A 



DESCRIPTION 



O F T H E 



Spanip Iflands and. Settlements 



O N T H E 



Coaft of the W ^fl-Indies. 



TIERRAFIRMA, 



OR the province of New Cajiile, was difcovcred by Chrijiopher Columbus^ 

 in his third voyage, and was fo called by his failors, who were moft 

 of them natives of Old Cajiile. It afterwards obtained the name of the Cajiilla 

 del Oro, from the large quantities of gold found therein, particularly in 

 the diftridl of Vraba, It is a very large territory, bounded by the fea on 

 the north ; by Caribana and Guiana on the eaft ; by Veru and the river of 

 the Amazons on the fouth j and by the Pacific Ocean on the weft. As to the 

 climate, it cannot be called either wholfome or pleafant, lince in one part 

 of the year they are fcorched with the burning rays of the fun, and in the 

 other drowned with continual rains. The foil is very different ; for in fome 



B places, 



