On Their Return They Took Two
Straggling Mulattoes, Who Said The Broad Road Led To The City Of
Oarrah,[182] Four Long Days Journey Into The Country, And That These
Men Came From That City To Protect The Manilla Ship, Which Was Expected
To Set Her Passengers Ashore At This Place.
The Spanish maps place a
town called Selagua hereabouts, but we could not find any appearance of
it.
[Footnote 182: Guadalaxara, the latter part of which is pronounced
achara, is probably here meant. It is 160 miles inland from the port
of Selagua. - E.]
We pursued our voyage on the 6th December towards Cape Corientes, in
hopes of meeting the Manilla ship. The land on the coast was moderately
high, sprinkled with many rugged points, and full of wood, having
several apparently good ports between Selagua and Cape Corientes, but we
did not touch at any of them. Cape Corientes, of which we came in sight
on the 11th, in lat. 20 deg. 28' N. is pretty high, being very steep and
rocky towards the sea, but flat on the top. I found its longitude from
the Lizard in England, by our reckoning, 121 deg. 41' W.[183] As the Manilla
ship is obliged to make this point on her voyage to Acapulco, we took up
a station here with our four ships in such a manner that we judged she
could hardly escape us; but as we were in want of provisions, fifty or
sixty men were sent in a bark beyond the cape to endeavour to get some.
They returned, however, on the 17th, not having been able to double the
cape, but left forty-six men in four canoes, who intended to attempt to
get beyond by rowing.
[Footnote 183: It is only in long. 105 deg. 88' W. from Greenwich; that in
the text, from computation or dead reckoning, being considerably
erroneous in excess. - E.]
The 18th December we sailed to the isles of Chametly, eighteen leagues
to the east of Cape Corientes. These are five small low and woody
islands, surrounded with rocks, and lying in form of a half-moon a mile
from the shore, having safe anchorage in the intermediate space. These
isles are inhabited by fishers, who are servants to some of the
inhabitants of Purification, a considerable town or city fourteen
leagues up the country.[184] We anchored at these isles on the 20th, and
here provided ourselves with wood and water, and caught great abundance
of rock-fish. Next day sixty of our men were sent under Captain Townley
to surprise an Indian village, seven or eight leagues to the N.W.
[Footnote 184: Villa de la Purificacion is considerably to the S.E. of
Cape Corientes, but the isles of Chametly are omitted in modern maps.
Puerto de Navidad, in lat. 19 deg. 20' N. seems the haven belonging to
Purificacion. - E.]
On the 24th the four canoes left by Captain Townley's bark returned to
the ships. They had got beyond the cape by means of rowing to the valley
of Valderas, or Val d' Iris, the valley of flags, at the bottom of a
deep bay, inclosed between Cape Corientes on the S.E. and point
Pontique on the N.W. In this delightful valley they landed
thirty-seven men, who advanced three miles into the country, and were
attacked by 150 Spaniards, horse and foot.
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