Page 215
An. 1685
They fail from Quibo for Ria Lexa.
they turn her, and dig the infide; boring alfo three holes in the bottom, one before, one in the middle, and one aloft, thereby to gage the thickeft of the bottom; for otherwife we might cut the bot- tom thinner than is convenient. We left the bot- toms commonly about 3 inches thick, and the fides 2 inches thick below, and one and an half at the top. One or both of the ends we fharpen to a point.
Captain Davis made two very large Canoas: one was 36 foot long, and 5 or 6 feet wide; the other 32 foot long, and near as wide as the other. In a months time we finifhed our bufinefs and were rea- dy to fail. Here Captain Harris went to lay his Ship aground to clean her, but fhe being old and rotten fell in pieces: and therefore he and all his Men went aboard of Captain Davis and Captain Swan. While we lay here we ftruck Turtle every day, for they were now very plentiful: but from Auguft to March here are not many. The 18th day of July, John Rofe, a Frenchman, and 14 Men more, belonging to Captain Gronet, having made a new Canoa, came in her to Captain Davis, and defired to ferve under him; and Captain Davis accepted of them, becaufe they had a Canoa of their own.
The 20th day of July we failed from Quibo, bend- ing our courfe for Ria Lexa, which is the Port for Leon, the City that we now defigned to attempt. We were now 640 men in 8 fail of Ships, Com- manded by Captain Davis, Captain Swan, Captain Townly, and Captain Knight, with a Firefhip and 3 Tenders, which laft had not a conftant crew. We paft out between the River Quibo and the Rancheria, leaving Quibo and Quicaro on our Larboard fide, and the Rancheria, with the reft of the Iflands, and the Main, on our Starboard fide. The Wind at firft was at South South Weft, Weft, We coafted along fhore paffing by the Gulf of Nicoya, the Gulf of Dulce, and by the Ifland Caneo. All this Coaft is low Land, over-