132 A VOYAGE TO Book III. 



Though the mines of Veraguas and Panama are 

 not expofed to thefe dangers, yet they are not worked 

 with more vigour than the others ; and this for two 

 reafons. The firft is, that, befides their being lefe 

 rich in metal than the others, the gold they yield is 

 not of fo good a quality as that of Darien : the fecond, 

 and indeed the moft weighty, is, that as thefe feas, by 

 their rich produce of pearls, offer a more certain, 

 and at the fame time a more eafy profit, they apply 

 themfelves to this fiftiery preferably to the mines. 

 Some, indeed, though but few, are worked, befides 

 thofe above-mentioned, on the frontiers of Darien ► 



Besides the advantage arifing to Panama from its 

 ' commerce, as the revenue here is not equal to the dif- 

 burfements, a very confiderable fum of money is an- 

 nually remitted hither from Lima, for the payment of 

 the troops, the officers of the audience, and others in 

 employment under his majefty. 



CHAP. VI. 



Exfeni of the Audience o/Panama, in the Kingdom 



of Terra Firma. 



TH E city of Panama is not only the capital of 

 its particular province, but alfo of the whofe 

 kingdom of Terra Firma, which confifts of the three 

 provinces of Panama, Darien, and Veraguas. The 

 fjrft is the feat of every branch of the government, as 

 being fituated between the other two j Darien lying 

 on the eaft fide, and Veraguas on the weft. 



Tfie kinpfdom of Terra Firma begins northwards 

 at the river of Darien, and ftretching along by Nom* 

 bre de Dies, Bocas del Toro, Bahia del Almirante, is 

 terminated weftvvard, by the river de los Dorados in 

 ti;e north fea \ and towards the iouth fea, beginning 

 ,t)n ilic wcftern part, it extends from Punta Gorda, in 



