AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1587. 



citizens, and twenty musketters being planted upon a 

 mount which lieth over the fort, will bee sufficient to 

 defende us from a good many of our enemies, that 

 shoulde come to assault us, because all the countrey is full 

 of rockes and stones, and full of mountaines. So from 

 this wood there may a way be made to goe to the citie, 

 and to joyne with that way which shall goe to Panama ; 

 and this may bee done with small charges. This harbour 

 doth lie in nine degrees and one tierce, and if occasion 

 shoulde serve wee may stop up the way which doth goe 

 [III. 554.] to Capira, and the rest of the wayes which goe from 

 Nombre de Dios to Venta de Cruzes, according as it is 

 certified me by the Negros called Simerons ; for they 

 told me that this way would not bee very troublesome. 

 Although in the Winter it is reported that here is good 

 store of water in this place, which in the Sommer is all 

 dryed up, and where these waters are, there we may 

 builde a causey, to which purpose there are great 

 quantities of stones and timber very serviceable : so this 

 way may bee made with that treasure which your majestie 

 doeth receive of the averages and customes of Nombre 

 de Dios and Panama, which doth amount unto twelve 

 or foureteene thousand pezos yeerely : and an order might 

 be taken for the same, that the sayd money may serve 

 for the building and reparing of these wayes. 



Panama. 



PAnama is the principall citie of this Dioces : it lieth 

 18. leagues from Nombre de Dios on the South sea, 

 and standeth in 9. degrees. There are 3. Monasteries 

 in this said city of fryers, the one is of Dominicks, the 

 other is of Augustines, and the third is of S. Francis 

 fryers : also there is a College of Jesuits, and the royall 

 audience or chancery is kept in this citie. 



This citie is situated hard by the sea side on a sandy 

 bay : the one side of this citie is environed with the sea, 

 and on the other side it is enclosed with an arme of the 

 sea which runneth up into the land 1000. yards. 



148 



