Chap. II. dl M £%^t C A. i 97 



Pheafants and Turtle-Doves • and amongft Beads, thofe chat carry their Young 

 about them in a Bag, as alio wild Cats. The Sea abounds with Fifh,and produces 

 Crocodiles of a large fize, by the Spaniards call'd Lagartos. The Trees are fcldorn 

 without Leaves, but bear little or no Fruit. " 



2. ]>{ombre de Dios, which hath broad Streets, high woodden Houfes, and a fair 

 Church : It extends from Eaft to Weft along the Northern Ocean, in the middle 

 of a great Wood on Moorifh Ground, having a great Fen on the Weft j being fitu- 

 ate under an unwholfom Climate, it hath occafion'd the death of many People. 

 The Merchants which dwelt here had alfo Habitations in Panama, (the reft of the 

 Houfes being mod of them Inns for Strangers) from whence as loon as they had 

 gotten an Eftate they went to Spain. The Countrey round about lies under Water 

 in many places. The Oranges, Cajfada-Koots, and the like, which grow here, oc- 

 cafion many Diftempersto thofe that eat of them. In the Harbor, which hath on 

 each fide a Ridge of Rocks, on which lies decay *d Forts, the Sea is often-times 

 fo turbulent, that the Ships arc fore'd to Ride at fix Anchors apiece. Eaftward 

 from the City a frefli- Water River falls into the Haven, on whofe Banks ftand feve* 

 ral Garden>Houfes and Orchards. Anno 1595. Sir Francis Drake arriving here, found 

 a Mill beyond the City ; not far from which on a Hill ftood a Watch-houfe, of 

 which having made himfelf Mafter, he fet fire on the Town Nombrede Dios, as alfo 

 on all the Veifels that were in the Harbor. The original of the Name Timbre de 

 Dios was on this occafion, V/^. Diego TSliquefa, fetting Sail with three Ships out of 

 the Haven Cartbagena to the Golden Gountrey Veragua, was furpris'd by a violent 

 Storm, in which two Ketches, Commanded by Lupus de Olano and Peter Umbria were 

 driven out of fight,whileft he fuflfer'd fliipwrack,and getting afhore, rang'd up and 

 down in a defolatc Countrey, where he found no other Food but Roots, till at laft 

 he met with Olano ; when the Famine began to increafe amongft them in fuch a 

 nature, that being fcarce able to carry their Arms, many of them werje, kili'd by the 

 Inhabitants with poyfon'd Arrows, iniomuch that of feven hundred there remain'd 

 fcarce ninety : Niquefa fliipp'd as many of them in a new Veflel which they had 

 made as it could poffibly carry, and promis'd to fetch the reft off from Veragua as 

 loon as he had difcover'd a Place fit to be inhabited : The firft Place he Landed at 

 was Puerto Sello- y from whence being neceffitated by the Indians who gather'd toge- 

 ther to Retreat Aboard, not without the lofs of feveral Men, he fet Sail to the Pro- 

 montory Mormor, beyond which he Anchored in a fecure Haven ; where, as he was 

 going afhore he call'd to his Men, faying, Saltiamo in tierra alNombre de Dios, that is, 

 Let us Land in the Name of God, andcafting up a Fortagainft the Aflaults of the Na* 

 tives, call'd it Kotnbre de Dios. 



3. St. Philip, or Puerto Bello, fo denominated by Cbrijloplier Columbus from its 

 Haven lying alongthe North Sea, wonderful convenient and fecure, by rcafon of 

 the good Ground for Anchoring, and a Creek in the fame, defended from all forts 

 of Winds • and which being furrounded with Woods, hath much over*flow'd Land 

 about it, as alfo abundance of good Gravel for Ballaft 5 for which and feveral 

 other Reafons, the famous Architect Baptijla Jntonelli advis'd the Spanifb King, to 

 build thisCity for a Staple of Trade (in ftcad oil^ombre de Dios, which was found 

 unhealthy) having pitch'd upon an excellent Situation for it, Yi% on a Plain at the 

 Foot of a Hill,where there are three frefli Rivulets,meeting with a fruitful and hot 

 Countrey : wherefore his Advice being taken, they firft built a Fort at the Mouth 

 of the Haven, put five Guns into the fame to defend the new City, and on the 

 Shore a ftrong Tower with eight Drakes : Moreover, the Rocks along the Shore, 

 and clofe Woods about the Haven prevent the Landing of an Enemy : But at 



Pp j the 



