WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 303 



Chapter II 



Continuing the Description of the District of the Circuit Court of 

 Panama ; and in Particular, of the City of Puerto Bello. 



891. The city of Puerto Bello is where the galleons come to trans- 

 port the silver from Peru to Spain. It is 80 leagues' sail from 

 Cartagena. The first to discover it was the Admiral Don Cristobal 

 Colon, but Diego de Nicuesa was the first to settle Nombre de Dios, 

 in the year 15 10; later, a settlement was again made there by Diego 

 de Albites, by order of Gov. Pedro Arias ; but since it was very 

 unhealthy and not so convenient, this city of Nombre de Dios was 

 relocated at Puerto Bello, a healthier and safer spot, and with a deep 

 harbor, by Don Alonso de Sotomayor in the year 1 596 ; he had been 

 a wise and courageous Governor both in peace and war, having 

 beaten the corsairs and caught and chastised the fugitive Negroes. 



892. The city will contain 150 houses of Spaniards, free Negroes, 

 and mulattoes. It has large stocks of merchandise from the fleets 

 and galleons, and from other quarters. Its climate is hot and damp ; 

 it generally rains hard most of the year, and the drops of water after 

 falling turn into little toads. It has been a very unhealthy place, and 

 the graveyard of Spaniards, particularly those new arrivals who are 

 so incautious as to eat fruit and do other imprudent things. At 

 present it is healthier than it used to be, for they have cleared it out 

 and built more houses, which experience has shown is a good thing. 

 It has a parish church and a small Mercedarian convent. 



893. It gets most of its provisions by cart ; the meat comes from 

 Panama, for the two herds or ranches which there are near the city, 

 serve merely for the luxury of milk and an occasional veal calf. 

 The country is heavily wooded and so prolific that it seems a bit of 

 Paradise. Practically everything planted there runs to growth and 

 does not fruit ; rice does yield very well, and many varieties of fruit 

 such as bananas, pineapples, aguacates, sugarcane, excellent oranges 

 and lemons, and other fruit. 



894. Most of its provisions come to it by cart, from Suerre, Coche, 

 and other points ; and while the galleons are in port, a fowl sells 

 for 2 or 3 reals (at 8 to the peso) ; flour, preserves, and other luxuries 

 come to it from Panama, imported from the valleys of Peru. Along 

 the Atlantic coast there is no other city or settlement, and their only 

 communications are with the galleons, and Cartagena, and some 

 frigates coming from Nicaragua with provisions and other local 

 products. 



895. The fleets and galleons anchor at this port ; here they take 

 on the gold, silver, and other valuables which are brought from the 



