[Footnote 225:  The island of Gorgona is on the coast of New Granada, in lat. 2 deg. 54’ N. and long. 78 deg. 35’ W.]

While on our course towards Gorgona, the Duchess took the San Thoma de Villa nova of ninety tons, having about forty people on board, including eleven negro slaves, and but little European goods, except some cloth and iron.  Next day we made the island of Gorgona,[226] and on the 8th of June our boats brought in another prize, a small bark of fifteen tons belonging to a creek on the main.  She was bound to Guayaquil, having ten Spaniards and Indians on board, and some negroes, but had very little cargo, except a small quantity of gold dust and a large gold chain, together of about 500_l_. value, which were secured aboard the Duchess.  In a consultation, held on the 19th June, proceeding upon information procured from our prisoners, it was resolved to proceed to Malaga, at which there was an anchorage, where we proposed to leave our ships, and to row up the river for the rich gold mines of Barbacore, [Barbaceas][227] called also the mines of St Pean, from a village of that name about two tides up the river.  At that place we proposed to seize canoes, as fitter than our boats for going up against the stream, in which, at this season of the year, according to the information of an old Spanish pilot, there are such strong freshes, that he did not expect we should reach the mines in less than twelve days.  But having discoursed with several of the prisoners, we found the island of Malaga an unsafe place for our ships, and besides, they represented the river as so narrow, that the Indians would be able to assail us with poisoned arrows, and the Spaniards might easily cut off our retreat, by felling trees across from bank to bank.  On this information, we held another consultation, in which it was agreed to desist from this enterprize, and we came accordingly back to Gorgona, in so very weak a condition that we could hardly have defended ourselves, if attacked.

[Footnote 226:  It is somewhat difficult to ascertain what island is here meant.  There are some islands at the mouth of the Rio de Mira, in lat. 1 deg. 38’ N. on one of which is Punta de Mangles, or Cape Mangles, resembling one of the names in the text; but from the context, the island for which they were next bound appears to have been that now called Del Gallo, in lat. 1 deg. 55’ N. not above ten miles south from the river they proposed to enter.—­E.]

[Footnote 227:  Barbacoas is one of the provinces of New Granada, having a town of the same name in the Rio Telemli, which joins the Rio Patia.—­E.]