5. Eastward from Cavallos appears the famous City Truxillo, near a large Bay; secur’d from all Storms by two Cliffs, full of Trees; the Mouth of the Haven call’d Joan Gil, is above two Leagues broad, and receives two Rivers, one from each side of the City: The Stream Quaimarotte flows Eastward, and the River Antonio Westward, both abounding in Fish. The Countrey round about produces abundance of all sorts of Provisions, and chiefly abounds in Grapes, which are gather’d twice a year: Eight days after August they cut their Vines, which afford them ripe Grapes again in October; they have two Harvests of Corn; also Lemons and Oranges are very plentiful: The Cattel brought hither from Spain are exceedingly increas’d to an incredible number.
Truxillo it self lying on a steep Mountain, is defended on that side which respects the Sea, with a thick Wall of six Foot high; between which and the Haven are many brambly Bushes, which prevent the access to the Wall, onely a narrow and steep way leading up to the City, which hath a strong Gate, guarded with two Brass Guns, and sufficiently Fortifi’d to oppose an Enemy. The Eastern Cliff, which bends before the Haven is call’d Punta la Rye, on which stands a House with a high Beacon: Beyond the Wall Eastward, near the Haven, is a Ship-yard, before which stands a large Woodden Cross: The Castle in which the City Store is kept, joyns to the Wall, near unto which, within the Town appears St. Francis Church; but the Cathedral call’d Eglesia Major, is seen above all other Buildings: The Houses cover’d with Palmito-Leaves, have Walls of Pleited Bushes, Plaister’d over within and without: Behind the City, where it lies open, are exceeding high Mountains.
Attempts upon this place by the English and Dutch.
Anno 1576. the English falling on this strong Place, carry’d a rich Booty from thence; after which, Capt. Anth. Sherly and Capt. Will. Parker ventur’d once more on the same, but being discover’d by the Centinel, were forc’d to Retreat, not without a considerable loss: When not long after, Captain John Van Hoorn a Hollander, attempting the same, had much better success; for he Weighing Anchor for Pernambuc, with four Frigats, three Ketches, and a Sloop, set Sail to Truxillo, where arriving, lay close before the City with his four Frigats, which fired very fiercely on the Town; the Inhabitants of which not being idle, kill’d three Men in one Ship, forc’d her to fall farther off from the Castle: Whilst the Ketches and Sloop went about a Gun shot Westward beyond the City, towards the River Antonio, where they Landed two hundred and fifty Soldiers, which march’d with all speed up the Hill, where the Castle lay which they Scal’d at Noon-day; the Besieged being provided with seven Guns, shot, and threw Stones continually amongst them, yet were forc’d to Retreat from the Dutch Hand-granado’s: During the storm, the Admiral himself Landed, but before he came out of the Boat, the foremention’d Soldiers had made themselves Masters of the Fort, with the loss of onely eight Men, and were busie Pillaging all places they came at, and carrying their gotten Booty to a Watch-house near the Castle on the Shore; when on a sudden a Fire happen’d in the East part of Truxillo, which increas’d in such a manner, that in few hours two third parts of the City lay in Ashes; every one then had enough to do to save themselves, yet for all the haste they made, several Hollanders were kill’d at the blowing up of the Magazine, and most of the Booty lost by the Fire; insomuch that they carry’d but two hundred thirty nine Skins, six Bales of Indigo, eight hundred and twenty Pounds of Sarsaparilla, seven Brass, and three Iron Guns, four Clocks, and some few trifles with them; having before made an agreement for twenty Pound of Silver, with the Governor Joan de Miranda, who inform’d them, that they had not the least knowledge of the Hollanders Fleet, till the Evening, when the Beacon on Punta La Rye was fir’d: Moreover, that the City was inhabited by two hundred Spaniards, and as many more Mulatoes and Moors; and that the Trade thereof was much gone to decay, because there had been no Gallies there in two years before.
Twenty seven Leagues from this City lies the Village Jorgo de Olancho, where four thousand Spaniards force Tribute from sixteen thousand Indians, who possess much Gold.
Sect. IV.
Nicaragua.
Situation and bounds.
Nicaragua is a County of this Province, border’d Northward with Honduras; on the East, with the Atlantick Ocean, and part of Veragua; on the South, with Mare del Zur; and on the West, with Guatimala, being call’d by Diego Lopez de Salzado, The New Kingdom of Leon, and comprizing several little Territories, as Nicoya, Nequecheri, Mabyth, Deria, Masaya, Mandigua, Cacoloaque, Cepeoco, Los Micos, Madira, and the Contales. It hath few Rivers in it, the want whereof is supply’d by the benefit of a great Lake, in the midst of the Countrey, call’d by the Spaniards, Laguna de Nicaragua, containing, as is suppos’d, above one hundred Leagues in compass. It empties it self by the Port of St. Juan into the Atlantick or North-Sea, but reacheth as far as the South or Mare del Zur, at least within a very few Leagues; and from whence some Spanish Captains are said to have made a passage, though with much difficulty, into the Lake, and from thence to the North-Sea. It is abundantly well stor’d with good Fish, but withal much haunted with Crocodiles; and the Countrey about it so plentiful in all things, especially Cattel, Cotten-Wool, Sugars, and all kind of Fruits: Amongst which, the chiefest is the Zeiba, which is of so great a thickness, that fifteen Men holding Hand in Hand, can scarce encompass the same. The Callabashes ripen here in fourteen days time: The Sea along the Coast, breeds Whales and other Sea-Monsters, which are often seen above Water.
Nature of the Inhabitants.
The Inhabitants of this Countrey, (except the Chontales, which live on the Mountains, and maintain their old Salvage Customs) have for the most part learnt the Spanish Tongue and Manners, and exercise themselves in all sorts of Arts and Siences, especially in Working of Silver, making of Clothes, Wax-Work, and the like: From the Mountains they gather Balsom, Liquid-Amber, Turpentine: They also drive a great Trade in Cotton, Skins, and several sorts of Provisions, to Panama, and Nombre de Dios.