Mazatlan. The town of Mazatlan was within 5 leagues of the NE part of the lagune, and Swan with 150 men went thither. The inhabitants wounded some of the Buccaneers with arrows, but could make no effectual resistance. There were rich mines near Mazatlan, and the Spaniards of Compostella, which is the chief town in this
district, kept slaves at work in them. The Buccaneers however found no gold here, but carried off some Indian corn.
February 2d. Rosario, an Indian Town. February the 2d, the canoes went to an Indian town called Rosario, situated on the banks of a river and nine miles within its entrance. 'Rosario was a fine little town of 60 or 70 houses, with a good church.' The river produced gold, and mines were in the neighbourhood; but here, as at Mazatlan, they got no other booty than Indian corn, of which they conveyed to their ships between 80 and 90 bushels.
3d. River Rosario, 22° 51′ N. Sugar-loaf Hill. Caput Cavalli. On the 3d, the ships anchored near the River Rosario in seven fathoms oozy ground, a league from the shore; the latitude of the entrance of the river 22° 51′ N. A small distance within the coast and bearing NEbN from the ship, was a round hill like a sugar-loaf; and North Westward of that hill, was another 'pretty long hill,' called Caput Cavalli, or the Horse's Head.
8th. On the 8th, the canoes were sent to search for a river named the Oleta, which was understood to lie in latitude 22° 27′ N; but the weather proving foggy they could not find it.
11th. Maxentelbo Rock. Hill of Xalisco. On the 11th, they anchored abreast the South point of the entrance of a river called the River de Santiago, in seven fathoms soft oozy bottom, about two miles from the shore; a high white rock, called Maxentelbo, bore from their anchorage WNW, distant about three leagues, and a high hill in the country, with a saddle or bending, called the Hill Xalisco, bore SE. River of Santiago, 22° 15′ N. 'The River St. Iago is in latitude 22° 15′ N, the entrance lies East and West with the Rock Maxentelbo. It is one of the principal rivers on this coast: there is ten feet water on the bar at low-water; but how much the tide rises and falls, was not observed. The mouth of the river is nearly half a mile broad, with very smooth entering. Within the entrance it widens, for three or four rivers meet there, and issue all out together. The water is brackish a great way up; but
fresh water is to be had by digging two or three feet deep in a sandy bay just at the mouth of the river. Northward of the entrance, and NEbE from Maxentelbo, is a round white rock.'
'Between the latitudes 22° 41′ and 22° 10′ N, which includes the River de Santiago, the coast lies NNW and SSE[75].'
No inhabitants were seen near the entrance of the River St. Iago, but the country had a fruitful appearance, and Swan sent seventy men in four canoes up the river, to seek for some town or village. After two days spent in examining different creeks and rivers, they came to a field of maize which was nearly ripe, and immediately began to gather; but whilst they were loading the canoes, they saw an Indian, whom they caught, and from him they learnt that at four leagues distance from them was a town named Sta Pecaque. With this information they returned to the ship; and the same evening, Swan with eight canoes and 140 men, set off for Sta Pecaque, taking the Indian for a guide. This was on the 15th of the month.
16th. They rowed during the night about five leagues up the river, and at six o'clock in the morning, landed at a place where it was about a pistol-shot wide, with pretty high banks on each side, the country plain and even. Twenty men were left with the canoes, and Swan with the rest marched towards the town, by a road which led partly through woodland, and partly through savannas well stocked with cattle. They arrived at the town by ten in the forenoon, and entered without opposition, the inhabitants having quitted it on their approach.