t 
D A M P I E R. 
Chap. I. Captain William 
ing-pla’ce, where is alfo a very good Spring of frefh Wa- 
ter near the Sea-fide. This Tile lies diredly oppofite to 
the River Cheapo . The Sapadildo-tree is altogether like a 
Pear-tree, and the Fruit like a Burgamot-pear, only it is 
fomething longer : When it is firft gathered, it is hard, and 
the Juice clammy ; but, a few Days after, becomes juicy 
and fweet •, it has two or three black Kernels, like a Pom- 
pion-feed. *The Avogato Pear-tree is as high, and higher, 
than our Pear-trees, with a black, but fmooth Bark, large 
oval Leaves ; the Fruit of the Bignefs of a large Lemon, 
of a green Colour at firft, but yellow when ripe. The Pulp 
is yellowifh, and as foft as Butter ; and, after they have 
been gathered three or four Days, the Rind will come off 
with Eafe. The Stone is as big as a good Horfe-plum. As 
this Fruit is iniipid, fo it is commonly eaten with Sugar 
and Lime-juice, being looked upon by the Spaniards as a 
great Provocative, who have therefore planted them in moll 
Places of the North Sea, where they inhabit. The Mam- 
mee-Sapota is neither fo big, nor ip tall, as the Mammee 
a t Tobago-, nor is the Fijiit either fo large, or fo round. 
The Pulp is quite red, with a rough, flat, longifh Stone, 
and the Rind fmooth. It is a pleafant and wholfome Fruit. 
There are alfo fome wild Mammee-trees, which grow very 
tall and ftrait, and are confequently ufed for Mails ; but the 
Fruit is not efteemed. The Star fomewhat refembles our 
Quince-tree, but much larger, bearing Abundance of oval 
broad Leaves. The Fruit is of the Bignefs of a large Apple. 
It is reckoned a very good Fruit ; but I never tailed it. 
37. The River of Cheapo has its Rife in the Mountains 
on the North Side, being inclofed afterwards between them 
and the Mountains on the South Side. It turns to the Weil, 
and at laft, forcing its Way to the South- weft, makes a 
kind of a Semicircle, and afterwards runs gently to the Sea, 
where it difcharges itfelf feven Leagues from Panama. It 
is very deep, and a quarter of a Mile broad ; but, by rea- 
lon of the Sands that choke up its Entrance, is navigable on- 
ly by Barks. About fix Leagues from the Sea-fide Hands 
the City of Cheapo , on the Left Bank of the River, in a 
champagne Country, affording a very pleafant View, by rea- 
fon of divers adjacent Hills, covered with Woods, tho* the 
greateftPart is good Pafture-ground ; but the South Side of 
the River is all Woodland for many Leagues. The 250 Men 
before-mentioned, fent to this Place, returned the 24th, 
having taken the Town without the leaft Oppofition ; but 
found nothing worth mentioning there. In the Way thither, 
they took a Canoe with armed Men, fent to watch our Mo- 
tions ; but the Men efcaped for the moft part. The 25th 
being joined by Captain Harris , we failed the 26th, and 
arrived at Tobago the 28th ; and finding ourfelves now 1000 
ftrong, it was confulted, whether we fhould make an At- 
tempt upon Panama ; but being informed by our Prifoners, 
that they had received a confiderable Reinforcement from 
Porto-Bello , that Defign was laid afide. May 4. we failed 
again for the King's IJles , whereabouts we cruifed till the 
2 2d, when we fent two Canoes to the Ille of Chepelio , to 
get fome Prifoners. They returned the 25th, with three 
Seamen of Panama , who informed us, that, having iffued a 
ftrift Order there not to fetch any Plantains from the adjacent 
Lies, this had occafioned a great Scarcity; and that they 
expefted every Day the Arrival of the Fleet from Lima, On 
the South Side of the Me Pacheque lie two or three fmall Ifles, 
and betwixt them a Chanel not above feven Paces wide, and 
a Mile in Length. On the Eaft Side of this Chanel we lay 
at Anchor with our whole Fleet, confifting of ten Sail, but 
only two Men of War, viz. Captain Davis , thirty-fix Guns, 
156 Men, and Captain Swan, fixteen Guns, 14Q Men, the 
reft being provided only with Small-arms, making in all 
960 Men ; we had alfo one Firelhip. Hitherto we had 
the Wind at North North-eaft, with fair Weather ; but, 
the 2.8 th, the rainy Seafon began. About eleven of the Clock, 
it beginning to clear up, we difcovered the Spanijh Fleet 
three Leagues Weft North- weft from the Me of Pacheque , 
Handing toythe Eaft, we being then at Anchor a League 
South-eaft from the Me, betwixt it and the Continent. 
About three in the Afternoon we failed, bearing down right 
before the Wind upon the Spaniards , who kept ojofe on a 
Wind to come up with us ; but. Night approaching, we 
exchanged only a few Shot. As foon as it began to be dark, 
the Spanijh Admiral put out a Light at his Top, as a Sig- 
nal for the Fleet to come to an Anchor. In half an Hour 
after, it was taken down again ; but appeared foon after as 
before, which we fuppofing to be in the Admiral’s Top, 
kept under Sail, being to the Windward; but found our- 
felves deceived in our Expectation, by a Stratagem contrived 
by the Spaniards , who, having put this fecond Light on 
the Topmaft-head of one of their Barks, fent her to the 
Leeward ; fo that, in the Morning, we found they had 
got the Weather-gage of us. They came up with full Sail; 
fo we were forced to make a running Fight of it all the 
next Day, almoft quite round the Bay of Panama ; for we 
came to anchor again ft the Me of Pacheque. Captain 
Townley , being hard preffed by the Spaniards , was forced 
to make a bold Run through the before-mentioned Chanel 
betwixt Pacheque and the three adjacent fmall Mes ; and 
Captain Harris was forced away from us during the Fight, 
Thus our long-projefted Defign vanifhed into Smoke, 
The Spanijh Fleet, according to the Report of fome PrL 
foners taken afterwards by Captain Wright, confifted of 
fourteen Sail, befides Periagoes, or Boats of twelve or four- 
teen Oars apiece, among which were eight Ships of good 
Force ; viz. from eight to forty-eight Guns. They were 
computed to have 3000 Men aboard the whole Fleet, and 
two Firefhips. The 30th in the Morning, we faw the Spa-, 
nijh fleet three Leagues to the Leeward of us at Anchor, 
and, at ten of the Clock, with an eafy Gale from the South, 
making the beft of their Way to Panama. We do not 
know their Lofs. We had but one Man killed. Captain 
Gronet , who was not in the Fight, laid the Fault thereof 
on his Men. He was ordered to leave us, in a Confulta-, 
tion held for that Purpofe, where it was alfo refolved to 
fail for the Mes of Sjuibo, or Cobaya, in queft of Captain 
Harris. 
38. We failed June 1. 1685, with a South South-weft 
Wind, paffing betwixt the Point Garachina and the King's 
IJles. The 5th, we paffed in ^ight of the Me Chuceh , a 
fmall, low, round, woody Me, four Leagues South South* 
weft from Pacheque, uninhabited, and the laft of the Mes in 
the Bay of Panama. We failed forward on the North Side 
of the Bay, (the Way all Ships from Panama muft pafs) and 
came, the 10th, in Sight of the Moro de P or cos, an high 
round Hill on the Coaft of Lavelia. This Side of the Bay 
of Panama runs out Weft to the Mes of Quito. On thefe 
Coafts are many Rivers and Creeks ; but not near fo large as 
thofe on the South Side of the faid Bay. Near the Sea-fide 
this Coaft is partly hilly, partly low Grounds, with very 
thick Woods ; but, in the Heart of the Country, they have 
fruitful Plains for Cattle. Some of the Rivers on this Side 
afford alfo Gold ; but not in fuch a Quantity as thofe on the 
other Side. There is fcarce any Settlement along this Coaft, 
except what is along the Rivers, that lead to Lavelia and 
Nat a, thefe being the only Places I know of betwixt Pana- 
ma and Puebla Nova. From Panama is good travelling all 
over Mexico through the Savannas or Plains ; but, towards 
Peru , there is no Paffage beyond the River Cheapo , by 
reafon of the thick Woods, and many Rivers. In our Voy- 
age to Quibo, the Wind being conftantly at South South- 
weft and South- weft, we met with very bad Weather; fo 
that we did not reach thefe Ifles, till June 15. where we met 
with Captain Harris. The Me of Quibo or Cobaya , at y° 
14' North Latitude, is near feven Leagues long, and four 
broad, being all low Land, except at the North-eaft End; 
on which Side, as alfo to the Eaft, there is excellent good 
Water. It abounds in Trees of all forts ; in Deer and 
black Monkeys, the Flefh of which is reckoned very whol- 
fome and good. It has alfo fome Guanoes and Snakes. 
From the South-eaft End of this Me runs out a Sand-bank 
half a Mile into the Sea ; and a League to the North Side 
of this, to the Eaft, is a Rock a Mile from the Shore, 
which, at the laft Quarter Ebb, is feen above Water. For 
the reft, Ships may come to an Anchor at any other Place 
a quarter of a Mile from the Shore, at fix, eight, ten and 
twelve Fathom, dean Sand and Oufe. Befides this, there 
are feveral Mes lying on the South-weft Side ; fome to the 
North and North-eaft. The Me of Quicarra is pretty 
large, lying to the South-weft of Quito-, and, to the North 
of it, is a fmall Ifle called Rancheria , which produces great 
Plenty of Palma-Maria-trees. They are very ftrait-bodied, 
tough, and of a very good Length, and confequently fit 
for 
