il ventiduesimo Aprile durante l'anno di nostro Signore 1780

Casco Antiquo, Panama

After the early storm almost scuttled our ship mid Atlantic we decided to make a heading toward Santiagode Cuba instead of the long voyage around Tierra del Fuego. This meant we would then head to Portobelo and travel by land across the Isthmus to Casco Antiguo chartering a new ship to carry me up the western coast to my estate. Portobelo is so loaded with Spanish colonial gold and silver my ship was of no interest to anyone in port and, though the wages of these other ships are tempting to my crew, they are all seasoned enough to know what conditions are like on the Oro Ships. They are more than happy to carry out my wishes to make several ports of call around the islands to trade our goods while I journey on. Panama is a short route but full of heavy work loading and unloading our wagons and horses to cross all the streams and rivers to cover the trek from east to the west coast. It is early enough in the year that our passage overland was as free of perils as possible but the Caminoi de Cruces is abundantly punctuated with gravesites to let you know that a wish for safety is more in Gods hands then yours.

We are making decent time.