[Footnote 173:  In modern maps the river which seems to agree with this description of the Santa Maria, is called Tlace, one of the principal branches of which is named Chuchunque.  The gold mines of Cana and Balsa are placed on some of its branches, on which likewise there are several towns, as Nisperal, Fichichi, Pungana, Praya, and Balsa.—­E.]

The Spaniards employ their slaves to dig these mines in the dry season; but when the rivers overflow, as the mines cannot be then worked, the Indians wash the gold out of the sands that are forced down from the mountains, and which gold they sell to the Spaniards, who gain as much in that way as they do by their mines.  During the wet season, the Spaniards retire with their slaves to Panama.  Near the mouth of the Santa Maria, the Spaniards have lately built another town, called Scuchadores,[174] in a more airy situation than Santa Maria.  The land all about the gulf of San Miguel is low and fertile, and is covered with great numbers of large trees.

[Footnote 174:  This probably is that named Nisperal in modern geography, the appellation in the text being the Spanish name, and the other the name given by the Indians.—­E.]

While crossing the isthmus, Gronet had seen Captain Townley and his crew at the town of Santa Maria, busied in making causes in which to embark on the South Sea, the town being at that time abandoned by the Spaniards; and on the 3d March, when we were steering for the gulf of San Miguel, we met Captain Townley and his crew in two barks which they had takes, one laden with brandy, wine, and sugar, and the other with flour.  As he wanted room for his men, he distributed the jars among our ships, in which the Spaniards transport their brandy, wine, and oil.  These jars hold seven or eight gallons each.  Being now at anchor among the King’s islands, but our water growing scarce, we sailed for Cape Carachina, in hopes of providing ourselves with that necessary article, and anchored within that cape, in four fathoms on the 22d.  We here found the tide to rise nine feet, and the flood to set N.N.E. the ebb running S.S.W.  The natives brought us some refreshments, but as they did not in the least understand Spanish, we supposed they had no intercourse with the Spaniards.

Finding no water here, we sailed for Porto Pinas, about fifty miles to the S. by W. in lat. 7 deg. 33’ N. which is so named from the vast numbers of pine-trees which grow in its neighbourhood.  The country here rises by a gentle ascent from the sea to a considerable height, and is pretty woody near the shore.  At the entrance into the harbour there are two small rocks, which render the passage narrow, and the harbour within is rather small, besides which it is exposed to the S.W. wind.  We sent our boats into this harbour for water, which they could not procure, owing to a heavy sea near the shore; wherefore we again made sail for Cape Carachina, where we arrived on the 29th March.  On our way we took a canoe, in which were four Indians and a Mulatto, and as the last was found to have been in the fire-ship sent against us, he was hanged.