xtremely rich, and
met with great plenty of excellent water. In particular, near the
N.E. point of the island, they discovered a natural cascade, which
surpassed, as they conceived, every thing of this kind, which human
art or industry hath hitherto produced. It was a river of transparent
water, about forty yards wide, which ran down a declivity of near
a hundred and fifty yards in length. The channel it ran in was very
irregular; for it was entirely formed of rock, both its sides and
bottom being made up of large detached blocks; and by these the course
of the water was frequently interrupted: For in some places it ran
sloping with a rapid but uniform motion, while in other parts it
tumbled over the ledges of rocks with a perpendicular descent. All the
neighbourhood of this stream was a fine wood; and even the huge
masses of rock which overhung the water, and which, by their various
projections, formed the inequalities of the channel, were covered with
lofty forest trees. Whilst the commodore, and those with him, were
attentively viewing this place, and remarking the different blendings
of the water, the rocks, and the wood, there came in sight (as it
were with an intent still to heighten and animate the prospect) a
prodigious flight of mackaws, which hovering over this spot, and often
wheeling and playing on the wing about it, afforded a most brilliant
appearance, by the glittering of the sun on their variegated
plumage; so that some of the spectators cannot refrain from a kind of
transport, when they recount the complicated beauties which occurred
in this extraordinary scene.

In this expedition, along the eastern side of the island, though they
met with no inhabitants, yet they saw many huts upon the shore, and
great heaps of shells of fine mother-of-pearl scattered up and down
in different places: These were the remains left by the pearl-fishers
from Panama, who often frequent this place in the summer season; for
the pearl oysters, which are to be met with every where in the bay of
Panama, are so plenty at Quibo, that by advancing a very little way
into the sea, you might stoop down and reach them from the bottom.
They are usually very large, but extremely tough and unpalatable.

The oysters most productive of pearls, are those found in considerable
depths; for, though what are taken up by wading are of the same
species, yet the pearls found in them are rare and very small. It is
said, too, that the pearl partake