Book I. 
l6z The V O Y 
there is £ Chapel, and there had been a Church of St. Ig- 
natius^ belonging to the Jefuits, but burnt down. They 
were all decently adorned with Altars, carved Work, 
Pictures, an Organ in that of St. Augujlin *, but the Plate 
belonging to them was carried away, the Priefts and Stu- 
dents being all gone into the Woods : Some of the Houfes 
Were of Brick, particularly about the Parade, before the 
Fire ; the reft of Timber, or Bamboes fplit, and fome of 
them decently furnifhed. In the Merchants Storehoufes, 
there were great Quantities of Meal* Brandy, Sugar, Cloath- 
ing, Cordage, andiron. The Inhabitants had fome Ca- 
lalhes ; but I know not of what Ufe they could be, unlefs 
to carry them a Stone’ s-throw to Church •, efpecially in 
Winter, all about being fo foul and boggy, that there could 
be no Road made for them. This morafs Ground was full 
of the largeft Toads I ever faw, fome of them as big as 
an Englijh Two-peny Loaf. There were 2000 Inhabitants 
of all forts, including Indians , Mulattoes, and Blacks. 
The Englifhmen, who had lived in the Town, told us, that 
the December before, when they had made public Rejoice- 
ings for the Birth of the Prince of AJiurias , which lafted 
three Weeks, they had muttered 1100 Foot, and 500 
Horfe, all in Arms, which came from the Country round 
about j beftdes a much greater Number unarmed, the great- 
eft Part whereof muft have been Indians. They baited 200 
Bulls to Death after the Spanijh Faihion, and ran at the Ring 
with their Spears ; both which Exercifes they are very ex- 
pert in, and much addidted to. The Sunday before we 
landed, they had launched one of the new Ships in Pre- 
fence of the Bilhop who alked what they might coft build- 
ing •, and w^s told, the one 40,000 Dollars, the other more, 
both of which defigned to trade to Chili ; and Orders were 
given not to employ the Carpenters about any other Work, 
till the King’s two Shi^s, then expedted from Lima , were 
rebuilt. This Town is well feated for Trade, and for 
building of Ships, as lying fourteen Leagues from Point 
Arena , and feven from Luna , up a large River, which re- 
ceives feveral fmall ones that fall into it, with many Vil- 
lages and Farm-houfes round about. The Water is frefh 
for four Leagues below it ; and all along the Banks grow 
abundance of Mangroves and Sarfaparilla and, on ac- 
count of this latter, the Water is accounted good for the 
French Difeafe : However, when the Floods come down 
from the Mountains, the Water is not reckoned fo whol- 
fome, by reafon it brings along feveral poifonous Plants and 
Fruits, among which is the Manchanilla venomous Apple, 
whereof all Birds that tafte die ; and we faw Hundreds of 
them dead on the Water whilft we were there. They have 
great Plenty of Beeves, Goats, Sheep, Liens, Ducks, 
Mufcovy Ducks, and fome Sorts unknown to us in England \ 
as alfo Horfes, and great Numbers of Carrion-crows, which 
the Spaniards will not fuffer to be killed, preferving them 
to devour all Carrion. The Ships here are built under 
Sheds, to fhelter the Men from the Sun. The Town is 
governed by a Corregidor, being the fupreme Magiftrate 
appointed by the King. At our coming, the Officer was 
one Don Jeronimo Bos , a young Man about twenty-four 
Years of Age, born in the Canaries. It may feem a little 
extraordinary, that fo young a Man fhould be intrufted 
with fuch a Command •, but it is to be confidered, that 
native Spaniards, for fo fuch are accounted that are born in 
the Canaries , have much earlier Titles to Honour, than 
Perfons born in this Country •, and, indeed, by the Regula- 
rity of the Spanijh Government, it is no hard Matter for a 
young Man, of a reafonable Capacity, to perform the 
Functions of it with Credit to himfelf, and fo as to give 
Satisfaction to the People. The Accounts which have been 
given of this Place by the French Bucanneers are fo falfe, 
that there is not the ieaft Degree of Truth in them ; info- 
much that, from their Defcriptions, it fear ce appears to be 
the fame Place, had they not left infamous Marks of their 
Being here : For when they took the Town of Guiaquil , 
about twenty-two Years ago, they difeovered little or no 
Bravery in the Attack, (tho’ they loft a great many Men) 
and committed a deal of Barbarity and Murder after they 
had the Place in their Power, which was above a Month, 
here and at Puna. The Seafons here are, improperly called 
Winter and Summer : The. Winter is reckoned from the 
Beginning of December to the la ft of Af^-p and all that 
2 ' v 
AGES of 
Seafon is firltry hot, wet, and unhealthy : From the lat- 
ter End of May to December is ferene, dry, and healthy, 
but not fo violently hot as what they call Winter. Their 
Cocoa is ripe, and moftly gathered between June and Au- 
guji ; and of the other Fruits, natural to thofe Climates, 
fome are ripe, and others green, all the Year. But, as our 
Prifoners furnifhed us with a very full and exadfc Account 
of all the adjacent Country dependent on the Government 
of Guiaquil , I have judged it requifite to. add to this Ac- 
count of the Town, a View likewife of the Province, that 
the Reader may perfectly apprehend the Condition of the 
Spanifo Inhabitants therein ; and judge from thence, as 
from a Sample, of the State of this great Empire of Peru 
at the Time that we were thus engaged in attacking its 
Ports and Coaft ; where we aCted as became Men who had 
legal Commiffions, and did nothing that was not juftified 
by the Law of Arms, which, in time of War, is the Law 
of Nations. Having done this, I fhali return to our Ex- 
pedition, and not trouble the Reader with any Digreffions 
for the future. 
21. The City or Town of Guiaquil is the Metropolis 
of a Province of that Name in Peru , governed by a Pre- 
fident, with five or fix Oiodors , which make a Royal Ati- 
diencia , or chief Court of Judicature, accountable only to 
the Viceroy in military Affairs % every Province has a Go- 
vernment of the fame Nature. The Governors are com- 
monly appointed, or, to fpeak more properly, purchafe 
their Offices, in Old Spain for Life, or good Behaviour ; and 
in cafe any die, or misbehave themfelves, the Viceroy may 
name another during his Time, which ought to be but five 
Years ; but fometimes he gets thefe Officers of his own 
placing confirmed by an Order from Spain , which is a con- 
fiderable Part of the Viceroy’s unknown Profits. The 
late Viceroy continued fourteen Years, feveral new ones 
having died by the Way. The King of Spain himfelf fcarce 
lives in more Splendor, than his Viceroy in the City of 
Lima , where the chief Courts of Judicature are kept, and 
Appeals are brought thither from all Courts and Provinces 
of this extenfive Kingdom. I fhould not here mention the 
vaft Wealth the late Viceroy obtained during his Govern- 
ment, the Sum being fo large, that I thought it fabulous ; 
but that I was informed of it by fo many Hands, who 
told me, that about four Years ago he died, worth, atleaft, 
8,000,000 Pieces of Eight-, and left it to his Widow and 
Children, but the greateft Part to hiseldeft Son, the Conde. 
de la Monclo , befides vaft Sums he gave away in Charity 
during his Life-time, and the Churches, Frieries, and 
Nunneries that he built. He left a better Character behind 
him, than any Viceroy had done for an Age paft. The 
Conde , his eldeft Son, waits here, expecting to fucceed the 
prefent Viceroy of Peru or Mexico , if the Government 
holds in Old Spain ; but the People hope he will follow 
his Father’s Example, rather than that of the prefent Vice- 
roy : For whereas all former Governors difeouraged Fo- 
reigners as much as poffible, to fecure the Trade to the 
Spaniards , the prefent Viceroy does all for the French ; for 
he openly efpoufes their Intereft, and encourages them ; 
whereas the Spaniards fay, that he racks, and heavily op- 
preffes, their own Countrymen. The Corregidor that laft 
' died at Guiaquil , tho’ he had poffeffed the Office but four 
Years, had amaflfed 300,000 Pieces of Eight, tho* his Poll 
was not allowed to exceed above 2000 Pieces of Eight per 
Annum ; but all the Corregidors make vaft Advantages by 
Seizures, and trading privately by themfelves. The Trade 
to and from Mexico is forbidden here, under the fevereft Pe- 
nalty ; elpecially tranfporting Quicklliver fromiYra thither, 
becaufe Quantities are brought from Old Spain , which is 
impofed on the Refiners at great Rates. Here are many 
Ships employed coafting in this Kingdom ; but a Trade is 
fo feverely prohibited between them and Mexico , that all 
the Commodities, with Silver and Gold in Returns, may 
have little other Circulation in thefe vaft Countries, but by 
the Flota and Galleons to and from Old Spain. Yet, not- 
withstanding the Severity ufed againft private Traders by 
the Viceroys and Corregidors, there are fome that ufe it, 
who have no Mercy Ihewedthem, if caught, all being fne wed 
in the King’s Name, tho’ his Majefty has little or no Share 
of it, all fuch Seizures (as I am told) being divided amongft 
thole Officers, and the poor Sufferer banifhedj or confined 
to 
