beginning of the seventeenth century, however, in common with all the coasts and islands of the Spanish Main, they were exposed to the incursions of the freebooters, who had begun to swarm in the sea of the Antilles. They suffered so much from this cause that it was finally proposed, in order to save the inhabitants from extermination, to withdraw them to the main land, and, by destroying the towns and plantations, deprive the corsairs of an asylum, and of the means of prosecuting their lawless enterprises on the adjacent coasts. Many reasons were assigned for and against this measure, and much time lost in the discussion; but, finally, a formidable demonstration of the pirates in 1639 hastened matters to a conclusion. In that year the President of the Audiencia of Guatemala ordered Don Francisco de Avila y Lugo, governor and captain general of Honduras, to report to him on the islands and their condition, and also on the policy which should be pursued in respect to them. The report of this officer has never been published, but the MS. is preserved at Simancas, whence a copy, now in my possession, was obtained by the historian Muñoz. As it contains a full and accurate account of the islands and their inhabitants at that period, I subjoin a translation in extenso. It will be observed that the natives, greatly reduced in numbers, were wholly subject to the Spanish rule, owing service to the port of Truxillo, speaking Spanish, and having churches in their villages.*

* In a work published in Malaga in 1623, entitled "Tratado Verdadero del Viage y Navegacion deste año de 1622, que hizo la Flota de Nueva España y Honduras, etc., etc., por Antonio Vasquez de Espinosa," page 13, occurs the following paragraph relative to these islands: "seguiendo nuestra derrota y viage en demanda de la Havana, passando por entre las islas Guanaja y Roatan de Indios isleños, sujetos a la ciudad de Truxillo, etc,” i. e. passing between the islands Guanaja and Roatan, inhabited by island Indians, subject to the city of Truxillo,

DESCRIPTION OF THE GUANAJA ISLANDS; being part of a Report drawn up under the orders of the President of Guatemala, by DON FRANCISCO DE AVILA Y LUGO, Governor and Captain General of Honduras. Dated COMAYagua, November 1st, 1639.

The Gulf of Honduras, or Guanaja, considered as included between the coasts of Honduras and Yucatan, penetrates deeply into the province of Vera Paz, where it forms an angular bay, commonly called the Gulf of Guanaja. The coast of Yucatan, with its adjacent islands, Cozumel, Quita Sueño, Pantoja, Caratan, La Mani, Olbob, and their intermediate cays, have a direction northeast and southwest; and the coast of Honduras may be said to run due east and west, forming, with that of Yucatan, a triangle, of which the meridian of Punta Castilla de Truxillo, cutting Cape Honduras, touching the eastern part of the island Guanaja, and striking the island of Cozumel, would form the third side. This meridian is about 61° W. of the Azores, and 79° 30′ W. of Lisbon; and from the point of Cape Honduras, which is in lat. 15° 57′ N., to the island of Cozumel, where the said meridian strikes it, in lat. 18° 55′ N., the distance is about 51 Spanish leagues, to which we must add 6 leagues if we calculate the distance from Punta Castilla. From these data we may easily determine the lengths of the other sides of the triangle, and the relative positions of the ports, bays, rivers, and other points mentioned in the maps.

The first port, and that most to be considered in connection with the question of withdrawing the population (despoblacion) of the Guanaja Islands, is the port of Truxillo, on which they depend; it being the nearest point on the main land occupied by Spaniards, and more to be depended on, in respect of permanence, than the other ports, which are Munguiche, Triunfo de la Cruz, Rio de Sal, Puerto de Cavallos, Sancto Tomas de Castilla, called also Amatique, and Golfo Dulce. It is specially to be noticed that Truxillo alone is peopled by Spaniards, and that it may easily be fortified and rendered almost impregetc." The nature of this dependence is fully explained by the relation of De Avila, printed in the text.

nable; while all the others are without inhabitants, either Spaniards or Indians, and, in respect of being fortified and in other particulars, have no equal advantages.

There are four towns of Indians in the Guanaja Islands, namely, Guanaja, Masa, Roata, and Utila. These islands themselves may be best described in their order from east to west. The first, in lat. 16° 30′ N., and long. 61° W. from the Azores, is Guanaja, from which the others of the group have received the generic name of Guanajas. The second is Guayama, called by most cosmographers Aguaiciva, and by the Spaniards and Portuguese Masa and Roata, from two towns of Indians, which are separated, as is also the island itself, by a narrow canal not admitting of navigation, even by vessels of the lightest draft, so that the two parts are considered as one island. The third principal island is Utila, which contains the fourth town abovementioned. Collectively, these islands at present contain about 120 tributaries, more or less, or, including women and children, about 400 souls.

Adjacent to these islands, and in part surrounding them, are many cays (those called Mayaguera are seven in number), besides a number of islets, of which the principal are Guaidica, Elem, and the Francisco Islands, none of which are inhabited.

The above-named island of Guanaja is distant due north from Cape Honduras somewhat less than seven leagues; it is about six leagues long by three wide, is elevated, and may be seen at a great distance at sea, and has a port with two entrances, of which the best is that called the channel of Cayo de Pajaritos. This port is at the western extremity of the island, and through it the town is reached, which now contains 84 tributaries, whose contributions go toward paying for the ordinary look-outs and watch-posts of the port of Truxillo and Punta de Castilla; but neither these contributions, nor the others now collected for the purpose, suffice to defray these expenses, the deficiency being made up by those living in the neighborhood of the posts themselves.

This town, which contained more than 60 (?) houses and a church, was burned by the Dutch (Olandeses) in February of this year, 1639. 1639. The first house fired was that of the cacique

Q Q

Alonzo Gaitan, against whom a process has been issued, which will be followed up to a summary result, on account of the communications which he and other Indians have had, and still have, with our enemies, Dutch, English, and French. It appears that an Indian named Soto went from this island, in the said month, with the Dutch to the Gulf of Dulce, to point out to them the stores of cochineal, of which they robbed upward of 400 boxes, besides wine and other articles, to the value of more than 100,000 ducats! This Indian also assisted in taking away and hiding the indigo and other merchandise which the enemy could not carry away, and which might be discovered had he not been shot by a Spaniard whom he had offended. But this information may yet be obtained from an Indian of Utila, named Alonzo, who, in the beginning of September of this year, went voluntarily with the enemy. He is grandson of the cacique Alonzo Gaitan, of Guanaja, son of his son George; and it is of common report on the coast, and in all the posts, that of all persons he is best able to give information and advice to our enemies. The guilt of this Indian is attested by the declarations of four witnesses.

The fertility of Guanaja and the remaining islands is very great in yucas and esculent roots, and it abounds in palms and other fruit-trees. The Indians who inhabit these islands, for the most part, know Spanish; they are ingenious, and make cordage and cables of mahagua (fibres ?), which they take from the bark of trees; and they know, also, how to manufacture pitch, tar, and lime. They are great fishers, and good sailors for transporting goods and for carrying passengers, in which business they have been occupied by the inhabitants of Truxillo for many years, recognizing their justice, and being at their orders and commands; for a great part of the supplies of the people of Truxillo, and of the sailors who come to that port, consists of fish, cassava, and maize, collected by these Indians, who render also the ordinary service of Tequitinos for the public works of Truxillo.

The island of Guayama, or Guaiciba, which contains the two towns of Masa and Roata, is west-northwest from Cape Honduras, and not northwest, as represented by the Portuguese, and

as laid down in certain maps and charts. It is in lat. 16° 20' N. In the two towns of Masa and Roata there are barely fourteen tributaries, of whom but four or five pay common tribute with these of Guanaja; the tributes of the remainder being due to Cosmo Gonzalez, to whom they were given in encomienda. In length this island is six leagues, in width three leagues. Its eastern part is high and level, but its northern shore is low, or elevated only in the centre; and here the coast is wide and without ports. On the south coast are two ports, beyond which are seen the cays extending almost east and west, on all of which the sea breaks, except the two most to the northeast, inside of which there is anchorage in six and seven fathoms. To enter the first port the cays are left to the west, and although the entrance to the windward is narrower than that to leeward, it has greater depth, ranging from eleven to twelve fathoms. The second port is that of Barreros, so called from some red barrancas, visible from the sea, and which distinguish the port. From here to the Indian town of Roata is two leagues. This town, and that of Masa, were also burned by the Dutch; the last in July, and the first in September of this year.

The Indians, though few, are good, less easily reduced than those of Guanaja, especially those of Roata, who are laborious and faithful. In both towns the inhabitants suffer much from musquitoes, and are greatly reduced in consequence, notwithstanding the island is as fertile as Guanaja, yielding the same fruits and dye-woods.

The third inhabited island is Utila, distant about five leagues from Guayama, and of about the same size. It is in lat. 16° 20 N. It is covered with trees, and on the east has a round mountain, which slopes to the west; and more to the southeast it has a small promontory, called las Palmas, from the palms growing on it, and at a short distance another larger, to the leeward of which about two leagues there is a good port; the entrance, however, is obstructed by some reefs. Within these there is anchorage in from eight to ten fathoms. This port extends parallel with the larger promontory southwest, and with that of las Palmas nearly north and south. To the southeast of this island are six cays, covered with trees, the intervening