three or four days gathered, the rind comes easily off, and as the fruit is insipid it is commonly eaten with sugar and limejuice, being esteemed a great provocative by the Spaniards, who have therefore planted them in most of their settlements on the Atlantic. It has a stone within as large as a horse-plum. The Sapota-tree, or Mammee-sapota, is neither so large nor so tall as the wild mammae at Taboga, nor is the fruit so large or so round. The rind is smooth, and the pulp, which is pleasant and wholesome, is quite red, with a rough longish stone. There are also here some wild mammee-trees, which grow very tall and straight, and are fit for masts, but the fruit is not esteemed. The tree producing the star-apples resembles our quince-tree, but is much larger, and has abundance of broad oval leaves. The fruit is as big as a large apple, and is reckoned very good, but I never tasted it.

The river Chepo, or Cheapo, rises in the mountains near the north side of the isthmus, being inclosed between a northern and southern range, between which it makes its way to the S.W. after which it describes nearly a semicircle, and runs gently into the sea about seven leagues E. from Panama, in lat. 9 deg. 3' N. long. 79 deg. 51' W. Its mouth is very deep, and a quarter of a mile broad, but is so obstructed at the entrance by sands as only to be navigable by barks. About six leagues from the sea stands the city of Cheapo, on the left bunk of the river.[175] This place stands in a champaign country, affording a very pleasant prospect, as it has various hills in the neighbourhood covered with wood, though most of the adjacent lands are pasture-grounds to the north of the river, but the country south from the river is covered with wood for many miles.

[Footnote 175: In modern maps the town of Chepo is placed on the right bank of the river, as descending the stream, and only about five miles up the river.—E.]

Our men returned from Cheapo on the 24th, having taken that town without opposition, but found nothing there worth mention. The 25th we were joined by Captain Harris, and arrived at Taboga on the 28th, when, finding ourselves nearly a thousand strong, we meditated an attack on Panama; but, being informed by our prisoners that the Spaniards there had received considerable reinforcements from Porto Bello, that design was laid aside. The 25th May we had intelligence from some prisoners that the Lima fleet was daily expected, whereupon we anchored in a narrow channel, a mile long and not above seven paces wide, formed by two or three small islands on the south side of the island of Pacheque. Our fleet now consisted of ten sail, only two of which were ships of war, that commanded by Captain Davis having 36 guns and 156, while Captain Swan's carried 16 guns and 140 men. The rest were only provided with small arms, and our whole force amounted to 960 men. We had also a fire-ship.

Hitherto we had the wind at N.N.E. with fair weather, but on the 28th of May the rainy season began. On that day, about 11 a.m. it began to clear up, and we discovered the Spanish fleet three leagues W.N.W. from the island of Pacheque, standing to the east, we being then at anchor a league S.E. from that isle, between it and the continent. We set sail about three p.m. bearing down upon the Spaniards right before the wind, while they kept close upon a wind to meet us. Night coming on, we only exchanged a few shots at that time. As soon as it began to be dark, the Spanish admiral shewed a light at his top, as a signal for his fleet to anchor. In half an hour this was taken down; but soon after a light appeared as before, which went to leewards, which we followed under sail, supposing it to be still the admiral; but this was a stratagem of the Spaniards to deceive as, being at the top-mast head of one of their barks, and effectually succeeded, as we found in the morning they had gained the weather-gage of us. They now bore down upon us under full sail, so that we were forced to make a running fight all next day, almost quite round the bay of Panama, and came at length to anchor over against the island of Pacheque. As Captain Townley was hard pressed by the Spaniards, he was forced to make a bold run through the before-mentioned narrow channel, between Pacheque and the three small islands; and Captain Harris was obliged to separate from us during the fight. Thus our long-projected design vanished into smoke.

According to the report of some prisoners taken afterwards, the Spanish fleet consisted of fourteen sail, besides periagoes, or large boats of twelve or fourteen oars each, and among these there were eight ships of good force, mounting from eight to forty-eight guns, with two fire-ships, and computed to contain 3000 men. In the morning of the 30th we saw the Spanish fleet at anchor, three leagues from us to leeward, and by ten a.m. they were under sail with an easy gale from the S. making the best of their way to Panama. In this affair we had but one man slain, but never knew the loss sustained by the Spaniards. Captain Gronet and his Frenchmen never joined us in this fight, laying the fault upon his men, wherefore he was ordered in a consultation to leave us; after which we resolved to sail for the islands of Quibo, or Cobaya, in quest of Captain Harris.

We sailed on the 1st June, 1685, with the wind at S.S.W. passing between Cape Carachina and Islas del Rey. The 10th we came in sight of Moro de Puercos, a high round hill on the coast of Lavelia, in lat. 7 deg. 12' N. round which the coast makes a turn northwards to the isles of Quibo. On this part of the coast there are many rivers and creeks, but not near so large as those on the east side of the bay of Panama. Near the sea this western coast of the bay is partly hilly and partly low land, with many thick woods, but in the interior there are extensive savannahs or fruitful plains, well stored with cattle. Some of the rivers on this side produce gold, but not in such abundance as on the other side; and there are hardly any Spanish settlements on this side, except along the rivers leading to Lavelia and Nata, which are the only places I know of between Panama and Pueblo nova. From Panama there is good travelling all over Mexico, through savannahs or plains; but towards Peru there is no passage by land beyond the river Chepo, by reason of thick woods and many rivers and mountains.

We arrived at the isle of Quibo on the 15th June, where we found Captain Harris. This isle is in lat 7 deg. 26' N. and long. 82 deg. 13' W. It is near seven leagues long by four broad, being all low land, except at its N.E. end, on which side, and also to the east, there is excellent water. It abounds in many kinds of trees, among which are great numbers of deer and black monkeys, the flesh of which is reckoned very wholesome; and it has some guanas and snakes. A sand-bank runs out half a mile into the sea from the S.E. end of this island, and on its east side, a league to the north of this, there is a rock a mile from the shore, which is seen above water at last quarter of the ebb. In all other places there is safe anchorage a quarter of a mile from the shore, in six, eight, ten, and twelve fathoms, on clean sand and ooze. The isle of Quicarra, to the south of Quibo, is pretty large; and to the north of it is a small isle named Ranchina, which produces great plenty of certain trees called Palma-Maria. These are straight, tough, and of good length, and are consequently fit for masts, the grain of the wood having a gradual twist or spiral direction; but, notwithstanding the name, they have no resemblance to palms. To the N.E. of Quibo are the small islands of Canales and Cantarras, in the channels between which there is good anchorage. These islands have plenty of wood and water, and appear at a distance as if part of the continent; and as the island of Quibo is the most considerable, these isles are generally named collectively the Quibo islands.

Having failed in our designs at sea, it was agreed to try our fortune on land, and the city of Leon, near the coast of Nicaragua in Mexico, was pitched upon, as being nearest us. Being in want of canoes for landing our men, we cut down trees to make as many as we had occasion for, and in the mean time 150 men were detached to take Puebla nova, a town on the continent, near the Quibo island,[176] in hopes of getting some provisions. They easily took that town, but got nothing there except an empty bark, and returned to us on the 26th June. Captain Knight came back to us on the 5th July, having been farther to the west, but meeting with no prize, he had gone south to the bay of Guayaquil, where he took two barco-longas, with wine, oil, brandy, sugar, soap, and other commodities. Knight learnt from his prisoners that certain merchant ships, designed to have accompanied the Spanish fleet to Panama, remained behind at Payta, which he might easily have taken if he had been provided with a stronger force.

[Footnote 176: The only place in modern geography resembling the name, and agreeing with the description in the text, is San Pablo on the S. coast of Veragua, in lat. 8 deg. 9' N. and long. 83 deg. W. from Greenwich.—E.]

Our canoes being all ready, we sailed from Quibo on the 20th July towards Realejo, a port a small way to the N.W. of Leon, being now 640 men, with eight ships, three tenders, and a fire-ship. Coasting along to the N.W. we passed the gulfs of Dulce and Nicoya, and the Isla del Cano, the land along the coast being low and covered with wood, but almost destitute of inhabitants. August 8th, in lat. 11 deg. 20' N. we got sight of Volcano viejo, or Old Volcano, the sea-mark for Realejo, bearing from us N.E. by N. when we made ready to land next day. Accordingly, we sent 520 men on the 9th in thirty-one canoes to attack the harbour of Realejo. The weather was fair and the wind favourable till two p.m. when a tempest arose, attended by thunder and lightning, which almost overwhelmed us in the sea. It subsided, however, in half an hoar, as did the agitation of the waves; it being observable in these hot climates that the waves soon rise and soon fall. It became calm about seven p.m. but as we could not get ready to land that night before day, being then five leagues from shore, we remained nearly in the same place till next evening, that we might not be discovered.

About three next morning another tornado had nearly put an end to us and our enterprise, but it did not last long, and we entered the creek, on the S.E. side of the harbour, leading to Realejo in the night, but durst not proceed further till day-break. We then rowed deeper into the creek, which is very narrow, the land on both sides being very marshy and full of mangrove trees, through among which it is impossible to pass, and beyond these, where the ground is firm, the Spaniards had cast up a small entrenchment. We rowed as fast as we could and landed 470 men, the remainder, among whom I was, being left to guard the canoes.

The city of Leon stands twenty miles up the country in a sandy plain, near a peaked burning mountain, called El Rico, or the Volcano of Leon, the way to that city from where our people landed being through a champaign country covered with long grass. Between the landing place and the city were several sugar works, and about midway a beautiful river, but fordable. Two miles before coming to the city there was an Indian town, whence a pleasant sandy road led to the city. The houses in Leon were large and built of stone, but low and roofed with tiles, having many gardens among them, with a cathedral and three other churches. It stands in an extensive sandy plain or savannah, which absorbs all the rain, and being entirely free from wood, it has free access to the breezes on all sides. These circumstances render it a healthy and pleasant place, but not of much commerce, all the wealth of its inhabitants consisting in cattle and sugar works.

Our people began their march for Leon at eight a.m. the van consisting of eighty of the briskest men, being led by Captain Townly. He was followed by Captain Swan with 100 men, and Captain Davis, assisted by Captain Knight, brought up the rear with 170 men.[177] Captain Townley, being two miles in advance of the rest, and having repulsed a body of seventy horse about four miles short of Leon, pushed forwards with his vanguard, and entered the city without farther resistance at three p.m. He was then opposed by 500 foot and 200 horse, first in a broad street, and afterwards in the great market-place; but the horse soon galloped off, and were followed by the foot, leaving the city to the mercy of our people. Captain Swan reached the city at four p.m. Davis about five, and Knight with the remainder at six. The Spaniards only killed one of our men, who was very old and had loitered behind, refusing to accept quarter, and took another named Smith. The governor sent word next day, offering to ransom the town; on which our officers demanded 30,000 pieces of eight, or Spanish dollars, together with provisions for 1000 men for four months, which terms being refused, our people set the city on fire on the 14th of August, and rejoined the canoes next morning. Smith was exchanged for a gentlewoman, and a gentleman who had been made prisoner was released, on promise to deliver 150 oxen for his ransom at Realejo, the place we intended next to attack.

[Footnote 177: Only 350 men are here accounted for, though 470 are said to have marched on this enterprise, leaving a difference of 120 men: perhaps these made a separate corps under Knight, as he seems to have fallen considerably in the rear of Davis.—E.]

In the afternoon of the 16th we came to the harbour of Realejo in our canoes, our ships having come there to anchor. The creek leading to Realejo extends north from the N.W. part of the harbour, being nearly two leagues from the island at the mouth of the harbour to the town. The first two-thirds of this distance the creek is broad, after which it closes into a deep narrow channel, lined on both sides by many cocoa-trees. A mile from the entrance the creek winds towards the west, and here the Spaniards had thrown up an entrenchment, fronting the entrance of the creek, and defended by 100 soldiers and twenty guns, having a boom of trees thrown across the creek, so that they might easily have beaten off 1000 men, but they wanted courage to defend their excellent post; for on our firing two guns they all ran away, leaving us at liberty to cut the boom. We then landed and marched to the town of Realejo, a fine borough about a mile from thence, seated in a plain on a small river. It had three churches and an hospital, but is seated among fens and marshes, which send forth a noisome scent, and render it very unhealthy. The country round has many sugar works and cattle pens, and great quantities of pitch, tar, and cordage are made by the people. It also abounds in melons, pine-apples, guavas, and prickly pears.