Page 164
An.1684
River of St. Jago.
chor safely and ride securely. We past by Cape St. Francisco meeting with great and continued Rains. The Land by the Sea, to the North of the Cape, is low and extraordinary woody; the Trees are very thick, and seem to be of a prodigious height and bigness. From Cape Saint Francisco the Land runs more Easterly into the Bay of Panama. I take this Cape to be its bounds on the South side, and the Isles of Cobaya or Quiboto bound it on the North side. Between this Cape and the Isle Gallo there are many large and navigable Rivers. We passed by them all till we came to the River St. Jago.
This River is near 2 d. North of the Equator. It is large and navigable some leagues up; and 7 leagues from the Sea it divides itself into two parts, making an Island that is 4 leagues wide against the Sea. The widest branch is that on the S. W. side of the Island. Both branches are very deep; but the mouth of the narrower is so choakt with sholes that at low water, even Canoas cannot enter. Above the Island it is a league wide, and the Stream runs pretty streight, and very swift. The Tide flows about 3 leagues up the River, but to what height I know not. Probably the River hath its original from some of the rich Mountains near the City of Quito, and it runs thro a Country, as rich in soil, as perhaps any in the world, especially when it draws within 10 or 12 leagues of the Sea. The Land there both on the Island, and on both sides of the River, is of a black deep Mold, producing extraordinary great tall Trees of many sorts, such as usually grow in these hot Climates. I shall only give an account of the Cotton and Cabbage-trees, whereof there is great plen- ty; and they are as large of their kinds as ever I saw.
There are two sorts of Cotton-trees, one is called the Red, the other the White Cotton-tree. The white Cotton-tree grows like an Oak, but generally much