54 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I02 



and bravery. This victory was won in this year of 1592, on the day 

 of St. John the Baptist. 



137. Three leagues from the city of Cumana He the salt beds of 

 Araya, the most abundant and the richest in salt to be found in the 

 universe, for under the water lies rock salt in such quantities that if 

 a hundred boats or galleons finish loading there, as has often been 

 seen, and another hundred arrive, there is cargo for all of them and 

 one notices no diminution in consequence of the earlier cargoes, 



138. This lagoon lies at a distance of 700 paces from the sea, but 

 is fed from it and the salt coagulates at once, and this fact and its 

 abundance, in spite of the amount extracted, spread countless layers 

 of rock salt under the water ; and it is so concentrated that foreigners 

 profit by the fact in their countries and make three boatloads out of 

 one; wherever they use it they dilute it for salting down, it is so 

 strong. This salt-bed lagoon of Araya is a league and a half in 

 circumference. 



139. In these salt works of Araya His Majesty ordered the estab- 

 lishment in 1622 of the garrison and fort of Santiago de Araya, for 

 the protection and defense of the salt beds. This fort is built on 

 Daniel Heights, given that name because Don Luis Fajardo hanged 

 Daniel there ; he was a great pirate and harried those coasts, and 

 called himself Lord of the Araya salt beds. This garrison is for their 

 defense, so that the Dutch and other foreign foes may not succeed 

 in loading salt. 



140. They built the fort on these heights ; for its expenses they 

 bring the pay roll (situado) from the revenues of Cartagena, to pay 

 the garrison stationed there, viz, 200 infantry soldiers and a Lieu- 

 tenant or Warden. The first commander was Don Juan de Vargas 

 Machuca, appointed by His Majesty and subordinate to the Gover- 

 nor of Cumana. There are in the fort 40 pieces of artillery, of bronze 

 and cast iron, with 25 artillerymen and their master gunner, who 

 take pains to keep them polished and ready for the emergencies which 

 may arise. Thus the salt beds are protected and the pirates no longer 

 dare come to them, and so that nest of pirates was broken up. 



Chapter IX 



Of the Island of Trinidad and the City of St. Joseph Which Is 

 Located There. 



141. The first person to discover and endeavor to take possession 

 of the island of Trinidad was Commander Juan Ponce de Leon ; 

 many years later it was occupied by Gov. Antonio de Berrio, and in 



