[The ilands of Salomon.]
In the height of this port of Santa, some seven hundreth and fiftie
leagues to the west-wards, lie the ilands of Salomon, of late yeares
discovered. At my being in Lyma, a fleete of foure sayle was sent from
thence to people them; which through the emulation and discord that
arose amongst them, being landed and setled in the countrey, was utterly
overthrowne; onely one shippe, with some few of the people, after much
misery, got to the Philippines. This I came to the knowledge of by a
large relation written from a person of credit, and sent from the
Philippines to Panama. I saw it at my being there, in my voyage towards
Spaine.
Having edged neere the coast to put the Spaniards on shore, a thicke
fogge tooke us, so that wee could not see the land; but recovering our
pinnace and boate, we sayled on our course, till we came thwart of the
port called Malabrigo: it lyeth in seaven degrees.
In all this coast the currant runneth with great force, but never
keepeth any certaine course, saving that it runneth alongst the coast,
sometimes to the south-wards, sometimes to the north-wards; which now
running to the north-wards, forced us so farre into the bay, which a
point [Punta de Augussa.] of the land causeth, that they call
Punta de Augussa,[202] as thinking to cleere ourselves by roving
north-west, wee could not double this point, making our way north
north-west. Therefore speciall care is ever to bee had of the current:
and doubtlesse, if the providence of Almighty God had not freede us, wee
had runne ashore upon the land, without seeing or suspecting any such
danger. His name bee ever exalted and magnified for delivering us from
the unknowne daunger, by calming the winde all night: the sunnes rising
manifested unto us our errour and perill, by discovering unto us the
land within two leagues, right a head. The current had carried us
without any wind, at the least foure leagues; which seene, and the winde
beginning to blow, wee brought our tackes abourd, and in short time
cleared our selves.
Thwart of this point of Augussa, lie two desert ilandes; they call them
Illas de Lobos, for the multitude of seales which accustome to haunt the
shore. In the bigger is very good harbour, and secure: they lie in sixe
degrees and thirtie minutes.
The next day after, wee lost sight of these ilands, being thwart of
Payta, which lyeth in five degrees; and having manned our pinnace and
boate to search the port, wee had sight of a tall shippe, which having
knowledge of our being on the coast, and thinking her selfe to be more
safe at sea then in the harbour, put her selfe then under sayle: to her
wee gave chase all that night and the next day, but in fine she being
better of sayle then wee, shee freed her selfe. Thus being too lee-ward
of the harbour and discovered, we continued our course alongst the
shore. That evening wee were thwart of the river of Guayaquill, which
hath in the mouth of it two ilands: the souther-most and biggest, called
Puma,[203] in three degrees; and the other, to the north-wards, Santa
Clara.
[Puma.]
Puma is inhabited, and is the place where they build their principall
shipping; from this river, Lyma and all the valleys are furnished with
timber, for they have none but that which is brought from hence, or from
the kingdome of Chile. By this river passeth the principall trade of the
kingdome of Quito; it is navigable some leagues into the land, and hath
great abundance of timber.
Those of the Peru, use to ground and trim their shippes in Puma, or in
Panama, and in all other partes they are forced to carene their shippes.
In Puma, it higheth and falleth fifteene or sixteene foote water, and
from this iland till a man come to Panama, in all the coast it ebbeth
and floweth more or lesse, keeping the ordinary course which the tides
doe in all seas. The water of this river, by experience, is medicinable,
for all aches of the bones, for the stone, and strangurie: the reason
which is given is, because all the bankes and low lands adjoining to
this river, are replenished with salsaperillia;[204] which lying for the
most part soaking in the water, it participateth of this vertue, and
giveth it this force.
In this river, and all the rivers of this coast, are great abundance of
_alagartoes_;[205] and it is sayd that this exceedeth the rest; for
persons of credit have certified mee, that as small fishes in other
rivers abound in scoales, so the alagartoes in this. They doe much hurt
to the Indians and Spaniards, and are dreadfull to all whom they catch
within their clutches.