6 TRAVELS through 



The Bahama iilands are fo low as to appear 

 overflowed, by which means a great channel is 

 formed with a current, which in the narroweft 

 place is twenty leagues broad from Alhana to 

 Los Martyr es^ and fourteen from Los Martyr es 

 to Florida. All thefe ifles are fituated in twenty- 

 five degrees fifteen minutes north latitude. We 

 have cruized for twenty-feven days together in 

 thefe parts, from whence we efcaped by a kind 

 of miracle. 



It is known, that Don Juan Ponce de Leon dif- 

 covered Florida^ as he was in fearch of Bmini : 

 this is the ifle which has been fo much talked of, 

 containing the river Jordan^ and the fountain fo 

 renov/ned by the Indians of Cuba., who aflerted 

 that its v/aters had the quality of making men 

 young again. Don Juan Ponce de Leon believed 

 this fable, and went in fearch of the fountain 

 W'ithout finding it. He fenc Captain Perez de 

 Ortuhia and the pilot Antonio de Alminos upon 

 this difcovery : he touched at the bay of Puerto 

 Rko, where he found Bimlni, but neither the 

 river Jordan nor the fountain. Don Juan died 

 fomc time after, unfuccefsfuUy fearching for this 

 famous fountain. 



The inhabitants of Cuka^ who v;ere plagued 

 by the 'Spaniards to difcover the gold mines, be- 



