ILHAM 
ampler 
Chao. I. 
i 
next Day ; but, hearing nothing of them by Four o’clock 
in the Afternoon, ten Men were fent in a Canoe to look 
after them. They were no fooner come into the Bay where 
they landed before, but they found their Comrades upon 
a fmall Rock, half a Mile from the Shore, handing up to 
the Middle in Water, whither they had fled for Refuge to 
efcape the Hands of forty or fifty well armed Spaniards , 
with Guns and Lances, who had burnt their Boat: They 
were got upon the Rock at low Water; but it being then 
Sowing Water, they muft have infallibly perifhed, had our 
Canoes come but one Hour later, which now brought them 
fafe aboard. We afterwards feized upon two Canoes, 
ready fitted, in this Bay ; for Ships and Barks they have 
none, nor any Inftrument for fifhing, there being fcarce 
any Fifh thereabouts. This Country abounding in Wood, 
called Lance-wood, growing ftrait, like fo many Allies, 
and very hard and tough, we cut a good Quantity of it to 
make Handles or Staves for Oars, and Scouring-rods for 
our Guns, as being much more durable than thofe made 
of Afh. 
17. The 19th of July, the Day before our Departure 
From the Bay of Caldera , Mr. Edward Davis , our Quarter- 
mafter, was conftituted Captain, in the room of Captain 
Cooke , deceafed : The next Day we failed, in Company 
with Captain Eaton , and one of our Meal Prizes, towards 
Rio Leja , with a moderate North Wind, which brought 
us, in three Days, over-againft the faid Port. The Coun- 
try about Rio Leja is eafiiy difcovered at Sea, by reafon of 
an high, peaked, burning Mountain, called Volcano Vejo , 
the Old Vulcano, by the Spaniards. It is eafiiy diftinguifhed, 
being very high, fo as to be feen twenty Leagues at Sea ; 
befides, that there is no other Mountain, like this, on that 
Coaft; and it fmokes all Day, and alfo fends forth Flames at 
Night. If you will make the Harbour, the Mountain 
muft bear North-eaft ; then, fleering diredtly with the 
Mountain, that Courfe will bring you to the Harbour, 
the Entrance whereof you fee about three Leagues off it. 
You muft take the Advantage of the Sea- winds to enter, 
which are here at South South-weft. The Harbour is in- 
clofed by a low Ifle, of a Mile in Length, a quarter of a 
Mile broad, and one and an half from the Continent. At each 
End is a Chanel ; that on the Eaft, being narrow, and hav- 
ing a very ftrong Tide, is fcarce ever ufed ; but that on 
the Weft End, being much larger, is moft frequented by 
Ships, which muft, however, have a care of a certain fandy 
Shole on the North-weft Point of the Ifle, which as foon as 
they are paft, they muft keep clofe to the Shore of the Ifle, 
there being a Sand-bank, which runs above half-way out 
from the Continent ; after which, there is very good Ride- 
ing near the main Shore in feven or eight Fathom Water, 
clear hard Sand. This Point is able to contain 200 Ships. 
About two Leagues thence is feated the Town of Rio Leja , 
in a fenny Country, full of red Mangrove-trees, betwixt 
two narrow Branches of the Sea, the Weftermoft whereof 
reaches up to the Town, and -the Eaftermoft runs up near 
the Backfide of it ; but no Shipping can come up to the 
Town, the Defcription whereof I will give the Reader in 
my Return hither. We now refume the Thread of our 
Voyage : Being in Sight of the Volcano Vejo , feven or eight 
Leagues from the Shore, the Mouth bearing North-eaft, 
we took in our Top-fails, and made towards the Harbour; 
and then, fetting out our Canoes, rowed up to the fmall 
Town, that makes the Harbour of Rio Leja , by Nine a 
Clock in the Morning ; where we difcovered an Houfe, 
and, foon after, three Men going into a Canoe on the In- 
fide of the Bland, and making what Hafte they could to 
row to the Continent ; which before they could reach, we 
overtook them, and carried them to the little Ifle. At the 
fame time we obferved one on Horfeback on the Continent, 
riding away full Speed towards the Town. They frankly 
confefled, that they had been placed there by the Governor 
of Rio Leja , who had been advifed of our coming into 
thofe Parts, to keep Watch Day and Night; and that 
Horfeman we faw riding away, was placed upon the fame 
Account on the Continent, within an Hour’s Riding of the 
Town. ^ Thus, finding ourfelves difcovered, the Horfe- 
man being gone three Hours before Eaton and his Canoes 
c ‘H ie t0 t ^ e Hand, the Defign upon that Town was laid 
afide for .this lime. Phis fmall Bland has a curious Spring 
91 
of frefh Water, fome Trees, and good Store of Grafs ; but 
no Beafts to feed upon it ; and is fttuate at 12 0 10' North 
Latitude. We ftaid till Four o’clock in the Afternoon ; 
then we went aboard again, and, purfuant to a Confultation 
held betwixt Captain Eaton and Captain Davis July 2 6, 
took our Courfe the next Day for the Gulph of Amapalla. 
18. This Gulph is a large Branch of the Sea, entering 
eight or ten Leagues deep into the Country. On the South 
Side of its Entrance, it has a Point, or Cape Cafwina ; and, 
on the North- weft Side, St. Michael's Mountain, at 12 0 
40' North Latitude. They both appear very remarkable 
at Sea ; for the Cape is an high round Point, appearing at a 
Diftance like an Icicle, the Land near it being very low ; 
and Mount Michael is an high peaked Hill, not very fteep, 
at the Foot whereof, on the South-eaft, is a low Plain, of a 
Mile in Length. Flere it is that the Gulph enters on that 
Side ; and, betwixt thofe low Grounds and Point Cafwina , 
are two high Ifles, at twelve Miles Diftance from each other, 
the Southermoft being called Manger a , the other Amapalla , 
Mangera is an high round Ifland, two Leagues in Circuit, 
inclofed on all Sides with Rocks, except on the North-eaft 
Side, where is a fmall fandy Creek. The Soil is black, but 
not deep, full of Stones, and produces very lofty Trees, 
It has one Town in the Middle, inhabited by Indians, with 
an handfome Spanijh Church. The Inhabitants have a few 
Plantations of Maiz and Plantains ; and no other Sort of 
tame Fowl, but fome Cocks and Hens ; nor any other 
Beafts, but Cats and Dogs. From the Town to the Creek 
is a fteep and rocky Path. The Ifle of Amapalla has the 
fame Soil as the other Ifland ; but is much larger, having 
two Towns two Miles afunder, one to the North, .the other 
to the Eaft. The laft Hands on a little Plain on the Top 
of an Hill, a Mile from the Sea, and has a fair Church. 
The other Town is lefs ; yet has an handfome Church. I 
have obferved one Thing in moft of the Indian Towns un- 
der the Spanijh Jurifdiftion, that the Images of their Saints 
in their Churches are reprefented with an Indian Complexion, 
and partly in their Drefs ; whereas, in the Towns inhabited 
by Spaniards , they retain their own Complexion and Drefs. 
But to return to the Inhabitants : They have good Store of 
Maiz, and large Hog-plums ; but few Plantains. The Hog- 
plum-tree is of the fame Bignefs with our largeft Plum- 
trees, with Leaves of the fame Breadth ; but lhaped like an 
Hawthorn-leaf, and, in Colour, of a light-green. The 
Wood is brittle, and the Fruit oval, of the Bignefs of a 
fmall Horfe-plum. At firft it is green : but, when ripe, 
half-red and half-yellow, with a large Stone, and little Pulp 
about it. It has a pleafant Tafte ; but it is rare to meet 
with any of them ripe without Maggots in them. This is 
the only Place I ever faw them at in the South Seas. I11 
Campeachy Bay they grow in great Plenty; and, in Jamaica , 
they fence their Grounds with them. They have alfo fome 
Fowls ; and no Spaniard lives there, except the Father or 
Prieft, who takes care ofthefe two Villages, and theTownin 
the Ifle of Mangera. As they have little or no Money, they 
pay their Tribute in Maiz to the Governor of St. Michaels 
Town, feated at the Foot of St. Michael's Mount ; and the 
ghoftly Father has the Tenths of all, Befides this Prieft, 
we found but one here, (the Secretary of the Town) who 
could fpeak and write Spanijh ; for their Cafica or Magiftrate 
could do neither. This Bay or Gulph has many other 
Iflandsj but uninhabited. One pretty large we faw be- 
longing to a Monaftery, where four or five Indians looked 
after the Cattle, that fed there in great Numbers. This 
Gulph has two Chanels, one betwixt Cape Cafwina and 
Mangera , the other between this laft Place and Amapalla. 
The beft Anchorage is on the Eaft Side of Amapalla , oppo- 
fite to the low Grounds, the reft being high Lands. As 
you go in deeper, you may ride on the North-eaft Side of 
Amapalla, clofe to the Main. This the Spaniards call the 
Port of Martin Lopez. The Gulph extends a great Way 
beyond the Ifle ; but it is not deep enough to bear Ships of 
Burden. 
19. Captain Davis being fent before, with two Canoes, 
into this Gulph, to get fome Prifoners, he came to Man- 
gera, where, finding a Path from the Creek, he followed it 
towards the Town ; but the Inhabitants no fooner had notice 
of his coming, than they ran all into the Woods, leaving 
only the Prieft behind them ; who being taken, with two 
iptmn 
