Chap, II. 



of M B %^1 C J. 



199 



the other five fled 5 whom Ortega purfuing, found half a League from^he Shore a 

 Hut made of Boughs, wherein the Booty lay, which he fpeedily carried to his 

 Barques 5 but Captain Oxenbam inform'd hereof,fell with two hundred Indians upon 

 the Spaniards , who having a Wood on their Backs made fuch advantage thereof, that 

 eleven Englijh were (lain, and feven taken, and had not the reft fled, they had all 

 been either kill'd or taken Prifoners : Thofe that were taken inform'd Ortega that 

 they had been at difference amongft themfelves about dividing the Booty, which 

 was the reafon of their flaying fo long : moreover, they difcover'd where and how 

 their Ship lay 5 all which the Governor of Panama writ to Njmbre de T>ios $ from 

 whence four Sail were immediately fent to find out the Ship and the buried Guns, 

 as alfo to take all fuch Englifl) as they fhould find preparing of Boats or Barques, 

 and bring them to Panama . whereupon very many were taken, who were all mife* 

 rably (lain, except a few Youths. 



Sect. III. 



Darien. 



DArleriy which by fome Authors not being thought confiderable enough to befcrfprf* 

 make a diftincl: Province, is reckon'd one and the fame with, or at leaft ° 

 part of, Panama, hath on the North the Diftrict or Circle of Panama ; on 

 the South, the new Kingdom of Granada - Eaftward it is bounded with the Gulf of 

 Mmitaabovefaid, and fome part of the River Darien y which giveth Name to the 

 Province } and to the Weft, with the South Sea ; of a more temperate Air by far 

 than that ofPa?iama f and a Soil fo admirably fruitful and lufty, that they fay Me- 

 lons, Cucumbers, and generally all otlier Fruits of the Garden, are ripe and fit to 

 gather within twenty days or lefs, after their firft fowing, but very much infefted 

 by noxious Creatures, as Lyons, Leopards, wild Cats, Crocodiles, Serpents, and 

 Bats, after whofe Bitings a Man bleeds to death, unlefs he waflies the Wound well 

 with Sea-water, or flop it with hot Allies j and no lefs by the unwholfomnefs of 

 the Air, which is infefted by the many ftinking Damps that arife from the muddy 

 Pools. The Inhabitants are fickly, and feeming generally to be troubled with the 

 Yellow Jaundice, never attain to a great Age : they go naked, the Men onely co- 

 vering their Privities with a Shell or Cotton-Cloth : The Women wear a Cloth 

 which reaches from the Middle down to their Knees, but if Women of Quality, 

 to their Feet. 



The Spaniards have many years ago made themfelves Matters of this Province of JJ^JS" 1 

 Darien y in which Jlphonfus Fogeda built the City Sebaftian, which was inhabited till «*ombuik. 

 a Spanifl? Knight call'd Jncijius, Anno ijto. built Antiaua, and made it a Bifhop's 

 See, which by reafon of the unwholfomnefs of the Place was remov'd to Panama, 

 when Va[quezJHunne^&\(co'vtT& the Southern Ocean,^6t?io ijoo.becaufe Antiaua lay 

 on a low Ground between high Mountains, where the Sun burnt exceedingly, 

 and the W r ay to the South Sea,being three Leagues from thence, it was very trou- 

 blefom to convey Merchandife thither. 



But a worfe Accident befell the Town St. Crui^ which being built by the Spanijh 

 Captain Peter de Jrias y was ruin'd by the Indians. 



The chief Rivers are i. Varien, which gives Name both to the Province and the RlTCts * 

 Provincial Town, and falls into the Gulf of Urraba ? being a large Arm of the Sea, 

 eight Leagues over at the Mouth thereof. 2. ^io de las %edas y which runs in like 

 manner through the Province of Isfyv^ Andaluzja, and falls alfo into the fame Gulf. 



So 





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8 



