Chap. II. AMERICA. > 40* 



The peculiar Plants of chis Place are the Tree Xagua y which be^ars a Fruit like 2% Trce 

 a Raifin, which dry'd and ground yields exceeding good Meal for Bread. 



The Root Scorzonera. which cures the Bitings of Serpents. The Indians alfo ufe The Root ! 

 the Tail of a Serpent for a Remedy againft the fame Evil, as they take Tobacco 

 againft the Falling-ficknefs, and fnuff the Powder in at their Noftrils, and drink 

 the Juice thereof to caufe Loofriefs. 



The chief Rivers of this Province, are i. Tolomino, Co call'd from a Spanijb Cap- chiefRircrs 

 tain, that was drown'd there with his Horfe, falling from the Sierras Nevadas. 



2. Guatupori, whofe Water caufes the Bloody«flux and Loofnefs, which again is 

 eur'd by the fame Water drunk with beaten Cinamon. Guatupori reckons many 

 Rivulets, amongft which the Cefar and 'Budillo are both large, deep, and abounding 

 withFifli. 



Near the City Los $(eyes are three great Water*pits, triangular between ftony 

 Cliffs ; nigh which a Tradition goes, That of old there lurk'd a terrible Serpent, 

 which at times devour'd a thoufand People ; infomuch that none durfl dwell there- 

 abouts, till certain Spaniards having the hardinefs and curiofity to go feek out this 

 Serpent, heard a great noife in the tits, but faw nothing like the fore-mention'd 

 Animal. 



Here arc likewife feveral Fountains of Pitch and Tan 



Sect. VI. 



Rio dela Hacha, 



RIodelaHacha is the Name of a little Province lying on the North-Eaft (if jwftkiki 

 St. JMartba, wafh'd on all other parts with the Waters of the Main Ocean, ' 

 or with the Gulf or Bay of Venezuela. 

 The chief Towns of this Province, are i. A fmall Town call'd De la Hacba y ^ S T ^ 

 which gives Denomination to the faid Province, having no convenient Haven, ™«- 

 but otherwife feated in a Soil -very rich and fertile, not onely of all forts of Fruits 

 and Plants, efpecially fuch as are brought from Spain, but likewife in many Mines 

 of Gold, Gems of a large fize and great value, and many excellent Salt-Wiches, as 

 they call them 5 It is eight Leagues diftant from Salamanca aforefaid, and eighteen: 

 frome Cape Villa, the moft Wefterly Point or Foreland of the Bay oi Venezuela ; and 

 with the reft had the hap to be furpris'd and pillag'd by the Englijh with Sir Francis 

 Drake in the Year 1595* who refus'd twenty four thoufand Ducats, which the Go- 

 vernor proffer'd him for the Pearls he had taken. 



2. %ancheria y fix Leagues Eaftward of La Hacha y inhabited chiefly by Pearl- 

 tilhers, or fuch as get their Living for the moft part by Fifhing for P'earl, which 

 was wont to be good on thefe Coafts. 



3. Tapia y five Leagues from La Flacha, and confidcrable, for that the adjacent 

 Parts were laid wafte by the Englifr, to revenge the perfidioufnefs of the Governor 

 of Salamanca, refufing to pay the four thoufand Ducats he had promised, upon Con* 

 dition of their fparing the Town. 



The laft King of thofe that GovernM iri any of thefe Provinces of Terra Firma y $™f* 

 was Abibeca y who could not be won to come down from his Palace, which he had *h* 

 on the top of a Tree, till a Spanifr Officer, one Francifco de Van^uez^ began to lay an 

 Ax to the Root thereof. 



After DidacoNiquefa, Jlphonfo Oreda y and Ancifo y had made very large Difcove- 

 ries in thefe Provinces, Valboa was the firft that difcaver'd the Way to the South-Sea. 



CLq CHAP. 





