ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 331 



has a fufficlent depth of water and good anchorage ; and fo fmooth, that the flilps are 

 no more agitated than on a river. The many fliallows, indeed, at the entrance, on 

 forne of which there is fo little water that even fmall veffels flrike, render a careful 

 fteerage neceflary. But this danger may be avoided, as it generally is, by taking on 

 board a pilot ; and for further fecurity, His Majefty maintains one of fufEcient experi- 

 ence, part of whofe employment is to fix marks on the dangerous places. 



The entrance to the bay, as I have already obferved, was through the narrow ftrait 

 called Boca Chica, a name very properly adapted to its narrownefs, fignifying, in Spa- 

 nilh. Little Mouth, admitting only one fliip at a time, and even flie mufl be obliged to 

 keep clofe to the Ihore. This entrance was defended on the eaft by a fort called Saint 

 Lewis de Boca Chica, at the extremity of Tierra Bomba, and by Fort St. Jofeph on the 

 oppofite fide in the Ifle of Baru. The former, after fuftaining, in the laft fiege by 

 the Enghfh, a vigorous attack both by fea and land, and a cannonading of eleven days, 

 its defences ruined, its parapets beat down, and all its artillery difmounted, was relin- 

 quifhed. The enemy being thus mafters of it, cleared the entrance, and, with their 

 whole fquadron and armaments, moved to the bottom of the bay. But, by the dili- 

 gence and induflry of our people, they found all the artillery of fort Santa Cruz nailed 

 up. This fort was alfo, from its largenefs, called Caftillo Grande, and commanded 

 all the fhips which anchor in the bay. This, together with that of .Boca Chica, St. 

 Jofeph, and two others, which defended the bay, called Manzanillo and Paftelillo, the 

 enemy, enraged at their difappointment, demolilhed when they quitted the bay. The 

 promifmg beginning of this invafion, as I have already obferved, gave occafion to the: 

 {hutting up and rendering impradicable the entrance of Boca Chica, and of opening 

 and fortifying the former ftrait ; fo that an enemy would now find it much more diffi- 

 cult to force a palfage. 



The tides in this bay are very irregular, and the fame may nearly be faid of the whole 

 coaft. It is often feen to flow a whole day, and afterwards ebbs away in four or five 

 hours ; yet the greateft alteration obferved in its depth is two feet, or two feet and a 

 half. Sometimes it is even lefs fenfible, and only to be perceived by the current or 

 flow of the water. This circumftance increafes the danger of ftriking, though a fere- 

 nity continually reigns there. The bottom alfo being compofed of a gravelly ooze, 

 whenever a fliip is aground, it often happens that flie muft be lightened before flie can 

 be made to float. 



Towards Boca Chica, and two leagues and a half diftant from it feawards, there is a 

 fhoal of gravel and coarfe fand, on many parts of which there is not above a foot and 

 a half of water. In 1735, the Conquiftador man of war, bound from Carthagena to 

 Porto Bello, ftruck on this flioal, and owed her fafety entirely to a very extraordinary 

 calm. Some pretended to fay that the flioal was before known by the name of Salme- 

 dina ; but the artifts on board affirmed the contrary, and that the flioal on which flie 

 ftruck had never been heard of before. From the obfervations of the pilots and others, 

 Nueftra Senora de la Popa bore eaft-north-eaft two degrees north, diftance two leagues ; 

 the caftie of St. Lewis de Boca Chica, caft-fouth-eaft, diftance three leagues and a 

 half, and the north part of Ifla Vofaria, fouth one quarter wefterly. It muft, how- 

 ever, be remembered, that thefe obfervations were made on the apparent rhombs of 

 the needle. 



The bay abounds with great variety of fifli both wholefome and agreeable to the 

 palate ; the moft common are the fliad, the tafte of which is not indeed the moft deli- 

 cate. The turtles are large and well tafted. But it is greatly infefted with fliarks, 

 which are extremely dangerous to fearaen, as they immediately feize every perfon they 



u'tJ 2 difcover 



