A.D. 



1587. 



'N ombre de 

 D'los in 9. 

 deg. and one 

 tierce. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



as other marchandize ; so likewise the most part of 

 those commodities which are caried to Peru, and the 

 rest of the marchandize are carried to the river of 

 Chagre which is some 18 leagues from this citie and it 

 is brought up by this river within five leagues of 

 Panama unto an Inne or lodge called Venta de Cruzes, 

 and from this place afterwards they are transported to 

 Panama upon Mules. The high way which goeth from 

 Nombre de Dios to Panama may be very wel mended, 

 only to remoove this way and to stop it quite up, and 

 so to make it againe upon the side of a mountaine. 

 This citie lieth in nine degrees and one tierce, and if 

 your majestie will give order that this citie should be 

 plucked downe and newly builded againe in Puerto 

 Bello, then you are to make a new way through the 

 mountains of Capira, by reason it may not be fre- 

 quented and because the high wayes are very bad : 

 with little charges they may be broken and so shut up, 

 and the channell of this harbour may bee stopt with 

 the timber of those old ships which are laid up here 

 every yeere, and then afterwards may be cast a great 

 number of stones into the same, and so by this meanes 

 to damme up the harbour : and here is great want of 

 stones to ballast the shippes : wherefore they are faine 

 to goe to an Island three leagues from Cartagena called 

 Isla de los Bastimentos, and this is a thing very neede- 

 full for this Countrey, as by experience I have seene. 



Puerto Bello. 



PUerto Bello lieth ^y^ leagues from Nombre de Dios 

 Westward : It is a very good harbour and sufficient 

 to receive great store of ships, and hath very good anker- 

 ing, and fresh water : for neere the shore you shall find 

 some sixe fathome water, and in the middest of the same 

 harbour you shall find twelve fathome, very good and 

 cleane ground or sand, without eyther banks or rockes. 

 There are twelve small rivers or brookes of water which 

 doe belong to this harbour, and so doe meete all together : 



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