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An. 1681
THE TRAVELS OF Mr. William Dampier.
CHAP. I.
An Account[1] of the Author’s Return out of the South Seas[2][1], to his Landing near Cape St. Lawrence[2], in the Isthmus of Darien[3]: With an Occasional Description of the Moskito Indians.
April the 17th, 1681, about Ten a Clock in the morning, being 12 leagues[3] N.W. from the Island Plata[4], we left Captain Sharp, and those who were willing to go with him in the Ship, and imbarqued into our Lanch[4] and Ca- noas, designing for the River of Sancta Maria[5], in the Gulf of St. Michael[6], which is about 200 leagues[3] from the Isle of Plata. We were in number 44 white Men who bore Arms, a Spanish Indian, who bore Arms also; and two Moskito Indians, who al- ways
1. account
Detailed factual chronicle
2. South Seas
The Pacific Ocean
Particularly the waters along the western coast of the Americas
3. leagues
1 nautical league = 3 nautical miles = 5.56 km = 1/20 deg of lat
In 17th century, league is an approximate anyway, use 6 km for simple mental calculation, it's safely within the margin of error; 20 leagues traveled n/s means one deg of lat
4. lanch
launch, biggest rowboat on a large sailing ship, heavy duty workhorse
This meaning was first introduced into English by Dampier
2. Cape St. Lawrence
8.338699853685926, -78.38989366909516
Spelled Cape St. Lorenzo in later pages According to the descriptions in the book, this should be the real location
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