THE COAST OF 



Audience of 



very pleaflint, and with all very healthy ^ whereas the other half is hot to the 

 lull: degree, the air' participating- of all the ill qualities which can he expeded 

 from fuch a temperament. As to foil, the country is very rough ahd mountain- 

 ous, yields very little corn, but abounds with cedar trees andother ufeful tim- 

 ber. The chief commodities are drugs, efpecially phyfical gums, of which 

 they have plenty j as alfo farfaparilla, Cy6?W root, and mechoacan : formerly 

 alfo there was fome gold in the Gulfo Dulce^ but of late we do not. hear 

 much of it. 



r - 



CoBAN, by fome called Vera Paz^ the capital of this province, is a little 

 neat city on a river, about 40 miles from the Golfo Dolce,, was the fee of a 

 bifhop, till it was united with that of Giiatimala. 



AscABATL AN is a fmall town on a river about 40 miles from Golfo Dolce 

 the town is governed by a Spa?ii/h corregidor. whofe power extends to Golfo 

 Dolce, and over the towns in the way to it. There are. many farms of cattle 

 and mules in the neighbourhood, and it is very famous for mufk melons, which 

 the Indians carry on mules as far as Giiatimala. The river on which this town 

 ftands is famous for the beft fifh in the country, particularly that called hobo,, 

 a round thick fifh, as long as a man's arm, with only one bone in the middle, 

 white like milk, , and as fat as butter. They have good trout, very much 

 refembling the tafhe of veal. 



GOLFO DOLCE, 



IS a lake that runs into the bay of Honduras, having a little port at its 

 mouth, with an old caftle, called St.- Thomas de Cajiilla. Here are 

 many fifhing vefTels, but it is otherwife not much frequented, the air being 

 unwholfome j though it is large enough for 1000 fhips, with an entrance 

 betwixt two rocks, which might eafily be defended. Two or three vefTels 



come 



