%i AVOYAGETO Book I, 



The firft invafion was made foon after ks eflablifh- 

 ment in t 544, by certain French adventurers, condndted 

 by a Cqrfican pilot, who, haying fpent fome time there, 

 gave them an account of its fituation, and the avenues 

 leading to it, v/ith every other particular, neceffary to 

 the fuccefsful condudl of their enterprize \ which they 

 accordingly cffeded. The fecond invader was Francis 

 Drake, termed the deftroyer of the new conquefts, w^ho, 

 after giving it up to pillage, fet it on fire, and laid half 

 the place in alhes ; and its fatal deftrudion was only 

 prevented by a ranfom of a hundred and tv/enty thou- 

 land fUver ducats paid him by the neighbouring colo- 

 nies. 



It was invaded a third time in 1597, by the French, 

 commanded by M. de Ppintis, who came before the 

 place with a large armament, confifting partly of Fli- 

 buftiers, little better than pirates : but, as fubjedls to the 

 king of France, were protedled by that monarch. Af- 

 ter obliging the fort of Boca Chica to furrender, where- 

 by the entrance of the bay was laid open, he landed his 

 men, and befieged Fort Lazaro, which was followed by 

 the furrender of the city. But the capitulation was no 

 fecurity againft the rage of avarice, which had confignec| 

 it to pillage. 



This eafy conquefl has, by fome, been attributed to 

 a private correfpondence between the governor and 

 Pointis ; and what increafes the fufpicion is, that he em- 

 barked on board the French fquadron at its departure, 

 together with all his treafures and efFed:s, none of v/hich 

 had fhared in the general calamity. 



The city is fituated on a fandy ifland, which forming 

 a narrow pafTage on the S. W. opens a communication 

 with that part called Tierra Bomba, as far as Boca 

 Chica. The neck of land which now joins them, v/as 

 formerly the entrance of the bay but it having been 

 ciofed up by orders from Madrid, Boca Chica became 

 the only entrance ; and this alfo has been filled up fince 

 the attempt of the Englilh in 1741, whOj having made 



theoi- 



