All Round The Isle The Water Is Very Deep, Except At The
Before-Mentioned Anchorage.
Near the shoal there are great numbers of
small sea-tortoises, or turtle, formerly mentioned as found at the
Gallapagos.
This island of Plata is four or five leagues W.S.W. from
Cape San Lorenzo.
After remaining one day at this isle, we continued our voyage to Cape
Santa Helena, in lat. 2 deg. 8' S. This cape appears high and flat,
resembling an island, covered on the top with thistles, and surrounded
by low grounds, but without any trees. As it jets far out to sea, it
forms a good bay on its north side, a mile within which is a wretched
Indian village on the shore, called also Santa Helena; but the ground in
its neighbourhood, though low, is sandy and barren, producing neither
trees, grass, corn, nor fruit, except excellent water-melons; and the
inhabitants are forced to fetch their fresh water from the river
Calanche, four leagues distant, at the bottom of the bay. They live
chiefly on fish, and are supplied with maize from other parts, in
exchange for Algatrane, which is a bituminous substance issuing from
the earth near this village, about five paces above high-water mark.
This substance, by means of long boiling, becomes hard like pitch, and
is employed as such by the Spaniards. To leeward of the point, directly
opposite the village, there is good anchorage, but on the west side the
water is very deep. Some of our men were sent under night in canoes to
take the village, in which they succeeded, and made some prisoners; but
the natives set fire to a small bark in the road, alleging the positive
orders of the viceroy.
We returned from thence to the island of Plata, where we anchored on the
26th September, and sent some of our men that evening to Manta, a
small Indian village on the continent, seven or eight leagues from
Plata, and two or three leagues east from Cape Lorenzo. Its buildings
are mean and scattered, but standing on an easy ascent, it has a fine
prospect towards the sea-side. Having formerly been inhabited by the
Spaniards, it has a fine church, adorned with carved work; but as the
ground in the neighbourhood is very dry and sandy, it produces neither
corn nor roots, and only a few shrubs are to be found. The inhabitants
are supplied with provisions by sea, this being the first place at which
ships refresh, when bound from Panama to Lima and other parts of Peru.
They have an excellent spring of fresh water between the village and the
sea. Opposite to this village, and a mile and a half from the shore,
there is a very dangerous rock, being always covered by the sea; but
about a mile within this rock there is safe anchorage, in six, eight,
and ten fathoms, on hard clear sand; and a mile west from this, a shoal
runs a mile out to sea.
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