A convenient watering place. The Isle Vermeja. Villa rica. Markes of Cape de Sant Anton. The cape He cape of Sant Anton is lowe by the sea, and all full of shrubs or trees; and you shall see within the land a lake of fresh water ; and if you want water, there you may water and upon the North side of the said Cape you shall discerne a palme tree higher then the rest of the trees, and it sheweth round like a bowle at the top, like to the top of a ship and North from the Cape are certaine sholdes which are 2. or 3. leagues long. Directions from the Cape de S. Anton to Nueva Espanna on the outside of the small Islands called Los Alacranes or The Scorpions. I F you will sayle from Cape Sant Anton to Nueva Espanna with a North winde, then stirre away Westnorthwest from 21. to 22. degrees, and then sound upon the pracel or flat; and if you see by this direction, that you holde water, then stir away Northwest, [III. 618.] until you lose the ground; and then follow your course againe, untill you have brought your selfe into 24. degrees and . and then saile West untill you bring your selfe North and South with the Isle of Vermeja, or The red Isle: then stir away Southwest, and by this way you shall finde Villa rica on the coast of Nueva Espanna. And if by going this course you be in 19. degrees and. and chance not to see the lande, then stir away West untill you see Villa rica, and from thence saile you South for the harbour of S. Juan de Ullua and if you should be neere the land you must stir South and by West towardes the same harbour. And if you chance to see the Volcan or burning hill to beare west & by South from you, then know, that the harbour of S. Juan de Ullua shalbe East and west off you. S. Juan de A volcan or burning hil. Villa Markes of Villa rica. Illa rica standeth in 19. degres and . and the signes thereof are certaine high hilles full of homocks of many heads, which have on the top of them certain white patches after the maner of white beaten wayes; and these hils lie Northeast and Southwest. And if you doubt whether these be the Sierras Sierras de or hils of S. Martin, wet your lead or sound, and if Sant Martin. you finde bottome, they are the Sierras of Villa rica: Sierras de and saile you to the landward, and looke by how much Villa rica. you come neerer the land, so much will they seeme lower unto you: but so doe not the hilles of S. Martin; for the neerer you come to them, the higher will they appeare to you: and likewise if they be the hilles of S. Martin, you shall not finde bottome, but even at land it selfe. Markes of Rio de las palmas, and of the river of mountaines called Rio de las montannas. IF you should chance to fall with Rio de Rio de las las palmas, or The river of palmes, or palmas. els with the river of Mountaines, it is Rio de las all a plaine lande, and full of trees and montannas. certaine woodie homocks, and among them certaine heapes of sand, and all this along by the sea side and if you went by land to the river of Panuco, you shall have Rio Hermoso, many mouthes or openings of plaias or strands, where also are many lizas or oazy places, which stretch to Rio Hermoso. Rio de Panuco. or The beau winde being at tifull river. The current of the bay of You must beware what part soever you happen of Mexico (the this coast to fall withall, to discover it, and although the East) you knowe it, you must sound the depth; because if setteth to the the windes bee Easterly, the current setteth there much North, and to the North: but if you should be 40. leagues at sea, 40. leagues from the shore then this current setteth to the Northeast. to the North [Markes of east. The mountaines of Tamaclipa. Markes of Rio Hermoso or The beautifull river. F you wil seeke the river called Rio Hermoso, the land, you homocks of an high hill, and those two which are to the landward within, are rounder then the other which is neerest the sea, for that it is longer and bigger, and lyeth North and South, and you shall be 4. leagues at sea when you shall see them: and they are called The sierras, or mountaines of Tamaclipa; and from thence to the river of Panuco there is no high land, but all lowe and even with the sea, and full of palme trees and other trees. Markes of the river of Panuco. fall with the river of Panuco (betweene Island called Isla de Lobos or The Isle of seales) the markes bee these. From the mouth of the river it maketh a great bay without, and at the ende of this bay upon the Northside there is oazy, low, and bare ground altogether without trees, and at the out ende of the oazy lowe place upon the West side it maketh a low homock like to a Lizards head: and when you see the aforesayde cliffe, you shall bee in the opening of the mouth of the sayd river, and then shall you see a little low tower having on the top of it a crosse, which the fishermen call Marien: and this barre hath on it 2. fathom water, and 2. and. and you neede No tide at the not to stay for the tyde, for that it floweth not there : river of and that you may the better knowe whether you bee in this bay which I have mentioned, or not, you shall see certaine hils at West Southwest, which are called Las sierras de Las sierras de Tarquia; and forthwith also you shall Tarquia. see the oazy place that I speake of, which goeth to the mouth of the river where standeth a towne called S. Luis de Tampice, and from thence to Panuco you have 9. leagues by land. Panuco. S. Luis de The markes of Isla de lobos, or The Isle of seales. Sla de lobos is a small Island nothing so big as the Iar de dots shew it, and in it is a litle grove or wood of palme trees, and all the rest of the Island is without trees, and round about it are sundry playas or [III. 619.] strandes, and it is inclosed round about with arrazifes or shoalds, and chiefly toward the maine lande. And from thence to Cape Roxo or The red Cape are 3. Cabo Roxo. leagues. And if you will come to anker at this Island to A watering water, for that there is water in it, you may ride on all place. the South side close by the poynt that stretcheth to the Westward, and you may passe by the East side of it, and ride in 22. fathom, and untill you come to 15. fathoms, all is cleane ground. IF you Markes of the river of Tuspa. fall with the river of Tuspa, you must beware the sholdes which run 5. or 6. leagues into the sea: and upon this river of Tuspa within the lande there are high hilles which lie Northeast and Southwest, and have their ending upon the bay of Cassones: and The bay of upon the river you shall perceive a white cliffe, which Cassones. will shew unto you like the castle of S. Juan de Ullua. Markes of the river of S. Peter and S. Paul. IF you chance to fall with the bay of Cassones, and upon the river of S. Peter and S. Paul, take heede: for the sayd bay is a deepe bay, and the hilles of Tuspa have their ending upon this bay. And in the All these are mouth of this river of S. Peter and S. Paul are two upon the coast homockes of white sand, the Westermost being bigger of Tabasco. then that on the Northeast. And by and by you shall Las sierras de perceive the water to change white which commeth out of the river, and sounding you shall finde sande mixed with clay upon your lead; and looke upon the West S. Pablo. Punta delgada, or The slender point. Cabezas side, and you shall see the Sierras or mountaines of S. Paul, which are two, and that on the North side is higher then the other. Markes of Almeria. IF you should chance to fall or come upon the plaines of Almeria, it is a lande full of many homocks, some with tuftes of trees on them, and some bare with white sand, and in 60. fathoms you shall have clay or oaze, and in 30. fathom to the landward sand. And from thence to Punta de hidalgo or Punta delgada the coast lyeth Northeast and Southwest. Soundings of Villa rica. F you fall with Villa Rica in 30. fathoms, you shall in , stones, and neere the lande you shall have sand: and upon the port of S. Juan de Ullua you shall have in some places clay or oaze, and in some places herring bones, and in other places mase and and upon the rocks called Cabezas anegadas you shall have small blacke sande at 17. fathom two leagues from land. And if you see a coast that lieth Northeast and Southwest, and another Northwest and Southeast, you shall be upon S. Paul: and if you should be upon Cabezas anegadas, you shall finde in 30. fathoms great sand & blacke, and in 28. fathoms you shall have the sand white like the shavings of free stone: and from S. Paul to the barre of Vera Cruz it is clay or oaze, and from thence to S. Juan de Ullua you have many deeps, which at one sounding bring you clay, and at another sand, and at another clay and mase together, and herring bones: and in some 35. or 40. fathom you shal finde rockie ground, and in some places sand, and in some other places herring bones: and we call this Comedera de Comedera de pescado, or The foode of fishes. anegadas are or rocks under sunken heads water. Pescado. |