398 



Th- ijltt *f 

 Pearls. 



Captain Ox- 



tubam'% Bx- 

 pedition. 





A M E%ICJ. Chap. IL 



the very time that this City was juft begun to be built, Sir Francis Drake having 

 burnt Nombre de Dios, ran into the Haven Puerto Sella, where he found ten Houfes 

 befides the Governors Palace, and a Caftlc whofe Breaft-works which the Spaniards 

 had lately rais'd of Timber,Stone,and Earth,were all demolifli'd by the EngltJI? : But 

 the Spaniards have fince re-built the fame, and fortifVd the Haven, with two ftrong 

 Caftles, notwithftanding in the Year 1661. it was furpriz'd and taken by the Englijh 

 under the Command of Captain Parker, and the Governor Petro Melende^ttkta 

 Prifoner. 



4. Nata, commonly call'd St. Jago de Nata, fituated on the Weft fide of this Pro- 

 vince,upon Mare del Zur,ov The South Sea, about thirty Leagues diftant from Panama, 

 towards the Borders of Veragua. 



5. Ada, a Town upon the fame Coaft, but lying South-Eaft of Nombre de Dios : 

 It was at firft onely a Fort built by Peter de Arias, but afterwards grew up into a 

 fmall City, of which at prefent there is nothing remaining but the remembrance of 

 the famous Vafque^Nunne^ Beheaded by his Father-in-law Arias, 



6\ Laftly,!* Qrux P^eal, a few Leagues diftant ftomPanama, for the moft part 

 inhabited by a fort of Negro's call'd Simmerones. 



Along the North Coaft of Panama are two fmall woody Iflands call'd Cattiva and 

 Comagre, lying low in the Water j alio the Ifle De Pines, which rifes high out of the 

 Sea near the Main Land. 



On the Southern Coaft are Ifolede U Perlas, or The IJles of Pearls , about twenty 

 five in number, but indeed rather Rocks than Iflands, excepting two, yi^. Taroreque 

 and Del <^ios where in former times the Indians took great ftore of Pearls, by diving 

 for them to the bottom of the Sea . and they were efteem'd of greater value and ex- 

 cellence than thofe oiCubagua, and great profit was made of them by the Spaniards, 

 till by their Cruelties excrcis'd upon the Natives through exceffivc grcedinefs, they 

 depopulated the Iflands, and loft that altogether of which before they were Co in- 

 latiable ; they are now onely inhabited by a few Moors and other Slaves, who keep 

 Cartel there for their Mafters. 



It will not fecm amifs to conclude our Defcription of Panama with a fliort Ac- 

 count of the Englijh Captain John Oxenhams Exploits in thefe Parts : He being in. 

 cited by the Trealure which Sir Francis Drake fetch'd from hence, refolv'd to Steer 

 for the Northern Coaft of Panama, where he hal'd his Ship of a hundred and twenty 

 Tun on Shore, and cover'd the fame with Trees, buried his Guns, and march'd 

 with two Field-Pieces and feven Men up into the Countrcy, and was by the Indians 

 conducted to a River which falls into the South Sea, where he built a Pinnace 

 of forty five Foot long, and Sailing into the South Sea, Landed on Tararequi, 

 one of the Iflands of Pearls - y where he foon after took a Peruan Barque with fixty 

 thoufand pieces of Gold, ftore of Wine and Bread, and the day following another 

 which came from lima, loaden with a hundred thoufand Pound in Silver Bars,and 

 fome Pearls, with which being enrich'd he return'd to the Main : The Governor 

 of Panima t^ing inforrnd of it, put a hundred Soldiers into four Barques, befides a 

 confiderable number of Njgro Slaves . over which Juan de Ortego having the chief 

 Command, was inform'd at Tararequi what Courfe the Englijh had fteer'd . where- 

 upon he purfu'd them to the River whither they were gone, which falling with 

 three Arms into the Sea, they could not have known which way the Englif? went, 

 unlefs they had feen fome Feathers of Fowls driving in the Mouth of the leaft 

 Branch, by which they judg'd that they were not far off - therefore Rowing up 

 they found after four days Journey the Pinnace hal'd on Shore, and watch'd by fix 

 Men, who were ordered to ftand Sentinel, whereof one being (hot by the Spaniards, 



the 



