O'Beilly — Remarks on Captain Cuellar's Narrative. 187 



Port-na-Spania, near the Giant's Causeway, where some ships of the 

 famous fleet were dashed to pieces against the rocks : it is 2^ inches 

 in the here, and 19 inches outer circumference, and is remarkably 

 thick. Many of the guns were taken up at the same time and broken 

 by the country people and sold as old metal." 



Taking Cuellar's words in their strict meaning, the place where 

 D. Alonso de Leyva was "lost" would be Port-na-Spania, near the 

 Giant's Causeway, or the **Bunboys" rocks, near Dunluce, and the 

 nearest post-town or village at the period was probably Portrush, of 

 which it is remarked in Lewis' " Topographical Dictionary" : — "Ac- 

 cording to the early annalists, this was the chief landing place in the 

 territory of the Eoute or M'Quillan's country ; it was also chosen by 

 Sir John Perrot as the landing place of his artillery at the siege of 

 Dunluce Castle. On tlie plantation of Ulster by James I., it was made 

 a Creek of Coleraine." Portrush is not marked on O'Connor's map, 

 but Coleraine is. And under this heading Lewis' "Dictionary " says : — 

 * ' The country of Coleraine is described as having extended from the 

 Piver Bann on the east to Lough Foyle on the west, and as having 

 formed part of the possessions of O'Cahan, from whose participation in 

 the rebellion of the Earl of Tyrone in the reign of Elizabeth, it 

 became, with the whole province of Ulster, forfeited to the Crown." 



13. " Until one day information was given to me of the Country 

 of a certain Native called the Priace Ocan (O'Cahan) where 

 were certain ' charruas ' ( ?) which were about to 



leave for Scotland, and on my arrival at the place found, that 

 in spite of all my diligence, the ' charruas ' had sailed two 

 days previously." — (p. 212.) 



It might be inferred from this that the place from which Cuellar 

 set out was at some distance from O'Cahan's town or residence. This, 

 he says : — 



' ' Was a poor place and one full of enemies, as many English 

 were living in the port, and were coming every day on 

 business to O'Can." 



This description corresponds with that given in Lewis' "Dic- 

 tionary," of the state of Coleraine at that time ; and it is probable 

 that the port in question was Portrush, or Coleraine, the town of 

 O'Cahan being at Newtown -Limavady. 



2 



