There Is Good Anchorage Opposite
This Town A Mile From The Shore, In Sixteen To Eighteen Fathoms On Soft
Ooze.
At the N.N.W. end is a small town called Tabogilla, and on the
N.E. of this another small town or village without a name.
While at anchor near Tabogilla, we were in great danger from a
pretended merchant, who brought a bark to us in the night, under
pretence of being laden with merchandise to trade with us privately, but
which was in reality a fire-ship fitted out for our destruction. But on
her approach, some of our men hailed her to come to anchor, and even
fired upon her, which so terrified the men that they got into their
canoes, having first set her on fire, on which we cut our cables and got
out of her way. This fire-ship was constructed and managed by one Bond,
who formerly deserted from us to the Spaniards. While busied next
morning in recovering our anchors, we discovered a whole fleet of canoes
full of men, passing between Tabogilla and another isle. These proved to
be French and English buccaneers, lately come from the North Sea across
the isthmus of Darien, 200 of them being French and 80 English. These
last were divides between our two ships, under Captains Davis and Swan;
and the Frenchmen were put into our prize, named the Flower, under the
command of Captain Gronet, their countryman, in return for which he
offered commissions to Captains Davis and Swan, from the governor of
Petite Goave, as it is the custom of the French privateers to carry with
them blank commissions. Captain Davis accepted one, but Captain Swan had
one already from the Duke of York.
Learning from these men that Captain Townley was coming across the
isthmus of Darien with 180 Englishmen, we set sail on the 2d March for
the gulf of San Miguel to meet Townley. This gulf is on the east side
of the great Bay of Panama, in lat. 8 deg. 15' N. long. 79 deg. 10' W. thirty
leagues S.E. from Panama; from whence the passage lies between Isola del
Rey and the main. In this gulf many rivers discharge their waters. Its
southern point is Cape Carachina, in lat. 8 deg. 6' N. and the northern,
named Cape Gardo, is in lat. 8 deg. 18' N. The most noted rivers which
discharge themselves into this gulf, are named Santa Maria, Sambo, and
Congo. This last rises far within the country, and after being joined
by many small streams on both sides of its course, falls into the north
side of the gulf a league from Cape Gardo. It is deep and navigable for
several leagues into the country, but not broad, and is neglected by the
Spaniards owing to its nearness to the river of Santa Maria, where they
have gold mines. Santa Maria is the largest of the rivers in this
gulf, being navigable for eight or nine leagues, as far as the tide
flows, above which it divides into several branches fit only for canoes.
In this river the tide of flood rises eighteen feet.
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