Nombre de Dios.
NOmbre de Dios is builded vpon a sandy Bay hard by the sea side, it is a citie of some thirtie housholdes or inhabitants: their houses are builded of timber, and most of the people which are there be forreiners, they are there to day and gone to morrow: it is full of woods and some places of the land are ouerflowen with water continually by reason of much raine which doth fall vpon the hils. It is a very bad harbour, neither is there any good water: and it is sub∣iect to Northerly winds and Easterly windes, which continually doe blow vpon this coast: many of the great ship• which doe come to this place doe vnlade halfe their commodities betweene the two ledges of rockes, for that there is but little water in the harbour: and after that a ship Page 552 hath vnladen halfe of her goods, then sh•e goeth to the second rocke, as it doth appeare by the platforme, but the small ships come neere vnto another rocke on the West side. If the winde chance to come to the North and Northwest, and that it ouerblowe, then such great ships as then be in the roade must of force more themselues with sixe cables a head, especially in a storme, and yet neuerthelesse sometimes they are driuen ashore and so cast away, and all because they dare not vier cable ynough, because of so many shelues and rockes which are in both those places: al∣so the shippes doe roule very much in the harbour, by reason in foule weather the Sea will bee mightily growen, which is the cause that their cables do oftentimes breake, and their ruthers are vnhanged, the cause thereof is by reason the shippes doe ride but in little water, yet goeth there a great sea.
The citie is builded and situated very well if it were a good harbour, it standeth vpon the East∣side vpon a rocke where they may builde a very good fort, according to the platforme for the safe∣gard of this harbour: but seeing it is but a bad hauen and shallow water, therefore I doe thinke that it is not needefull for your maiestie to be at any charges in fortifying that place, but •n•ly a trench to be made of •arth or clay, so that these townesmen may defend themselues from danger of 3. or 4. ships.
The citie of Panama is eighteene leagues from Nombre de Dios, the wayes are exceeding •ad thi•he• wards; yet notwithstanding all the siluer is brought this way to Nombre de Dios, as well your maiesties treasure as other marchandize; so likewise the most part of those commodi∣ties which are caried to Peru, and the rest of the marchandize are carried to the riuer of Chag•e which is some 18 leagues from this citie and it is brought vp by this riuer within fiue leagues of Panama vnto an Iune or lodge called Venta de Cruzes, and from this place afterwards they are transported to Panama vpon Mules. The high way which goeth from Nomb•e de Dios to Panama may be very wel mended, only to remooue this way and to stop it quite vp and so to make it againe vpon the side of a mountaine.* This citie lieth in nine degrees and one tierce, and if your maiestie will giue order that this citie should be plucked downe and newly builded againe in Puerto Bello, then you are to make a new way through the mountains of Capira, by reason it may not be frequented and because the high wayes are very bad: with little charges they may be bro∣ken and so shut vp, and the chanell of this harbour may bee stopt with the timber of those old ships which are laid vp here euery yeere, and then afterwards may be cast a great number of stones into the same, and so by this meanes to damme vp the harbour: and here is great want of stones to ballast the shippes: wherefore they are faine to goe to an Island three leagues from Cartagena called Isla de los Bastimentos, and this is a thing very needefull for this Countrey, as by experience I haue seene.
