9» A VOYAGE TO Book IL 



refinance, eafily fucceeded in their defign upon this 

 city, which furrendered by capitulation. 



The ancboring-phice for the large fhips is N. W. 

 of Gloria caftle, wiiich is nearly the centre of the 

 harbour; but leiTer vefiels, which come farther up, 

 mull be careful to avoid a land-bank, lying 150 toifes 

 from St. Jerome's fort, or point, bearing from it VV". 

 one cjuarter northerly ; and on which there is only a 

 fathom and a half, or, at moil, two fathom water. 



N. W. of the town is a little bay, called la Caldera, 

 or the kettle, having four fathom and a half water ; 

 and is a very proper place for careeiiing fhips and 

 velfcis, as, beiides its depth, it is perfedtly defended 

 from all winds. In order to go into it, you muft keep 

 pretty clofe to the weñern íhore till about a third part 

 of the breadth of the entrance, where you will have 

 five fathom water (whilft on the eafiern ñde of the 

 fame entrance there is not above two or three feet), and 

 then fleer direólly towards the bottom of the bay. 

 When the fhips are in, they may moor with four ca- 

 bles eaft and weft, in a fmall bafon, formed by the 

 Caldera ; but care mufl be taken to keep them always 

 on the weflern fide. 



N. E. of I he town is the mouth of a river called 

 Cafcajal, which aifords no frefh water within a quarter 

 of a league or upwards from its mouth ; and it is not 

 uncommon to lee in itCaymanes, or alligators. 



The tides are here irregular; and in thisparticular, 

 as well as that of the winds, there is no difference be- 

 tween this harbour and that of Carlhagena ; except 

 that here the fhips muit always be towed in, being 

 cither becalmed, or the wind directly againft them. 



From obfervations we made, both by the pole-ñar 

 and the fun's azimuth, we found tiie variation of the 

 needle in this harbour to be B° 4- eaft¿?rly. 



Amoí^g the mountains which furround the whole 

 harbour of Porto Bello, beginning from St. Philip de 

 Todo Fierro, pf the iron cafile (which is fituated on 



thei|" 



