P U E R T O R 1 C O. I r ; 



iitmoft fafety. It is the fee of a biOiop j large, and well built ; though the 

 beauty of the city is greatly dimrniihed by the canvas, or wooden lattice, 

 that they ufe inftead of glafs windows ; they have no water, except rain, 

 which they preferve in cifterns. 



This place is better inhabited than moft Spanijh cities, being the centre 

 of the contraband trade carried on by the Englijh and French with the fub- 

 ie6ls of Spain, notwithftanding the feverity of the laws, and the extraordi- 

 nary precautions taken to prevent it. On the W. fide of the city is the 

 Cajiillo del Morro, a very ftrong citadel, which at once commands and 

 defends it ; while the mouth of the harbour is protected by the 

 El Canuelo, a large well fortified caflle. In the year 1595 Sir Francis 

 Drake burned ail the fliips in the harbour j but finding it impoflible 

 to keep the place, without abandoning all his other defigns, he did 

 not attempt to make himfelf mafter of it. Three years after the Earl of 

 Cumberland reduced the ifland, and had fome thoughts of keeping itj but 

 lofing 400 men in the fpace of a month by a contagious difeafe, which he 

 afcribed to the heavy rains that his people were expofed to in the wet 

 iealbns, and the fatal dews that fell in fair weather, he was glad to depart, 

 carrying away with him 70 pieces of cannon, and an immenfe booty in plate. 

 In 16 1 5 the Dutch fent a flrong fleet 2ig2i\ni)i Puerto Rico, but with no great 

 fuccefs; for they only took and plundered the city, not being able to reduce 

 the caftle, which, with its forts, are now in a better condition than ever, this 

 harbour being of great utility to the Spanijh commerce. 



The AGUADA NUEVA de PUERTO RICO, 



IS one of the fined: roads for fhipping in all the Wejl-Indiesy being fheltered 

 from the trade winds by the ifland of Puerto Rico ; here the galleons and 

 flota, generally anchor when they come from Spain, and the Barlovento 

 fleet, after they have been at Cumanagota, come here for frefh water and 

 provifions, before they return to La Vera Cruz, 



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