WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES — VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 309 



911. At the entrance to the harbor it has an island, Hke the Carta- 

 gena in Spain, but larger, for it is 2 leagues long and half a league 

 wide. In time past they called this island Codego ; now it is known 

 as Cajes. When the Spaniards discovered and conquered this country, 

 it was thickly populated and inhabited by fishermen, though without 

 water ; and so from the resemblance of the island with that of 

 Cartagena in Spain, they named their city Cartagena ; it has hard 

 water and its winds are salubrious breezes. It has abundant supplies 

 of fish and beef ; their pork is healthful, since they feed it to invalids 

 and it acts as a laxative. 



912. The city contains more than 1,500 Spanish residents, not 

 counting mestizos, mulattoes, free Negroes and other categories, and 

 the population is increasing ; and since the whole island where the 

 city is built, is occupied, they have started another settlement a stone's 

 throw from the main one. This is called Gegemani, and is already 

 considerably the larger ; one enters and leaves it by a causeway run- 

 ning its entire length. 



913. The city is surrounded by a wall on every side, and the 

 entrance to the harbor is defended by the fort of San Matias, and 

 opposite it, connected with the island which they call Naba, is the 

 fortress platform. And at one side of the fort of San Matias there 

 is another fort called Del Judio, and at the end of the other side, 

 the fort they call Oribe ; and back of Gegemani there is another 

 stretch of wall with its stronghold, with two pieces of artillery ; and 

 at the weakest points they have built two bulwarks and towers, which 

 are very strong and well finished ; one is called Santa Catalina, and 

 the other, Santo Domingo. In all these forts and on the fortified 

 towers and walls, there are 50 pieces of artillery, of excellent bronze 

 and of all sizes. 



Chapter II 



Which Continues the Description of Cartagena. 



914. The city possesses its own mansion, home of the Governor, 

 who is also Captain General. Here are the guardroom and the city 

 prison ; every afternoon the company mounts guard here, with a 

 garrison of 400 infantry, a Sergeant Major, and 2 Captains, whose 

 squads man the towers, the half-moon of Oribe, and other posts ; 

 and one squad each month mans the forts and the platform. 



915. The city possesses an armory, with many muskets, harque- 

 busses, lances, and pikes, with a powder magazine; besides which, 

 there are five local infantry Militia Captains, with excellent soldiers, 

 for the citizens with their constant training are very expert militia- 



