JOHN CHILTON a.d. 



1570. 

 which I caried with me to the port of Cavallos, lying in Puerto deCa- 

 the kingdome of Honduras, which port is a mighty huge ^^^^^^^ ^ ^"^^^ 

 gulfe, and at the comming in on the one side of it there 

 lieth a towne of little force without ordinance or any 

 other strength, having in it houses of straw : at which 

 towne the Spanyards use yeerely in the moneth of 

 August to unlade foure ships which come out of 

 Spaine laden with rich merchandise, and receive in heere 

 againe their lading of a kinde of merchandise called 

 Annile and Cochinilla (although it be not of such value 

 as that of Nova Hispania) and silver of the mines of 

 Tomaangua, and golde of Nicaragua, and hides, and 

 Salsa perilla, the best in all the Indies : all which merchan- 

 dize they returne, and depart from thence alwayes in the 

 moneth of April following, taking their course by the 

 Island of Jamaica, in which Island there dwell on the 

 West side of it certeine Spanyards of no great number. 

 From this place they go to the cape of S. Anthony, which 

 is the uttermost part of the Westward of the Island of 

 Cuba, and from thence to Havana lying hard by, which is ^}^ ^^^^''^^' 

 the chiefest port that the king of Spaine hath in all the ^^Uam'^^^^ 

 countreys of the Indies, and of greatest importance : for 

 all the ships, both from Peru, Hunduras, Porto rico, S. 

 Domingo, Jamaica, and all other places in his Indies, 

 arrive there in their returne to Spaine, for that in this 

 port they take in victuals and water, and the most part of 

 their lading : here they meet from all the foresayd places 

 alwayes in the beginning of May by the kings commande- 

 ment : at the entrance of this port it is so narrow, that 

 there can scarse come in two ships together, although it 

 be above sixe fadome deepe in the narrowest place of it. 

 In the North side of the comming in there standeth a 

 tower, in which there watcheth every day a man to 

 descrie the sailes of ships which hee can see on the sea ; 

 and as many as he discovereth, so many banners he 

 setteth upon the tower, that the people of the towne 

 (which standeth within the port about a mile from the 

 tower) may understand thereof. Under this tower there 



367 



