Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/263

 aboord, there can come in none but small Barkes, and at a lowe water the shippes are all aground and drie, and so is all the space some thirtie yardes from those houses. Right ouer against them standeth the citie.

When newes were brought to this citie of those Pirates which were come vpon this coast, the Lord President and Iudges commanded that there should a sconce bee made, and trenched round about, made all of timber for the defence of this citie against the enemie, and to keepe your maiesties treasure.

So your officers caused Venta de Cruzes to be fortified, and likewise Chagre, and Quebrada, and fortified the garrison of Ballano: for all these are places where the enemy may land, and by this meanes spoyle all this countrey.

There are three sundry places where this citie may without difficulty be taken and spoyled by the Pirates.

The first is on the North seas in a certaine place which lyeth foureteene leagues from Nombre de Dios, the place is called Aele to the Eastwards, where once before certaine men of warre haue entred into those seas.

The other place is Nombre de Dios, although this is a bad place and naughtie wayes, and full of waters and a very dirtie way: for three partes of the yeere the countrey people doe trauell vpon those waters, and another very badde way, which is the going vp of certaine rockes and mountaines which they must climbe, called the mountaines of Capira, which are of height three quarters of a league, so in this place with very small store of souldiers wee can defend our selues from the fury of the enemie, so these dwellers doe say that in Sommer the wayes are very good without either dirt or water.

The other entrance is vp the riuer of Chagre, which riuers mouth lyeth eighteen leagues from Nombre de Dios to the Westwards falling into the North sea, and this is the place which the citizens of Panama doe most feare, for they may come vp this riuer to Venta de Cruzes; and so from thence march to this citie, which is but fiue leagues off. So vp this riuer there goe boates and barkes which doe cary 320. Quintals waight. These are they which carry the most part of the marchandize which doe come from Spaine to be transported to Peru, and from Venta de Cruzes it is carried to Limaret which is three leagues off that place, and the dwellers doe report that it is