136 The V O Y 
eight Inches long, and the Banana not above fix. It grows 
m the fame manner as the Plantain, fifty or fixty in a Clu- 
fter upon one Stalk. The Fruit is very mellow, and extra- 
ordinary fweet and good. On July 31. we left the Bay of 
Tacames , and carried our little Prize, named the Dragon , 
with us, not defigning to touch at any Place, till we came to 
the Gulph of Nicoya . 
15. We failed from the Bay of Tacames crofs the Bay of 
Panama , and from thence continued our Voyage to the 
Gulph of Nicoya , where, on Aiigufi 16. we anchored near 
certain Blands, which the Spaniards , from their being feated 
near the Centre of the Bay, call the Middle IJlands ; and, 
the next Morning, our Captain and Carpenter went in a 
Canoe, to fee if a proper Place for careening could be found 
amongft them. In the Evening of the fame Day, while we 
were employed in dreffing a Couple of T urtles, which the 
Captain had brought on board, our little Prize came to us 
again. They had been up the River Changel , and found two 
or three Indian Houfes, and fome Plantain-walks. The 
Indians climbed the Trees, and cut down from them as 
many Plantains as they would have. They found alfo two 
Canoes haled upon the Sand, and brought them both off. 
In their Way, they caught eight Turtles, and eat nothing 
of their own Provifions, but fed upon Turtle during the 
Time they were away from us. They gave us an Account, 
that they had found out a very good and fecure Place at the 
Ifland St. Lucas for us to lay our Ship afhore in ; that it 
was in a fine deep Bay, which, at the Entrance, was not 
above a Piftol-fhot over •, that, with five or fix Guns upon 
each Point at the Entrance, we might fo fortify ourfelves, 
that no Enemy durft approach us for that ten of us might 
defend ourfelves againft 500. Elowever, we found the 
Middle IJland to be as convenient as any Place could be ; 
and, our Captain feeming to like the Place, and knowing 
we could fortify ourfelves here, and with as little Trouble, 
we chofeit. Accordingly, on the 1 8th, it being fair Weather, 
and calm, we towed our Ship in amongft the Elands, and lay 
within Stone’s Call of the Shore all round, with one Anchor 
a-head, and a Cable out at our Stern, which was made faft to 
a great T ree on the Shore. As foon as we had fattened our 
Ship, all Hands went alhore, and began to build Tents for 
our Cooper and Sail-maker to work in, and to put our Goods 
and Provifions in. In the mean time, our chiefMate was fent 
in thefmall Bark called the Dragon^ with twenty Men armed, 
and two Patereroes, to cruife in the Gulph ; where after he had 
cruifed five or fix Days, he returned with a Spanifh Bark of 
about forty Tons. She had in her fome few Jars of Brandy, 
with Wine, and fome Sugar. They were going to repair 
her, fhe being very old •, and for that Purpofe had five or 
fix Carpenters and Caulkers on board, who came Very op- 
portunely to help us to repair our Ship •, for we had great 
Need of Workmen. We took out our Powder, Shot, and 
all our Ammunition, with all our Bread, fome of our Flour, 
and two Quarter-deck Guns, and put them on board this 
laft Bark. Then we got all the reft of our Things afhore, 
and made every thing ready for cleaning our Ship, The 
Bottom of it was, in many Places, eaten like an Honey- 
comb •, infomuch that the firm Plank was not thicker than 
an old Sixpence : Nay, in fome Places in the Hold, we 
could thruft our Thumbs quite through with Eafe. Our 
Ship being in this Condition, and we in want of Planks to 
new-bottom her, our Carpenter was forced to make an hard 
Shift, and ftop the Leaks as well as he could with Nails and 
Oakam. On September 2. the chief Mate Mr. Clippington , 
having quarrelled with Captain Dampier , drew over one- 
and-twenty Men to his Party •, and, having made himfelf 
Mafter of the Bark, in which was all our Ammunition, and 
the beft Part of our Provifions, got up her Anchor, and 
went without the Elands* from whence he fent us Word, 
that he would put afhore our Powder, Shot, and other Am- 
munition, (referving only what was requifite for his own 
Ufe) in an Indian Houfe ; which he did accordingly, and 
we fent our Canoes to fetch it on board. 
16. Thefe Elands are extremely pleafant and fruitful, 
abounding with all things requifite to Life-, fuch as Fifh of 
various kinds, and very good Birds of different forts 5 and 
of amphibious Creatures fuch as are moil: admired, and of 
the greateft Ufe, particularly Turtles and Guanas. But, as 
general Defcript'ions are feldom fatis factory, I will enter 
4 
AGE S of Book I. 
1 
into a more diftincft Account of the Creatures moft remark- 
able here, whether Birds, Beafts, or amphibious Animals. 
The MacCaw is a very beautiful Bird ; his Feathers of all 
the Colours in the Rainbow. In point of Size, he refem- 
bles an Plawk 5 in Shape a Parrot, only his Bill is perfedly 
white, and his Feet and Legs as abfolutely black. The 
Carrion-crow is as big as a {mail Turkey, and, in ajl refpefts, 
very like one ; for I never faw any Difference, either in Co- 
lour or Shape. The Flefh of them both fmells and taftes 
fo ftrong of Mufk, that there is no eating of it. Thefe 
Creatures commonly refort to Places where any dead Crea- 
ture is, and feed upon it ; for which Reafon they are called 
Carrion : But the Reafon why they are called Crows, f 
know not for they are nothing like them. The Pelican 
is almoft as big as a Swan. Its Colour is inclinable to 
white only the Tips of its Wings are brown. It hath a 
long Bill, of about twenty Inches, with a very large Crop 
joining to the lower Part of his Bill, and fo defcending by 
the Throat like a Bag or Satchel, very obfervable, and of 
a Largenefs almoft beyond Credit, into which it receives 
Oyfters, Cockles, Conchs, &c. or any other Shell-fifh, 
which being not able to break, it retains them until they 
open, and then, vomiting them up, picks out the Meat. 
As for their making an Hole in their Breaft, to give their 
Blood to their Young, I do not believe it, nor ever faw any 
fuch thing, altho’ I have feen thoufands, both young and old, 
together, and have eaten many of them. , They are good' 
Food ; only they tafte fifhy. They have broad Feet, like 
a Duck, being Water-fowls ; but they rooft commonly on 
Rocks, and in Trees, and always fit with their Heads to the 
Wind fo that, if the Wind changes whilft they are at 
Rooft, they turn about their Heads to it. They are heavy 
Birds, and fly very flow ; and always, when they fit, either 
on Rocks, Trees, or in the Water, they reft their Bills 
upon their Crop. The Guana is a fort of Creature, fome 
of which are found on Land, and fome in the Water. It 
is about three Feet long, more or lefs, and is a very ugly 
Creature to look at, having great, fharp, black and green 
Scales, from the fore Part of his Head to the End of his 
Tail, and a Set of great fharp Teeth, with four long Claws 
upon each Foot. They breed commonly in the Pvoots of 
old Trees, near the Water-fide, and frequent the Water as 
well as Land. When they are ftewed with a little Spice, 
they make good Broth ; and the Flefh looks very White, 
and eats well ; but, if they are not extraordinary well boiled, 
they are very dangerous to eat, making Men very fick, and 
often putting them into a Fever. 
17. There arefeveral forts of Sea-turtles but we account 
the green Turtle the beft Meat. They have feveral Hands 
and fandy Bays, where they go to lay their Eggs, which 
they do in different Places, at different Times. And 
therefore at one, or at feveral of thefe Places, their Seafon 
of laying is always the fame, yet, in different Places, their 
Seafons are different. I have been at the catching of them 
in moft times of the Year, and commonly found them full 
of Eggs. When they want to lay, they go afhore in fome 
fandy Bay, and, with their Fins, make an Hole in the 
Sand about two Feet and an half deep, wherein they lay 
their Eggs, commonly about eighty or ninety at a time. 
Then they cover them up with the Satid they fcraped out 
of the Hole ; and fo leave them for the Heat of the Sun to 
hatch. Thus, they lay two or three times in a Seafon and, 
after they have laid, they go off to Sea, and leave the 
Young, when hatched, to fhift for thertifelves, which, as 
foon as they get out of the Shell and Sand, retire to the 
Water., The Eggs are round, about the Bignefs of a Duck’s, 
with a white, thin, tough Skin over them but no Shell. 
Both the Eggs and the Turtle are extraordinary goodFood^ 
I have feen of this fort of green Turtle feveral times from 
200 to 350 and 400 Weight. The Lean of them, before 
it is dreffed, looks like Beef ; but the Fat is as green as 
Grafs, and yet is very wholfome Food. The Pearl-oyfter 
is much about the Bignefs of our common Oyfter ; but flat 
and broad. It hangs to the Rocks by a long String-beard, 
like a Muffeh The Pearl lies in the thickeft Part of it. 
Some have fix or feven Pearls in them. The Spaniards 
make feveral Voyages to this Gulph of Nicoya , and to the 
Eland California , for them. The Indians go down in fe- 
ven or eight Fathom Water, and bring up eight, ten or 
twelve 
