66 



THE COAST OF 



Audience of 



tinual fire upon the Spaniards, p'.it their horfc info confufion, and drove their 

 forces out of the town. 



The caftle of Sf^ Jtian de Ulua raking the alarm, fired brifkly into the town, 

 but the buccaneers being determined to plunder it, beheaded fome of 

 the principal fathers, and obli^^ed fome others to carry tben) in a boat as a pre- 

 fent to the governor of ihe caftle, and tell him th ic if he did not immediately 

 leave off firing, they would ufe all the fathers in the town in the fame man- 

 ner ; on which the governor redoubling his fire on the buccaneers, they (hut 

 all the gates of the town, and drove the inhabiianrs into that part of it which 

 lay next the fort, and moft expofed to it, and this obliged ihe governor to 

 ceafe firing. The buccaneers, after plundering the town, took fome of the 

 chief inhabitants as hoflages for a fum of ranfom-money, v/hich they demand- 

 ed for not burning the town. The Spaniards have fince built watch towers, 

 on the coafi, in order to prevent any future lurprize. 



A L M E R I A, 



C ALLED Villa Rica by the Spaniards, becaufe of the gold they found 

 here on their arrival, lies 20 leagues north of La Vera Cruz, hzs an indif- 

 ferent port and a better air, with a fmall river, good fprings of frefh water, 

 and a dry country behind it, all which are wanting in La Vera Cruz. It is faid 

 a clandeftine trade is driven on here between fome »S^^z«//Z) merchants on fhore, 

 and the French of St. Domingo and Martinico. 



P A N U C O. 



r"!"^ HIS province is very large, and finely fituated; it is bounded on the eaft 

 \_ by the gulph of Mexico, on the fouth by the provinces of Tlafcala and 

 Mexico proper. lt was one of the firfl difcoveries of the famous Coriez, who took 

 a great deal of pains to conquer and plant it, though the country be rather 



fruitful 



