Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/267

 your maiestie to command that all those goods may be first vnladen in Puerto Bello, and there to build a litle castle in the mouth of the said riuer, and at the foote of the castle to build a storehouse to vnlade and keepe all the sayd goods, and there to build other barks of lesse burthen: then these would serue for Summer, and the great barks for the Winter.

If it would please your maiestie, there might a very good high way be made on the one side of the riuer, and so they might bee towed, for it may bee made and not with much cost because it is all plaine ground, and there is growing vpon the sayd riuer great store of timber and trees which doe lie ouerthwart the said Riuer; so that they are very cumbersome and great annoiance vnto the said boates, aswell those that go vp the said Riuer, as also that doe come downe the said Riuer.

And therefore if it might please our maiestie to command, that Puerto bello might be inhabited, and the towne made neerer the Riuers side, euerything would be a great deale better cheape, if the commodities were carried vp the Riuer: for it is a great danger to cary them vp by land, for it is daily seene that the mules do many times fall and brake their necks with their lading upon their backs, as well the treasure as other kinde of commodities, because it is such a bad way. And your maiestie might be at this charges and spend your reuenewes of Nombre de Dios and Panama, which do yerely yield 12 or 14 thousand pezos, and this being once done it would be a great ayd and benefit to those, which doe trade and trafficke, and to those merchantes which doe send their goods ouer-land, and ease them much of paine and purse, because the other is a most filthy way, as any is in the world.

A briefe remembrance of a voyage made in the yeere 1589 by William Michelson Captaine, and William Mace of Ratcliffe, Master of a ship called the Dogge, to the Bay of Mexico in the West India.

The aforesaide ship called the Dogge, of the burthen of threescore and ten tunnes was furnished, and armed forth with the number of fortie men: it departed from the coast of England in the moneth of May, directly for the West India: It fell with the Bay of Mexico, and there met with diuers Spanish ships at sundry times, whereof three fel into her lapse and