mee_-trees, which grow very tall and straight, and are fit
for masts, but the fruit is not esteemed. The tree producing the
_star-apples_ resembles our quince-tree, but is much larger, and has
abundance of broad oval leaves. The fruit is as big as a large apple,
and is reckoned very good, but I never tasted it.

The river _Chepo_, or _Cheapo_, rises in the mountains near the north
side of the isthmus, being inclosed between a northern and southern
range, between which it makes its way to the S.W. after which it
describes nearly a semicircle, and runs gently into the sea about seven
leagues E. from Panama, in lat. 9 deg. 3' N. long. 79 deg. 51' W. Its mouth is
very deep, and a quarter of a mile broad, but is so obstructed at the
entrance by sands as only to be navigable by barks. About six leagues
from the sea stands the city of _Cheapo_, on the _left_ bunk of the
river.[175] This place stands in a champaign country, affording a very
pleasant prospect, as it has various hills in the neighbourhood covered
with wood, though most of the adjacent lands are pasture-grounds to the
north of the river, but the country south from the river is covered with
wood for many miles.

[Footnote 175: In modern maps the town of Chepo is placed on the _right_
bank of the river, as descending the stream, and only about five miles
up the river.--E.]

Our men returned from Cheapo on the 24th, having taken that town without
opposition, but found nothing there worth mention. The 25th we were
joined by Captain Harris, and arrived at Taboga on the 28th, when,
finding ourselves nearly a thousand strong, we meditated an attack on
Panama; but, being informed by our prisoners that the Spaniards there
had received considerable reinforcements from Porto Bello, that design
was laid aside. The 25th May we had intelligence from some prisoners
that the Lima fleet was daily expected, whereupon we anchored in a
narrow channel, a mile long and not above seven paces wide, formed by
two or three small islands on the south side of the island of
_Pacheque_. Our fleet now consisted of ten sail, only two of which were
ships of war, that commanded by Captain Davis having 36 guns and 156,
while Captain Swan's carried 16 guns and 140 men. The rest were only
provided with small arms, and our whole force amounted to 960 men. We
had also a fire-ship.

Hitherto we had the wind at N.N.E. with fair weather, but on the 28th of
May the rainy season began. On that day, abou