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Porto Pinas.
An.1685
of Santa Maria, to fee for thofe Men that the Indi- ans told us of, whilft the reft of the Ships failed to- wards Point Garachina; where we arriv'd the 21ft day, and anchored 2 mile from the Point, and found a ftrong Tide running out of the River Sambo. The next day we run within the Point, and anchored in 4 fathom at low water. The Tide rifeth here 8 or 9 foot: the Flood fets N. N. E. the Ebb S. S. W. The Indians that inhabit in the River Sambo came to us in Canoas, and brought Plan- tains and Bonanoes. They could not fpeak, nor underftand Spanifh; therefore I believe they have no Commerce with the Spaniards. We found no frefh Water here neither; fo we went from hence to Port Pinas, which is 7 leagues S. by W. from hence.
Porto Pinas lieth in lat. 7 d. North. It is fo called becaufe there are many Pine-trees growing there. The Land is pretty high, rifing gently as it runs in- to the Country. This Country near the Sea is all covered with pretty high Woods: the Land that bounds the Harbor is low in the middle, but high and rocky at both fides. At the mouth of the Har- bor there are 2 fmall high Iflands, or rather barren Rocks. The Spaniards in their Pilot Books com- mend this for a good Harbour; but it lieth all o- pen to the S. W. Winds, which frequently blow here in the wet feafon: befides, the Harbor with- in the Iflands is a place of but fmall extent, and hath a very narrow going in; what depth of Wa- ter there is in the Harbor I know not.
The 25th day we arrived at this Harbor of Pines, but did not go in with our Ships, find- ing it but an ordinary place to lye at. We fent in our Boats to fearch it, and they found a ftream of good Water running into the Sea: but there were fuch great fwelling furges came into the Harbor, that we could not conveniently fill our Water there. The