hill, bordering close to the sea: so enuironed with woods of such exceeding thicknes, that there is no passage among the trees, which if they were gone, yet there is no climbing vp the hill, only hauing one narrow lane to go into the towne; at the end whereof is a great gate very strongly fortified, so that it is not to be approched vnto, so that with the losse of some few men, we retired from this enterprise, being altogether impossible to be atchieued by our few and weake men.
Puerto de Cauallos taken. We departed from Truxillo the second of April and went for Puerto de Cauallos lower down in the bay, stil nourishing our hope of good successe: and comming thither found it reasonably fortified, but wee presently preuailed and tooke it the 7 of April, being the most poore and miserable place of all India. Now our hopes were all frustrate and no likelihood remayning how we could by any meanes make a voiage: our General reseruing vnto himselfe his silent inward impatience, laboured to doe some memorable thing. And in fine concluded by Rio Dolce to search with his boats some narrow passage or Isthmos for the South sea, alleaging that if hee could but finde a boat there, it should serue him to great purpose; against which there could be no reasonable contradiction. All his chiefest seamen consented hereunto, but especially the Captaine of the Admirall. So sayling with the ships to Cape de tres puntas in the bottome of the bay, there leauing the ships well mored the tenth of Aprill he departed with his boats for Rio Dolce, which in many Charts hath his passage through the land. Vp this riuer by many vncertaine windings we passed 30 leagues and better, where we found a strong built fort, a towne, and diuers store-houses: but for money or merchandize we found none.
Guatimala, Sonsonate, and Sacatocaluca. Wee learned by the miserable people that we tooke, that the South sea was 20 leagues from the nerest of that riuer, and that it was 50 leagues to Guatimala, 40 leagues to Sonsonate, and 30 leagues to Sacatocaluca, being townes which we hoped to marched vnto: so that now we were in worse case then before: for we were fallen sicke with the vnwholesomenesse of this ayre, and our victuals so wasted, as that we were desperate how to recouer our countrey.
Their returne. Whereupon with most vnwilling minds we returned to our shipping, and with all possible expedition weyed, and so laboured vpon the tacke to turne out of this very deepe bay, being 60 leagues within the point of
