100 
The V 0 Y 
for Mails : The Grain of the Wood runs twifted gradually. 
They have no Refemblance to the Palm-tree. To the 
North-eaft: of Rancher in lie the little IOands of Canales and 
Cantarras , with their Chanels betwixt them, where there is 
good Anchorage. They have Plenty of good Water and 
Trees ; and they appear at a Diftance to be Part of the 
Continent : But the We of Pjuibo being the longed, and 
moil confiderable of them all, they are generally compre- 
hended under the Name of the Wes of Ljuibo. 
39. June 6 . it being agreed, that, fince we had miffed 
at Sea, we Would try our Fortune by Land, the City of 
Leon was pitched upon,, (on the Coaft of Mexico ) as being 
neareft to us ; but, wanting Canoes to land our Men, we 
cut down Trees, to make as many as we had Qccafion for. 
In the mean time 1 50 Men were fent to make themfelves 
Mafters of Puebla Nova , (a Town on the Continent 
near there Wes ) in hopes of getting fome Provifions 
there. They took the Town with much Difficulty, 
and returned the 26th ; but met with nothing there, except 
an empty Bark. July 5. Captain Knight came to us, have- 
ing been farther to the Weft, where meeting with no Pur- 
chafe, he failed to the South as far as the Bay of Guaiaquil , 
where he took two Bark-logs with Wine, Oil, Brandy, Su- 
gar, Soap, &c. The Mailer declared, that the Merchant- 
fihips, defigned to have been fent away by the Spanijh Fleet 
to Panama , did ftay behind at Peyta , till further Orders •, 
and that, had he had more Strength, they might eafily have 
been taken. In a Month’s time, our Canoes being got 
ready. Captain Harris , with his Men, went on board Cap- 
tain Davis and Captain Swan (his Ship being rotten) ; and, 
July 20. we failed from ijuibo towards Rio Leja , the next 
Port to the City of Leon , being now 640 Men, eight Sail of 
Ships, three Tenders, and a Firefhip, the Wind at South 
South-weft. Coafting along, we paffed by the Gulph of 
Nicoya , that of Dulce , arid the Ifle of Caneo , the Land 
low, covered with Wood, and almoft deftitute of Inhabit- 
ants. We had variable Winds ; but moft South-weft and 
Weft South-weft, the Land-winds at North North-eaft. 
We were much peftered with Tornadoes. Augujl 8. at 
n° 20' North Latitude, we difcovered the Volcano Vejo , 
or Old Vulcano , (the Sea-mark of Rio Leja ) bearing North- 
eaft by North; and no fooner had we brought the faid 
Mountain to bear North-eaft, but we made Provifion for 
landing the next Day. The 9th, we fent 520 of our Men 
in thirty-one Canoes towards the Harbour of Rio Leja. 
The Weather was fair, and the Wind favourable, till two 
in the Afternoon, when a Tempeft, mixed with Thunder 
and Lightning, had almoft buried us in the Sea ; but, after 
half an Hour, it began to abate, and fo did the Agitation 
of the Sea, it being obfervable, in thofe hot Countries, 
that the Waves foon rife and fall. At feven of the Clock 
at Night it was calm ; but, finding we could not be ready 
to land before Day, (being five Leagues from Shore) we 
ftaid thereabouts till next Evening, for fear of being difco- 
vered ; but, about three of the Clock, another Tornado 
had like to have put an End to our Enterprize. However, 
as the fame did not laft long, we entered the Creek lying 
on the South-eaft Side of the Harbour, leading to Leva , in 
the Night ; but durft not go farther till Day-break, when 
we rowed deeper into the Creek, which is very narrow, 
and the Land on both Sides marffiy near the Banks, and 
full of Mangrove-trees ; fo that there is no palling through 
them. Beyond the Mangrove-trees, upon the firm Ground, 
they caft up a ftnall Intrenchment. We rowed as faft as we 
could, and landed 470 Men, leaving the reft (of which 
Number i was one) to guard the Canoes. The City of 
Leon Hands twenty Miles in the Country, in a handy Plain, 
near a peaked burning Mountain, thence called the Vulcano 
of Leon , the Way to it being through a champagne Country, 
covered with long Grafs. Betwixt the Landing-place and 
the City were feveral Sugar- works ; and, about Mid- way a 
delicious fordable River, being the only thing they met 
with in their Way. .Two Miles on this Side the City is an 
Indian Town, where a pleafant fandy Road leads you to 
the City, the Houfes whereof are Stone, and large, with 
Gardens about them ; but low, and covered with Pantile. 
It has three Churches, and a Cathedral. Its Situation is in 
a Tandy Plain, with Savannas all round about it, which drink 
up the. Rain, and afford a free Paffage to the Breezes from 
A G.E S of Book I. 
all Sides. This makes it both healthful and pleafant, tho* 
it is not a Place of great Commerce, all their Subftance 
being in Cattle and Sugar-works. 
40. Our Men marched at eight of the Clock, Captain 
Townley leading the. Van, at the Head of eighty of the 
bnfkeft IVlen. Captain Swan followed him with 100 more ; 
and Captain Davis brought up the Rear with 170, in Con- 
junction with Captain Knight. Captain Townley , being ad- 
vanced two Miles before the reft, and having forced feventy 
Horfe to a Retreat at four Miles on this Side of the City, 
marched forward, and, at three of the Clock in the After- 
noon, with his eighty Men only, entered the Town with- 
out Refiftance ; but met with fome Oppofition from five 
hundred Foot and two hundred Horfe, firft in a broad Street, 
and afterwards in the great Market-place ; but the Foot,! 
feeing the Horfe take to their Heels, alfo retreated, leaving 
the Town to our People’s Mercy. Captain Swan came no*t 
into the Town till four o’clock ; Davis about five ; and 
Knight , with the Remainder, not till fix. The Spaniards 
killed one of our Men, that ftraggled behind, being very 
old, and refufing to accept of Quarter, and took one Smith 
Prifoner. Next Day, the Governor fent Word he would 
ranfom the T own. We demanded 30,000 Pieces of Eight, 
and Provifions for 1000 Men for four Months; which he 
not reliffiing, we fet the City on Fire the 14th, and marched 
towards our Canoes the next Morning. Smith was exchanged 
for a Gentlewoman. We releafed another Gentleman, upon 
his Parole to deliver to us 1 50 Oxen for his Ranfom at Rio 
Leja , the Place we intended to attack next. The 16th in 
the Afternoon, we came back in our Canoes to the Har- 
bour of Rio Leja , where our Ships were come to an An- 
chor by that time. The Creek, that leads from Rio Leja y 
extends from the North-weft Part of the Harbour’s Mouth 
to the North, about two Leagues from the Ifle in the Har- 
bour’s Mouth, to the Town. The firft two-third Parts 
are broad ; but afterwards clofes in a narrow deep Chanel, 
lined on both Sides with many Cocoa-trees. A Mile from 
the Entrance of the Creek, it winds to the Weft. Here it 
was, that the Spaniards caft up an Intrenchment, fronting 
the Entrance of the Creek, defended by 100 Soldiers, and 
twenty Guards. Below it a Boom of Trees was made croft 
the Creek; fo that they might have kept off 1000 Men, 
had they not wanted Courage to keep their Poll ; but, at 
the Firing of two of our Guns, they quitted it, leaving us 
at Liberty to cut down the Boom. This done, we landed, 
and marched to the Town of Rio Leja , a fine Borough, 
feated a Mile thence, upon a fmall River, in a Plain. It has 
three Churches, and an Hofpital, with an handfome Garden 
to it, the Place being feated in an unwholfome Air, among 
the Fens and Marffies, which fend forth a noifome Scent. 
We took the Town without the leaft Oppofition. The 
Country about it has many Sugar-works, and Inclofures for 
Cattle ; and great Quantites of Pitch, Tar and Cordage are 
made by the Country-people. It produces alfo Melons, 
Pine-apples, Guavas, and Priclde-pears. 
41. The Shrub, that bears the Guava-fruit, has long and 
fmall Boughs, a white and fmooth Bark, and Leaves like 
the Hafle. The Fruit refembles a Pear, with a thin Rind, 
and many hard Seeds. It may be eaten while green, a thing 
feldom obferved in Fruits either in the Eajl or Weft Indies . 
It is yellow, foft, and well-tafted. After it is ripe, it may 
be baked like Pears, and will coddle like Apples. There are 
different Sorts, diftinguiftied by their Shape, Tafte, and 
Colour ; fome being red, others yellow, in the Infide. 
Before it is ripe, it is aftringent ; but afterwards loofening. 
The Prickle-pear grows upon a Shrub five Feet high, in 
many Places in the Weft Indies. It thrives beft in faltifft 
fandy Grounds, near the Sea-fhore. Each Branch of this 
Shrub has two or three round Leaves, of the Breadth of a 
Man’s Hand, not unlike Houfe-leek, edged with Prickles 
of an Inch long. At the Extremity of the Leaf grows the 
Fruit, of the Bignefs of a large Plum, fmall towards the 
Leaf, and thicker to the End, where it opens like a Medlar. 
The Fruit has alfo fmall Prickles, is green at firft, but turns 
red by degrees. The Pulp is of the fame Colour with the 
Subftance of a thick Syrup, with fmall black Seeds. Its 
Tafte is pleafant and cooling. I have often obferved, that, 
if you eat twenty or more of them at a time, they will colour 
the Urine as red as Blood ; but without any ill Confequence. 
We 
