re in want of provisions, fifty or
sixty men were sent in a bark beyond the cape to endeavour to get some.
They returned, however, on the 17th, not having been able to double the
cape, but left forty-six men in four canoes, who intended to attempt to
get beyond by rowing.

[Footnote 183: It is only in long. 105 deg. 88' W. from Greenwich; that in
the text, from computation or dead reckoning, being considerably
erroneous in excess.--E.]

The 18th December we sailed to the isles of _Chametly_, eighteen leagues
to the east of Cape Corientes. These are five small low and woody
islands, surrounded with rocks, and lying in form of a half-moon a mile
from the shore, having safe anchorage in the intermediate space. These
isles are inhabited by fishers, who are servants to some of the
inhabitants of _Purification_, a considerable town or city fourteen
leagues up the country.[184] We anchored at these isles on the 20th, and
here provided ourselves with wood and water, and caught great abundance
of rock-fish. Next day sixty of our men were sent under Captain Townley
to surprise an Indian village, seven or eight leagues to the N.W.

[Footnote 184: Villa de la Purificacion is considerably to the S.E. of
Cape Corientes, but the isles of Chametly are omitted in modern maps.
Puerto de Navidad, in lat. 19 deg. 20' N. seems the haven belonging to
Purificacion.--E.]

On the 24th the four canoes left by Captain Townley's bark returned to
the ships. They had got beyond the cape by means of rowing to the valley
of _Valderas_, or _Val d' Iris_, the valley of flags, at the bottom of a
deep bay, inclosed between Cape Corientes on the S.E. and point
_Pontique_ on the N.W. In this delightful valley they landed
thirty-seven men, who advanced three miles into the country, and were
attacked by 150 Spaniards, horse and foot. Our men retreated into an
adjoining wood, whence they kept up a heavy fire on the Spaniards,
killing their leader and fourteen troopers, besides wounding a great
many, while four of our men were slain and two wounded. Owing to this
loss the Spaniards took to flight, and our people were enabled to
re-embark. This valley is about three leagues broad, and is bounded
towards the inland country by an easy ascent, affording a delightful
prospect of extensive pastures well stored with cattle, interspersed
with pleasant groves of guavas, orange-trees, and lime-trees. The sandy
bay affords a safe landing, and has a fresh-water river,