It will not seem amiss to conclude our Description of Panama with a short Account of the English Captain John Oxenham’s Exploits in these Parts: He being incited by the Treasure which Sir Francis Drake fetch’d from hence, resolv’d to Steer for the Northern Coast of Panama, where he hal’d his Ship of a hundred and twenty Tun on Shore, and cover’d the same with Trees, buried his Guns, and march’d with two Field-Pieces and seven Men up into the Countrey, and was by the Indians conducted to a River which falls into the South Sea, where he built a Pinnace of forty five Foot long, and Sailing into the South Sea, Landed on Tararequi, one of the Islands of Pearls; where he soon after took a Peruan Barque with sixty thousand pieces of Gold, store of Wine and Bread, and the day following another which came from Lima, loaden with a hundred thousand Pound in Silver Bars, and some Pearls; with which being enrich’d he return’d to the Main: The Governor of Panama being inform’d of it, put a hundred Soldiers into four Barques, besides a considerable number of Negro Slaves; over which Juan de Ortego having the chief Command, was inform’d at Tararequi what Course the English had steer’d; whereupon he pursu’d them to the River whither they were gone, which falling with three Arms into the Sea, they could not have known which way the English went, unless they had seen some Feathers of Fowls driving in the Mouth of the least Branch, by which they judg’d that they were not far off; therefore Rowing up they found after four days Journey the Pinnace hal’d on Shore, and watch’d by six Men, who were order’d to stand Sentinel, whereof one being shot by the Spaniards, the other five fled; whom Ortega pursuing, found half a League from the Shore a Hut made of Boughs, wherein the Booty lay, which he speedily carried to his Barques; but Captain Oxenham inform’d hereof, fell with two hundred Indians upon the Spaniards, who having a Wood on their Backs made such advantage thereof, that eleven English were slain, and seven taken, and had not the rest fled, they had all been either kill’d or taken Prisoners: Those that were taken inform’d Ortega that they had been at difference amongst themselves about dividing the Booty, which was the reason of their staying so long: moreover, they discover’d where and how their Ship lay; all which the Governor of Panama writ to Nombre de Dios; from whence four Sail were immediately sent to find out the Ship and the buried Guns, as also to take all such English as they should find preparing of Boats or Barques, and bring them to Panama; whereupon very many were taken, who were all miserably slain, except a few Youths.
Sect. III.
Darien.
Description of Darien.
Darien, which by some Authors not being thought considerable enough to make a distinct Province, is reckon’d one and the same with, or at least part of, Panama, hath on the North the District or Circle of Panama; on the South, the new Kingdom of Granada; Eastward it is bounded with the Gulf of Urraba abovesaid, and some part of the River Darien, which giveth Name to the Province; and to the West, with the South Sea; of a more temperate Air by far than that of Panama, and a Soil so admirably fruitful and lusty, that they say Melons, Cucumbers, and generally all other Fruits of the Garden, are ripe and fit to gather within twenty days or less, after their first sowing, but very much infested by noxious Creatures, as Lyons, Leopards, wild Cats, Crocodiles, Serpents, and Bats, after whose Bitings a Man bleeds to death, unless he washes the Wound well with Sea-water, or stop it with hot Ashes; and no less by the unwholsomness of the Air, which is infested by the many stinking Damps that arise from the muddy Pools. The Inhabitants are sickly, and seeming generally to be troubled with the Yellow Jaundice, never attain to a great Age: they go naked, the Men onely covering their Privities with a Shell or Cotton-Cloth: The Women wear a Cloth which reaches from the Middle down to their Knees, but if Women of Quality, to their Feet.
Sebastian and Antiqua, by whom built.
The Spaniards have many years ago made themselves Masters of this Province of Darien, in which Alphonsus Fogeda built the City Sebastian, which was inhabited till a Spanish Knight call’d Ancisius, Anno 1510. built Antiqua, and made it a Bishop’s See, which by reason of the unwholsomness of the Place was remov’d to Panama, when Vasquez Nunnez discover’d the Southern Ocean, Anno 1590. because Antiqua lay on a low Ground between high Mountains, where the Sun burnt exceedingly, and the Way to the South Sea, being three Leagues from thence, it was very troublesom to convey Merchandise thither.
But a worse Accident befell the Town St. Cruiz, which being built by the Spanish Captain Peter de Arias, was ruin’d by the Indians.
Rivers.
The chief Rivers are 1. Darien, which gives Name both to the Province and the Provincial Town, and falls into the Gulf of Urraba, being a large Arm of the Sea, eight Leagues over at the Mouth thereof. 2. Rio de las Redas, which runs in like manner through the Province of Nova Andaluzia, and falls also into the same Gulf. So likewise doth 3. Rio de la Trepadera. 4. Corobaci. 5. Beru, chiefly remarkable upon this Consideration, that some curious Etymologists have endeavor’d to derive the Name of Peru from this River, by the alteration onely of the initial Letter.
Places of chief note.