Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/246

 From this riuer of Ienero they passe along the coast to Sant Vincente, which hath 4 townes, the greatest whereof is called Santos, and consisteth of 400 houses, there are also three Ingenios.

A fewe yeeres past there came two English ships into this harbour which were going for the Streights of Magellan.

Who being in this port, there came thither three of the king of Spaines ships, and fought with the Englishmen, but the Englishmen sunk one of their ships, and therefore the king commanded a fort to be made, to the ende that no English shippes that were bound for the streights of Magellan should victuall there, the which fort standeth on the mouth of the harbour. This countrey belongeth to a Gentleman called Martin Alonso de Souza: this is the last inhabited place vpon all the coast of Brisill. This coast of Brasill is very full of mountaines, and hath much raine falling vpon it, for which cause they cannot goe from towne to towne by land: all the habitations of this countrey are by the sea side.

From Sant Vincente the coast is all mountainous, till you come to the Ile of Santa Catelina, and from this Iland till you come euen to the straights of Magellan, the coast is very plaine and without woods.

Hauing proceeded thus farre it will not be amisse to speake somewhat of the riuer of Plate, which is one of the greatest riuers in all the world: for at the mouth it is aboue fiue and twentie leagues from land to land: and the Spaniards haue gone vp in it aboue sixe hundred leagues, and could not attaine the head thereof. The first Spaniard that entered this riuer and inhabited the same was called Solis, who passed vp 100 leagues into it, and called it by the name of Rio de la Plata, that is to say, The riuer of siluer, because of the fine and cleare water that is in it, for I haue not heard of any siluer that euer was found there.The saide Solis returned into Spaine, without any further search into this riuer:

howbeit another Captaine called Sebastian Cabota went vp this riuer 150 leagues, and built a fort, which fort standeth vntill this present: where leauing his ships, he went higher vp the riuer in smal Pinnesses, and all along as he went he found many Indians: but finding neither gold nor siluer, nor ought else of any great value, he returned to his ships, and sayled for Spaine. Not many yeeres after a certaine Gentle