A strange Beast.
Moreover, Urraba abounds in Venison, Fish, and all sorts of ravenous Creatures, as Tygers, Lyons, and a particular strange Beast as big as an Ox, having an Elephants Nose, Horses Feet, and hanging Ears.
The Trees likewise swarm with Birds; and especially near Lakes or Pools breed Pheasants and Parrots, of which some are bigger than Capons, others no bigger than Chickens.
The Mountain Abibe.
Against Urraba juts the Mountain Abibe, whose length Westward remains unknown; the breadth thereof in some places is about twenty Leagues; it hath many Ways which cannot be travell’d with Horses. The top of this Mountain is uninhabited; but along the Valleys, which are many and large, dwelt formerly a People that possess’d great Riches in Gold, which they gather’d out of Rivulets that fell Westward from the tops of the Mountains. It Rains here almost all the year long, which makes the Ways very bad for Travellers to pass.
At the Foot of this Mountain, towards the South, lie two small antient Casiquedoms, if we may so call them, formerly inhabited by a valiant People, call’d Tarabe de Zenu, whether chiefly the dead Bodies were brought from all the adjacent Countreys, to be buried in great State, as hath been before intimated.
Towns and Places of principal note.
The Description of Carthagena.
The principal Towns and Places of note are 1. Carthagena, (so call’d either from the resemblance of its Situation with the City Carthagena in the Kingdom of Murcia belonging to Old Spain, or because the first Inhabitants were Citizens of the said City) which was begun to be built Anno 1532. by Peter de Heredia, but fully finished by Georgio Robledo, eight years after the first Foundation thereof was laid. This Episcopal Metropolis is on the North wash’d by the North Sea over a plain shallow Ground; on the Land side the Sea flows through a narrow Bay by the City towards the Lake Canupote, which ebbs and flows equal with the Ocean, and receives and discharges its Water through two Pipes which lie under a long Bridge, joyning Carthagena to the Main Coast. This City boasted long since above five hundred Stone Houses, being divided into twenty six large Streets, whereof four are six hundred and twenty Paces long: behind each House is a Garden; and the Church appears above all the other Buildings: The Dominicans Cloyster is also fairly built; neither is the Franciscans inferior to it, who also possess a second Edifice on the Main Continent over the Bridge. The Custom-house and Court where the Courts for the whole Province of Carthagena are kept, are also stately Structures. The Haven hath two Entrances, the chiefest whereof lies half a League Eastward from the City, and the Western, call’d La Boca, is as far again; both very dangerous, because of the many blind Rocks that lie before them. Anno 1585. when Sir Francis Drake took Carthagena by Storm, the whole was fortifi’d with Sconces, besides two Forts for the better security thereof, whereof one lock’d up the narrow Mouth of the Haven with a strong Chain; not far from which stood an Abbey, Dedicated to the Franciscans, and Wall’d round about; since which they have several Out-works, Forts and Towers, to prevent all foreign Invasions. The City grows wealthy daily by the Peruan Plate-Fleet putting in there before they go to Spain, and especially by the Trade from New Granada along the River Magdalena. The Island before the Haven, antiently call’d Codega, now Carex, inhabited by Fisher-men when the Spaniards Landed there, is now desolate, the remainder of those that were destroy’d by them being fled to wild places from the Spaniards Cruelties; notwithstanding the People hereabouts were valiant enough to Engage with them. But since the Devastation made by Sir Francis Drake, Carthagena hath receiv’d a more fatal Blow; for it was scarce fully repair’d, when five French Privateers burnt the City to Ashes: which Mischief was occasion’d by a Spanish Seaman, who being whipt by Command of the Governor, resolving for Revenge, went from Spain to France, and conducted the fore-mention’d Ships to Carthagena, where he reveng’d himself on the Governor; for finding him asleep, he first wak’d him, and after having told him of his causing him to be Whipt, he kill’d him. The Booty which the Spaniards carried from thence at that time amounted to above a hundred and fifty thousand Ducats.
The Balsam of Tolu very famous.