We now pursued our course to the S.E. and arrived in a few days at Quibo, anchoring at the same place where we had been formerly.  We pursued our business of wooding and watering at this island with tolerable chearfulness, yet without any great hurry; chiefly because we were now within eighty leagues of Panama, and it was requisite for us to deliberate very seriously on our scheme of surrendering to the Spaniards.  We considered Panama as well calculated for treating on this subject, not being any way strong towards the sea; and as we had a good ship, we thought it no difficult matter to settle the terms of our surrender, before giving ourselves into their hands.  We also reckoned on some assistance from the factors of the South Sea company, resident there, who, in case a peace were actually concluded in Europe, might intercede for us, and procure us a passage for Europe.  Yet as there was something extremely disagreeable in the idea of a surrender, especially to such enemies as the Spaniards, we were in no great hurry, particularly as we were here somewhat at our ease, enjoying many conveniences to which we had long been strangers.  The free use we made of the excellent fruits growing on this island brought the flux among us, which weakened us very much, and interrupted our work for some days, yet in the main did us little hurt, or rather tended to preserve us from the scurvy.  We deliberated and consulted as to our future conduct; but our views were so discordant, and our minds so distracted, that we could come to no resolution, except that of continuing here, in hopes of something happening to our advantage.

The island of Quibo or Coibo is almost in the same parallel with Panama, [276] being about twenty-four English miles from N. to S. and twelve from E. to W. It is of moderate height, covered all over with inaccessible woods, always green; and, though never inhabited, abounds with papaws and limes, and some other fruits I never saw before, which are nearly as good, though wholly neglected, as those that are most carefully attended to in other islands in similar latitudes, whence it may be inferred that the soil is fertile; and, if ever inhabited and cleared, it promises to be as productive as the best of our West-India islands.  The pearl-fishers, not being able to follow their occupation during the vandevals, or black stormy months, from the beginning of June to the end of November, have a few scattered huts in several parts of this island and of Quivetta, used by the divers during their season, in which they sleep and open their oysters, so that the sandy beach is covered with fine mother-of-pearl shells.  In wading only to the middle, we could reach large pearl oysters with our hands, which at first pleased us much; but we found them as tough as leather, and quite unpalatable.  Having no seyne, I can say little about other kinds of fish.  We occasionally observed a large kind of flat fish, which often sprung a great