118 A VOYAGE to BookIIL 



hung- beef, hogs-lard, plantanes, roots, and other eat- 

 ables ; with all which, this city, by the induftry of 

 others, is abundantly fupplied. 



The Peru and Guayaquil veflels, unlefs at the time 

 when the armada is here, return empty, except when 

 they have an opportunity of taking Negroes on board; 

 as, while the afliento fubfifts^ there is at Panama a fac- 

 tory, or office, which correfponds with that at Porto 

 Bello ; and hither the Negroes are brought, as beings 

 in fome meafure, the ftaple for them, with regard to 

 the kingdoms of Terra Firma and Peru. 



The prefident of Panama is irivefted with a power 

 of licencing every year one or two fhips, which go to 

 Sonfonate, el Realejo, and other ports in the pro- 

 vince of Guatemala and New Spain, to fetch from 

 thence tar, naphtha, and cordage, for the veffels be- 

 longing to the Panama trade ; they carry thither fuch 

 parts of the Peruvian goods as do nor find a market 

 at Panama ; but few of the Ihips which have ob- 

 tained this permiflion return immediately ; for the 

 moft profitable part of their trade confifting of indigo, 

 they make the bell of their way to Guayaquil, or other 

 ports farther to the fouthward. The dearnefs of pro- 

 vifions in this city and its diftrid:, occafioned by the 

 large quantity required, and the great didance from 

 whence they are brought, is amply conipenfated by 

 the multitude and value of the pearls found in the 

 oyfters of its gulph ; and particularly thofe near the 

 iflands del Rey, Tabaga, and others to the number 

 of 43, forming a fmall archipelago. The firfl: to 

 whom the Indians made this valuable difcovery was 

 Bafco Nunez de Balboa, who, in his pafiTage this way^ 

 to make farther difcoveries on the South-fea, was 

 prefented with fome by Tumaco, an Indian prince. 

 At prefent they are found in fuch plenty, that there 

 are few perfons of fubftance near Panama, who do 

 not employ all, or, at leafb, part of their Haves in 

 this fiijiery, the manner of which not being com- 

 monly 



