America: Being the Latest, and Most Accurate Description of the Nevv VVorld / Containing the Original of the Inhabitants, and the Remarkable Voyages Thither. The Conquest of the Vast Empires of Mexico and Peru, and Other Large Provinces and Territories, with the Several European Plantations in Those Parts. Also Their Cities, Fortresses, Towns, Temples, Mountains, and Rivers. Their Habits, Customs, Manners, and Religions. Their Plants, Beasts, Birds, and Serpents. With an Appendix, Containing, Besides Several Other Considerable Additions, a Brief Survey of What Hath Been Discover'd of the Unknown South-land and the Arctick Region.

by John Ogilby

2. St. Germans, in the West part of the Island, three or four Leagues distant from the Sea.

3. Arrecibo, Westward from Porto Rico, where the most noted Haven is of those Parts, for all the others are full of Rocks and Sands.

The antient Inhabitants of this Island maintain’d continual Wars with the Cannibals (probably the Natives of the Islands so call’d) who us’d every year to come thither: those that were conquer’d, as well of the one side as of the other, were eaten by the Conquerors, so that in effect, both sides were but a different sort of Cannibals.

Columbus Landing here, found a great House surrounded with twelve others, but all of them empty and desolate.

This Island (which formerly is said to have been under the absolute Power of one sole King) the Spaniards not much regarded at first, having enough to do with Hispaniola, where they found more Gold than on Porto Rico.

The building of St. Germans.

Anno 1510. John Ponce de Leon obtain’d a Commission from the Court of Spain, to be chief Governor of this Island, and built Caparra, which Place was inhabited twelve years, notwithstanding it stood behind a scraggy Mountain, in a desart place far up in the Countrey; but their thirst after Gold, of which some Veins were discover’d there, made them dispence with all other inconveniences: yet at last beginning to be weary of this desolate and barren place of Settlement, they remov’d to Guanica, water’d by many Rivers, whose Sands had great quantities of Gold-dust. Not staying long there, they went four Leagues farther, and call’d their new Plantation Soto Major. Lastly, returning again, they setled themselves in the former Valley Guanica, and built the fore-mention’d Town St. Germans by the River Guaorabo, which makes an inconvenient Haven.

The Situation, Description and Fate of St. Juan de Porto Rico.

Juan de Porto Rico stands Eastward at the beginning of the North Coast, on a small Peninsula, joyn’d to the Island by an high Isthmus call’d Puente de Aguilar. Near the Mouth of the Haven lies on a rising Hill the Fort Morro Empinado, built triangular by John de Texila and Baptista Antonelli (who also planted there forty Guns), and surrounded with the Sea, which renders it a well fortifi’d place. The Governor Diego Mendez de Valdez had in it fifteen hundred Men and eighty Horses, when the fore-mention’d valiant Duke of Cumberland with a far less number fell upon him in the Year 1597. and not onely took the City Porto Rico, but several other Fortifications; and besides an invaluable mass of Treasure he carried away eighty Guns. Sometime before this Defeat the Spaniards under the Government of Christopher, Son to the Portuguese Duke of Camigna, were Invaded by the Cannibals, and all that were then upon the place utterly destroy’d, none of them escaping but the Bishop and his Servants, who betimes fled away with the Church Ornaments; so that the Islanders from that time were put out of doubt that the Spaniards were mortal, for they suppos’d them immortal when first they saw their great Ships, and heard the noise of their thundering Cannon.

The Casique Yaguara’s Experiment.