64 THE COAST OF Audience of 



whicli hive been carefully taken off the nopals, being killed and dried, pro- 

 duce as niuch. 



The iiland was named C»Iua by the natives, when Grijaha firfl; difcovered 

 it, who gave it the name of Sa?! juan -de Vliia ; it has by feme been called 

 "ih^ Khigs Ijlandy but is better known by the old name. 



The caflle on it is v/ell built, and furnidied with all neceffaries, befides a 

 riumerous garrifon, and has been long thought impregnable. The port is 

 flieltered by this illand againfl the north winds that rage frequently on this 

 coaft. The fhips caft anchor under the rock, and are faftened to the cnftle 

 wall by great rings of iron and brafs ; for fometimes they have been torn from 

 their tallenings by the force of the wind, and cafi: upon the other rocks, 

 or elfe driven out into the ocean. Thefe northern winds are fo violent, that 

 they do milchief every v/here through the gulph of Mexico. 



In 1568 fix Englijh diips commanded by Sir 'John Hawkins^ being by di- 

 ftrefs of weather, driven into this port, in a friendly manner agreed with the 

 vice-roy, to be fupplied with provifions, for which he was to pay in ready 

 money ; but afterwards the Spaniards being reinforced with 13 fhips, took an 

 opportunity of breaking the contrad:, at the fignal of a trumpet, Hew all the 

 men on fliore, and at the fame time attacked tne E}7gHJh {hips, who in return 

 funk the Spanijh admiral, and burnt their vice-admiral-fhip ; but Sir John 

 Hawkins's fleet being overpowered by numbers, four of his fl:iips were de- 

 ftroyed by this piece of treachery. 



In 1683 the buccaneers commanded by Vanhorn, in an £/?g-/z/7; fhip of 

 50 guns with eight more of force, appeared with two fhips only, before 

 this place in the evening under Spanijh colours; thefe the governor taking 

 for two Caraca fhips, which they expefted, the Spaniards having made 

 fires in the caflle and on the fhore to light them in, went to red in their 

 ufual fecurity. There was a great garrifon in the tov^n at this time, though 

 it was unfortified towards the land, and had only two forts at the ends, one 

 of twelve, the other of eight guns. Vanhorn landed his men before one 

 o'clock the next morning, and finding the centinels afleep, and both the forts 

 open, forced open the governor's houfe, and feized the principal pofts. On 



the 



