ULLOA^S VOYAGE TO SOUTH AMERICA. 373 



'of this rh'er are furprlfingly loaded with fruit ; but the pine-apples, for beauty, fize, 

 ^flavour, and fragrancy, excel thofe of all other countries, and are highly efleemed in 

 -all parts of America. 



On our arrival at Cruces, we went on fhore, and were entertained by the alcalde of 

 the town, whofe houfe was that of the cuftoms, where an account is taken of all goods 

 tirought up the river. Having, with all poffible difpatch, got every thing ready for 

 our journey to Panama, on the 29th, at half an hour after eleven in the morning, we 

 ■fet out, and reached that city by three quarters after fix in the evening. We made 

 it our firft bufinefs to wait on the prefident, a mark of refpedt due, not only to his 

 dignity, but alfo for the many civilities he had fhewn us. This worthy gentleman re- 

 ceived us all, and particularly the foreigners, in the mofl cordial and endearing man- 

 ner. He alfo recommended to all the King's officers, and other perfons of diftinftion 

 in the city, not to be wanting in any good office, or mark of efteem ; a behaviour 

 ^vhich fhewed at once the weight of the royal orders, and his zeal to execute his Sove- 

 reign's pleafure. 



Some indifpenfable preparations which were to be made for the profecution of our 

 journey, detained us longer at Panama than we expefted. We however employed 

 our time to the bed advantage, making feveral obfervations, particularly on the latitude 

 and the pendulum ; but the proximity of Jupiter at that time to the fun hindered us 

 (from fettling the longitude. I alfo employed myfelf in taking a plan of the place, 

 with all its fortifications, and adjacent coaft. At length, all things being in readinefs, 

 we embarked without any farther lofs of time. 



CHAP. II. — Befcription of the City of Fanama, 



PANAMA is built on an ifthmus of the fame name, the coaft of which is wafhed ty 

 ■the South Sea. From the obfervations we made here, we found the latitude of this city 

 •to be 8^ 57' 48 '4: north. With regard to its longitude, there are various opinions; 

 ^jione of the aftronomers having been able, from obfervations made on the fpot, to afcer- 

 tain it, fo that it is flill doubtful whether it lies on the eaft or weft fide of the meridian 

 ■of Porto Bello. The French geographers will have it to lie on the eaft fide, and ac- 

 >cordingly have placed it fo in their maps ; but, in thofe of the Spaniards, it is on the 

 weft : and I conceive the latter, from their frequent journies from one place to the other, 

 may be concluded to have a more intimate knowledge of their refpeftive fituations ; 

 whereas the former, being ftrangers, in a great meafure, to thofe places, have not the 

 •opportunity of making fo frequent obfervations. I allow indeed that, among the Spa- 

 niards who make this little journey, the number is very fmall of thofe who have either 

 •capacity or inclination for forming a well-grounded judgment of the road they travel ; 

 but there have been alfo many expert pilots, and other perfons of curiofity, who have 

 employed their attention on it, and from their report the fituation of the city has been 

 determined. This opinion is in fome meafure confirmed by our courfe, the direction 

 of which on the river, from its mouth to the town of Cruces, was eaft 6^ 15' foutherly, 

 and the diftance being twenty-one miles, the difference between the two meridians is 

 twenty minutes, the diftance Chagre is fituated to the weft of Cruces. We muft alfo 

 •confider the diftance between Porto Bello and Chagre. During the firft two hours and 

 .a half we failed a league and a half an J«Dur, when, the land-breeze fpringing up, we 

 ifailed two leagues an hour for feven hours, which in all makes eighteen leagues ; and 

 ihe whole courfe having been very nearly weft, the difference of longitude muft have 



1 been 



