Between Mount Miguel and Point Cazarnina (rightly Caravina) is the Entrance in the Bay of Amapalla, which is to the Northward of the Port of Realejo; therefore the leaving Mount St. Miguel on the Larboard, &c. being an absolute Contradiction to de Fonte entering the Port of Realejo, is an Interpolation and not inserted by the Person who wrote the Letter, but a Comment very injudiciously added by Way of Explanation. From this Circumstance the Truth of my Assertion appears, as to there being Glosses and Comments added to the original Text, and that I had good Reason to believe several Places in the preceding Part of this Account to be Interpolations added by Way of Comment.
The great Ships that are built in New Spain are built in Raleo is disposed in the Margin in the first Edition; but in all the subsequent Editions hath crept into the Text. We may suppose the W. N. W. Course hath crept into the Text in the first Edition to make room for this Comment, as may be judged from the Course between St. Helena and St. Jago being placed in the Margin: And there is an apparent Reason for the Course and Distances being so placed, for when inserted in the Text, they interrupt the Attention; and as the Courses and Distances were all that was necessary to be mentioned, the Latitudes have been since added by some injudicious Person.—The Latitude of Passao, of Cape St. Francisco, is not mentioned, and the Latitude of Raleo is wrong, which the Course and Distance shews, and its Latitude is in most Maps agreeable to the Course and Distance here given. The Run, allowing de Fonte eight Days, would be but one hundred Miles in twenty-four Hours, which is very moderate going. Nor can there be any Objection, as to the Truth of this Account, from the Time that de Fonte is sailing between the Callao of Lima to St. Helena, from St. Helena to St. Jago.
All that belongs to the original Letter I take to be this, The 16th of April we sailed from the River St. Jago to the Port and Town of Raleo; here we bought (which probably might as well be rendered procured) four long well-sailed Shallops, built express for sailing, riding at Anchor, &c. The 320 Leagues W. N. W. a little Westerly, I suppose to have been placed in the Margin.
It cannot be supposed that Boats so fitted, and four of them, could be procured in so small a Time as de Fonte staid here, it implies they were previously provided before that he arrived, to be ready at the Arrival of the Ships.
'The 26th we sailed from Raleo for the Port of Saragua, or rather of Salagua, within the Islands and Shoals of Chamily, 480 Leagues N. W. and by West, a little Westerly from Raleo. From the Town of Saragua, a little East of Chamily at Saragua, and from Compostilo in the Neighbourhood of this Port, we took in a Master and six Mariners accustomed to trade with the Natives for Pearl the Natives catched on a Bank in 19 Degrees of Latitude North from the Baxos of St. Juan in 24 Degrees of North Latitude, 20 Leagues N. N. E. from Cape Saint Lucas, the South-east Point of California.'
The Point of Yeaxos is laid down in Lat. 11 Deg. 58 Min. Long. 93 Deg. 31 Min. and with a Course North-west and by West, a little Westerly, Distance four Hundred and eighty Leagues, de Fonte would be at the Islands of Chiametlas, in Lat. 22 Deg. 10 Min. Long. 114 Deg. 29 Min.
The Port of Saragua, or rather of Salagua (which is properly Zuelagua) is thus described. 'The Mount of Sant Jago is in the Port of Zuelagua. There are two very good Harbours which have good anchoring Ground, and will hold a great many Ships, by reason they are great and are called the Calletas. On the North-west Side of the said Bay is another very good Port, which is called likewise the Port of Zuelagua. You will find in it a River of fresh Water, and several Plantations. At the Sea Side is a Pathway that leads to the Town of Zuelagua, being four and a half Miles from the Port within Land. Between the Port of Zuelagua and the white Ferrelon (or Rock) is a very good Port, in which you are Land-locked from all Winds.'
From this Description it is easy to comprehend what is de Fonte's Meaning as to the Port of Zuelagua, where he took in his Master and Mariners on the North-west Side of the Bay, and which he expresses by, at Saragua a little East of Chamily; and which Master and Mariners were not promiscuously taken, but were chosen Men, as they were taken both from Zuelagua and Compostilo, in the Neighbourhood of the Port. Zuelagua seems originally the City which was called Xalisco; but from its unhealthy Situation, Compostilo was built more within Land; yet the former continuing to be a Port, some Inhabitants remained there.
The Islands and Shoals of Chiametla, which the Translation renders Chamily, which is a Name given to Islands South of Cape Corientes. But the Distinction is the Islands to Northward of Cape Corientes are called Chiametla, those to Southward Chametla and Camilli. Prieto agrees with de Fonte's Account first mentioning the Islands of Chiametlas in Lat. 22. 10. Long. 114. 29. and then El mal Pays y mal outradu.
This Master and Mariners were accustomed to trade with the Natives for Pearl, which the Natives catched on a Bank in nineteen Degrees of Latitude, being North from the Baxos of St. Juan, or the Bank of St. John, which is in twenty-four Degrees of North Latitude, and twenty Leagues North North-east from Cape Saint Lucas, the South-east Point of California; and this Account de Fonte had either from themselves, or the Character that was sent with them, to shew the most proper Persons had been provided to answer the Purpose for which they were procured. And all that belongs to the Text is, which the Natives catched on a Bank North from the Baxos St. Juan, twenty Leagues N. N. E. from Cape St. Lucas.