A RUTTIER FOR THE RIVER PLATE 



And hee that desireth to goe from the Isle of Martin 

 Garzia to the river of Pal mas, which is the best of all R'^o de las 

 these armes, or mouthes to speake more properly, is to ^^^^^^• 

 shape his course to the West, and comming over to the 

 other shore, and sayling along the coast Northnorthwest 

 hee shall discover the mouth of this river of Palmas : and 

 hee must enter hard by Los Juncales, which lye on the 

 South side : and afterward within is very deepe sounding. 

 All these mouthes of this river which are 5, are full of 

 sholds towards the East above the space of two leagues. 

 And if the course of the water were not swift there, you 

 could not enter into them, as I have already sayd, and 

 you must passe all along with much heede and foresight. 



And if peradventure you have passed Cape Saint Marie 

 and are come over to Cape Blanco, consider it, that it is Cape Blanco 

 so even and smooth a land, that you can scarcely dis- '^^J^lfl^f' 

 cerne it a league from the maine, unlesse it be a very J^^^^^ ^^^^ 

 cleare day : and after this sort the coast lieth low unto river of Plate 

 the river de Buenos Aeres. And from thence the coast ^ "^^n ^°^' 

 lyeth somewhat high unto the entrance of the river de ^^^ ^^^« ^'^»^- 

 Palmas : all the coast runneth as I sayd before. And 

 all along this coast are naughty people, which eate those Man-eaters 

 which they kill, and many Tygers. fj^^ '^' ''''^ 



From the Isle of Martin Garzia unto Sant Salvador is Sant Salvador 

 nine or tenne leagues. This is an Island which standeth r?;/ Island te?2 

 two leagues within the first mouth : where Sebastian Cabota l^^g^es^ off. 

 tooke possession. And this countrey is very well peopled 

 by a people called Carios ; and you must beware of all 

 these people : for they are your deadly enemies. The 

 most Southerly mouth of Parana called Rio de Palmas is 

 sixteene leagues long, and it hath many turnings, and 16. Leagues 

 many palme or date-trees growing neere it, whereupon 

 it is called The river of palme trees : and forthwith it 

 entreth into the river Parana, as soone as these sixteene 

 leagues are finished. All the other armes containe like- 

 wise sixteene leagues in length, saving one small or 

 narrowe arme, which is called The river de los Beguaes ; 

 for this containeth fortie leagues in length. From this 



99 



Sebastian 

 Cabota. 



