On Their Return They Brought Word That The Spanish
Admiral Had Gone To The Bottom, Six Only Of Her Crew Escaping.
They
brought letters also from the lady of Don Gasper Calderon, the
commandant of Payta, who had fled to the town of St Michael, thirty
miles from Payta; who, in commiseration of the captives, sent many
citrons and other provisions to the Dutch ships.
Towards the sea the
town of Payta is strongly fortified, and almost impregnable. It is a
place of some importance, having two churches, a monastery, and many
good buildings; and has an excellent harbour, to which many ships resort
from Panama, whence their cargoes are transmitted by land to Lima, to
avoid the dangers of the wind and the seas at that place. While at the
island of Lobos, the Dutch took two birds of enormous size, not unlike
an eagle in beak, wings, and talons; their necks being covered with down
resembling wool, and their heads having combs like those of a cock. They
were two ells in height, and their wings, when displayed, measured three
ells in breadth.[98]
[Footnote 98: Probably the Condour, or Vultur Gryphus of naturalists,
which is of vast size, sometimes measuring sixteen feet between the tips
of the wings when extended.
At this place we have omitted a vague rambling account of the kingdoms
of Peru and Chili, as in 1616, which could have conveyed no useful
information, farther than that Don Juan de Mendoza, Marquis des Montes
Claros, was then viceroy of Peru.
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