other stones to make lyme, and wood to burne the stones withall for the lyme, and great part of the stones doe lie about the water: so the wood will cost but the cutting of it downe, and the working of it, and with little paines taking it will be brought to good perfection, for wee haue alreadie made triall thereof, for there was neuer building that went to decay after it hath bene made, nor perished by the sea: so the charge hereof will be but litle or nothing.
And for to put this in practise to build a fort, it is needefull that your maiestie should send hither and to many other places, where any fort shall be made, some store of Negros, and to this place would be sent 150 Negros brought from Guyney: and if the Negros of Hauana are not to bee imployed there, nor those which are in Saint Iuan de Vllua, it may please your maiestie to cause them to bee sent for to this place, for most of them be artificers, some masons, bricklayers, smithes and sawyers, and to send some masons from Spaine to teach our men these occupations. And after these fortifications are ended and all furnished, then the Negros may be solde to great profit, for a Negro that is of any occupation is sold here for 600. and 700. pezos.
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 foreiners, 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 subiect to Northerly winds and Easterly windes, which continually doe blow vpon this coast: many of the great ships 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 hath vnladen halfe of her goods, then shee 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 neuer-
