ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 383 



The kingdom of Terra Firma begins northwards at the river of Darien, and ftretching 

 along by Nombre de Dios, Bocas del Toro, Bahia del Almirante, is terminated weflward 

 by the river de los Dorados in the North Sea ; and towards the South Sea, beginning on 

 the weftern part, it extends from Punta Gorda, in Cofta Rica, by Punta de Mariatos, 

 Morro de Puercos, to the gulf of Darien ; whence it continues fouthward along the 

 coaft, by Puerto de Pinas, and Morro Quemado, to the bay of St. Bonaventura. Its 

 length from eaft to weft is one hundred and eighty leagues, but if meafured along the 

 coail, it exceeds two hundred and thirty ; and its breadth, from north to fouth, is the 

 fame as that of the ifthmus, which includes the whole province of Panama, and part of 

 that of Darien. The narroweft part of this ifthmus is from the rivers Darien and 

 Chagre, on the North Sea, to thofe of Pito and Camito on the South Sea : and here 

 the diftance, from fea to fea, is about fourteen leagues. Afterwards it increafes in 

 breadth towards Choco and Sitara ; and the fame weftward in the province of Veraguas, 

 forming an interval of forty leagues from fea to fea. 



Along this ifthmus run those famous chains of lofty mountains, called the Andes, 

 which, beginning at fuch a prodigious diftance as the Terra Magellanica, traverfe the 

 kingdom of Chili, the province of Buenos Ayres, and thence through the provinces of 

 Peru and Quito ; and from the latter, contrad themfelves, as it were, for a paffage 

 through this narrow ifthmus. Afterwards, again widening, they continue their courfe 

 through the provinces and kingdoms of Nicaragua, Guatemala, Cofta Rica, St. Miguel, 

 Mexico, Guajaca, la Puebla, and others ; with feveral arms or ramifications, for ftrength- 

 ening, as it were, the fouthern with the northern parts of America. 



In order to give the reader a comprehenfive idea of this kingdom, I fhall fpeak parti- 

 cularly of each of its three provinces, beginning with that of Panama as the principal. 

 Moft of its towns and villages are fituated in fmall plains along the ftiore, the reft of the 

 country being covered with enormous and craggy mountains, uninhabited on account 

 of their fterility. 



In this province are three cities, one town, a few forts, villages, and country feats ; 

 the names of which, with the tribes of the inhabitants, are here fubjoined. 



The cities are Panama, Porto Bello, and Santiago de Nata de los Cavelleros. The 

 fituation of the latter was firft difcovered, in the year 15 15, by captain Alonzo Perez 

 de la Rua, at which time Nata was prince of this diftrid. Gafpar^ de Efpinofa was firft 

 commiffioned to people it, under the title of a town. It was afterwards taken and burnt 

 by the Indians, but he rebuilt it, and called it a city. It is large, but the chief houfes 

 are only of earth, or unburnt bricks, and the others of mud walls. Its inhabitants are a 

 mixture of Spaniards and Indians. 



The town called los Santos is a modern fettlement of Spaniards, who before lived at 

 the city of Nata, but, with a viev/ of augmenting their fortune by improving the ground, 

 left the city ; and the inhabitants of the town are at prefent more in number than thofe 

 of Nata. Its environs were firft difcovered by Rodrigo Valenzuela, and at that time 

 contained an Indian town, governed by a prince called Guazan : the origin of the town 

 fufficiently ftiews it is peopled by Spaniards and Indians. 



The number of villages in this province is very confiderable, and of different 

 kinds. 



1. Nueftra Senora de Pacora, to which we give the preference, is inhabited by 

 Mulattos and their defcendants. 



2. San Chriftoval de Chepo owes its name to the caciques, or princes, Ghepo and 

 Chepauri, and was difcovered in 15 15, by Tello de Guzman. Befides Indians, here 



is 



