Volume X Part 18 (2/2)
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 sh.o.r.e.
[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 s.h.i.+p 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 12' S. and long. 78 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 was.h.i.+ng. 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 quant.i.ty of coa.r.s.e woollen cloth, worn only by the lower cla.s.s 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 s.h.i.+ps 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 s.h.i.+ps, in which we sailed for the island of Plata, in lat. 1 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 pa.s.sed in sight of Cape _Pa.s.sado_, in lat. 0 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 s.h.i.+ps. We pa.s.sed 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 pa.s.sed in our way to that of St Jago, a large navigable river in lat. 2 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 pa.s.sed 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 lat.i.tude is the river of Patia, in the province of Barbacoas. The river St Jago of modern maps on this coast is in lat. 1 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 pa.s.s 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 s.h.i.+ps 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 sh.e.l.ls.
We returned next morning to the mouth of the river, intending to proceed to the isle of _Gallo_, where we had directed the s.h.i.+ps to meet us. This small uninhabited island, in lat. 3 N.[168] is situated in a s.p.a.cious 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 57' N. That a.s.signed in the text would lead to the isle of Gorgona, in 2 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 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 s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+ps bound from the south for Panama must necessarily pa.s.s. 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 anch.o.r.ed on the 9th at the island of _Gorgona_, on its west side, in thirty-eight fathoms clean ground, two cables length from sh.o.r.e, in a sandy bay, the land round which is very low.
_Gorgona_ is in lat. 2 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 sh.e.l.ls 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 sh.e.l.l, their flesh being slimy and not eatable, unless dried beforehand and afterwards boiled. Some sh.e.l.ls 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 sh.e.l.l; but the inside of the sh.e.l.ls have a brighter l.u.s.tre than even the pearls.
The 13th January we pursued our voyage for _Isla del Rey_, being two men of war, two tenders a fire-s.h.i.+p, 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 pa.s.sed Cape _Corientes_, in lat. 5 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 20'
N.[170] The land here being high and rocky, and without trees near the sh.o.r.e. 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 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 mult.i.tude of [illegible]
islets N. by W. from that island.--E.]
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