housand persons, slaves
included, all which make a town of reasonable bigness. There are judged
to be about eight hundred persons able to bear arms, all Spaniards. Here
are one parish church, well built and adorned, four monasteries, and one
hospital. The city is governed by a deputy governor, substituted by the
governor of the Caraccas. The trade here exercised is mostly in hides
and tobacco. The inhabitants possess great numbers of cattle, and many
plantations, which extend thirty leagues in the country, especially
towards the great town of Gibraltar, where are gathered great quantities
of cocoa-nuts, and all other garden fruits, which serve for the regale
and sustenance of the inhabitants of Maracaibo, whose territories are
much drier than those of Gibraltar. Hither those of Maracaibo send great
quantities of flesh, they making returns in oranges, lemons, and other
fruits; for the inhabitants of Gibraltar want flesh, their fields not
being capable of feeding cows or sheep.

Before Maracaibo is a very spacious and secure port, wherein may be
built all sorts of vessels, having great convenience of timber, which
may be transported thither at little charge. Nigh the town lies also a
small island called Borrica, where they feed great numbers of goats,
which cattle the inhabitants use more for their skins than their flesh
or milk; they slighting these two, unless while they are tender and
young kids. In the fields are fed some sheep, but of a very small size.
In some islands of the lake, and in other places hereabouts, are many
savage Indians, called by the Spaniards bravoes, or wild: these could
never be reduced by the Spaniards, being brutish, and untameable. They
dwell mostly towards the west side of the lake, in little huts built on
trees growing in the water; so to keep themselves from innumerable
mosquitoes, or gnats, which infest and torment them night and day. To
the east of the said lake are whole towns of fishermen, who likewise
live in huts built on trees, as the former. Another reason of this
dwelling, is the frequent inundations; for after great rains, the land
is often overflown for two or three leagues, there being no less than
twenty-five great rivers that feed this lake. The town of Gibraltar is
also frequently drowned by these, so that the inhabitants are
constrained to retire to their plantations.

Gibraltar, situate at the side of the lake about forty leagues within
it, receives its provisions of flesh