11' N. Three Leagues From The Continent.[185] One Or Two Of These Isles Have Some Sandy Creeks, And They Produce A Certain Fruit Called Penguins.

These are of two sorts, one red and the other yellow. The plant producing the latter is as thick in the stem as a man's arm, with leaves six inches long and an inch broad, edged with prickles.

The fruit grows in clusters at the top of the stem, being round and as large as an egg, having a thick rind, inclosing a pulp full of black seeds, of a delightful taste. The red penguin grows directly out of the ground, without any stalk, sometimes sixty or seventy in a cluster, no bigger than onions, but the shape of nine-pins, the cluster being surrounded with prickly leaves eighteen inches or two feet long.

[Footnote 185: In modern maps these are called the isles of Mazatlan, and are placed in lat. 28 deg. 15' N. The name given in the text appears taken from a town on this coast called Charmela, in lat 22 deg. 50' N. but improperly. - E.]

Captain Swan went with 100 men in canoes to the north, to find out the river Culiacan, supposed to be in lat. 24 deg. N.[186] and said to have a fair and rich town of the same name on its banks; but after rowing thirty leagues he could not find the river, neither was there any safe landing place on the coast. Seven leagues N.N.W. from the Chametla or Mazatlan isles, our men landed in a small lake or river, having a narrow entrance, called Rio de Sal by the Spaniards, in lat. 23 deg. 30' N.[187] They here procured some maize at an adjacent farm; and learnt at another landing place of an Indian town five leagues distant, to which they marched. Coming near the place we were encountered by a good number of Spaniards and Indians, who were soon beat off. On entering the place we only found two or three wounded Indians, who told us the town was named Mazatlan, and that there were two rich gold-mines at the distance of five leagues.

[Footnote 186: The mouth of the river of Cullacan is in 24 deg. 45' N. and the town of that name is about eighty-five or ninety statute miles up the river, supposed to have been an ancient seat of the Mexican nation, before their removal to the vale and lake of Mexico. - E.]

[Footnote 187: The Rio Rastla de Panuco, in 23 deg. 45' N. is certainly here meant. - E.]

On the 2d February 80 men were landed in the river Rosario.[188] We came to a pretty little town of the same name, a considerable way up that river, where we were assured by some prisoners that the gold-mines were not above two leagues from thence; but as we had present occasion for provisions, we carried about ninety bushels of maize on board from this place, without searching for the mines.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 223 of 431
Words from 116059 to 116569 of 224764