2z A VOYAGE TO Book I 



The firil invafion was made foon after its eñabliíh- 

 ment in 1544, by certain French adventurers, conduél- 

 ed by a Coriican pilot, who, having fpent fome time 

 there, gave them an account of its fituation, and the 

 avenues leading to it, with every other particular ne- 

 celTary to the fuccefsful condu6l of their enterprife ; 

 which they accordingly effeéted. The fecond invader 

 was Francis Drake, termed the deilroyer of the new 

 conquefls, who, after giving it up to pillage, {et it on 

 fire, and laid half the place in aihes ; and its fatal de-T/ 

 fíru£lion was only prevented by a ranlbm of a hundred 

 and twenty thouiand filver ducats paid him by the 

 neighbouring colonies. 



It was invaded a third time in 1597, by the French, 

 commanded by M. de Pointis, who came before the 

 place with a large armament, coníiíiing partly of Fli- 

 buflicrs, little better than pirates; but, as fubjeds to 

 the king of France, were proteiled by that monarch. 

 After obliging the fort of Boc^i Chica to furrenderj 

 whereby the entrance of the bay was laid open, he 

 landed his men, and bcñeged Fort Lázaro, which wag 

 followed by the furrender of the city. But the capi- 

 tulation v^as no iecurity againil the rage of avarice, 

 which had configned it to pillage. 



This eafy conquefl has by tome been attributed to 

 a private correfpondence between the governor and 

 Pointis; and what incrcafts the fufpicion is, that he 

 embarked on board the French fquadron at its de- 

 parture, together with all his treafures and effedls, none 

 of which had fhared in the general calamity. 



The city isfituated on a Tandy ifland, which forming 

 a narrow paiTage on theS. W. opens a communication 

 with that part called Tierra Bomba, as far as Boca 

 Chica. The neck of land which now joins them, was 

 formerly the entrance of the bay; but it having been 

 clofed up by orders from Madrid, Boca Chica became 

 the only entrance ; and this alfo has been filled up fince 

 the attempt of the Englilli in 1 741, who, having made 



therafclveg 



