Ch. III. SOUTH AMERICA. 91 



CHAP. III. 



'Defcription of Porto Bello Harbour, 



'T'HE name of this port indicates its being com- 

 modious for all forts of ihips or veiTels, great or 

 fmall ; and though its entrance is very wide, it is well 

 defended by Fort St. Philip de Todo Fierro. It ñands 

 on the iiorth point of the e^itrance, which is about 600 

 toifes broad, that is, a little lefs than the fourth part 

 of a league ; and the fouth fído being full of rifes of 

 rocks, extending to fome diftance irom the fhore, a 

 fhip is obliged to iland to ti;e north, though the deepeft 

 part of the channel is in the middle of tht entrance, 

 and thus continues in a fíraight direction. Having 9, 

 10, or ic, fathom water, anda bottom of clayey mud, 

 mixed with chalk and fand. 



On the fouth fide of the harbour, and oppoiite io 

 the anchoring-place, is a large cattle, called Sant Jago 

 de la Gloria, to the eafi of which, at the diltanrc of 

 about 100 toifes, begins the town, having before it a 

 point of land projecting into the harbour. On this 

 point fiood a Imall fort called St. Jerome, within ten 

 toifes ofthehoufes. All thefe were demolifhed by 

 the Englifh admiral Vernon, who, with a numerous 

 naval torce *, in 1739, made himfelf mari< r of this 

 port; having found it fo unprovided with everything, 

 that the greatei part of the artillery, efpecially that 

 of the caflle de lodo Fierro, or iron cafile, was dif- 

 mounted for want of carriages, part of the few mili- 

 tary flores unferviceable, and the garnlon lliort of its 

 complement even in li ne of peace. The gover- 

 nor of the city, Don Bernardo Gutierrez de Bocane- 

 gra, was alfo abfeiit at Panama, on fome accufation 

 brought againil him. Thus iheEn^lilh, meeting no 



* The numerous naval force, mentioned by our author, confined, 

 ^ekaowj of fix ihips only, 



refinance, 



