Page 176
An. 1685
Lavelia. Natá.
way. The Islands border thick on each other, yet they make many small narrow deep Channels, fit only for Boats to pass between most of them. At the S. E. end, about a league from St. Pauls Island, there is a good place for Ships to careen, or hale ashore. It is surrounded with the Land, and hath a good deep Channel on the North side to go in at. The tide rifeth here about 10 foot perpendicular.
We brought our Ships into this place the 25th day, but were forced to tarry for a Spring Tide before we could have Water enough to clean them; there- fore we first cleaned our Barks, that they might cruise before Panama, while we lay here. The 27th day our Barks being clean we sent them out with 20 Men in each. The fourth day after they returned with a Prize laden with Maiz, or Indian Corn, Salt Beef, and Fowls. She came from Lavelia and was bound to Panama. Lavelia is a Town we once de- signed to attempt. It is pretty large and stands on the Banks of a River on the North side of the Bay of Panama, 6 or 7 leagues from the Sea.
Nata is another such Town, standing in a Plain near another branch of the same River. In these Towns, and some others on the same Coast, they breed Hogs, Fowls, Bulls and Cows, and plant Maize purposely for the support of Panama, which is supplied with Provision mostly from other Towns and the neighbouring Islands.
The Beef and Fowl our Men took came to us in a good time, for we had eaten but little Flesh since we left the Island Plata. The Harbor where we ca- reen'd was incompaffed by three Islands, and our Ships rode in the middle. That on which we haled our Ships ashore was a little Island on the North side of the Harbor. The was a fine small sandy Bay, but all the rest of the Island was invironed with Rocks, on which at low Water we did use to gather Oy- sters, Clams, Muscles, and Limpits. The Clam is a