374 



ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 



been forty-four miles, or forty-one, allowing for what might have been wanting of a 

 due weft courfe ; and from this again fubtrading the twenty minutes which Cruces lies 

 to the eaft of Chagre, the refult is, that Cruces is fituated twenty-one minutes to the 

 weftward of Porto Bello. To this laft refult muft be added the diftance of meridians 

 between Cruces and Panama, the bearing of which is near fouth-weft and north-eaft ; 

 and reckoning that we travelled, on account of the roughnefs and cragginefs of the road, 

 only three quarters of a league an hour, during 4:he feven hours, the whole is fourteen 

 miles, and the difference of meridians ten minutes and a half. Confequently Panama is 

 fituated about thirty minutes weft of Porto Bello ; and the Spanifh artifts are nearer the 

 truth than the French. 



The firft difcovery of Panama the Spaniards owe to Tello de Guzman, who landed 

 here in 15 15; but found only fome fiftiermen's huts, this being a very proper place 

 for their bufinefs, and from thence the Indians call it Panama, which fignifies a place 

 abounding in fifli. Before this, namely, in the year 1 5 1 3, Bafco Nunez de Balboa dif- 

 covered the South Sea, and took legal pofleffion of it in the names of the Kings 

 of Caftile. The difcovery of Panama was, in the year 15 18, followed by the fet- 

 tlement of a colony there, under Pedrarias Davila, governor of Caftilla del Oro, 

 the name by which this Terra Firma was then called; and in 1521, His Catholic 

 Majefty, the Emperor Charles V., conftituted it a city, with the proper privileges. 



It was this city's misfortune, in the year 1670, to be facked and burnt by John 

 Morgan, an Englifh adventurer. He had before taken Porto Bello and Maracaybo j 

 and, retiring to the iflands, he every where publiftied his defign of going to Panama ; 

 upon which many of the pirates, who then infefted thofe feas, joined him. He firft 

 failed for Chagre, where he landed fome of his men, and, at the fame time, battered 

 the caftle with his fhips ; but his fuccefs was owing to a very extraordinary accident. 

 His ftrength was confiderably diminifhed by the great numbers killed and wounded by 

 the fort, and he began to think it advifable to retreat ; when an arrow, ftiot from the 

 bow of an Indian, lodged in the eye of one of Morgan's companions. The perfon 

 wounded, rendered defperate by the pain, with a remarkable firmnefs and prefence of 

 mind, drew the arrow from the wound, and, wrapping one of its ends in cotton, or 

 tow, put it into his mufket, which was ready loaded, and difcharged it into the fort, 

 where the roofs of tljie houfes were of ftraw, and the fides of wood, according to the 

 cuftom of that country. The arrow fell on one of the roofs, and immediately fet it 

 on fire, which was not at firft obferved by the befieged, who were bufy in defending 

 the place ; but the fmoke and flames foon informed them of the total deftrudion of 

 the fort, and of the magazine of powder, which the flames muft foon reach. This 

 unexpected accident filled them with terror and confufion ; the courage of the foldiers 

 degenerated into tumult and difobedience ; and, every one being eager to fave himfelf, 

 the works were foon abandoned, in order to efcape the double danger of being either 

 burnt or blown up. The commandant, however, determined to do all in his power, 

 ftill defended the fort, with fixteen or twenty foldiers, being all that were left him, till, 

 covered with wounds, he fell a vi6lim to his loyalty. The pirates, encouraged by this 

 accident, pufhed their attack with the utmoft vigour ; and the few people were obliged 

 to furrender the place, which the violence of the flames foon laid in afhes. Having 

 furmounted this difficulty, the greater part of them proceeded up the river in boats 

 and launches, leaving the fhips at anchor, for the defence of their new conqueft. The 

 detachment having landed at Cruces, marched towards Panama, and, on the Sabana, 

 a fpacious plain before the city, they had feveral fkirmifhes, in which Morgan always 

 gained the advantage j fo that he made himfelf mafter of the city, but found it almoft 



forfaken; 



