MEMOIRS for the CURIOUS.
April 1708.
A Letter from Admiral Bartholomew de Fonte, then Admiral of New Spain and Peru, and now Prince of Chili; giving an Account of the most material Transactions in a Journal of his from the Calo of Lima in Peru, on his Discoveries, to find out if there was any North West Passage from the Atlantick Ocean into the South and Tartarian Sea.
The Viceroys of New Spain and Peru, having advice from the Court of Spain, that the several Attempts of the English, both in the Reigns of Queen Elizabeth, King James, and of Capt. Hudson and Capt. James, in the 2d, 3d and 4th Years of King Charles, was in the 14th Year of the said King Charles, A. D. 1639, undertaken from some Industrious Navigators from Boston in New England, upon which I Admiral de Fonte received Orders from Spain and the Viceroys to Equip four Ships of Force, and being ready we put to Sea the 3d of April 1640, from the Calo of Lima, I Admiral Bartholomew de Fonte in the Ship St Spiritus, the Vice-Admiral Don Diego Pennelossa, in the Ship St Lucia, Pedro de Bonardæ, in the Ship Rosaria, Philip de Ronquillo in the King Philip. The 7th of April at 5 in the Afternoon, we had the length of St Helen, two hundred Leagues on the North side of the Bay of Guajaquil, in 2 Degrees of South Lat. and anchored in the Port St Helena, within the Cape, where each Ship's Company took in a quantity of Betumen, called vulgarly Tar, of a dark colour with a cast of Green, an excellent Remedy against the Scurvy and Dropsie, and is used as Tar for Shipping, but we took it in for Medicine; it Boils out of the Earth, and is there plenty. The 10th we pass'd the Equinoctial by Cape del Passao, the 11th Cape St Francisco, in one Degree and seven Minutes of Latitude North from the Equator, and anchor'd in the Mouth of the[1]River St Jago, where with a Sea-Net we catch'd abundance of good Fish; and several of each Ship's Company went ashoar, and kill'd some Goats and Swine, which are there wild and in plenty; and others bought of some Natives, 20 dozen of Turkey Cocks and Hens, Ducks, and much excellent Fruit, at a Village two Spanish Leagues, six Mile and a half, up the River St Jago, on the Larboard side or the Left hand. The River is Navigable for small Vessels from the Sea, about 14 Spanish Leagues South East, about half way to the fair City of Quita, in 22 Minutes of South Latitude, a City that is very Rich. The 16th of April we sailed from the River St Jago to the Port and Town Raleo, 320 Leagues W. N. W. a little Westerly, in about 11 Degrees 14 Min. of N. Latitude, leaving Mount St Miguel on the Larboard side, and Point Cazamina on the Starboard side. The Port of Raleo is a safe Port, is covered from the Sea by the Islands Ampallo and Mangreza, both well inhabited with Native Indians, and 3 other small Islands.[2]Raleo is but 4 Miles over Land from the head of the Lake Nigaragua, that falls into the North Sea in 12 Degrees of North Latitude, near the Corn or Pearl Islands. Here at the Town of Raleo, where is abundance of excellent close grain'd Timber, a reddish Cedar, and all Materials for building Shipping; we bought 4 long well sail'd Shallops, built express for sailing and riding at Anchor and rowing, about 12 Tuns each, of 32 foot Keel. The 26th, we sailed from Raleo for the Port of Saragua, or rather of Salagua, within the Islands and Shoals of Chamily, and the Port is often call'd by the Spaniards after that Name; in 17 Degrees 31 Minutes of North Latitude, 480 Leagues North West and by West, a little Westerly from Raleo. From the Town of Saragua, a little East of Chamily at Saragua, and from Compostilo in the Neighbourhood of this Port, we took in a Master and six Mariners accustomed to Trade with the Natives on the East side of California for Pearl; the Natives catch'd on a Bank in 19 Degrees of Latitude North from the Baxos St Juan, in 24 Degrees of North Latitude 20 Leagues N. N. E. from Cape St Lucas, the South East point of California. The Master Admiral de Fonte had hir'd, with his Vessel and Mariners, who had informed the Admiral, that 200 Leagues North from Cape St Lucas, a Flood from the North, met the South Flood, and that he was sure it must be an Island, and Don Diego Pennelossa (Sisters Son of[3]Don Lewis de Haro) a young Nobleman of great Knowledge and Address in Cosmography and Navigation, and undertook to discover whether California was an Island or not; for before it was not known whether it was an Island or a Peninsula; with his Ship and the 4 Shallops they brought at Raleo, and the Master and Mariners they hir'd at Salagua, but Admiral de Fonte with the other 3 Ships sailed from them within the Islands Chamily the 10th of May 1640. and having the length of Cape Abel, on the W. S. W. side of California in 26 Degrees of N. Latitude, 160 Leagues N. W. and W. from the Isles Chamily; the Wind sprung up at S. S. E. a steady Gale, that from the 26th of May to the 14th of June, he had sail'd to the River los Reyes in 53 Degrees of N. Latitude, not having occasion to lower a Topsail, in sailing 866 Leagues N. N. W. 410 Leagues from Port Abel to Cape Blanco, 456 Leagues to Rio los Reyes, all the time most pleasant Weather, and sailed about 260 Leagues in crooked Channels, amongst Islands named the[4]Archipelagus de St Lazarus; where his Ships Boats sail'd a mile a head, sounding to see what Water, Rocks and Sands there was. The 22d of June, Admiral Fonte dispatched one of his Captains to Pedro de Barnarda, to sail up a fair River, a gentle Stream and deep Water, went first N. and N. E. N. and N. W. into a large Lake full of Islands, and one very large Peninsula full of Inhabitants, a Friendly honest People in this Lake; he named Lake Valasco, where Captain Barnarda left his Ship; nor all up the River was less than 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 Fathom Water, both the Rivers and Lakes abounding with Salmon Trouts, and very large white Pearch, some of two foot long; and with 3 large Indian Boats, by them called Periagos, made of two large Trees 50 and 60 foot long. Capt. Barnarda first sailed from his Ships in the Lake Valasco, one hundred and forty Leagues West, and then 436 E. N. E. to 77 Degrees of Latitude. Admiral de Fonte, after he had dispatch'd Captain Barnarda on the Discovery of the North and East part of the Tartarian Sea, the Admiral sail'd up a very Navigable River, which he named Rio los Reyes, that run nearest North East, but on several Points of the Compass 60 Leagues at low Water, in a fair Navigable Channel, not less than 4 or 5 Fathom Water. It flow'd in both Rivers near the same Water, in the River los Reyes, 24 foot Full and Change of the Moon; a S. S. E. Moon made high Water. It flow'd in the River de Haro 22 foot and a half Full and Change. They had two[5]Jesuits with them that had been on their Mission to the 66 Degrees of North Latitude, and had made curious Observations. The Admiral de Fonte received a Letter from Captain Barnarda, dated the 27th of June, 1640. that he had left his Ship in the Lake Valasco, betwixt the Island Barnarda and the Peninsula Conibasset, a very safe Port; it went down a River from the Lake, 3 falls, 80 Leagues, and fell into the Tartarian Sea in 61 Degrees, with the Pater Jesuits and 36 Natives in three of their Boats, and 20 of his Spanish Seamen; that the Land trended away North East; that they should want no Provisions, the Country abounding with Venison of 3 sorts, and the Sea and Rivers with excellent Fish (Bread, Salt, Oyl and Brandy they carry'd with them) that he should do what was possible. The Admiral, when he received the Letter from Captain Barnarda, was arrived at an Indian Town called Conosset, on the South-side the Lake Belle, where the two Pater Jesuits on their Mission had been two Years; a pleasant Place. The Admiral with his two Ships, enter'd the Lake the 22d of June, an Hour before high Water, and there was no Fall or Catract, and 4 or 5 Fathom Water, and 6 and 7 generally in the Lake Belle, there is a little fall of Water till half Flood, and an Hour and quarter before high Water the Flood begins to set gently into the Lake Belle; the River is fresh at 20 Leagues distance from the Mouth, or Entrance of the River los Reyes. The River and Lake abounds with Salmon, Salmon-Trouts, Pikes, Perch and Mullets, and two other sorts of Fish peculiar to that River, admirable good, and Lake Belle; also abounds with all those sorts of Fish large and delicate: And Admiral de Fonte says, the Mullets catch'd in Rios Reyes and Lake Belle, are much delicater than are to be found, he believes, in any part of the World.
The rest shall be incerted in our next.