OF P A N A M A. 



33 



Chagre ap^ain, through which they rode a conliderable way over great 

 rocks, though fometimes the water was over the mules backs : from thence 

 they afcended other mountains, and met the river again. Some of thefe 

 mountains have roads about three feet wide, paved with broad ftones by the 

 poor Indians, on whom the Spaniards impofed this tafk, and being come to 

 a clear fpot of ground, they refrefhed themfelves and mules again, and in 

 the evening came to another of thefe houfes of entertainment, whicli are 

 placed on this road at ten leagues dilcance from each other j a diftance 

 which is thought a common journey for a mule to travel in one day ; and in- 

 deed it is more than they can well perform, for they never come this way 

 laden v/ith plate, but feveral of them perifh on the road : having travelled 

 thus at the rate of ten leagues * a day, they arrived at Porto Vdo on the 

 fourth day after they had left Panama. 



Thefe different methods of carriage are of vaft utility ; for in the fum- 

 mer the Pdo de Ckagre is frequently fj low, that boats cannot pafs ; and on 

 the other hand, in the winisr, when the navigation by that river is free, 

 the road by land is altogether impaflable. 



All the country in the vicinity of this river, and indeed the greated part 

 of the iflhmus, is of fmali value, and little regarded j the climate being bad, 

 the foil a continued bog, the rivers muddy, and their waters unwholfome. 



PANAMA. 



THE firft difcovery of this place the Spaniards o^ve to Tello de Guzman, 

 who landed here in 1515, but found only fome fiiliermens huts, be- 

 ing a very proper place for their bufinefs, and thence called by the Indians 

 Panama; which iignlties a place abounding with-hili. In 1518, Pcdrarias 

 Davila, governor of 'Tierra Firma, iettled a colony here; and in 1521 

 Panama was conftltuted a city with the ufuial privileges. 



The old city of Panama became, by degrees, a very confiderable place ; 

 for, befides a handfom.e cathedral, there Vv^ere eight convents, a large hof- 



F pitai, 



* Cockhiirn muft err in this account, by mn.king it leagues inftead of miles, for the ufual road 

 from Puerto Vdo to Panama by land is onlv 14 leagues ; and there is yet a nearer way thro' the 

 woods, which none are peraiitted to go, except expreiTes for the government. 



