Captain Cooke had been very ill ever since their departure from Juan
Fernandez, and died as soon as they came within two or three leagues of
Cape Blanco, which indeed is a frequent incident at sea, as people who
have been long ill often die on coming in sight of land.
Coming to
anchor a few hours after a league within the cape, near the mouth of the
before-mentioned rivulet, in 14 fathoms on clear hard sand, his body was
immediately carried on shore for interment, under a guard of twelve
armed men. While the people were digging his grave, they were joined by
three Spanish Indians, who asked many questions, and were at length
seized, though one of them afterwards escaped. The other two were
carried aboard, and confessed that they were sent as spies from Nicoya,
a small Mulatto town twelve or fourteen leagues from the cape, and
seated on the banks of a river of the same name,[155] being a convenient
place for building and refitting ships. The president of Panama had sent
intelligence to this place of the English being in these seas, in
consequence of which the inhabitants, who mostly subsist by cultivating
corn, and by slaughtering great numbers of cattle which feed on their
extensive savannas, had sent their ox hides to the North Sea by way of
the lake of Nicaragua, as also a certain red wood, called in Jamaica
Blood wood, or Nicaragua wood, which is used in dying. These
commodities are exchanged for linen and woollen manufactures, and other
European goods.
[Footnote 155: There is no river at Niceya, but it is seated on a bay or
harbour within the gulf of the same name. - E.]
Learning from their prisoners that there was a large cattle pen at no
great distance, where cows and bulls could be had in abundance, and
being very desirous of having some fresh beef which had long been very
rare among them, twenty-four of the English went ashore in two boats,
under the guidance of one of the Indians, and landed about a league from
the ships, hauling their boats upon the dry sand. Their guide conducted
them to the pen, in a large savanna two miles from the boats, where they
found abundance of bulls and cows feeding. Some of the English were for
killing three or four immediately, but the rest insisted to wait till
morning, and then to kill as many as they needed. On this difference of
opinion, Dampier and eleven more thought proper to return aboard that
night, expecting to be followed by the rest next day. Hearing nothing of
them next day at four p.m. ten men were sent in a canoe to look for
them; when they found their comrades on a small rock half a mile from
the shore, up to their middles in water, having fled there to escape
from forty or fifty Spaniards, well armed with guns and lances, who had
burnt their boat. They had taken shelter on this rock at low water, and
must have perished in an hour, as it was then flowing tide, if they had
not been relieved by the canoe, which brought them safe on board.
On the 19th July, Edward Davis, quarter-master of the Revenge, was
elected captain, in the room of Captain Cooke. They sailed next day from
Cape Blanco towards Realejo, with a moderate breeze at N. which brought
them in three days over against that port, in lat. 12 deg. 26' N. This place
is easily discovered from sea, by means of a high-peaked burning
mountain about ten miles inland, called by the Spaniards Volcano vejo,
or the old volcano, which is so high that it may be seen twenty leagues
out at sea, besides which there is no other similar mountain on all that
coast. To make this harbour, the mountain must bear N.E. and keeping this
coarse will bring a ship directly into the harbour, the entrance of
which may be seen at three leagues off. This harbour is inclosed by a
low isle, a mile in length, a quarter of a mile broad, and a mile and a
half from the main land. It has a channel or entrance at each end of the
island, that on the east, being narrow and having a strong tide, is
seldom used, but that on the west is much larger and more commodious. In
taking this entry, however, ships must beware of a certain sandy shoal
on the N.W. point of the isle, and when past this must keep close to the
isle, as a sand-bank runs half way over from the continental shore. This
port is able to contain 200 ships.
About two leagues from the port, the town of Realejo stands in a fenny
country, full of red mangrove trees, between two arms of the sea, the
westermost of which reaches up to the town, and the eastermost comes
near it, but no shipping can get so far up.[156] On entering the bay in
their canoes, they found the country apprized of their approach, and
fully prepared for their reception, wherefore the enterprise against
Realejo was laid aside. Pursuant to a consultation between the two
commanders, Eaton and Davis, they sailed on the 27th July for the gulf
of Amapalla or Fonseca.
[Footnote 156: The account in the text appears applicable to what is now
called El Viejo, or the old town, nearly 12 miles from the port, but
modern Realejo stands almost close to the entrance of the bay or
harbour. - E.]
This is a large gulf or branch of the sea, running eight or ten leagues
into the country, and nearly of the same breadth. The S.E. extreme point
is called Cape Casurina, or Casiquina, in lat. 12 deg. 53' N. and long.
87 deg. 36' W. and the N.W. point is Cape Candadillo, in lat. 18 deg.
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