University of Virginia Library

CHAP. IV.

HAving been in possession of the Town of Santa Ma-

ria, only the space of two days, we departed from
thence on Saturday April the 17th 1680. We embarked
all in Thirty five Canoas, and a Periagua, which we had
taken here lying at anchor before the Town. Thus we
sailed, or rather rowed down the River, in quest of the
South Sea, upon which Panama is seated, towards the Gulf
of Belona, whereat we were to disembogue into that Ocean.
Our prisoners, the Spaniards, begged very earnestly
they might be permitted to go with us, and not be left abandoned
unto the mercy of the Indians, who would shew
them no favour, and whose cruelty they so much feared.
But we had much ado to find sufficient number of boats
for our selves, the Indians that left us, had taken with them,
either by consent or slealth, so many Canoas. Yet notwithstanding
they found soon after either Bark Logs, or old
Canoas, and by that means shifted so well for their lives,
as to come along with us. Before our departure we burnt
both the Fort, the Church, and the Town, which was done
at the request of the King, he being extreamly incensed against
it.

Among these Canoas, it was my misfortune to have
one that was very heavy, and consequently sluggish. By
this means we were left behind the rest a little way, our
number being only four men, besides my self, that were
embarked therein. As the Tyde fell, it left several shoals of
sand naked; and hence, we not knowing of the true Channel,
amongst such variety of streams, hapned to steer within
a shoal, above two mile, before we perceived our error.
Hereupon, we were forced to lye by until high water
came; for to row in such heavy boats as those are against
the Tide, is a thing totally impossible. As soon as the
Tyde began to turn, we rowed away in prosecution of our
Voyage, and withal, made what hast we could, but all our
endeavours were in vain, for we neither could find, nor overtake
our Companions. Thus about ten of the clock at
night, the Tyde being low water, we stuck up an Oar
in the River, and slept by turns in our Canoa, several showers
of rain falling all the night long, with which we were
throughly pierced to the skin.

But the next morning, no sooner day was come, when

we rowed away down the River, as before, in pursuit of our
people. Having gon about the space of two Leagues, we
were so fortunate as to overtake them. For they had lain
that night at an Indian Hut, or Embarcadero, that is to say,
landing place, and had been filling of water till then i'th'
morning. Being arrived at the place, they told us, that we
must not omit to fill our Jars there with water, otherwise
we should meet with none in the space of six days time.
Hereupon we went every one of us the distance of a quarter
of a mile from the Embarcadero, unto a little Pond, to
fill our water in Calabazas, making withal what hast we
could back unto our Canoa. But when we returned, we
found not one of our men, they all being departed, and already
got out of sight. Such is the procedure of these
wild men, that they care not in the least whom they loose
of their company, or leave behind. We were now more
troubled in our minds than before, fearing lest we should
fall into the same misfortune we had so lately overcome.

Hereupon we rowed after them, as fast as we possibly
could, but all in vain. For here are found such huge numbers
of Islands, greater and lesser, as also Keys about the
mouth of the River, that it was not difficult for us, who
were unacquainted with the River, to loose our selves a second
time amongst them. Yet notwithstanding, though
with much trouble and toil, we found at last that mouth of
the River, that is called by the Spaniards, Boca chica, or
the Little mouth. But as it hapned, it was now young
flood, and the stream ran very violent against us. So that
though we were not above a stones cast, from the said
mouth, and this was within a League broad, yet we could
not by any means come near it. Hence we were forced
to put ashoar, which we did accordingly, until the time of
high-water. We haled our Canoa close by the bushes, and
when we got out, we fastned our Rope unto a Tree, which
the Tyde had almost covered, for it sloweth here nigh four
fathom deep.

As soon as the Tyde began to turn, we rowed away

from thence unto an Island, distant about a League and an
half from the mouth of the River, in the Gulf of San Miguel.
Here in the Gulf it went very hard with us, whensoever
any wave dashed against the sides of our Canoa,
for it was nigh twenty foot in length, and yet not quite
one foot and a half in breadth where it was at the broadest.
So that we had just room enough to sit down in her, and
a little water would easily have both filled and overwhelmed
us. At the Island aforesaid, we took up our resting place
for that night, though for the loss of our company, and the
great dangers we were in, the sorrowfullest night that until
then, I ever experimented in my whole life. For it rained
impetuously all night long, insomuch that we were wet
from head to foot, and had not one dry thred about us;
neither through the violence of the rain, were we able to
keep any fire burning wherewith to warm or dry us. The
Tide ebbeth here a good half mile from the mark of high
water, and leaveth bare wonderful high, and sharp pointed
rocks. We passed this heavy and tedious night without
one sole minute of sleep, being all very sorrowful to see
our selves so far and remote from the rest of our companions,
as also totally destitute of all humane comfort. For
a vast Sea surrounded us on the one side, and the mighty
power of our Enemies the Spaniards on the other. Neither
could we descry at any hand the least thing to relieve us,
all that we could see being the wide sea, high Mountains and
Rocks; mean while our selves were confined to an Eggshell,
instead of a Boat, without so much as a few cloaths
to defend us from the injuries of the weather. For at that
time none of us had a shooe to our feet. We searched the
whole Key, to see if we could find any water, but found
none.