against us we could have kept them out. If they lay with guard-ships of strength to keep us in, yet we had a great country to live in, and a great nation of Indians that were our friends. Besides, which was the principal thing, we had the North Seas to befriend us; from whence we could export ourselves or effects, or import goods or men to our assistance; for in a short time we should have had assistance from all parts of the West Indies, many thousands of Privateers from Jamaica and the French islands especially would have flocked over to us, and long before this time we might have been masters not only of those mines (the richest gold mines ever yet found in America), but of all the coast as high as Quito; and much more than I say might then probably have been done. But these may seem to the reader but golden dreams. To leave them, therefore; the 13th day we sailed from Point Arenas towards Plata, to seek our bark that was sent to the Island of Lobos in search of Captain Eaton. We were two ships in company, and two barks; and the 16th day we arrived at Plata, but found no bark there, nor any letter. The next day we went over to the main to fill water, and in our passage met our bark; she had been a second time at the Island of Lobos, and, not finding us, was coming to Plata again. They had been in some want of provision since they left us, and therefore they had been at Santa Elena and taken it; where they got as much maize as served them three or four days; and that, with some fish and turtle which they struck, lasted them till they came to the Island of Lobos de Tierra. They got boobies' and penguins' eggs, of which they laid in a store; and went from thence to Lobos de la Mar, where they replenished their stock of eggs, and salted up a few young seal, for fear they should want; and being thus victualled, they returned again towards Plata. When our water was filled we went over again to the Island of Plata. There we parted the cloths that were taken in the cloth-bark into two lots or shares; Captain Davis and his men had one part, and Captain Swan and his men had the other part. The bark which the cloth was in, Captain Swan kept for a tender. At this time there were at Plata a great many large turtle, which I judge came from the Galapagos; for I had never seen any here before, though I had been here several times: this was their coupling-time, which is much sooner in the year here than in the West Indies properly so called. Our strikers brought aboard every day more than we could eat. Captain Swan had no striker, and therefore had no turtle but what was sent him from Captain Davis; and all his flour too he had from Captain Davis : but since our disappointment at Guayaquil, Captain Davis's men murmured against Captain Swan, and did not willingly give him any provision, because he was not so forward to go thither as Captain Davis. However, at last these differences were made up, and we concluded to go into the Bay of Panama, to a town called La Velia; but because we had not canoes enough to land our men, we were resolved to search some rivers where the Spaniards have no commerce, there to get Indian canoes. CHAPTER VII. THE 23d of December 1684, we sailed from the Island of Plata towards the Bay of Panama; the wind at SSE., a fine brisk gale, and fair weather. The next morning we passed by Cape Pasado. This cape is in Lat. 0° 28′ S. of the Equator. It runs out into the sea with a high round point, which seems to be divided in the midst. It is bald against the sea,1 but within land, and on both sides, it is full of short trees. The land in the country is very high and moun tainous, and it appears to be very woody. Between Cape Pasado and Cape San Francisco, the land by the 1 Bare on the side facing the sea. 1684.] A SEARCH MADE FOR CANOES. sea is full of small points, making as many little sandy bays between them, and is of an indifferent height, covered with trees of divers sorts. It was to the River Santiago that we were bound to seek for canoes; therefore the 26th, supposing ourselves to be abreast of it, we went from our ships with four canoes. The 27th in the morning we entered at half flood into the smaller branch of that river, and rowed up six leagues before we met any inhabitants. There we found two small huts thatched with palmetto leaves. The Indians, seeing us rowing towards their houses, got their wives and little ones, with their household-stuff, into their canoes, and paddled away faster than we could row; for we were forced to keep in the middle of the river because of our oars, but they with their paddles kept close under the banks, and so had not the strength of the stream against them as we had. These huts were close by the river on the east side of it, just against the end of the island. We saw a great many other houses a league from us on the other side of the river; but the main stream into which we were now come, seemed to be so swift, that we were afraid to put over for fear we should not be able to get back again. We found only a hog, some fowls, and plantains in the huts; we killed the hog and the fowls, which were dressed presently. Their hogs they got, as I suppose, from the Spaniards by some accident, or from some neighbouring Indians who converse with the Spaniards; for this that we took was of their European kind, which the Spaniards have 1 Passing Cape San Francisco, they came to the River Santiago (now supposed to be the River Mira, which, rising N. of Quito, enters the sea S. of the Bay of Tumaco), where it was their intention to search for canoes. The land near the river's mouth is of a deep black mould, producing both the cotton and the cabbage trees in great abundance. The particular description of these trees is now omitted. 2 Have intercourse. 4 185 introduced into America very plenti Spanish merchants that come to Gallo to load timber, or to traffic with the Indians for gold. From the branch of the River Santiago, where we now lay, to Tumaco is about five leagues; the land low, and full of creeks, so that canoes may pass within land through those creeks, and from thence into Tumaco River. [On the 28th they left the River Santiago, and coming to Tumaco town about 12 o'clock at night, they took all the inhabitants of the village, including a Spanish knight called Don Diego de Pinas, who had come in a ship from Lima to lade timber. On the 1st of January 1685, they went from Tumaco towards Gallo. On the way they had news of a Spanish Armada, which they determined to try and intercept among the King's Islands. On the 8th they took a ship laden with about ninety tons of flour.] We jogged on after this with a gentle gale towards Gorgona, an island lying about twenty-five leagues from the Island of Gallo. The 9th we anchored at Gorgona, on the west side of the island, in thirty-eight fathoms, clean ground, not two cables' length from the shore. Gorgona is an uninhabited island, in Lat. about 3° N. It is a pretty high island, and very remarkable by reason of two saddles, or risings and fallings, on the top. It is about two leagues long, and a league broad, and it is four leagues from the main. At the west end is another small island. The soil or mould of it is black and deep in the low ground, but on the side of the high land it is a kind of a red clay. This island is very well clothed with large trees of several sorts, that are flourishing and green all the year. It is very well watered with small brooks that issue from the high land. Here are a great many little black monkeys, some Indian conies, and a few snakes, which are all the land animals that I know there. Here are pearl oysters in great plenty; they grow to the loose rocks in four, five, or six fathoms water, by beards or little small roots, as a mussel. These oysters are commonly flatter and thinner than other oysters, otherwise much alike in shape. The fish is not sweet, nor very wholesome; it is as slimy as a shell snail. They taste very copperish, if eaten raw, and are best boiled. The Indians, who gather them for the Spaniards, hang the meat of them on strings, like Jews'ears,1 and dry them before they eat them. The pearl is found at the head of the oyster, lying between the meat and the shell. Some will have twenty or thirty small seed pearls, some none at all, and some will have one or two pretty large ones. The inside of the shell is more glorious than the pearl itself. I did never see any in the South Seas but here. It is reported there are some at the south end of California. In the West Indies, the Rancho Reys or Rancherias, spoken of in Chapter III.,2 is the place where they are found most plentifully. It is said there are some at the Island of Margarita, near St Augustine, a town in the Gulf of Florida, &c. In the East Indies, the Island of Ainam,3 near the south end of China, is said to have plenty of these oysters, more productive of large round pearls than those in other places. They are found also in other parts of the East Indies, and on the Persian coast. At this Island of Gorgona we rummaged our prize, and found a few boxes of marmalade, and three or four jars of brandy, which were equally shared between Captain Davis, Captain Swan, and their men. Here we filled all our water, and Captain Swan furnished himself with flour; afterwards we turned ashore a great many prisoners, but kept the chief to put them ashore in a better place. The 13th we sailed from hence toward the King's Islands. We were now six sail-two men-of-war, two tenders, a fireship, and the prize. The 16th we passed by Cape Corrientes. This cape is in Lat. 5° 10' [N.]; it is high 1 A tough, thin, rumpled fungus, like a flat and variously-hollowed cup. See page 143. 3 Hai-man, in the Gulf of Tonquin. 1685.] THE KING'S ISLANDS. 187 The bluff land, with three or four small | all this range is called Pacheca or hillocks on the top. It appears at a Pacheque; this is but a small island, distance like an island. The day distant from Panama eleven or twelve after we passed by the cape, we saw leagues. The southernmost of them a small white island, which we chased, is called St Paul's. Some of these supposing it had been a sail, till, islands are planted with plantains coming near, we found our error. and bananas, and there are fields of The 21st we saw Point Garachina. rice on others of them. The gentleThis point is in Lat. 7° 20′ N.; it is men of Panama, to whom they belong, pretty high land, rocky, and destitute keep Negroes there to plant, weed, of trees, yet within land it is woody. and husband the plantations. Many It is fenced with rocks against the of them, especially the largest, are sea. Within the point by the sea, wholly untilled, yet very good fat at low water, you may find store of land, full of large trees. These unoysters and mussels. The King's planted islands shelter many runaway Islands, or Pearl Keys, are about Negroes, who abscond in the woods twelve leagues distant from this point. all day, and in the night boldly pilBetween Point Garachina and them lage the plantain walks. Betwixt there is a small, low, flat, barren these islands and the main is a chanisland called Galera, at which Captain nel of seven or eight leagues wide; Harris was sharing with his men the there is good depth of water, and gold he took in his pillaging Santa good anchoring all the way. Maria, which I spoke of a little be- islands border thick on each other, fore, when on a sudden five Spanish yet they make many small, narrow, barks, fitted out on purpose at Pana- deep channels fit only for boats to ma, came upon him; but he fought pass between most of them. At the them so stoutly with one small bark SE. end, about a league from St he had and some few canoes, boarding Paul's Island, there is a good place their admiral particularly, that they for ships to careen or haul ashore. were all glad to leave him. By this It is surrounded with the land, and island we anchored, and sent our has a good deep channel on the boats to the King's Islands for a north side to go in at. The tide rises good careening place. here about ten feet perpendicular. We brought our ships into this place on the 25th, but were forced to tarry for a spring-tide before we could have water enough to clean them; therefore we first cleaned our barks, that they might cruise before Panama while we lay there. The 27th, our barks being clean, we sent them out with twenty men in each. The fourth day after, they returned with a prize laden with maize or Indian corn, salt beef, and fowls. She came from Lavelia, and was bound to Panama. Lavelia is a town we once designed to attempt; it is pretty large, and stands on the banks of a river on the north side of the Bay of Panama, six or seven leagues from the sea. is another such town, standing in a plain near another branch of the same river. In these towns, and some The King's Islands are a great many low, woody islands lying NW. by N. and SE. by S. They are about seven leagues from the main, and fourteen leagues in length, and from Panama about twelve leagues. Why they are called the King's Islands I know not; they are sometimes, and mostly in maps, called the Pearl Islands. I cannot imagine wherefore they are called so, for I did never see one pearl oyster about them, nor any pearl oyster shells; but on the other oysters I have made many a meal there. The northernmost island of 1 It is really in 8° 10′ N. 2 The Isola del Rey, or King's Island, is an island of considerable size in the Bay of Panama; and the Pearl Keys are an archipelago of small islets between King's Island and the coast to the north-west. 3 Hide. Nata others on the same coast, they breed | town. It gives name to a large bay, hogs, fowls, bulls, and cows, and plant maize, purposely for the support of Panama, which is supplied with provision mostly from other towns and the neighbouring islands.1 The 14th of February 1685, we made an end of cleaning our ship, filled all our water, and stocked ourselves with firewood. The 15th, we went out from among the islands, and anchored in the channel between them and the main, in twenty-five fathoms water, soft oozy ground. The Plate Fleet was not yet arrived; therefore we intended to cruise before the city of Panama, which is from this place about twenty-five leagues. The next day we sailed towards Panama, passing in the channel between the King's Islands and the main. When we came abreast of Old Panama we anchored, and sent our canoe ashore with our prisoner Don Diego de Pinas, with a letter to the Governor, to treat about an exchange for our man they had spirited away, as I said, and another Captain Harris left in the River of Santa Maria the year before, coming overland. Don Diego was desirous to go on the errand in the name and with the consent of the rest of our Spanish prisoners; but by some accident he was killed before he got ashore, as we heard afterwards. Old Panama was formerly a famous place; but it was taken by Sir Henry Morgan about the year 1673,2 and at that time great part of it was burned to ashes, and it was never re-edified since. New Panama is a very fair city, standing close by the sea, about four miles from the ruins of the old 1 The island where they here careened their ships is described as being environed with rocks, on which they gathered abundance of oysters, clams, mussels, and limpets. Really at the end of January 1671, when Morgan and his men committed atrocities that made the capture of Panama conspicuous even among the brutal records of the Buccaneers. which is famous for a great many navigable rivers, some whereof are very rich in gold; it is also very pleasantly sprinkled with islands that are not only profitable to their owners, but very delightful to the passengers and seamen that sail by them. It is encompassed on the back side with a pleasant country, which is full of small hills and valleys, beautified with many groves and spots of trees, that appear in the savannahs like so many little islands. This city is encompassed with a high stone wall; the houses are said to be of brick; their roofs appear higher than the top of the city wall. It is beautified with a great many fair churches and religious houses, besides the Presid ent's house, and other eminent buildings; which altogether make one of the finest objects that I did ever see, in America especially. There are a great many guns on the walls, most of which look toward the land. They had none at all against the sea when I first entered those seas with Captain Sawkins, Captain Coxon, Captain Sharpe, and others; for till then they did not fear any enemy by sea: but since then they have planted guns clear round. This is a flourishing city, by reason it is a thoroughfare for all imported or exported goods and treasure to and from all parts of Peru and Chili, whereof their storehouses are never empty. The road also is seldom or never without ships. Besides, once in three years, when the Spanish Armada comes to Porto Bello, then the Plate Fleet also from Lima comes hither with the King's treasure, and abundance of merchant ships full of goods and plate. At that time the city is full of merchants and gentlemen; the seamen are busy in landing the treasure and goods, and the carriers or caravanmasters employed in carrying it overland on mules, in vast droves every day, to Porto Bello, and bringing back European goods from thence. Though the city be then so full, yet during this heat of business there is no hiring of an ordinary slave under a piece of eight a-day; houses |