ISLANDS NEAR THE COASTS
OF NEW SPAIN AND GUATIMALA.
The islands belonging to Spanish North America near its coasts, are numerous, both in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, but most of them are either uninhabited or unimportant from their being small. Commencing on the north-east shores of the Intendancy of San Luis Potosi, and proceeding along its maritime borders southward, we meet with very numerous long strips of insulated land, the very names of most of which are unknown; but from their situation, they must be very fertile and will probably soon become of some use; such are the islands in the bays of Galveston, St. Bernardo, at the estuary of the great Rio Bravo del Norte, and on the coast of New Santander; of these the island of St. Luis, which embraces the above-mentioned bays, is one of the largest, with the island of St. Josef, extending from the bay of St. Bernardo to Lake Espiritu Santo, and La Carbonera, reaching from the same lake to the Barra de Santander. On the coasts of the Intendancy of Vera Cruz are the island of Ramirez in the gulf or lake of Tamiagua, a large isle in the centre, and the smaller island of Tore. In the bay of Vera Cruz are the islands of Sacrifices, Juan de Ulua, and others, which are small and sandy.
Juan de Ulua was first visited by Grijalva, in 1518, who gave it the name of Ulua, from having seen the remains of some human sacrifices, which the natives told him they were in the habit of offering here by order of the king of Acolhua. The interpreters who only spoke the language of Yucatan called the Mayo, believed that Acolhua or Ulua was the name of the island. A very strong fortress called the castle of St. Juan dʼUlua now covers nearly the whole rock, in the form of an irregular square, with advanced works towards the sea front; the expense of finishing this fortress is said to have been upwards of eight millions sterling; it contains fine barracks, cisterns, and a newly erected giratory light-house, placed at its eastern extremity, which was built according to the plan of M. Mendoza, the astronomer, who lately died in London. It consists of a high tower, on the top of which is the lantern with the lamps fixed on a triangle, turning by means of clock-work; the lights disappearing alternately, are supplied with a current of air and reflectors. This beautiful building cost about 20,000l. and is worthy of notice, on account of its utility in so dangerous a navigation as the channel of Vera Cruz is at all times.
The island of Sacrifices was so called, from the first discoverers observing the numerous remains of the victims immolated by the Mexican priests.
In the environs of the river Alvarado, several rivers descending from the interior, form numerous islands at their junction with the sea, and farther to the south are the islands of Guascualco at the mouth of the river of the same name and the island of Tabasco on which that town is situated.
Near the boundary of the provinces of Vera Cruz and Merida or Yucatan, in the lake or gulf of Terminos, are the islands of Triste and Port Royal; the former is on the south-west side of the gulf and west of Port Royal, from which it is separated by a narrow channel only. Triste, or as it is sometimes written Trieste, is in north latitude, 18° 20ʹ, and is eighteen miles in circumference, containing valuable mahogany and logwood, cut annually by the British. Port Royal is smaller, and is also called Puerto Escondido, having a small harbour, in north latitude 18° 22ʹ, west longitude 92° 86ʹ.
In the Intendancy of Merida, the western side has several small islands off its shores; of these the dangerous rocks called the Alacranes, are the chief, the others, such as Arenas, Sisal, &c. are chiefly sand banks above water, most of which are well laid down in the charts of the Mexican gulf.
To the north of Merida, and between Cape Catoche and False Cape, are a group of islands, of which Las Mugeres, or Womenʼs isle, is the most easterly; this isle is called Mohair Key in some maps, owing to the pronunciation of the Spanish word for women having a similar sound.