Page 180
An. 1685
A Spanish Prophesy.
at Cartagena, from whence, as I have been told, an Express is immediately sent over land to Lima, thro the Southern Continent, and another by Sea to Porto- bel, with two Pacquets of Letters, one for the Vice- roy of Lima, the other for the Viceroy of Mexico. I know not which way that of Mexico goes after its ar- rival at Portobel, whether by Land or Sea : but I be- lieve by Sea to La Vera Cruz. That for Lima is sent by Land to Panama, and from thence by Sea to Lima.
Upon mention of these Pacquets I shall digress yet a little further, and acquaint my Reader, that before my first going over into the South Seas with Captain Sharp (and indeed before any Privateers (at least since Drake and Oxengham) had gone that way which we afterwards went, except La Sound, a French Cap- tain, who by Captain Wright's Instructions had ven- tured as far as Cheap Town with a body of Men, but was driven back again) I being then on board Capt. Coxon, in company with 3 or 4 more Privateers, about 4 leagues to the East of Portobel, we took the Pacquets bound thither from Cartagena. We open'd a great quantity of the Merchants Letters, and found the Contents of many of them to be very surprizing, the Merchants of several parts of Old Spain thereby informing their Correspondents of Panama, and else- where, of a certain Prophecy that went about Spain that year, the tenour of which was; That there would be English Privateers that year in the West In- dies, who would make such great Discoveries, as to open a door into the South Seas, which they supposed was fasteft shut; and the Letters were accordingly full of cautions to their Friends to be very watchful and careful of their Coasts.
This Door they spake of we all concluded must be the passage over Land through the Country of the Indians of Darien, who were a little before this become our Friends, and had lately fallen out with the Spani- ards, breaking off the Intercourse which for some time