After remaining one day at this isle, we continued our voyage to Cape Santa Helena, in lat. 2 deg. 8’ S. This cape appears high and flat, resembling an island, covered on the top with thistles, and surrounded by low grounds, but without any trees.  As it jets far out to sea, it forms a good bay on its north side, a mile within which is a wretched Indian village on the shore, called also Santa Helena; but the ground in its neighbourhood, though low, is sandy and barren, producing neither trees, grass, corn, nor fruit, except excellent water-melons; and the inhabitants are forced to fetch their fresh water from the river Calanche, four leagues distant, at the bottom of the bay.  They live chiefly on fish, and are supplied with maize from other parts, in exchange for Algatrane, which is a bituminous substance issuing from the earth near this village, about five paces above high-water mark.  This substance, by means of long boiling, becomes hard like pitch, and is employed as such by the Spaniards.  To leeward of the point, directly opposite the village, there is good anchorage, but on the west side the water is very deep.  Some of our men were sent under night in canoes to take the village, in which they succeeded, and made some prisoners; but the natives set fire to a small bark in the road, alleging the positive orders of the viceroy.

We returned from thence to the island of Plata, where we anchored on the 26th September, and sent some of our men that evening to Manta, a small Indian village on the continent, seven or eight leagues from Plata, and two or three leagues east from Cape Lorenzo.  Its buildings are mean and scattered, but standing on an easy ascent, it has a fine prospect towards the sea-side.  Having formerly been inhabited by the Spaniards, it has a fine church, adorned with carved work; but as the ground in the neighbourhood is very dry and sandy, it produces neither corn nor roots, and only a few shrubs are to be found.  The inhabitants are supplied with provisions by sea, this being the first place at which ships refresh, when bound from Panama to Lima and other parts of Peru.  They have an excellent spring of fresh water between the village and the sea.  Opposite to this village, and a mile and a half from the shore, there is a very dangerous rock, being always covered by the sea; but about a mile within this rock there is safe anchorage, in six, eight, and ten fathoms, on hard clear sand; and a mile west from this, a shoal runs a mile out to sea.  Behind the town, and directly to the south, a good way inland, there is a very high mountain rising up into the clouds, like a sugar-loaf; which serves as an excellent sea-mark, there being no other like it on all this coast. [161]

[Footnote 161:  The great Chimborazo is probably here meant, about 135 English miles inland from Manta, and almost due east, instead of south, as in the test.—­E]