get in before night, I lay by till next morning, deliberating whether I
should put in at Santa Cruz, or at Oratavia, the one on the east, the
other on the west side of the island; which lies mostly north and south;
and these are the principal ports on each side. I chose Santa Cruz as the
better harbour (especially at this time of the year) and as best
furnished with that sort of wine which I had occasion to take in for my
voyage: so there I come to an anchor January 30th, in 33 fathom water,
black slimy ground; about half a mile from the shore; from which distance
I took the sight of the town.

In the road ships must ride in 30, 40, or 50 fathom water, not above half
a mile from the shore at farthest: and if there are many ships they must
ride close one by another. The shore is generally high land and in most
places steep too. This road lies so open to the east that winds from that
side make a great swell, and very bad going ashore in boats: the ships
that ride here are then often forced to put to sea, and sometimes to cut
or slip their anchors, not being able to weigh them. The best and
smoothest landing is in a small sandy cove, about a mile to the
north-east of the road, where there is good water, with which ships that
lade here are supplied; and many times ships that lade at Oratavia, which
is the chief port for trade, send their boats hither for water. That is a
worse port for westerly than this is for easterly winds; and then all
ships that are there put to sea. Between this watering-place and Santa
Cruz are two little forts; which with some batteries scattered along the
coast command the road. Santa Cruz itself is a small unwalled town
fronting the sea, guarded with two other forts to secure the road. There
are about 200 houses in the town, all two stories high, strongly built
with stone and covered with pantile. It hath two convents and one church,
which are the best buildings in the town. The forts here could not secure
the Spanish galleons from Admiral Blake, though they hauled in close