114 VOYAGES OF THE SPANISH FLEETS. 



LIB. m. but it is contrarie, for you shall hardly finde any calmes 

 there, and the winde is cold and continues longer, which 

 hath been found true in all the navigations of the Indies. This 

 is the reason why the voyage they make from Spaine to the 

 West Indies is shorter, more easie, and more assured, then 

 the returne to Spaine. The fleetes, parting from Seville, 

 have more difficultie to passe the Canaries, for that the 

 gulph of Yeguas is variable, being beaten with divers 

 windes ; but having passed the Canaries, they saile with 

 a westerne winde vntill they come to the burning Zone, 

 where presently they finde an Easterly winde, and so 

 they saile on with full windes, so as they have scant any 

 neede to touch their sailes in the whole voiage : for this 

 reason they called this great gulph the gulph of Damas, for 

 the calrnenes and pleasantnes thereof. Then, following 

 their course, they corne to the Hands of Guadalupe, Dom 

 inica, Deseada, Marigalante, and the rest, which in that 

 place be, as it were, the suburbs of the Indies. There the 

 fleetes seperate and divide themselves, whereof some (which 

 go to New Spaine) take to the right hand towards His- 

 paniola, and having discovered Cape San Anton, they passe 

 vnto San Juan de Lua, alwaies vsing the same Easterly 

 windes. Those for the maine Land take the left hand, dis 

 covering the high mountaine of Tayrona ; then, having 

 touched at Carthagena, they passe vnto Nombre de Dios, 

 from whence they go by land to Panama, and from thence 

 by the South Sea to Peru. But when the fleetes returno 

 to Spaine, they make their voiage in this sort : The fleeto 

 of Peru discovers Cape San Anton, then they enter into 

 the Havana, which is a goodly Port in the Hand of 

 Cuba. The fleete of New Spaine doth likewise touch at the 

 Havana, being parted from Vera Cruz, or from the Hand of 

 San Juan de Lua, the which is not without difficultie, for 

 that commonly Easterly windes blowe there, which is a 

 contrarie winde to go to the Havana. These fleetos beino- 



