The discoverie of Guiana
.
ON Thursday the 6. of February in the yere 1595. we
departed England
, and the Sunday following had sight of
the North cape of Spaine, the winde for the most part
continuing prosperous: we passed in sight of the Burlings, & the Rocke, and so onwards for the Canaries,
and fel with Fuerte ventura the 17 of the same moneth,
where we spent two or three dayes, and relieved our companies with some fresh meat. From thence we coasted
by the Grand Canaria, & so to Tenerif, and stayed there
for the Lions whelpe your Lordships ship, and for Captaine Amyas Preston and the rest. But when after 7.
or 8. dayes wee found them not, we departed and directed
our course for Trinidad
with mine owne ship, and a small
barke of captaine Crosses onely (for we had before lost
sight of a smal Galego on the coast of Spaine, which
came with us from Plimmouth :) we arrived at Trinidad
the 22. of March, casting ancker at point Curiapan, which
the Spaniards call punta de Gallo, which is situate in 8.
degrees or there abouts: we abode there 4. or 5. dayes,
& in all that time we came not to the speach of any Indian
or Spaniard: on the coast we saw a fire, as we sailed
from the point Caroa towards Curiapan, but for feare of
the Spaniards none durst come to speake with us. I my
selfe coasted it in my barge close abord the shore and
landed in every Cove, the better to know the yland, while
the ships kept the chanell. From Curiapan after a few
dayes we turned up Northeast to recover that place which
the Spaniards call Puerto de los Espannoles, and the
inhabitants Conquerabia
, and as before (revictualing my
barge) I left the ships and kept by the shore, the better
to come to speach with some of the inhabitants, and also
to understand the rivers, watering places, & ports of the
yland, which (as it is rudely done) my purpose is to send
your Lordship after a few dayes. From Curiapan I came
to a port and seat of Indians called Parico, where we
found a fresh water river, but saw no people. From
thence I rowed to another port, called by the naturals
Piche, and by the Spaniards Tierra de Brea: In the way
betweene both were divers little brookes of fresh water
and one salt river that had store of oisters upon the
branches of the trees, and were very salt and well tasted.
All their oisters grow upon those boughs and spraies,
and not on the ground: the like is commonly seene in
other places of the West Indies, and else where. This
tree is described by Andrew Thevat in his French Antarctique, and the forme figured in the booke as a plant very
strange, and by Plinie in his 12. booke of his naturall
historie. But in this yland, as also in Guiana
there are
very many of them.
At this point called Tierra de Brea or Piche there is
that abundance of stone pitch, that all the ships of the
world may be therewith loden from thence, and we made
trial of it in trimming our shippes to be most excellent
good, and melteth not with the Sunne as the pitch of
Norway
, and therefore for shippes trading the South parts
very profitable. From thence wee went to the mountaine
foote called Anniperima, and so passing the river Carone
on which the Spanish Citie was seated, we met with our
ships at Puerto de los Espannolles or Conquerabia
.
This yland of Trinidad
hath the forme of a sheep-hooke,
and is but narrow, the North part is very mountainous,
the soile is very excellent and will beare suger, ginger,
or any other commoditie that the Indies yeeld. It hath
store of deare, wilde porks, fruits, fish and foule: it hath
also for bread sufficient maiz, cassavi, and of those rootes
and fruites which are common every where in the West
Indies. It hath divers beastes which the Indies have not:
the Spaniards confessed that they found graines of golde
in some of the rivers, but they having a purpose to enter
Guiana
(the Magazin of all rich mettals) cared not to
spend time in the search thereof any further. This yland
is called by the people thereof Cairi, and in it are divers
nations: those about Parico are called Iaio, those at
Punta de Carao are of the Arwacas, and betweene Carao
and Curiapan they are called Salvajos, betwene Carao
and Punta de Galera are the Nepojos, and those about
the Spanish citie terme themselves Carinepagotes: Of the
rest of the nations, and of other ports and rivers I leave
to speake here, being impertinent to my purpose, and
meane to describe them as they are situate in the particular plot and description of the yland, three parts
whereof I coasted with my barge, that I might the better
describe it.
Meeting with the ships at
Puerta de los Espannoles,
we found at the landing place a company of Spaniards
who kept a guard at the descent, and they offering a
signe of peace, I sent Captaine Whiddon to speake with
them, whom afterward to my great griefe I left buried
in the said yland after my returne from Guiana
, being a
man most honest and valiant. The Spaniards seemed to
be desirous to trade with us, and to enter into termes of
peace, more for doubt of their owne strength then for
ought else, and in the ende upon pledge, some of them
came abord: the same evening there stale also abord us
in a small Canoa two Indians, the one of them being a
Casique or Lord of the people called Cantyman, who had
the yeere before bene with Captaine Whiddon, and was
of his acquaintance. By this Cantyman wee understood
what strength the Spaniards had, howe farre it was to
their Citie, and of Don Antonio de Berreo the governour,
who was said to be slaine in his second attempt of Guiana
,
but was not.
While we remained at Puerto de los Espannoles some
Spaniards came abord us to buy linnen of the company,
and such other things as they wanted, and also to view
our ships and company, all which I entertained kindly
and feasted after our maner: by meanes whereof I learned
of one and another as much of the estate of Guiana
as
I could, or as they knew, for those poore souldiers having
bene many yeeres without wine, a few draughts made
them merrie, in which mood they vaunted of Guiana
and
of the riches thereof, and all what they knewe of the
wayes and passages, my selfe seeming to purpose nothing
lesse then the enterance or discoverie thereof, but bred
in them an opinion that I was bound onely for the reliefe
of those English which I had planted in Virginia
, whereof
the bruite was come among them; which I had performed
in my returne, if extremitie of weather had not forst me
from the said coast.
I found occasions of staying in this place for two
causes: the one was to be revenged of Berreo, who the
yere before 1594. had betraied eight of Captaine Whiddons
men, and tooke them while he departed from them to
seeke the Edward Bonaventure, which arrived at Trinidad
the day before from the East Indies: in whose absence
Berreo sent a Canoa abord the pinnesse onely with Indians
and dogs inviting the company to goe with them into the
woods to kill a deare, who like wise men in the absence
of their Captaine followed the Indians, but were no sooner
one harquebuze shot from the shore, but Berreos souldiers
lying in ambush had them al, notwithstanding that he
had given his word to Captaine Whiddon that they should
take water and wood safely: the other cause of my stay
was, for that by discourse with the Spaniards I dayly
learned more and more of Guiana
, of the rivers and passages, and of the enterprise of Berreo, by what meanes
or fault he failed, and how he meant to prosecute the
same.
While wee thus spent the time I was assured by another
Casique of the North side of the yland, that Berreo had
sent to Margarita and Cumana
for souldiers, meaning to
have given mee a cassado at parting, if it had bene possible. For although he had given order through all the
yland that no Indian should come abord to trade with
me upon paine of hanging & quartering, (having executed
two of them for the same, which I afterwards founde)
yet every night there came some with most lamentable
complaints of his crueltie, how he had divided the yland
and given to every souldier a part, that hee made the
ancient Casiques which were Lords of the countrey to be
their slaves, that he kept them in chaines, and dropped
their naked bodies with burning bacon, and such other
torments, which I found afterwards to be true: for in
the city after I entred the same there were 5. of ye lords
or litle kings (which they cal Casiques in the West Indies)
in one chaine almost dead of famine, and wasted with
torments: these are called in their owne language Acarewana, and now of late since English, French and Spanish
are come among them, they call themselves Capitaines,
because they perceive that the chiefest of every ship is
called by that name. Those five Capitaines in the chaine
were called Wannawanare, Carroaori, Maquarima, Tarroopanama, and Aterima. So as both to be revenged of
the former wrong, as also considering that to enter
Guiana
by small boats, to depart 400. or 500. miles from
my ships, and to leave a garison in my backe interrested
in the same enterprize, who also dayly expected supplies
out of Spaine, I should have savoured very much of the
asse: and therefore taking a time of most advantage I
set upon the Corps du guard in the evening, and having
put them to the sword, sent Captaine Calfield onwards
with 60. souldiers, and my selfe followed with 40. more
and so tooke their new City which they called S. Joseph
by breake of day: they abode not any fight after a fewe
shot, and all being dismissed but onely Berreo and his
companion, I brought them with me abord, and at the
instance of the Indians, I set their new citie of S. Joseph
on fire.
The same day arrived Captaine George Gifford with
your Lordships ship, and Captaine Keymis whom I lost
on the coast of Spaine, with the Galego, and in them
divers gentlemen and others, which to our little armie
was a great comfort and supply.
We then hasted away towards our purposed discovery,
and first I called all the Captaines of the yland together
that were enemies to the Spaniards; for there were some
which Berreo had brought out of other countreys, and
planted there to eate out and wast those that were naturall
of the place, and by my Indian interpreter, which I caried
out of England
, I made them understand that I was the
servant of a Queene, who was the great Casique of the
North, and a virgine, and had more Casiqui under her
then there were trees in that yland: that shee was an
enemie to the Castellani in respect of their tyrannie and
oppression, and that she delivered all such nations about
her, as were by them oppressed, and having freed all the
coast of the Northren world from their servitude, had
sent mee to free them also, and withall to defend the
countrey of Guiana
from their invasion and conquest. I
shewed them her Majesties picture which they so admired
and honoured, as it had bene easie to have brought them
idolatrous thereof.
The like and a more large discourse I made to the rest
of the nations both in my passing to Guiana
, and to
those of the borders, so as in that part of the world her
Majestie is very famous and admirable, whom they now
call Ezrabeta Cassipuna Aquerewana, which is as much
as Elizabeth, the great princesse or greatest commander.
This done we left Puerto de los Espannoles, and returned
to Curiapan, and having Berreo my prisoner I gathered
from him as much of Guiana
as hee knew.
This Berreo is a gentleman wel descended, and had
long served the Spanish king in
Millain, Naples
, the Low
countreis and elsewhere, very valiant and liberall, and a
gentleman of great assurednes, and of a great heart: I
used him according to his estate and worth in all things
I could, according to the small meanes I had.
I sent Captaine Whiddon the yeere before to get what
knowledge he could of Guiana
, and the end of my journey
at this time was to discover and enter the same, but my
intelligence was farre from trueth, for the countrey is
situate above 600. English miles further from the Sea,
then I was made beleeve it had bin, which afterward
understanding to be true by Berreo, I kept it from the
knowledge of my company, who else would never have
bene brought to attempt the same: of which 600. miles
I passed 400. leaving my ships so farre from mee at
ancker in the Sea, which was more of desire to performe
that discovery, then of reason, especially having such
poore and weake vessels to transport our selves in; for
in the bottom of an old Galego which I caused to be
fashioned like a galley, and in one barge, two whirries,
and a shipboat of the Lions whelpe, we carted 100. persons and their victuals for a moneth in the same, being
al driven to lie in the raine and weather, in the open
aire, in the burning Sunne, and upon the hard bords, and
to dresse our meat, and to cary all maner of furniture
in them, wherewith they were so pestered and unsavory,
that what with victuals being most fish, with wette clothes
of so many men thrust together, and the heat of the
Sunne, I will undertake there was never any prison in
England
, that could bee found more unsavorie and lothsome, especially to my selfe, who had for many yeeres
before bene dieted and cared for in a sort farre more
differing.
If Captaine Preston had not bene perswaded that he
should have come too late to Trinidad
to have found us
there (for the moneth was expired which I promised to
tary for him there ere hee coulde recover the coast of
Spaine) but that it had pleased God hee might have joyned
with us, and that we had entred the countrey but some
ten dayes sooner ere the Rivers were overflowen, wee
had adventured either to have gone to the great Citie of
Manoa, or at least taken so many of the other Cities and
townes neerer at hand, as would have made a royall
returne: but it pleased not God so much to favour mee
at this time: if it shall be my lot to prosecute the same,
I shall willingly spend my life therein, and if any else
shalbe enabled thereunto, and conquere the same, I assure
him thus much, he shall perfourme more then ever was
done in Mexico
by Cortez, or in Peru
by Pizarro, whereof
the one conquered the Empire of Mutezuma, the other
of Guascar, and Atabalipa, and whatsoever prince shall
possesse it, that Prince shall be Lord of more golde, and of
a more beautifull Empire, and of more Cities and people,
then either the King of Spaine, or the great Turke.
But because there may arise many doubts, and how this
Empire of Guiana is become so populous, and adorned
with so many great Cities, townes, temples, and treasures,
I thought good to make it knowen, that the Emperour
now reigning is descended from those magnificent princes
of Peru
, of whose large territories, of whose policies,
conquests, edifices, and riches Pedro de Cieza, Francisco
Lopez, and others have written large discourses: for when
Francisco Pizarro, Diego Almagro and others conquered
the said Empire of Peru, and had put to death Atabalipa
sonne to Guaynacapa, which Atabalipa had formerly
caused his eldest brother Guascar to bee slaine, one of
the yonger sonnes of Guaynacapa fled out of Peru
, and
tooke with him many thousands of those souldiers of the
Empire called Orejones, and with those and many others
which followed him, hee vanquished all that tract and
valley of America
which is situate betweene the great
river of Amazones, and Baraquan, otherwise called Orenoque and Marannon.
The Empire of Guiana is directly East from Peru
towards the Sea, and lieth under the Equinoctial line, and
it hath more abundance of golde then any part of Peru
,
and as many or moe great Cities then ever Peru
had when
it flourished most: it is governed by the same lawes, and
the Emperour and people observe the same religion, and
the same forme and policies in government as were used in
Peru
, not differing in any part: and I have bene assured
by such of the Spaniards as have seene Manoa the Imperial
Citie of Guiana
, which the Spaniards call El Dorado, that
for the greatnesse, for the riches, and for the excellent
seat, it farre exceedeth any of the world, at least of so
much of the world as is knowen to the Spanish nation: it
is founded upon a lake of salt water of 200. leagues long
like unto Mare Caspium. And if we compare it to that of
Peru
, & but read the report of Francisco Lopez and others,
it will seeme more then credible: and because we may
judge of the one by the other, I thought good to insert
part of the 120. Chapter of Lopez in his generall historic
of the Indies, wherein he describeth the Court and magnificence of Guaynacapa, ancestour to the Emperour of
Guiana. All the vessels of his house, table and kitchin
were of gold and silver, and the meanest of silver and
copper for strength and hardnesse of metall. He had in
his wardrobe hollow statues of gold which seemed giants,
and the figures in proportion and bignesse of all the
beasts, birds, trees, and hearbes, that the earth bringeth
foorth: and of all the fishes that the sea or waters of his
kingdome breedeth. He had also ropes, budgets, chestes
and troughs of golde and silver, heapes of billets of gold,
that seemed wood marked out to burne. Finally, there
was nothing in his countrey, whereof he had not the
counterfait in gold: Yea and they say, The Ingas had a
garden of pleasure in an yland neere Puna, where they
went to recreat themselves, when they would take the aire
of the Sea, which had all kinde of garden-hearbs, flowers
and trees of golde and silver, an invention, and magnificence till then never seene. Besides all this, he had an
infinite quantitie of silver and golde unwrought in Cuzco
which was lost by the death of Guascar, for the Indians
hid it, seeing that the Spaniards tooke it, and sent it into
Spaine.
And in the 117. chapter Francisco Pizarro caused the
gold and silver of Atabalipa to be weyed after he had
taken it, which Lopez setteth downe in these words following: They found fiftie and two thousand markes of good
silver, and one million, and three hundred twenty and
sixe thousand and five hundred pezos of golde.
Now although these reports may seeme strange, yet if
we consider the many millions which are dayly brought
out of Peru
into Spaine, wee may easily beleeve the same:
for we finde that by the abundant treasure of that countrey the Spanish king vexeth all the princes of Europe
,
and is become, in a few yeeres, from a poore king of
Castile
, the greatest monarch of this part of the world,
and likely every day to increase, if other princes forslow
the good occasions offered, and suffer him to adde this
empire to the rest, which by farre exceedeth all the rest: if
his golde now indanger us, hee will then be unresistable.
Such of the Spanyards as afterward endevoured the conquest thereof (whereof there have bene many, as shall be
declared hereafter) thought that this Inga
(of whom this
emperour now living is descended) tooke his way by
the river of Amazones, by that branch which is called
Papamene: for by that way followed Orellana (by the
commandement of Gonzalo Pizarro, in the yere 1542)
whose name the river also beareth this day, which is also
by others called Marannon, although Andrew Thevet
doeth affirme that betweene Marannon and Amazones
there are 120 leagues: but sure it is that those rivers have
one head and beginning, and the Marannon, which Thevet
describeth, is but a branch of Amazones or Orellana,
of which I will speake more in another place. It was
attempted by Ordas
; but it is now little lesse then 70
yeres since that Diego Ordas, a knight of the order of
Saint Iago attempted the same: and it was in the yeere
1542 that Orellana discovered the river of Amazones; but
the first that ever saw Manoa was Juan Martinez master
of the munition to Ordas
. At a port called Morequito in
Guiana
there lieth at this day a great anker of Ordas
his
ship; and this port is some 300 miles within the land,
upon the great river of Orenoque.
I rested at this port foure dayes: twenty dayes after I
left the ships at
Curiapan. The relation of this Martinez
(who was the first that discovered Manoa) his successe and
ende are to bee seene in the Chancery of Saint Juan de
Puerto rico, wherof Berreo had a copy, which appeared to
be the greatest incouragement aswell to Berreo as to others
that formerly attempted the discovery and conquest.
Orellana after he failed of the discovery of Guiana
by the
sayd river of Amazones, passed into Spaine, and there
obteined a patent of the king for the invasion and conquest, but died by sea about the Islands, and his fleet
severed by tempest, the action for that time proceeded not.
Diego Ordas followed the enterprise, and departed Spaine
with 600 souldiers, and 30 horse, who arriving on the
coast of Guiana
, was slaine in a mutiny, with the most
part of such as favoured him, as also of the rebellious part,
insomuch as his ships perished, and few or none returned,
neither was it certeinly knowen what became of the sayd
Orgas, untill Berreo found the anker of his ship in the
river of Orenoque; but it was supposed, and so it is
written by Lopez, that he perished on the seas, and of
other writers diversly conceived and reported. And hereof
it came that Martines entred so farre within the land, and
arrived at that city of Inga
the emperour; for it chanced
that while Ordas
with his army rested at the port of Morequito (who was either the first or second that attempted
Guiana
) by some negligence, the whole store of powder
provided for the service was set on fire; and Martinez
having the chiefe charge, was condemned by the Generall
Ordas to be executed foorthwith: Martinez being much
favoured by the souldiers, had all the meanes possible
procured for his life; but it could not be obteined in other
sort then this: That he should be set into a canoa alone
without any victuall, onely with his armes, and so turned
loose into the great river: but it pleased God that the
canoa was caried downe the streame, and that certeine of
the Guianians mette it the same evening: and having not
at any time seene any Christian, nor any man of that
colour, they caried Martinez into the land to be woondred
at, and so from towne to towne, untill he came to the
great city of Manoa, the seat and residence of Inga
the
emperour. The emperour after he had beheld him, knew
him to be a Christian (for it was not long before that his
brethren Guascar and Atabalipa were vanquished by the
Spanyards in Peru
) and caused him to be lodged in his
palace, and well enterteined. Hee lived seven moneths in
Manoa, but was not suffered to wander into the countrey
any where. He was also brought thither all the way
blindfold, led by the Indians, untill he came to the
entrance of Manoa it selfe, and was foureteene or fifteene
dayes in the passage. He avowed at his death that he
entred the city at Noon, and then they uncovered his face,
and that he travelled all that day till night thorow the
city, and the next day from Sun rising to Sun setting yer
he came to the palace of Inga
. After that Martinez had
lived seven moneths in Manoa, and began to understand
the language of the countrey, Inga
asked him whether he
desired to returne into his owne countrey, or would willingly abide with him. But Martinez not desirous to stay,
obteined the favour of Inga
to depart: with whom he
sent divers Guianians to conduct him to the river of
Orenoque, all loden with as much golde as they could
cary, which he gave to Martinez at his departure: but
when he was arrived neere the rivers side, the borderers
which are called Orenoqueponi robbed him and his
Guianians of all the treasure (the borderers being at that
time at warres, which Inga
had not conquered) save only
of two great bottels of gourds, which were filled with
beads of golde curiously wrought, which those Orenoqueponi thought had bene no other thing then his drinke or
meat, or graine for food, with which Martinez had liberty
to passe: and so in canoas hee fell downe from the river
of Orenoque to Trinidad
, and from thence to Margarita,
and also to Saint Juan de puerto rico, where remaining a
long time for passage into Spaine, he died. In the time
of his extreme sicknesse, and when he was without hope
of life, receiving the Sacrament at the hands of his Confessor, he delivered these things, with the relation of his
travels, and also called for his calabazas or gourds of the
golde beads which he gave to the church and friers to be
prayed for. This Martinez was he that Christened the
city of Manoa by the name of El Dorado, and as Berreo
informed mee, upon this occasion: Those Guianians, and
also the borderers, and all other in that tract which I have
seene, are marvellous great drunkards; in which vice, I
thinke no nation can compare with them: and at the times
of their solemne feasts, when the emperour carowseth
with his captaines, tributaries, and governours, the maner
is thus: All those that pledge him are first stripped naked,
and their bodies anointed all over with a kind of white
balsamum (by them called curca) of which there is great
plenty, and yet very deare amongst them, and it is of all
other the most precious, whereof wee have had good
experience: when they are anointed all over, certeine
servants of the emperour, having prepared golde made
into fine powder, blow it thorow hollow canes upon their
naked bodies, untill they be all shining from the foot to
the head: and in this sort they sit drinking by twenties,
and hundreds, and continue in drunkennesse sometimes
sixe or seven dayes together. The same is also confirmed
by a letter written into Spaine, which was intercepted,
which M. Robert Duddeley tolde me he had seene. Upon
this sight, and for the abundance of golde which he saw
in the city, the images of golde in their temples, the
plates, armours, and shields of gold which they use in the
warres, he called it El Dorado. After the death of Ordas
and Martinez, and after Orellana, who was imployed by
Gonzalo Pizarro, one Pedro de Osua a knight of Navarre
attempted Guiana
, taking his way from Peru
, and built
his brigandines upon a river called Oia, which riseth to the
Southward of Quito, and is very great. This river falleth
into Amazones, by which Osua with his companies descended, and came out of that province which is called
Mutylonez: and it seemeth to mee that this empire is
reserved for her Majesty and the English nation, by reason
of the hard successe which all these and other Spanyards
found in attempting the same, whereof I will speake
briefly, though impertinent in some sort to my purpose.
This Pedro de Osua had among his troups a Biscain,
called Agiri, a man meanly borne, who bare no other office
then a sergeant or alferez: but after certeine moneths,
when the souldiers were grieved with travels, and consumed with famine, and that no entrance could be found
by the branches or body of Amazones, this Agiri raised a
mutiny, of which hee made himselfe the head, and so
prevailed, as he put Osua to the sword, and all his
followers, taking on him the whole charge and commandement, with a purpose not onely to make himselfe emperour
of Guiana
, but also of Peru
, & of all that side of the West
Indies: he had of his party seven hundred souldiers, and
of those many promised to draw in other captaines and
companies, to deliver up townes and forts in Peru
: but
neither finding by ye said river any passage into Guiana
,
nor any possibility to returne towards Peru
by the same
Amazones, by reason that ye descent of the river made so
great a current, he was inforced to disemboque at the
mouth of the sayd Amazones, which can not be lesse then
a thousand leagues from the place where they imbarked:
from thence he coasted the land till he arrived at
Margarita to the North of Mompatar, which is at this day
called Puerto de Tyranno, for that he there slew Don
Juan de villa Andreda, governour of Margarita, who was
father to Don Juan Sarmiento, governor of Margarita
when sir John Burgh landed there, and attempted the
Island. Agiri put to the sword all other in the Island that
refused to be of his party, and tooke with him certeine
Simerones, and other desperate companions. From
thence he went to Cumana
, and there slew the governour,
and dealt in all as at
Margarita: hee spoiled all the coast
of Caracas
, and the province of Venezuela
, and of Rio de
la hacha; and as I remember, it was the same yere that
sir John Hawkins sailed to Saint Juan de Ullua in the
Jesus of Lubeck: for himselfe tolde me that he met with
such a one upon the coast that rebelled, and had sailed
downe all the river of Amazones. Agiri from thence
landed about Sancta Marta, and sacked it also, putting to
death so many as refused to be his followers, purposing
to invade Nuevo reyno de Granada
, and to sacke Pamplon,
Merida
, Lagrita, Tunxa, and the rest of the cities of
Nuevo reyno, and from thence againe to enter Peru
: but
in a fight in the sayd Nuevo reyno he was overthrowen,
and finding no way to escape, he first put to the sword
his owne children, foretelling them that they should not
live to be defamed or upbraided by the Spanyards after his
death, who would have termed them the children of a
traitour or tyrant; and that sithence hee could not make
them princes, hee would yet deliver them from shame and
reproch. These were the ends and tragedies of Ordas
,
Martinez, Orellana; Ozua, and Agiri.
Also soone after Ordas
followed Jeronimo Ortal de
Saragosa with 130 souldiers, who failing his entrance by
sea, was cast with the current on the coast of Paria, &
peopled about S. Miguel de Neveri. It was then
attempted by Don Pedro de Silva, a Portugues of the
family of Ruigomes de Silva, and by the favour which
Ruigomes had with the king, he was set out, but he also
shot wide of the marke; for being departed from Spaine
with his fleet, he entered by Marannon and Amazones,
where by the nations of the river, and by the Amazones
hee was utterly overthrowen, and himselfe and all his
armie defeated, onely seven escaped, and of those but two
returned.
After him came Pedro Hernandez de Serpa, and landed
at Cumana
in the West Indies, taking his journey by land
towards Orenoque, which may be some 120 leagues: but
yer he came to the borders of the sayd river, hee was
set upon by a nation of the Indians called Wikiri, and
overthrowen in such sort, that of 300 souldiers, horsemen,
many Indians, and Negros, there returned but 18. Others
affirme, that he was defeated in the very entrance of
Guiana
, at the first civill towne of the empire called
Macureguarai. Captaine Preston in taking S. Iago de
Leon (which was by him and his companies very resolutely
performed, being a great towne, and farre within the land)
held a gentleman prisoner, who died in his ship, that was
one of the company of Hernandez de Serpa, and saved
among those that escaped, who witnessed what opinion is
held among the Spanyards thereabouts of the great riches
of Guiana
, and El Dorado the city of Inga
. Another Spanyard was brought aboord me by captaine Preston,
who told me in the hearing of himselfe and divers other
gentlemen, that he met with Berreos campe-master at
Caracas
, when he came from the borders of Guiana
, and
that he saw with him forty of most pure plates of golde
curiously wrought, and swords of Guiana
decked and
inlayed with gold, feathers garnished with golde, and
divers rarities which he caried to the Spanish king.
After Hernandez de Serpa, it was undertaken by the
Adelantado, Don Gonzales Ximenes de Casada, who was
one of the chiefest in the conquest of Nuevo reino, whose
daughter and heire Don Antonio de Berreo maried. Gonzales sought the passage also by the river called Papamene, which riseth by Quito
in Peru
, & runneth Southeast
100 leagues, and then falleth into Amazones, but he also
failing the entrance, returned with the losse of much
labour and cost. I tooke one captaine George a Spanyard
that followed Gonzales in this enterprise. Gonzales gave
his daughter to Berreo, taking his oth & honour to follow
the enterprise to the last of his substance and life, who
since, as he hath sworne to me, hath spent 300000 ducats
in the same, & yet never could enter so far into the land as
my selfe with that poore troupe or rather a handfull of
men, being in all about 100 gentlemen, souldiers, rowers,
boat-keepers, boyes, & of all sorts: neither could any of
the forepassed undertakers, nor Berreo himselfe, discover
the countrey, till now lately by conference with an ancient
king called Carapana, he got the true light thereof: for
Berreo came about 1500 miles yer he understood ought,
or could finde any passage or entrance into any part
thereof, yet he had experience of al these forenamed, and
divers others, and was perswaded of their errors and mistakings. Berreo sought it by the river Cassamar, which
falleth into a great river called Pato: Pato falleth into
Meta, and Meta into Baraquan, which is also called
Orenoque.
He tooke his journey from Nuevo reyno de Granada
where he dwelt, having the inheritance of Gonzales
Ximenes in those parts: he was followed with 700 horse,
he drave with him 1000 head of cattell, he had also many
women, Indians, and slaves. How all these rivers crosse
and encounter, how the countrey lieth and is bordered,
the passage of Ximines and Berreo, mine owne discovery,
and the way that I entred, with all the rest of the nations
and rivers, your lordship shall receive in a large Chart or
Map, which I have not yet finished, and which I shall
most humbly pray your lordship to secret, and not to
suffer it to passe your owne hands; for by a draught
thereof all may be prevented by other nations: for I know
it is this very yeere sought by the French, although by the
way that they now take, I feare it not much. It was also
tolde me yer I departed England
, that Villiers the admirall
was in preparation for the planting of Amazones, to which
river the French have made divers voyages, and returned
much golde, and other rarities. I spake with a captaine
of a French ship that came from thence, his ship riding
in Falmouth
the same yere that my ships came first from
Virginia
.
There was another this yeere in
Helford that also came
from thence, and had bene foureteene moneths at an anker
in
Amazones, which were both very rich. Although, as
I am perswaded, Guiana
cannot be entred that way, yet
no doubt the trade of gold from thence passeth by
branches of rivers into the river of Amazones, and so it
doth on every hand far from the countrey it selfe; for
those Indians of Trinidad have plates of golde from
Guiana
, and those canibals of Dominica
which dwell in the
Islands by which our ships passe yerely to the West
Indies, also the Indians of Paria, those Indians called
Tucaris, Chochi, Apotomios, Cumanagotos, and all those
other nations inhabiting nere about the mountaines that
run from Paria thorow the province of Venesuela, and in
Maracapana, and the canibals of Guanipa, the Indians
called Assawai, Coaca, Aiai, and the rest (all which shall
be described in my description as they are situate) have
plates of golde of Guiana
. And upon the river of
Amazones, Thevet writeth that the people weare croissants
of golde, for of that forme the Guianians most commonly
make them: so as from Dominica
to Amazones, which is
above 250 leagues, all the chiefe Indians in all parts weare
of those plates of Guiana
. Undoubtedly those that trade
Amazones returne much golde, which (as is aforesayd)
commeth by trade from Guiana
, by some branch of a river
that falleth from the countrey into Amazones, and either
it is by the river which passeth by the nations called
Tisnados, or by Carepuna. I made inquiry amongst the
most ancient and best travelled of the Orenoqueponi, and
I had knowledge of all the rivers betweene Orenoque
& Amazones, and was very desirous to understand the
truth of those warlike women, because of some it is
beleeved, of others not. And though I digresse from
my purpose, yet I will set downe that which hath bene
delivered me for trueth of those women, & I spake with a
casique or lord of people, that told me he had bene in the
river, and beyond it also. The nations of these women
are on the South side of the river in the provinces of
Topago, and their chiefest strengths and retracts are in
the Islands situate on the South side of the entrance some
60 leagues within the mouth of the sayd river. The
memories of the like women are very ancient aswell in
Africa
as in Asia
: In Africa
those that had Medusa for
queene: others in
Scithia nere the rivers of Tanais
and
Thermodon: we finde also that Lampedo & Marthesia
were queenes of the Amazones: in many histories they
are verified to have bene, and in divers ages and provinces: but they which are not far from Guiana
doe
accompany with men but once in a yere, and for the time
of one moneth, which I gather by their relation, to be in
April: and that time all kings of the borders assemble,
and queenes of the Amazones; and after the queenes have
chosen, the rest cast lots for their Valentines. This one
moneth, they feast, dance, and drinke of their wines in
abundance; and the Moone being done, they all depart to
their owne provinces. If they conceive, and be delivered
of a sonne, they returne him to the father; if of a daughter
they nourish it, and reteine it: and as many as have
daughters send unto the begetters a present; all being
desirous to increase their owne sex and kind: but that
they cut off the right dug of the brest, I doe not finde to
be true. It was farther tolde me, that if in these warres
they tooke any prisoners that they used to accompany
with those also at what time soever, but in the end for
certeine they put them to death: for they are sayd to be
very cruell and bloodthirsty, especially to such as offer to
invade their territories. These Amazones have likewise
great store of these plates of golde, which they recover
by exchange chiefly for a kinde of greene stones, which
the Spanyards call Piedras hijadas, & we use for spleene
stones: and for the disease of the stone we also esteeme
them. Of these I saw divers in Guiana
: and commonly
every king or casique hath one, which their wives for
the most part weare; and they esteeme them as great
jewels.
But to returne to the enterprise of Bereo, who (as I
have sayd) departed from Nuevo reyno with 700 horse,
besides the provisions above rehearsed, he descended by
the river called Cassanar, which riseth in Nuevo reyno out
of the mountaines by the city of Tuvia, from which mountaine also springeth Pato; both which fall into the great
river of Meta: and Meta riseth from a mountaine joyning
to Pamplon in the same Nuevo reyno de Granada
. These,
as also Guaiare, which issueth out of the mountaines by
Timana, fall all into Baraquan, and are but of his heads;
for at their comming together they lose their names; and
Baraquan farther downe is also rebaptized by the name of
Orenoque. On the other side of the city and hilles of
Timana riseth Rio grande, which falleth in the sea by
Sancta Marta. By Cassonar first, and so into Meta,
Berreo passed, keeping his horsemen on the banks, where
the countrey served them for to march, and where otherwise, he was driven to imbarke them in boats which he
builded for the purpose, and so came with the current
downe the river of Meta, and so into Baraquan. After
he entred that great & mighty river, he began dayly to
lose of his companies both men and horse; for it is in
many places violently swift, and hath forcible eddies,
many sands, and divers Islands sharpe pointed with
rocks: but after one whole yeere, journeying for the most
part by river, and the rest by land, he grew dayly to fewer
numbers; for both by sicknesse, and by encountring with
the people of those regions, thorow which he travelled, his
companies were much wasted, especially by divers encounters with the Amapaians: and in all this time hee
never could learne of any passage into Guiana
, nor any
newes or fame thereof, untill he came to a further border
of the sayd Amapaia, eight dayes journey from the river
Caroli, which was the furthest river that he entred.
Among those of Amapaia, Guiana
was famous, but few
of these people accosted Berreo, or would trade with him
the first three moneths of the six, which he sojourned
there. This Amapaia is also marvellous rich in golde (as
both Berreo confessed and those of Guiana
with whom
I had most conference) and is situate upon Orenoque
also. In this countrey Berreo lost 60 of his best
souldiers, and most of all his horse that remained in
his former yeeres travell: but in the end, after divers
encounters with those nations, they grew to peace; and
they presented Berreo wth tenne images of fine golde
among divers other plates and croissants, which, as he
sware to me & divers other gentlemen, were so curiously
wrought, as he had not seene the like either in Italy
,
Spaine, or the Low-countreys: & he was resolved, that
when they came to the hands of the Spanish king, to
whom he had sent them by his campmaster, they would
appeare very admirable, especially being wrought by such
a nation as had no yron instruments at all nor any of
those helps which our goldsmiths have to worke withall.
The particular name of the people in Amapaia which gave
him these pieces, are called Anebas, and the river of
Orenoque at that place is above 12 English miles broad,
which may be from his out fall into the sea 700 or 800
miles.
This province of Amapaia is a very low and a marish
ground nere the river; and by reason of the red water
which issueth out in small branches thorow the fenny and
boggy ground, there breed divers poisonfull wormes and
serpents; and the Spanyards not suspecting, nor in any
sort foreknowing the danger, were infected with a grievous kinde of fluxe by drinking thereof; and even the very
horses poisoned therwith : insomuch as at the end of the
6 moneths, that they abode there, of all their troups, there
were not left above 120 souldiers, & neither horse nor
cattell : for Berreo hoped to have found Guiana
by 1000
miles nerer then it fel out to be in the end: by meanes
whereof they susteined much want and much hunger,
oppressed with grievous diseases, and all the miseries that
could be imagined. I demanded of those in Guiana
that
had travelled Amapaia, how they lived with that tawny or
red water when they travelled thither: and they tolde me
that after the Sun was neere the middle of the skie, they
used to fill their pots and pitchers with that water, but
either before that time, or towards the setting of the Sun
it was dangerous to drinke of, and in the night strong
poison. I learned also of divers other rivers of that nature
among them, which were also (while the Sun was in the
Meridian) very safe to drinke, and in the morning, evening, and night woonderfull dangerous and infective.
From this province Berreo hasted away assoone as the
Spring and beginning of Summer appeared, and sought
his entrance on the borders of Orenoque on the South
side; but there ran a ledge of so high and impassable
mountaines, as he was not able by any meanes to march
over them, continuing from the East sea
into which
Orenoque falleth, even to Quito
in Peru
: neither had he
meanes to cary victuall or munition over those craggie,
high, and fast hilles, being all woody, & those so thicke
and spiny, & so full of prickles, thornes, and briers, as it
is impossible to creepe thorow them: hee had also neither
friendship among the people, nor any interpreter to perswade or treat with them: and more, to his disadvantage,
the casiques and kings of Amapaia had given knowledge
of his purpose to the Guianians, and that he sought to
sacke and conquer the empire, for the hope of their so
great abundance and quantities of golde: he passed by the
mouthes of many great rivers, which fell into Orenoque
both from the North and South, which I forbeare to name
for tediousnesse, and because they are more pleasing in
describing then reading.
Berreo affirmed that there fell an hundred rivers into
Orenoque from the North and South, whereof the least
was as big as Rio grande, that passed betweene Popayan
and Nuevo reyno de Granada
(Rio grande being esteemed
one of the renowmed rivers in all the West Indies, and
numbred among the great rivers of the world:) but he
knew not the names of any of these, but Caroli onely;
neither from what nations they descended, neither to
what provinces they led; for he had no meanes to discourse with the inhabitants at any time: neither was he
curious in these things, being utterly unlearned, and not
knowing the East from the West. But of all these I got
some knowledge, and of many more, partly by mine owne
travell, and the rest by conference: of some one I learned
one, of others the rest, having with me an Indian that
spake many languages, and that of Guiana
naturally. I
sought out all the aged men, and such as were greatest
travellers, and by the one and the other I came to understand the situations, the rivers, the kingdomes from the
East sea
to the borders of Peru
, and from Orenoque
Southward as farre as Amazones or Marannon, and the
religions of Maria Tamball, & of all the kings of provinces, and captaines of townes and villages, how they
stood in tearmes of peace or warre, and which were
friends or enemies the one with the other, without which
there can be neither entrance nor conquest in those parts,
nor elsewhere: for by the dissention betweene Guascar
and Atabalipa, Pizarro conquered Peru
, and by the hatred
that the Tlaxcallians bare to Mutezuma, Cortez was victorious over Mexico
; without which both the one and
the other had failed of their enterprise, and of the great
honour and riches which they atteined unto.
Now Berreo began to grow into dispaire, and looked
for no other successe then his predecessor in this enter
prise, untill such time as hee arrived at the province of
Emeria towards the East sea
and mouth of the river,
where he found a nation of people very favourable, and
the countrey full of all maner of victuall. The king of
this land is called Carapana, a man very wise, subtill,
and of great experience, being little lesse then an hundred
yeeres olde: in his youth he was sent by his father into
the Island of Trinidad, by reason of civill warre among
themselves, and was bred at a village in that island,
called Parico; at that place in his youth hee had seene
many Christians, both French and Spanish, and went
divers times with the Indians of Trinidad to Margarita
and Cumana
in the West Indies (for both those places
have ever beene relieved with victuall from Trinidad) by
reason whereof he grew of more understanding, and noted
the difference of the nations, comparing the strength and
armes of his countrey with those of the Christians, and
ever after temporized so, as whosoever els did amisse,
or was wasted by contention, Carapana kept himselfe and
his countrey in quiet & plenty: he also held peace with
the Caribes or Canibals his neighbours, and had free trade
with all nations, whosoever els had warre.
Berreo sojourned and rested his weake troupe in the
towne of Carapana sixe weeks, and from him learned the
way and passage to Guiana
, and the riches and magnificence thereof; but being then utterly disable to proceed,
he determined to try his fortune another yere, when he
had renewed his provisions, and regathered more force,
which hee hoped for as well out of Spaine as from Nueva
reyno, where hee had left his sonne, Don Antonio Ximenes
to second him upon the first notice given of his entrance,
and so for the present imbarked himselfe in canoas, and
by the branches of Orenoque arrived at Trinidad, having
from Carapana sufficient pilots to conduct him. From
Trinidad he coasted Paria, and so recovered Margarita:
and having made relation to Don Juan Sermiento the
governour, of his proceeding, and perswaded him of the
riches of Guiana
, he obteined from thence fifty souldiers,
promising presently to returne to Carapana, and so into
Guiana
. But Berreo meant nothing lesse at that time;
for he wanted many provisions necessary for such an
enterprise, and therefore departed from Margarita, seated
himselfe in Trinidad, and from thence sent his campmaster, and his sergeant-major backe to the borders to
discover the neerest passage into the empire, as also to
treat with the borderers, and to draw them to his party
and love; without which, he knew he could neither passe
safely, nor in any sort be relieved with victuall or ought
els. Carapana directed his company to a king called
Morequito, assuring them that no man could deliver so
much of Guiana
as Morequito could, and that his dwelling
was but five dayes journey from Macureguarai, the first
civill towne of Guiana
.
Now your lordship shall understand, that this Morequito, one of the greatest lords or kings of the borders
of Guiana
, had two or three yeeres before bene at Cumana
and at
Margarita, in the West Indies, with great store
of plates of golde, which he caried to exchange for such
other things as he wanted in his owne countrey, and was
dayly feasted, & presented by the governours of those
places, and held amongst them some two moneths, in
which time one Vides governour of Cumana
wanne him
to be his conductour into Guiana
, being allured by those
croissants and images of golde which hee brought with
him to trade, as also by the ancient fame and magnificence
of El Dorado: whereupon Vides sent into Spaine for a
patent to discover and conquer Guiana
, not knowing of
the precedence of Berreos patent, which, as Berreo
affirmeth, was signed before that of Vides: so as when
Vides understood of Berreo, and that he had made
entrance into that territory, and forgone his desire and
hope, it was verily thought that Vides practised with
Morequito to hinder and disturbe Berreo in all he could,
and not to suffer him to enter thorow his signorie, nor
any of his companies; neither to victuall, nor guide them
in any sort; for Vides governour of Cumana
, and Berreo,
were become mortall enemies, aswell for that Berreo had
gotten Trinidad into his patent with Guiana
, as also in
that he was by Berreo prevented in the journey of Guiana
it selfe: howsoever it was, I know not, but Morequito
for a time dissembled his disposition, suffered Spanyards,
and a frier (which Berreo had sent to discover Manoa)
to travell thorow his countrey, gave them a guide for
Macureguaray, the first towne of civill and apparelled
people, from whence they had other guides to bring them
to Manoa the great city of Inga
: and being furnished
with those things which they had learned of Carapana
were of most price in Guiana
, went onward, and in eleven
dayes arrived at Manoa, as Berreo affirmeth for certaine; although I could not be assured thereof by the
lord which now governeth the province of Morequito, for
he tolde me that they got all the golde they had, in other
townes on this side Manoa, there being many very great
and rich, and (as he sayd) built like the townes of
Christians, with many roomes.
When these ten Spaniards were returned, and ready to
put out of the border of Aromaia, the people of Morequito set upon them, and slew them all but one that
swam the river, and tooke from them to the value of
forty thousand pezos of golde: and one of them onely
lived to bring the newes to Berreo, that both his nine
souldiers and holy father were benighted in the said
province. I my selfe spake with the captaines of Morequito that slew them, and was at the place where it was
executed. Berreo inraged heerewithall, sent all the
strength he could make into Aromaia, to be revenged
of him, his people, and countrey. But Morequito suspecting the same, fled over Orenoque, and thorow the
territories of the Saima, and Wikiri, recovered Cumana
,
where hee thought himselfe very safe, with Vides the
governour. But Berreo sending for him in the kings
name, and his messengers finding him in the house of
one Fashardo on the sudden yer he was suspected, so
as he could not then be conveyed away, Vides durst not
deny him, aswell to avoid the suspition of the practise,
as also for that an holy father was slaine by him and his
people. Morequito offered Fashardo the weight of three
quintals in golde, to let him escape: but the poor
Guianian, betrayed on all sides, was delivered to the
campe-master of Berreo, and was presently executed.
After the death of this Morequito, the souldiers of
Berreo spoiled his territorie, and tooke divers prisoners,
among others they tooke the uncle of Morequito, called
Topiawari, who is now king of Aromaia (whose sonne I
brought with me into England
) and is a man of great
understanding and policy: he is above an hundred yeeres
olde, and yet of a very able body. The Spaniards ledde
him in a chaine seventeene dayes, and made him their
guide from place to place betweene his countrey & Emeria,
the province of Carapana aforesayd, and he was at last
redeemed for an hundred plates of golde, and divers
stones called Piedras Hijadas, or Spleene-stones. Now
Berreo for executing of Morequito, and other cruelties,
spoiles, and slaughters done in
Aromaia, hath lost the
love of the Orenoqueponi, and of all the borderers, and
dare not send any of his souldiers any further into the
land then to Carapana, which he called the port of
Guiana
: but from thence by the helpe of Carapana he
had trade further into the countrey, and alwayes appointed
ten Spaniards to reside in
Carapanas towne, by whose
favour, and by being conducted by his people, those ten
searched the countrey thereabouts, aswell for mines, as
for other trades and commodities.
They also have gotten a nephew of Morequito, whom
they have Christened, and named Don Juan, of whom
they have great hope, endevouring by all meanes to establish him in the sayd province. Among many other trades,
those Spaniards used canoas to passe to the rivers of
Barema, Pawroma, & Dissequebe, which are on the south
side of the mouth of Orenoque, and there buy women
and children from the Canibals, which are of that barbarous nature, as they will for three or foure hatchets
sell the sonnes and daughters of their owne brethren
and sisters, and for somewhat more, even their owne
daughters. Hereof the Spaniards make great profit: for
buying a maid of twelve or thirteene yeres for three or
foure hatchets, they sell them againe at
Margarita in
the West Indies for fifty and an hundred pezos, which is
so many crownes.
The master of my shippe, John Dowglas, tooke one of
the canoas which came laden from thence with people to
be solde, and the most of them escaped; yet of those he
brought, there was one as well favoured, and as well
shaped as ever I saw any in England
, and afterward I
saw many of them, which but for their tawnie colour
may be compared to any of Europe
. They also trade
in those rivers for bread of Cassavi, of which they buy
an hundred pound weight for a knife, and sell it at
Margarita for ten pezos. They also recover great store of
Cotton, Brasill wood, and those beds which they call
Hamacas or Brasill beds, wherein in hot countreyes all
the Spaniards use to lie commonly, and in no other,
neither did we our selves while we were there. By
meanes of which trades, for ransome of divers of the
Guianians, and for exchange of hatchets and knives,
Berreo recovered some store of golde plates, eagles of
golde, and images of men and divers birdes, and dispatched his campe-master for Spaine, with all that hee
had gathered, therewith to levie souldiers, and by the
shew thereof to draw others to the love of the enterprise.
And having sent divers images aswell of men as beasts,
birds & fishes, so curiously wrought in gold, he doubted
not but to perswade the king to yeeld to him some further
helpe, especially for that this land hath never beene
sacked, the mines never wrought, and in the Indies their
works were well spent, and the golde drawen out with
great labour and charge. He also dispatched messengers
to his sonne in Nuevo reyno to levie all the forces he
could, & to come downe the river Orenoque to Emeria,
the province of Carapana, to meet him: he had also sent
to Saint Iago de Leon on the coast of the Caracas
, to
buy horses and mules.
After I had thus learned of his proceedings past and
purposed, I told him that I had resolved to see Guiana
,
and that it was the end of my journey, and the cause of
my comming to Trinidad, as it was indeed, (and for that
purpose I sent Jacob Whiddon the yeere before to get
intelligence with whom Berreo himselfe had speech at
that time, and remembred how inquisitive Jacob Whiddon
was of his proceedings, and of the countrey of Guiana
)
Berreo was stricken into a great melancholy and sadnesse,
and used all the arguments he could to disswade me, and
also assured the gentlemen of my company that it would
be labour lost, and that they should suffer many miseries
if they proceeded. And first he delivered that I could
not enter any of the rivers with any barke or pinnesse,
or hardly with any ships boat, it was so low, sandy, and
full of flats, and that his companies were dayly grounded
in their canoas, which drew but twelve inches water. Hee
further sayde, that none of the countrey would come to
speake with us, but would all flie; and if we followed
them to their dwellings, they would burne their own e
townes: and besides that, the way was long, the Winter
at hand, and that the rivers beginning once to swell, it
was impossible to stem the current, and that we could
not in those small boats by any means cary victuall for
halfe the time, and that (which indeed most discouraged
my company) the kings and lords of all the borders of
Guiana
had decreed that none of them should trade with
any Christians for golde, because the same would be their
owne overthrow, and that for the love of gold the
Christians meant to conquer and dispossesse them of all
together.
Many and the most of these I found to be true, but
yet I resolving to make triall of all whatsoever happened,
directed Captaine George Gifford my vice-admirall to take
the Lions whelpe, and captaine Calfield his barke to turne
to the Eastward, against the mouth of a river called
Capuri, whose entrance I had before sent captaine Whiddon, and John Dowglas the master, to discover, who
found some nine foot water or better upon the flood, and
five at low water, to whom I had given instructions that
they should anker at the edge of the shoald, and upon
the best of the flood to thrust over, which shoald John
Dowglas bwoyed and beckoned for them before: but they
laboured in vaine; for neither could they turne it up
altogether so farre to the East, neither did the flood
continue so long, but the water fell yer they could have
passed the sands; as wee after found by a second experience: so as now wee must either give over our enterprise,
or leaving our ships at adventure foure hundred mile
behinde us, must run up in our ships boats, one barge,
and two wheries. But being doubtfull how to cary victuals for so long a time in such bables, or any strength
of men, especially for that Berreo assured us that his
sonne must be by that time come downe with many
souldiers, I sent away one King, master of the Lions
whelpe, with his shipboat, to trie another branch of a
river in the bottome of the bay of Guanipa, which was
called Amana, to proove if there were water to be found
for either of the small ships to enter. But when he came
to the mouth of Amana, he found it as the rest, but
stayed not to discover it thorowly, because he was assured
by an Indian, his guide, that the Canibals of Guanipa
would assaile them with many canoas, and that they shot
poisoned arrowes; so as if he hasted not backe, they
should all be lost.
In the meane time, fearing the woorst, I caused all the
carpenters we had, to cut downe a Galego boat, which
we meant to cast off, and to fit her with banks to row
on, and in all things to prepare her the best they could,
so as she might be brought to draw but five foot, for so
much we had on the barre of Capuri at low water. And
doubting of Kings returne, I sent John Dowglas againe
in my long barge, aswell to relieve him, as also to make
a perfect search in the bottome of that bay: for it hath
bene held for infallible, that whatsoever ship or boat
shall fall therein, can never disemboque againe, by reason
of the violent current which setteth into the sayde bay,
as also for that the brize and Easterly winde bloweth
directly into the same. Of which opinion I have heard
John Hampton of Plymmouth, one of the greatest experience of England
, and divers others besides that have
traded to Trinidad.
I sent with John Dowglas an olde casique of Trinidad
for a pilot, who tolde us that we could not returne againe
by the bay or gulfe, but that he knew a by-branch which
ran within the land to the Eastward, and that he thought
by it we might fall into Capuri, and so returne in foure
dayes. John Dowglas searched those rivers, and found
foure goodly entrances, whereof the least was as bigge
as the Thames
at Woolwich
; but in the bay thitherward
it was shoald, and but sixe foot water: so as we were
now without hope of any ship or barke to passe over,
and therefore resolved to go on with the boats, and the
bottom of the Galego, in which we thrust 60 men. In
the Lions whelpes boat & whery we caried 20. Captaine
Calfield in his whery caried ten more, and in my barge
other tenne, which made up a hundred: we had no other
meanes but to cary victuall for a moneth in the same,
and also to lodge therein as we could, and to boile and
dresse our meat. Captaine Gifford had with him master
Edward Porter, captaine Eynos, and eight more in his
whery, with all their victuall, weapons, and provisions.
Captaine Calfield had with him my cousin Butshead
Gorges, and eight more. In the galley, of gentlemen
and officers my selfe had captaine Thin, my cousin John
Greenvile, my nephew John Gilbert, captaine Whiddon,
captaine Keymis, Edward Handcocke, captaine Clarke,
lieutenant Hewes, Thomas Upton, captaine Facy, Jerome
Ferrar, Anthony Welles, William Connocke, and above
fifty more. We could not learne of Berreo any other way
to enter but in branches, so farre to wind-ward, as it
was impossible for us to recover: for wee had as much
sea to crosse over in our wheries, as betweene Dover and
Calais
, and in a great billow, the winde and current being
both very strong, so as we were driven to goe in those
small boats directly before the winde into the bottome of
the bay of Guanipa, and from thence to enter the mouth
of some one of those rivers which John Dowglas had
last discovered, and had with us for pilot an Indian of
Barema, a river to the South of Orenoque, betweene that
and Amazones, whose canoas we had formerly taken as
hee was going from the sayd Barema, laden with Cassavibread, to sell at
Margarita. This Arwacan promised to
bring me into the great river of Orenoque, but indeed
of that which he entred he was utterly ignorant, for he
had not seene it in twelve yeeres before; at which time
he was very yoong, and of no judgement: and if God
had not sent us another helpe, we might have wandred
a whole yere in that labyrinth of rivers, yer wee had found
any way, either out or in, especially after wee were past
ebbing and flowing, which was in foure dayes, for I know
all the earth doeth not yeelde the like confluence of
streames and branches, the one crossing the other so
many times, and all so faire and large, and so like one
to another, as no man can tell which to take: and if wee
went by the Sunne or Compasse, hoping thereby to goe
directly one way or other, yet that way wee were also
caried in a circle amongst multitudes of Islands, and
every Island so bordered with high trees, as no man
coulde see any further then the bredth of the river, or
length of the breach. But this it chanced, that entering
into a river, (which because it had no name, wee called
the river of the Red crosse, our selves being the first
Christians that ever came therein) the two and twentieth
of May, as wee were rowing up the same, wee espied a
small canoa with three Indians, which (by the swiftnesse
of my barge, rowing with eight oares) I overtooke yer
they could crosse the river, the rest of the people on the
banks shadowed under the thicke wood, gazed on with
a doubtfull conceit what might befall those three which
we had taken. But when they perceived that we offered
them no violence, neither entred their canoa with any of
ours, nor tooke out of the canoa any of theirs, they then
beganne to shew themselves on the banks side, and offered
to traffique with us for such things as they had. And
as wee drew neere, they all stayed, and we came with
our barge to the mouth of a little creeke which came
from their towne into the great river.
As we abode there a while, our Indian pilot, called
Ferdinando, would needs goe ashore to their village to
fetch some fruits, and to drinke of their artificiall wines,
and also to see the place, and know the lord of it against
another time, and tooke with him a brother of his, which
hee had with him in the journey: when they came to the
village of these people, the lord of the Island offered to
lay hands on them, purposing to have slaine them both,
yeelding for reason that this Indian of ours had brought
a strange nation into their territory, to spoile and destroy
them. But the pilot being quicke, and of a disposed
body, slipt their fingers, and ran into the woods, and his
brother being the better footman of the two, recovered
the creekes mouth, where we stayed in our barge, crying
out that his brother was slaine: with that we set hands
on one of them that was next us, a very olde man, and
brought him into the barge, assuring him that if we had
not our pilot againe, we would presently cut off his head.
This olde man being resolved that he should pay the losse
of the other, cried out to those in the woods to save
Ferdinando our pilot; but they followed him notwithstanding, and hunted after him upon the foot with the
Deere-dogges, and with so maine a crie, that all the
woods eckoed with the shout they made: but at the last
this poore chased Indian recovered the river side, and got
upon a tree, and as we were coasting, leaped downe and
swamme to the barge halfe dead with feare. But our
good happe was, that we kept the other olde Indian which
we handfasted to redeeme our pilot withall; for being
naturall of those rivers, we assured our selves hee knew
the way better then any stranger could. And indeed,
but for this chance, I thinke we had never found the way
either to Guiana
, or backe to our ships: for Ferdinando
after a few dayes knew nothing at all, nor which way
to turne, yea and many times the olde man himselfe was
in great doubt which river to take. Those people which
dwell in these broken islands and drowned lands, are
generally called Tivitivas; there are of them two sorts,
the one called Ciawani, and the other Waraweete.
The great river of Orenoque or Baraquan hath nine
branches which fall out on the North side of his owne
maine mouth: on the South side it hath seven other fallings into the sea, so it disemboqueth by sixteene armes
in all, betweene Ilands and broken ground, but the Ilands
are very great, many of them as bigge as the
Isle of
Wight, and bigger, and many lesse. From the first
branch on the North to the last of the South, it is at
least 100 leagues, so as the rivers mouth is 300 miles
wide at his entrance into the sea, which I take to be
farre bigger then that of Amazones. All those that inhabit in the mouth of this river upon the severall North
branches, are these Tivitivas, of which there are two
chiefe lords which have continuall warres one with the
other. The Ilands which lie on the right hand, are called
Pallamos, and the land on the left, Horotomaka, and the
river by which John Dowglas returned within the land
from Amana to Capuri, they call Macuri.
These Tivitivas are a very goodly people and very
valiant, and have the most manly speech and most deliberate that ever I heard, of what nation soever. In the
Summer they have houses on the ground, as in other
places : in the Winter they dwell upon the trees, where
they build very artificiall townes and villages, as it is
written in the Spanish story of the West Indies, that
those people do in the low lands nere the gulfe of Uraba:
for betweene May & September the river of Orenoque
riseth thirty foot upright, and then are those ilands overflowen twenty foot high above the levell of the ground,
saving some few raised grounds in the middle of them:
and for this cause they are inforced to live in this maner.
They never eat of any thing that is set or sowen: and
as at home they use neither planting nor other manurance, so when they come abroad, they refuse to feed of
ought, but of that which nature without labour bringeth
forth. They use the tops of Palmitos for bread, and kill
deere, fish, and porks, for the rest of their sustenance.
They have also many sorts of fruits that grow in the
woods, and great variety of birds and fowle.
And if to speake of them were not tedious, and vulgar,
surely we saw in those passages of very rare colours and
formes, not elsewhere to be found, for as much as I have
either seene or read. Of these people those that dwell
upon the branches of Orenoque, called Capuri and
Macureo, are for the most part carpenters of canoas, for
they make the most and fairest canoas, and sel them
into Guiana
for golde, and into Trinidad for tabacco, in
the excessive taking whereof, they exceed all nations;
and notwithstanding the moistnesse of the aire in which
they live, the hardnesse of their diet, and the great
labours they suffer to hunt, fish and fowle for their living;
in all my life, either in the Indies or in Europe
, did I
never behold a more goodly or better favoured people or
a more manly. They were woont to make warre upon
all nations, and especially on the Canibals, so as none
durst without a good strength trade by those rivers: but
of late they are at peace with their neighbours, all holding
the Spaniards for a common enemy. When their commanders die, they use great lamentation, and when they
thinke the flesh of their bodies is putrified, and fallen
from the bones, then they take up the carcase againe,
and hang it in the caciques house that died, and decke
his scull with feathers of all colours, and hang all his
golde plates, about the bones of his armes, thighs, and
legs. Those nations which are called Arwacas, which
dwell on the South of Orenoque, (of which place and
nation our Indian pilot was) are dispersed in many other
places, and doe use to beat the bones of their lords into
powder, and their wives and friends drinke it all in their
severall sorts of drinks.
After we departed from the port of these Ciawani, wee
passed up the river with the flood, and ankered the ebbe,
and in this sort we went onward. The third day that we
entred the river, our galley came on ground, and stucke
so fast, as we thought that even there our discovery had
ended, and that we must have left fourescore and ten of
our men to have inhabited like rooks upon trees with
those nations: but the next morning, after we had cast
out all her ballast, with tugging and halling to and fro,
we got her aflote, and went on. At foure dayes end wee
fell into as goodly a river as ever I beheld, which was
called The great Amana, which ranne more directly without windings and turnings then the other: but soone after
the flood of the sea left us; and being inforced either
by maine strength to row against a violent current, or
to returne as wise as we went out, we had then no shift
but to perswade the companies that it was but two or
three dayes worke, and therefore desired them to take
paines, every gentleman & others taking their turnes to
row, and to spell one the other at the houres end. Every
day we passed by goodly branches of rivers, some falling
from the West, others from the East into Amana, but
those I leave to the description in the Cart of discovery,
where every one shalbe named with his rising and descent.
When three dayes more were overgone, our companies
began to despaire, the weather being extreame hote, the
river bordered with very high trees, that kept away the
aire, and the current against us every day stronger then
other: but we evermore commanded our pilots to promise
an ende the next day, and used it so long, as we were
driven to assure them from foure reaches of the river to
three, and so to two, and so to the next reach: but so
long we laboured, that many dayes were spent, and wee
driven to drawe our selves to harder allowance, our bread
even at the last, and no drinke at all; and our men and
our selves so wearied and scorched, and doubtfull withall,
whether wee should ever performe it or no, the heat
increasing as we drew towards the line; for wee were
now in five degrees.
The further we went on (our victuall decreasing and
the aire breeding great faintnesse) wee grew weaker and
weaker, when wee had most need of strength and abilitie;
for hourely the river ranne more violently then other
against us, and the barge, wheries, and shippes boat of
captaine Gifford and captaine Calfield, had spent all their
provisions; so as we were brought into despaire and
discomfort, had wee not perswaded all the company that
it was but onely one dayes worke more to atteine the
land where wee should be relieved of all wee wanted, and
if we returned, that wee were sure to starve by the way,
and that the world would also laugh us to scorne. On
the banks of these rivers were divers sorts of fruits good
to eat, flowers and trees of such variety, as were sufficient
to make tenne volumes of herbals : we relieved our selves
many times with the fruits of the countrey, and sometimes with fowle and fish. Wee saw birds of all colours,
some carnation, some crimson, orenge-tawny, purple,
watchet, and of all other sorts both simple and mixt, and
it was unto us a great good passing of the time to beholde
them, besides the reliefe we found by killing some store
of them with our fowling pieces; without which, having
little or no bread, and lesse drinke, but onely the thicke
and troubled water of the river, we had beene in a very
hard case.
Our olde pilot of the Ciawani (whom, as I sayd before,
wee tooke to redeeme Ferdinando) tolde us, that if we
would enter a branch of a river on the right hand with
our barge and wheries, and leave the galley at anker the
while in the great river, he would bring us to a towne
of the Arwacas, where we should finde store of bread,
hennes, fish, and of the countrey wine; and perswaded
us, that departing from the galley at noone, we might
returne yer night. I was very glad to heare this speech,
and presently tooke my barke, with eight musketiers,
captaine Giffords whery, with himselfe and foure musketiers, and Captaine Calfield with his whery, and as many;
and so we entred the mouth of this river: and because
we were perswaded that it was so nere, we tooke no
victuall with us at all. When we had rowed three houres,
we marvelled we saw no signe of any dwelling, and asked
the pilot where the towne was : he tolde us a little further.
After three houres more, the Sun being almost set, we
began to suspect that he led us that way to betray us:
for hee confessed that those Spanyards which fled from
Trinidad, and also those that remained with Carapana in
Emeria, were joyned together in some village upon that
river. But when it grew towards night; and wee demanded where the place was; hee tolde us but foure
reaches more. When we had rowed foure and foure; we
saw no signe; and our poore water-men, even heartbroken, and tired, were ready to give up the ghost: for
wee had now come from the galley neere forty miles.
At the last we determined to hang the pilot; and if
wee had well knowen the way backe againe by night, hee
had surely gone; but our owne necessities pleaded sufficiently for his safety: for it was as darke as pitch, and
the river began so to narrow it selfe, and the trees to
hang over from side to side, as wee were driven with
arming swords to cut a passage thorow those branches
that covered the water. Wee were very desirous to finde
this towne, hoping of a feast, because wee made but a
short breakefast aboord the galley in the morning and it
was now eight a clocke at night, and our stomacks began
to gnawe apace: but whether it was best to returne or
goe on, we beganne to doubt, suspecting treason in the
pilot more and more: but the poore olde Indian ever
assured us that it was but a little further, but this one
turning and that turning: and at the last about one a
clocke after midnight wee saw a light; and rowing
towards it, wee heard the dogges of the village. When
we landed wee found few people; for the lord of that
place was gone with divers canoas above foure hundred
miles off, upon a journey towardes the head of Orenoque
to trade for golde, and to buy women of the Canibals,
who afterward unfortunately passed by us as wee rode
at an anker in the port of Morequito in the darke of the
night, and yet came so neere us, as his canoas grated
against our barges: he left one of his company at the
port of Morequito, by whom wee understood that hee had
brought thirty yoong women, divers plates of golde, and
had great store of fine pieces of cotton cloth, and cotton
beds. In his house we had good store of bread, fish,
hennes, and Indian drinke, and so rested that night, and
in the morning after we had traded with such of his
people as came downe, we returned towards our gally,
and brought with us some quantity of bread, fish, and
hennes.
On both sides of this river, we passed the most beautifull countrey that ever mine eyes beheld: and whereas
all that we had seene before was nothing but woods,
prickles, bushes, and thornes, here we beheld plaines of
twenty miles in length, the grasse short and greene, and
in divers parts groves of trees by themselves, as if they
had beene by all the arte and labour in the world so made
of purpose: and still as we rowed, the deere came downe
feeding by the waters side, as if they had beene used to
a keepers call. Upon this river there were great store
of fowle, and of many sorts: we saw in it divers sorts
of strange fishes, and of marvellous bignes: but for
lagartos it exceeded, for there were thousands of those
ugly serpents; and the people call it for the abundance
of them, The river of Lagartos, in their language. I
had a Negro
a very proper yoong fellow, who leaping
out of the galley to swim in the mouth of this river, was
in all our sights taken and devoured with one of those
lagartos. In the meane while our companies in the gaily
thought we had bene all lost, (for wee promised to returne
before night) and sent the Lions whelps shippes boat
with captaine Whiddon to follow us up the river; but
the next day, after we had rowed up and downe some
fourescore miles, we returned, and went on our way, up
the great river; and when we were even at the last cast
for want of victuals, captaine Gifford being before the
galley and the rest of the boats, seeking out some place
to land upon the banks to make fire, espied foure canoas
comming downe the river; & with no small joy caused
his men to trie the uttermost of their strengths, and after
a while two of the foure gave over, and ranne themselves
ashore, every man betaking himselfe to the fastnesse of
the woods, the two other lesser got away, while he landed
to lay holde on these; and so turned into some by-creeke,
we knew not whither. Those canoas that were taken,
were loaden with bread, and were bound for Margarita
in the West Indies, which those Indians (called Arwacas)
purposed to cary thither for exchange: but in the lesser
there were three Spanyards, who having heard of the
defeat of their governour in Trinidad, and that we purposed to enter Guiana
, came away in those canoas: one
of them was a cavallero, as the captaine of the Arwacas
after tolde us, another a souldier, and the third a refiner.
In the meane time, nothing on the earth could have
bene more welcome to us, next unto gold, then the great
store of very excellent bread which we found in these
canoas; for now our men cried, Let us goe on, we care
not how farre. After that captaine Gifford had brought
the two canoas to the galley, I tooke my barge, and went
to the banks side with a dozen shot, where the canoas
first ranne themselves ashore, and landed there, sending
out captaine Gifford, and captaine Thyn on one hand, and
captaine Calfield on the other, to follow those that were
fled into the woods: and as I was creeping thorow the
bushes, I sawe an Indian basket hidden, which was the
refiners basket; for I found in it his quick-silver, saltpeter, and divers things for the triall of metals, and also
the dust of such ore as he had refined, but in those canoas
which escaped there was a good quantity of ore and gold.
I then landed more men, and offered five hundred pound
to what souldier soever could take one of those three
Spanyards that we thought were landed. But our labours
were in vaine in that behalfe; for they put themselves
into one of the small canoas: and so while the greater
canoas were in taking they escaped. But seeking after
the Spanyards, we found the Arwacas hidden in the
woods, which were pilots for the Spanyards, and rowed
their canoas; of which I kept the chiefest for a pilot,
and caried him with me to Guiana
, by whom I understood
where and in what countreyes the Spanyards had laboured
for golde, though I made not the same knowen to all:
for when the springs began to breake, and the rivers to
raise themselves so suddenly, as by no meanes wee could
abide the digging of any mine, especially for that the
richest are defended with rocks of hard stones, which
wee call the White spar, and that it required both time,
men, and instruments fit for such a worke, I thought it
best not to hover thereabouts, least if the same had beene
perceived by the company, there would have beene by
this time many barks and shippes set out, and perchance
other nations would also have gotten of ours for pilots;
so as both our selves might have beene prevented, and
all our care taken for good usage of the people bene
utterly lost, by those that onely respect present profit,
and such violence or insolence offered, as the nations
which are borderers would have changed their desire of
our love and defence into hatred and violence. And for
any longer stay to have brought a more quantity (which
I heare hath beene often objected) whosoever had seene
or proved the fury of that river after it beganne to arise,
and had bene a moneth and odde dayes, as we were, from
hearing ought from our shippes, leaving them meanly
manned 400 miles off, would perchance have turned somewhat sooner then we did, if all the mountaines had bene
golde, or rich stones. And to say the trueth, all the
branches and small rivers which fell into Orenoque were
raised with such speed, as if we waded them over the
shooes in the morning outward, we were covered to the
shoulders homeward the very same day: and to stay to
digge out gold with our nailes, had bene Opus laboris
but not Ingenii: such a quantitie as would have served
our turnes we could not have had, but a discovery of
the Mines to our infinite disadvantage wee had made,
and that could have bene the best profite of farther search
or stay: for those Mines are not easily broken, nor opened
in hast, and I could have returned a good quantitie of
gold ready cast, if I had not shot at another marke, then
present profit.
This Arwacan Pilot with the rest, feared that wee would
have eaten them, or otherwise have put them to some
cruel death (for the Spaniards, to the end that none of
the people in the passage towards Guiana
or in Guiana
it selfe might come to speach with us, perswaded all the
nations, that we were men-eaters, and Canibals) but when
the poore men and women had seen us, and that wee
gave them meate, and to every one something or other,
which was rare and strange to them, they beganne to
conceive the deceit and purpose of the Spaniards, who
indeed (as they confessed) tooke from them both their
wives and daughters dayly, and used them for the satisfying of their owne lusts, especially such as they tooke
in this maner by strength. But I protest before the
Majestie of the living God, that I neither know nor
beleeve, that any of our company one or other, by violence
or otherwise, ever knew any of their women, and yet
we saw many hundreds, and had many in our power, and
of those very yong, and excellently favoured, which came
among us without deceit, starke naked.
Nothing got us more love amongst them then this
usage: for I suffered not any man to take from any of
the nations so much as a Pina
, or a Potato roote, without
giving them contentment, nor any man so much as to
offer to touch any of their wives or daughters: which
course so contrary to the Spaniards (who tyrannize over
them in all things) drewe them to admire her Majestie,
whose commaundement I tolde them it was, and also
wonderfully to honour our nation.
But I confesse it was a very impatient worke to keepe
the meaner sort from spoyle and stealing, when wee came
to their houses: which because in all I coulde not prevent,
I caused my Indian interpreter at every place when wee
departed, to knowe of the losse or wrong done, and if
ought were stolen or taken by violence, either the same
was restored, and the partie punished in their sight, or
else was payed for to their uttermost demand.
They also much wondered at us, after they heard that
we had slaine the Spaniards at Trinidad, for they were
before resolved, that no nation of Christians durst abide
their presence, and they wondered more when I had made
them know of the great overthrow that her Majesties
armie and Fleete had given them of late yeeres in their
owne Countreys.
After we had taken in this supply of bread, with divers
baskets of rootes which were excellent meate, I gave one
of the Canoas to the Arwacas, which belonged to the
Spaniards that were escaped, and when I had dismissed
all but the Captaine (who by the Spaniards was christened
Martin) I sent backe in the same Canoa the olde Ciawan,
and Ferdinando my first Pilot, and gave them both such
things as they desired, with sufficient victuall to cary
them backe, and by them wrote a letter to the ships,
which they promised to deliver, and performed it, and
then I went on, with my newe hired Pilot Martin the
Arwacan: but the next or second day after, wee came
aground againe with our Galley, and were like to cast
her away, with all our victuall and provision, and so lay
on the sand one whole night and were farre more in
despaire at this time to free her then before, because wee
had no tide of flood to helpe us, and therefore feared that
all our hopes would have ended in mishaps: but we
fastened an ancker upon the lande, and with maine
strength drewe her off: and so the fifteenth day wee
discovered afarre off the mountaines of Guiana
to our
great joy, and towards the evening had a slent of a
Northerly winde that blewe very strong, which brought
us in sight of the great river Orenoque; out of which
this River discended wherein wee were: wee descried
afarre off three other Canoas as farre as wee could
descerne them, after whom wee hastened with our barge
and wherries, but two of them passed out of sight, and
the thirde entered up the great River, on the right hande
to the Westward, and there stayed out of sight, thinking
that wee meant to take the way Eastward towards the
province of Carapana, for that way the Spaniards keepe,
not daring to goe upwards to Guiana
, the people in those
parts being all their enemies, and those in the Canoas
thought us to have bene those Spaniards that were fled
from Trinidad, and had escaped killing: and when wee
came so farre downe as the opening of that branch into
which they slipped, being neere them with our barge and
wherries, wee made after them, and ere they coulde land,
came within call, and by our interpreter tolde them what
wee were, wherewith they came backe willingly abord
us: and of such fish and Tortugas egges as they had
gathered, they gave us, and promised in the morning to
bring the Lord of that part with them, and to do us all
other services they could.
That night we came to an ancker at the parting of the
three goodly Rivers (the one was the
River of Amana
by which we came from the North, and ranne athwart
towards the South, the other two were of Orenoque which
crossed from the West and ranne to the Sea towardes the
East) and landed upon a faire sand, where wee found
thousands of Tortugas egges, which are very wholesome
meate, and greatly restoring, so as our men were nowe
well filled and highly contented both with the fare, and
neerenesse of the land of Guiana
which appeared in
sight.
In the morning there came downe according to promise
the Lord of that border called Toparimaca, with some
thirtie or fourtie followers, and brought us divers sorts
of fruites, and of his wine, bread, fish, and flesh, whom
wee also feasted as wee could, at least wee dranke good
Spanish wine (whereof wee had a small quantitie in
bottles) which above all things they love. I conferred
with this Toparimaca of the next way to Guiana, who
conducted our galley and boates to his owne port, and
caried us from thence some mile and a halfe to his Towne,
where some of our Captaines karoused of his wine till
they were reasonable pleasant, for it is very strong with
pepper, and the juice of divers hearbes, and fruites
digested and purged, they keepe it in great earthen pots
of tenne or twelve galons very cleane and sweete, and
are themselves at their meetings and feastes the greatest
karousers and drunkards of the world: when wee came
to his towne wee found two Casiques, whereof one was
a stranger that had bene up the River in trade, and his
boates, people, and wife incamped at the port where wee
anckered, and the other was of that countrey a follower
of Toparimaca: they lay each of them in a cotten
Hamaca, which wee call brasill beds, and two women
attending them with sixe cuppes and a little ladle to fill
them, out of an earthen pitcher of wine, and so they
dranke each of them three of those cups at a time one
to the other, and in this sort they drinke drunke at their
feastes and meetings.
That Casique that was a stranger had his wife staying
at the port where wee anckered, and in all my life I have
seldome seene a better favoured woman: Shee was of
good stature, with blacke eyes, fat of body, of an excellent
countenance, her haire almost as long as her selfe, tied
up againe in pretie knots, and it seemed shee stood not
in that awe of her husband, as the rest, for shee spake
and discoursed, and dranke among the gentlemen and
Captaines, and was very pleasant, knowing her owne
comelinesse, and taking great pride therein. I have seene
a Lady in England
so like to her, as but for the difference
of colour, I would have sworne might have bene the
same.
The seat of this
Towne of Toparimaca was very
pleasant, standing on a little hill, in an excellent prospect,
with goodly gardens a mile compasse round aboute it,
and two very faire and large ponds of excellent fish
adjoyning. This towne is called Arowocai: the people
are of the nation called Nepoios, and are followers of
Carapana. In that place I sawe very aged people, that
wee might perceive all their sinewes and veines without
any flesh, and but even as a case covered onely with
skinne. The Lord of this place gave me an old man for
Pilot, who was of great experience and traveile, and
knew the River most perfectly both by day and night:
and it shall bee requisite for any man that passeth it, to
have such a Pilot, for it is foure, five, and sixe miles
over in many places, and twentie miles in other places,
with wonderfull eddies, and strong currents, many great
ylands, and divers sholds, and many dangerous rockes,
and besides upon any increase of winde so great a bilowe,
as wee were sometimes in great perill of drowning in the
galley, for the small boates durst not come from the
shoare, but when it was very faire.
The next day we hasted thence, and having an Easterly
winde to helpe us, we spared our armes from rowing:
for after wee entred Orenoque, the River lieth for the
most part East and West, even from the Sea unto Quito
in Peru
. This River is navigable with barkes, litle lesse
then a thousand miles, & from the place where we entred,
it may be sailed up in small pinnesses to many of the
best parts of Nuevo reyno de Granada
, and of Popayan
:
and from no place may the cities of these parts of the
Indies be so easily taken and invaded as from hence. All
that day wee sailed up a branch of that River, having
on the left hand a great yland which they call Assapana
which may conteine some five and twentie miles in length,
and sixe miles in breadth, the great body of the River
running on the other side of this yland. Beyond that
middle branch there is also another yland in the River
called Iwana, which is twise as bigge as the yle of Wight,
and beyond it, and betweene it and the maine of Guiana
,
runneth a thirde branch of Orenoque called Arraroopana:
all three are goodly branches, and all navigable for great
ships. I judge the river in this place to be at least thirty
miles brode, reckoning the ylands which devide the
branches in it, for afterwards I sought also both the other
branches.
After wee reached to the head of the yland, called
Assapana, a little to the Westward on the right hand
there opened a river which came from the North, called
Europa, and fel into the great River, and beyond it on
the same side, wee anckered for that night, by another
yland sixe miles long, and two miles broade, which they
call Ocaywita : From hence in the morning wee landed
two Guianians, which wee found in the
Towne of Toparimaca, that came with us, who went to give notice of
our comming to the Lord of that countrey called Putyma,
a follower of Topiawari, chiefe Lord of Aromaia, who
succeeded Morequito, whom (as you have heard before)
Berreo put to death: but his towne being farre within
the land, he came not unto us that day, so as we ankered
againe that night neere the bankes of another yland, of
bignesse much like the other, which they call Putapayma,
over against which yland, on the maine lande, was a
very high mountaine called Oecope: we coveted to ancker
rather by these ylands in the River, then by the maine,
because of the Tortugas egges, which our people found
on them in great abundance, and also because the ground
served better for us to cast our nets for fish, the maine
bankes being for the most part stonie and high, and the
rocks of a blew metalline colour, like unto the best steeleore, which I assuredly take it to be: of the same blew
stone are also divers great mountaines, which border this
river in many places.
The next morning towards nine of the clocke, wee
weighed ancker, and the brize increasing, we sailed
alwayes West up the river, and after a while opening
the land on the right side, the countrey appeared to bee
champaine, and the bankes shewed very perfect red. I
therefore sent two of the little barges with Captaine
Gifford, and with him Captaine Thyn, Captaine Calfield,
my cosen Greenvile, my nephew John Gilbert, Captaine
Eynus, Master Edward Porter, and my cosen Butshead
Gorges, with some fewe souldiers, to march over the
bankes of that red land, and to discover what maner of
countrey it was on the other side, who at their returne
found it all a plaine levell, as farre as they went or could
discerne, from the highest tree they could get upon:
And my old Pilot, a man of great travell, brother to the
Casique Toparimica tolde mee, that those were called
the plaines of the Sayma, and that the same levell reached
to Cumana
, and Caracas
in the West Indies, which are
a hundreth and twentie leagues to the North, and that
there inhabited foure principall nations. The first were
the Sayma, the next Assawai, the thirde and greatest
the Wikiri, by whom Pedro Hernandez de Serpa before
mentioned was overthrowen, as hee passed with three
hundred horse from Cumana
towards Orenoque, in his
enterprize of Guiana
: the fourth are called Aroras, and
are as blacke as Negros, but have smooth haire, and
these are very valiant, or rather desperate people, and
have the most strong poyson on their arrowes, and most
dangerous of all nations, of which poyson I will speake
somewhat being a digression not unnecessary.
There was nothing whereof I was more curious, then
to finde out the true remedies of these poysoned arrowes :
for besides the mortalitie of the wound they make, the
partie shotte indureth the most insufferable torment in
the world, and abideth a most ugly and lamentable death,
sometimes dying starke mad, sometimes their bowels
breaking out of their bellies: which are presently discoloured as blacke as pitch, and so unsavoury, as no
man can endure to cure, or to attend them. And it is
more strange to know, that in all this time there was
never Spaniard either by gift or torment that could atteine
to the true knowledge of the cure, although they have
martyred and put to invented torture I know not how
many of them. But every one of these Indians know it
not, no not one among thousands, but their soothsayers
and priestes, who doe conceale it, and onely teach it but
from the father to the sonne.
Those medicines which are vulgar, and serve for the
ordinarie poyson, are made of the juice of a roote called
Tupara: the same also quencheth marveilously the heate
of burning feavers, and healeth inward wounds, and
broken veines, that bleed within the body. But I was
more beholding to the Guianians then any other: for
Anthonio de Berreo tolde mee that hee could never attaine
to the knowledge thereof, and yet they taught mee the
best way of healing as well thereof, as of all other
poysons. Some of the Spaniards have bene cured in
ordinary wounds, of the common poysoned arrowes with
the juice of garlike: but this is a generall rule for all
men that shall hereafter travel the Indies where poisoned
arrowes are used, that they must abstaine from drinke,
for if they take any licour into their body, as they shall
bee marveilously provoked thereunto by drought, I say,
if they drinke before the wound bee dressed, or soone
upon it, there is no way with them but present death.
And so I will returne againe to our journey which for
this thirde day we finished, and cast ancker againe neere
the continent or the left hand betweene two mountaines,
the one called Aroami, and the other Aio: I made no
stay here but till midnight, for I feared hourely least
any raine should fall, and then it had bene impossible
to have gone any further up, notwithstanding that there
is every day a very strong brize, and Easterly winde. I
deferred the search of the countrey on Guiana-side, till
my returne downe the river.
The next day we sailed by a great yland in the middle of
the river called Manoripano, and as wee walked a while
on the yland, while the Galley got a head of us, there came
for us from the maine a small Canoa with seven or eight
Guianians, to invite us to ancker at their port, but I
deferred till my returne; It was that Casique to whom
those Nepoios went, which came with us from the towne
of Toparimaca: and so the fift day we reached as high
up as the province of Aromaia the countrey of Morequito
whom Berreo executed, and ankered to the West of an
yland called Murrecotima, tenne miles long and five
broad: and that night the Casique Aramiary, (to whose
towne we made our long and hungry voyage out of the
river of Amana) passed by us.
The next day wee arrived at the port of Morequito, and
anckered there, sending away one of our Pilots to seeke
the king of Aromaia, uncle to Morequito slaine by Berreo
as aforesaid. The next day following before noone hee
came to us on foote from his house, which was foureteene
English miles (himselfe being a hundreth and tenne yeeres
olde) and returned on foote the same day, and with him
many of the borderers, with many women and children,
that came to wonder at our nation, and to bring us downe
victuall, which they did in great plentie, as venison, porke,
hennes, chickens, foule, fish, with divers sorts of excellent
fruites and rootes, and great abundance of Pinas, the
princes of fruites, that grow under the Sunne, especially
those of Guiana
. They brought us also store of bread,
and of their wine, and a sort of Paraquitos, no bigger then
wrennes, and of all other sorts both small and great;
one of them gave mee a beast called by the Spaniards
Armadilla, which they call Cassacam, which seemeth to
be all barred over with smal plates somewhat like to a
Rinoceros, with a white horne growing in his hinder parts,
as bigge as a great hunting horne, which they use to
winde in stead of a trumpet. Monardus writeth that a
little of the powder of that horne put into the eare, cureth
deafenesse.
After this olde King had rested a while in a little tent,
that I caused to bee set up, I beganne by my interpreter
to discourse with him of the death of Morequito his
predecessour, and afterward of the Spaniards, and ere I
went any farther I made him knowe the cause of my
comming thither, whose servant I was, and that the
Queenes pleasure was, I should undertake the voyage for
their defence, and to deliver them from the tyrannie of the
Spaniards, dilating at large (as I had done before to those
of Trinidad) her Majesties greatnesse, her justice, her
charitie to all oppressed nations, with as many of the
rest of her beauties and vertues, as either I could expresse,
or they conceive: all which being with great admiration
attentively heard, and marveilously admired, I beganne to
sound the olde man as touching Guiana
, and the state
thereof, what sort of common wealth it was, how
governed, of what strength and policie, howe farre it
extended, and what nations were friendes or enemies
adjoyning, and finally of the distance and way to enter the
same: hee tolde mee that himselfe and his people with all
those downe the River towards the Sea, as farre as
Emeria, the province of Carapana, were of Guiana
, but
that they called themselves Orenoqueponi, and that all the
nations betweene the river and those mountaines in sight
called Wacarima, were of the same cast and appellation:
and that on the other side of those mountaines of
Wacarima there was a large plaine (which after I discovered in my returne) called the valley of Amariocapana,
in all that valley the people were also of the ancient
Guianians.
I asked what nations those were which inhabited on
the farther side of those mountaines, beyond the valley of
Amariocapana: hee answered with a great sigh (as a man
which had inward feeling of the losse of his Countrey and
libertie, especially for that his eldest sonne was slaine in a
battell on that side of the mountaines, whom hee most
entirely loved) that hee remembred in his fathers life time
when hee was very olde, and himselfe a yong man, that
there came downe into that large valley of Guiana
, a
nation from so farre off as the Sunne slept, (for such were
his owne wordes) with so great a multitude as they coulde
not bee numbred nor resisted, and that they wore large
coates, and hattes of crimson colour, which colour hee
expressed, by shewing a piece of red wood, wherewith my
tent was supported, and that they were called Orejones,
and Epuremei, those that had slaine and rooted out so
many of the ancient people, as there were leaves in the
wood upon all the trees, and had nowe made themselves
Lords of all, even to that mountaine foote called Curaa,
saving onely of two nations, the one called Awarawaqueri,
and the other Cassipagotos, and that in the last battell
fought betweene the Epuremei, and the Iwarawaqueri,
his eldest sonne was chosen to carry to the aide of the
Iwarawaqueri, a great troupe of the Orenoqueponi, and
was there slaine with all his people and friendes, and that
hee had now remayning but one sonne: and farther tolde
mee that those Epuremei had built a great Towne called
Macureguarai at the said mountaine foote, at the beginning of the great plaines of Guiana
, which have no ende:
and that their houses have many roomes, one over the
other, and that therein the great King of the Orejones
and Epuremei kept three thousande men to defend the
borders against them, and withall dayly to invade and slay
them: but that of late yeeres since the Christians offered
to invade his territories, and those frontiers, they were
all at peace, and traded one with another, saving onely the
Iwarawaqueri, and those other nations upon the head of
the river of Caroli, called Cassipagotos, which we afterwards discovered, each one holding the Spaniard for a
common enemie.
After hee had answered thus farre, he desired leave to
depart, saying that hee had farre to goe, that hee was
olde, and weake, and was every day called for by death,
which was also his owne phrase: I desired him to rest
with us that night, but I could not intreate him, but hee
tolde mee that at my returne from the countrey above, hee
would againe come to us, and in the meane time provide
for us the best he could, of all that his countrey yeelded;
the same night hee returned to Orocotona his owne
towne, so as hee went that day eight and twentie miles,
the weather being very hot, the countrey being situate
betweene foure and five degrees of the Equinoctial.
This Topiawari is helde for the prowdest, and wisest of
all the Orenoqueponi, and so hee behaved himselfe towardes mee in all his answers at my returne, as I marveiled
to finde a man of that gravitie and judgement, and of so
good discourse, that had no helpe of learning nor breede.
The next morning we also left the port, and sailed Westward up to the River, to view the famous River called
Caroli, as well because it was marveilous of it selfe, as
also for that I understoode it ledde to the strongest nations
of all the frontiers, that were enemies to the Epuremei,
which are subjects to Inga
, Emperour of Guiana, and
Manoa, and that night we anckered at another yland
called Caiama, of some five or sixe miles in length, and
the next day arrived at the mouth of Caroli. When we
were short of it as lowe or further downe as the port of
Morequito wee heard the great rore and fall of the River,
but when wee came to enter with our barge and whirries
thinking to have gone up some fourtie miles to the nations
of the Cassipagotos, wee were not able with a barge of
eight oares to row one stones cast in an houre, and yet the
River is as broad as the Thames
at
Wolwich, and wee
tried both sides, and the middle, and every part of the
River, so as we incamped upon the bankes adjoyning, and
sent off our Orenoquepone (which came with us from
Morequito) to give knowledge to the nations upon the
River of our being there, and that wee desired to see the
Lordes of Canuria, which dwelt within the province upon
that River, making them know that we were enemies to
the Spaniards, (for it was on this River side that Morequito slewe the Frier, and those nine Spaniards which
came from Manoa, the Citie of Inga, and tooke from them
fourtie thousande pezos of golde) so as the next day there
came downe a Lord or Casique called Wanuretona with
many people with him, and brought all store of provisions
to entertaine us, as the rest had done. And as I had
before made my comming knowen to Topiawari, so did I
acquaint this Casique therewith, and howe I was sent by
her Majestie for the purpose aforesaide, and gathered also
what I could of him touching the estate of Guiana
, and I
founde that those also of Caroli were not onely enemies to
the Spaniards, but most of all to the Epuremei, which
abound in golde, and by this Wanuretona, I had know
ledge that on the head of this River were three mighty
nations, which were seated on a great lake, from whence
this River descended, & were called Cassipagotos, Eparagotos, and Arawagotos, and that all those either against
the Spaniards, or the Epuremei would joyne with us, and
that if wee entred the land over the mountaines of Curaa,
we should satisfie our selves with gold and all other good
things: he told us farther of a nation called Iwarawaqueri
before spoken off, that held dayly warre with the Epuremei
that inhabited Macureguarai the first civill towne of
Guiana
, of the subjects of Inga
the Emperour.
Upon this river one Captaine George, that I tooke with
Berreo tolde mee there was a great silver Mine, and that
it was neere the banckes of the saide river. But by this
time as well Orenoque, Caroli, as all the rest of the rivers
were risen foure or five foote in height, so as it was not
possible by the strength of any men, or with any boat
whatsoever to rowe into the River against the streame. I
therefore sent Captaine Thyn, Captaine Greenvile, my
nephew John Gylbert, my cosen Butshead Gorges, Captaine Clarke, and some thirtie shotte more to coast the
River by land, and to goe to a towne some twentie miles
over the valley called Amnatapoi, and they found guides
there, to goe farther towards the mountaine foote to
another great towne called Capurepana, belonging to a
Casique called Haharacoa (that was a nephew to olde
Topiawari King of Arromaia our chiefest friend) because
this towne and province of Capurepana adjoyned to
Macureguarai, which was a frontier towne of the Empire:
and the meane while my selfe with Captaine Gifford, Captaine Calfield, Edward Hancocke, and some halfe a dosen
shotte marched over land to viewe the strange overfals of
the river of Caroli which rored so farre off, and also to see
the plaines adjoyning, and the rest of the province of
Canuri: I sent also Captaine Whiddon, William Connocke, and some eight shotte with them, to see if they
coulde finde any Minerall stone alongst the river side.
When we were come to the tops of the first hilles of the
plaines adjoyning to the river, we behelde that wonderfull
breach of waters, which ranne downe Caroli: and might
from that mountaine see the river howe it ranne in three
parts, above twentie miles off, and there appeared some
tenne or twelve overfals in sight, every one as high over
the other as a Church-tower, which fell with that fury,
that the rebound of water made it seeme, as if it had bene
all covered over with a great shower of raine: and in
some places wee tooke it at the first for a smoke that had
risen over some great towne. For mine owne part I was
well perswaded from thence to have returned, being a very
ill footeman, but the rest were all so desirous to goe neere
the saide strange thunder of waters, as they drew me on
by little and little, till wee came into the next valley where
we might better discerne the same. I never saw a more
beautifull countrey, nor more lively prospects, hils so
raised here and there over the valleys, the river winding
into divers branches, the plaines adjoyning without bush
or stubble, all faire greene grasse, the ground of hard
sand easie to march on, either for horse or foote, the deere
crossing in every path, the birdes towards the evening
singing on every tree with a thousand severall tunes,
cranes and herons of white, crimson, and carnation
pearching in the rivers side, the aire fresh with a gentle
Easterly winde, and every stone that we stouped to take
up, promised either golde or silver by his complexion.
Your Lordship shall see of many sorts, and I hope some
of them cannot bee bettered under the Sunne, and yet we
had no meanes but with our daggers and fingers to teare
them out here and there, the rockes being most hard of
that minerall Sparre aforesaide, which is like a flint, and
is altogether as hard or harder, and besides the veines lye
a fathome or two deepe in the rockes. But we wanted
all things requisite save onely our desires and good will to
have performed more if it had pleased God. To be short,
when both our companies returned, each of them brought
also severall sorts of stones that appeared very faire, but
were such as they found loose on the ground, and were
for the most part but coloured, and had not any golde
fixed in them, yet such as had no judgement or experience
kept al that glistered, and would not be perswaded but it
was rich because of the lustre, and brought of those, and
of Marquesite with all, from Trinidad, and have delivered
of those stones to be tried in many places, and have
thereby bred an opinion that all the rest is of the same:
yet some of these stones I shewed afterward to a Spaniard
of the Caracas, who tolde mee that it was El Madre del
oro, that is the mother of gold, and that the Mine was
farther in the ground.
But it shall be found a weake policie in me, either to
betray my selfe, or my countrey with imaginations, neither
am I so farre in love with that lodging, watching, care,
perill, diseases, ill savours, bad fare, and many other mischiefes that accompany these voyages, as to woo my selfe
againe into any of them, were I not assured that the
Sunne covereth not so much riches in any part of the
earth. Captaine Whiddon, and our Chirurgion Nicholas
Millechap brought mee a kinde of stones like Saphires,
what they may prove I know not. I shewed them to
some of the Orenoqueponi, and they promised to bring
mee to a mountaine, that had of them very large pieces
growing Diamond wise: whether it be Christall of the
mountaine, Bristol-Diamond, or Saphire I doe not yet
know, but I hope the best, sure I am that the place is as
likely as those from whence all the rich stones are brought,
and in the same height or very neere.
On the left hand of this river Caroli are seated those
nations which are called Iwarawakeri before remembred,
which are enemies to the Epuremei: and on the head of
it adjoyning to the great lake Cassipa, are situate those
other nations which also resist Inga
, and the Epuremei,
called Cassepagotos, Eparegotos, and Arrawagotos. I
farther understood that this lake of Cassipa is so large,
as it is above one dayes journey for one of their Canoas
to crosse, which may bee some fourtie miles, and that
thereinto fall divers rivers, and that great store of graines
of gold are found in the Summer time when the lake
falleth by the banckes, in those branches.
There is also another goodly river beyond Caroli which
is called Arui, which also runneth thorow the lake Cassipa,
and falleth into Orenoque farther West, making all that
land betweene Caroli and Arui an yland, which is likewise
a most beautifull countrey. Next unto Arui there are
two rivers Atoica and Caora, and on that branch which is
called Caora, are a nation of people, whose heads appeare
not above their shoulders; which though it may be
thought a meere fable, yet for mine owne part I am
resolved it is true, because every childe in the provinces of
Arromaia and Canuri affirme the same: they are called
Ewaipanoma: they are reported to have their eyes in their
shoulders, and their mouthes in the middle of their
breasts, and that a long traine of haire groweth backward
betweene their shoulders. The sonne of Topiawari, which
I brought with me into England
told me that they are the
most mighty men of all the land, and use bowes, arrowes,
and clubbes thrice as big as any of Guiana
, or of the
Orenoqueponi, and that one of the Iwarawakeri tooke a
prisoner of them the yeere before our arrivall there, and
brought him into the borders of Aromaia his fathers
countrey. And farther when I seemed to doubt of it, hee
told me that it was no wonder among them, but that they
were as great a nation, and as common as any other in all
the provinces, and had of late yeeres slaine many hundreds
of his fathers people, and of other nations their neighbours, but it was not my chance to heare of them till I
was come away, and if I had but spoken one worde of it
while I was there, I might have brought one of them with
mee to put the matter out of doubt. Such a nation was
written of by Mandevile, whose reports were holden for
fables many yeeres, and yet since the East Indies were
discovered, we find his relations true of such things as
heretofore were held incredible: whether it be true or no,
the matter is not great, neither can there bee any profit in
the imagination; for mine owne part I saw them not, but
I am resolved that so many people did not all combine, or
forethinke to make the report.
When I came to Cumana
in the West Indies afterwards
by chance I spake with a Spaniard dwelling not farre from
thence, a man of great travell, and after hee knew that I
had bene in Guiana
, and so farre directly West as Caroli,
the first question hee asked me was, whether I had seene
any of the Ewaipanoma, which are those without heads:
who being esteemed a most honest man of his word, and
in all things else, tolde mee that hee had scene many of
them: I may not name him, because it may be for his disadvantage, but hee is well knowen to Monsieur Mucherons
sonne of London
, and to Peter Mucheron merchant of the
Flemish shippe that was there in trade, who also heard
what he avowed to be true of those people.
The fourth river to the West of Caroli is Casnero which
falleth into Orenoque on this side of Amapaia, and that
river is greater then Danubius
, or any of Europe
: it
riseth on the South of Guiana from the mountaines
which devide Guiana
from Amazones, and I thinke it to
bee navigable many hundreth miles: but wee had no time,
meanes, nor season of the yeere, to search those rivers for
the causes aforesayd, the Winter being come upon us,
although the Winter and Summer as touching colde and
heate differ not, neither doe the trees ever sensibly lose
their leaves, but have alwayes fruit either ripe or greene,
and most of them both blossome, leaves, ripe fruite, and
greene at one time: but their Winter onely consisteth of
terrible raines, and overflowing of the rivers, with many
great stormes and gustes, thunder and lightnings, of
which we had our fill, ere we returned.
On the North side, the first river that falleth into
Orenoque is Cari, beyond it on the same side is the river of
Limo, betweene these two is a great nation of Canibals,
and their chiefe towne beareth the name of the river, and
is called Acamacari: at this towne is a continuall market
of women for three or foure hatchets a piece, they are
bought by the Arwacas, and by them sold into the West
Indies. To the West of Limo is the river Pao, beyond it
Caturi, beyond that Voari and Capuri which falleth out of
the great river of Meta, by which Berreo descended from
Nuevo reyno de Granada
. To the Westward of Capuri is
the province of Amapaia, where Berreo wintered, and had
so many of his people poysoned with the tawny water of
the marshes of the Anebas. Above Amapaia toward
Nuevo reyno fall in Meta, Pato, and Cassanar. To the
West of those towards the provinces of the Ashaguas and
Catetios are the rivers of Beta, Dawney, and Ubarro, and
toward the frontier of Peru
are the provinces of Thomebamba, and Caxamalca. Adjoyning to Quito
in the North
side of Peru
are the rivers of Guiacar and Goauar: and
on the other side of the sayd mountaynes the river of
Papamene which descendeth into Marannon or Amazones
passing thorough the province Mutylones where Don
Pedro de Osua who was slaine by the traytour Agiri before
rehearsed, built his brigandines, when he sought Guiana
by the way of Amazones.
Betweene Dawney and Beta lyeth a famous Island in
Orenoque now called Baraquan (for above Meta it is not
knowen by the name of Orenoque) which is called Athule,
beyond which, ships of burden cannot passe by reason of
a most forcible overfall, and current of waters : but in the
eddy al smaller vessels may be drawen even to Peru
it
selfe: But to speake of more of these rivers without the
description were but tedious, and therefore I will leave
the rest to the description. This river of Orenoque is
navigable for ships little lesse then 1000 miles, and for
lesser vessels neere 2000. By it (as aforesayd) Peru
,
Nuevo reyno, and Popaian, may be invaded: it also
leadeth to the great empire of Inga
, & to the provinces of
Amapaia, and Anebas which abound in gold: his branches
of Cosnero, Manta
, Caora descended from the middle land
& valley, which lieth betweene the easter province of Peru
and Guiana
; and it falles into the sea betweene Marannon
and Trinidad in two degrees and a halfe: all which your
Honours shall better perceive in the general description of
Guiana
, Peru
, Nuevo reyno, the kingdome of Popayan
,
and Roidas, with the province of Venezuela
, to the bay of
Uraba, behind Cartagena Westward; and to Amazones
Southward. While we lay at ankor on the coast of
Canuri, and had taken knowledge of all the nations upon
the head and branches of this river, and had found out
so many several people, which were enemies to the
Epuremei, and the new conquerours: I thought it time
lost to linger any longer in that place, especially for that
the fury of Orenoque began dayly to threaten us with
dangers in our returne: for no halfe day passed, but the
river began to rage and overflowe very fearefully, and
the raines came downe in terrible showers, and gustes in
great abundance: and withall, our men began to crie out
for want of shift, for no man had place to bestowe any
other apparell then that which he ware on his backe, and
that was throughly washt on his body for the most part
tenne times in one day : and we had now bene wel neere
a moneth, every day passing to the Westward farther and
farther from our shippes. Wee therefore turned towards
the East, and spent the rest of the time in discovering the
river towards the sea, which we had not viewed, and
which was most materiall.
The next day following we left the mouth of Caroli,
and arrived againe at the port of Morequito where we
were before: for passing downe the streame we went
without labour, and against the winde, little lesse then a
hundreth miles a day. Assoone as I came to ankor, I
sent away one for olde Topiawari, with whom I much
desired to have further conference, and also to deale with
him for some one of his countrey, to bring with us into
England
, as well to learne the language, as to conferre
withall by the way, the time being nowe spent of any
longer stay there. Within three houres after my messenger came to him, he arrived also, and with him such
a rabble of all sorts of people, and every one loden with
somewhat, as if it had beene a great market or faire in
England
: and our hungry companies clustered thicke and
threefold among their baskets, every one laying hand on
what he liked. After he had rested a while in my tent,
I shut out all but our selves, and my interpreter, and
told him that I knew that both the Epuremei and the
Spaniards were enemies to him, his countrey and nations:
that the one had conquered Guiana
already, and the other
sought to regaine the same from them both: and therefore I desired him to instruct me what he could, both of
the passage into the golden parts of Guiana
, and to the
civill townes and apparelled people of Inga
. Hee gave
mee an answere to this effect: first that hee could not
perceive that I meant to goe onward towards the citie of
Manoa, for neither the time of the yeere served, neither
could hee perceive any sufficient numbers for such an
enterprize: and if I did, I was sure with all my company
to bee buried there, for the Emperour was of that
strength, as that many times so many men more were too
fewe: besides hee gave mee this good counsell and
advised mee to holde it in minde (as for himselfe hee
knewe, hee could not live till my returne) that I should
not offer by any meanes hereafter to invade the strong
parts of Guiana
without the helpe of all those nations
which were also their enemies: for that it was impossible
without those, either to bee conducted, to be victualled, or
to have ought carried with us, our people not being able
to indure the march in so great heate, and travell, unlesse
the borderers gave them helpe, to carie with them both
their meate and furniture: For hee remembred that in
the plaines of Macureguarai three hundreth Spaniards
were overthrowen, who were tired out, and had none
of the borderers to their friendes : but meeting their
enemies as they passed the frontier, were environed on all
sides, and the people setting the long drie grasse on
fire, smoothered them, so as they had no breath to fight,
nor could discerne their enemies for the great smoke. He
told me farther that 4 daies journey from his towne was
Macureguarai, and that those were the next and neerest
of the subjects of Inga
, and of the Epuremei, and the first
towne of apparelled and rich people, and that all those
plates of gold which were scattered among the borderers
and caried to other nations farre and neere, came from
the sayd Macureguarai and were there made, but that
those of the land within were farre finer, and were
fashioned after the images of men, beastes, birds, and
fishes. I asked him whether hee thought that those companies that I had there with me, were sufficient to take
that towne or no? He told me that he thought they
were. I then asked him, whether he would assist me with
guides, and some companies of his people to joyne with
us? He answered that he would go himselfe with al the
borderers, if the rivers did remaine foordable, upon this
condition that I would leave with him til my return againe
fifty souldiers, which hee undertooke to victuall: I
answered that I had not above fiftie good men in all there,
the rest were labourers and rowers, & that I had no provision to leave with them of powder, shot, apparell, or
ought else, and that without those things necessary for
their defence, they should bee in danger of the Spaniards
in my absence, who I knewe would use the same measure
towards mine, that I offered them at Trinidad: And
although upon the motion Captaine Calfield, Captaine
Greenvile, my nephew John Gilbert and divers others were
desirous to stay, yet I was resolved that they must needes
have perished, for Berreo expected daylie a supply out of
Spaine, and looked also hourely for his sonne to come
downe from Nuevo reyno de Granada
, with many horse and
foote, and had also in Valencia
in the Caracas
, two
hundreth horse ready to march, and I could not have
spared above fortie, and had not any store at all of
powder, leade, or match to have left with them, nor any
other provision, either spade, pickeaxe, or ought else to
have fortified withall.
When I had given him reason that I could not at this
time leave him such a companie, he then desired mee to
forbeare him and his countrey for that time, for he
assured mee that I should bee no sooner three dayes
from the coast, but those Epuremei would invade him,
and destroy all the remaine of his people and friendes,
if hee should any way either guide us or assist us against
them.
He further alleaged, that the Spaniards sought his
death, and as they had already murthered his Nephew
Morequito lord of that province, so they had him seventeene dayes in a chaine before hee was king of the
countrey, and ledde him like a dog from place to place,
until hee had payde an hundreth plates of golde, and
divers chaines of Spleen-stones for his ransome: and nowe
since he became owner of that province, that they had
many times layd waite to take him, and that they would
bee nowe more vehement, when they should understand of
his conference with the English, and because, sayd hee,
they would the better displant me, if they cannot lay
handes on mee, they have gotten a Nephew of mine called
Eparacano, whom they have Christened Don Juan, and his
sonne Don Pedro, whom they have also apparelled and
armed, by whom they seeke to make a partie against me
in mine owne countrey: hee also had taken to wife one
Loviana of a strong familie, which are borderers and
neighbours, and my selfe now being olde and in the
handes of death am not able to travell nor to shifte, as
when I was of yoonger yeeres : hee therefore prayed us to
deferre it till the next yeere, when he would undertake to
draw in all the borderers to serve us, and then also it
would bee more seasonable to travell, for at this time of
the yeere, wee should not bee able to passe any river,
the waters were and would bee so growen ere our
returne.
He farther told me, that I could not desire so much to
invade Macureguari, and the rest of Guiana
, but that the
borderers would be more vehement then I, for he yeelded
for a chiefe cause that in the warres with the Epuremei,
they were spoyled of their women, and that their wives
and daughters were taken from them, so as for their
owne parts they desired nothing of the golde or treasure,
for their labours, but onely to recover women from the
Epuremei : for hee farther complayned very sadly (as it
had beene a matter of great consequence) that whereas
they were wont to have tenne or twelve wives, they were
now inforced to content themselves with three or foure, and
that the lords of the Epuremei had fifty or a hundreth : And
in truth they war more for women then either for gold or
dominion: For the lords of countreys desire many children
of their owne bodies, to increase their races and kinreds,
for in those consist their greatest trust and strength.
Divers of his followers afterwards desired mee to make
haste againe, that they might sacke the Epuremei, and
I asked them of what? They answered, of their women
for us, and their gold for you: for the hope of those many
of women they more desire the war, then either for gold,
or for the recovery of their ancient territories. For what
betweene the subjects of Inga
, and the Spaniards, those
frontiers are growen thinne of people, and also great
numbers are fled to other nations farther off for feare of
the Spaniards.
After I received this answere of the old man, we fell
into consideration, whether it had bene of better advice to
have entred Macureguarai, and to have begun a warre
upon Inga
at this time, yea or no, if the time of the yeere,
and all things else had sorted. For mine owne part (as
we were not able to march it for the rivers, neither had
any such strength as was requisite, and durst not abide
the comming of the Winter, or to tarie any longer from
our ships) I thought it were evill counsell to have
attempted it at that time, although the desire of gold will
answere many objections: but it would have bin in mine
opinion an utter overthrow to the enterprize, if the same
should be hereafter by her Majesty attempted: for then
(whereas now they have heard we were enemies to the
Spaniards & were sent by her Majesty to relieve them)
they would as good cheap have joyned with the Spaniards
at our returne, as to have yeelded unto us, when they had
proved that we came both for one errant, and that both
sought but to sacke & spoile them, but as yet our desire of
gold, or our purpose of invasion is not knowen to them of
the empire: and it is likely that if her Majestie undertake
the enterprize, they will rather submit themselves to her
obedience then to the Spaniards, of whose cruelty both
themselves and the borderers have already tasted: and
therefore till I had knowen her Majesties pleasure, I would
rather have lost the sacke of one or two townes (although
they might have beene very profitable) then to have
defaced or indangered the future hope of so many millions,
& the great good, & rich trade which England
may be
possessed of thereby. I am assured nowe that they will
all die even to the last man against the Spaniards in hope
of our succour and returne: whereas otherwise if I had
either layd handes on the borderers, or ransomed the lords,
as Berreo did, or invaded the subjects of Inga
, I know all
had beene lost for hereafter.
After that I had resolved Topiawari lord of Aromaia,
that I could not at this time leave with him the companies
he desired, and that I was contented to forbeare the enterprize against the Epuremei till the next yeare, he freely
gave me his onely sonne to take with me into England
,
and hoped, that though hee himselfe had but a short
time to live, yet that by our meanes his sonne should
be established after his death: and I left with him one
Francis Sparrow, a servant of Captaine Gifford, (who was
desirous to tarie, and could describe a countrey with
his pen) and a boy of mine called Hugh Goodwin, to
learne the language. I after asked the maner how the
Epuremei wrought those plates of golde, and howe they
could melt it out of the stone; hee tolde mee that the
most of the golde which they made in plates and images,
was not severed from the stone, but that on the lake of
Manoa, and in a multitude of other rivers they gathered
it in graines of perfect gold and in peeces as bigge as
small stones, and that they put it to a part of copper,
otherwise they could not worke it, and that they used a
great earthern pot with holes round about it, and when
they had mingled the gold and copper together, they
fastened canes to the holes, and so with the breath of men
they increased the fire till the metall ran, & then they
cast it into moulds of stone and clay, and so make those
plates and images. I have sent your Honors of two sortes
such as I could by chance recover, more to shewe the
maner of them, then for the value: For I did not in any
sort make my desire of gold knowen, because I had
neither time, nor power to have a greater quantity. I
gave among them manie more peeces of gold, then I
received, of the new money of 20 shillings with her
Majesties picture to weare, with promise that they would
become her servants thencefoorth.
I have also sent your Honours of the ore, whereof I
know some is as rich as the earth yeeldeth any, of which
I know there is sufficient, if nothing else were to bee
hoped for. But besides that we were not able to tarrie
and search the hils, so we had neither pioners, barres,
ledges, nor wedges of yron to breake the ground, without
which there is no working in mines: but wee saw all the
hilles with stones of the colour of gold and silver, and we
tried them to be no Marquesite, and therefore such as the
Spaniards call El madre del oro, or, The mother of gold,
which is an undoubted assurance of the generall abundance: and my selfe saw the outside of many mines of the
Sparre, which I know to be the same that all covet in this
world, and of those, more then I will speake of.
Having learned what I could in
Canuri and Aromaia,
and received a faithfull promise of the principallest of those
provinces to become servants to her Majestie, and to resist
the Spaniards, if they made any attempt in our absence,
and that they would draw in the nations about the lake of
Cassipa, and those Iwarawaqueri, I then parted from olde
Topiawari, and received his sonne for a pledge betweene
us, and left with him two of ours as aforesayd. To
Francis Sparrowe I gave instructions to travell to Marcureguarai, with such merchandizes as I left with them,
thereby to learne the place, and if it were possible, to goe
on to the great citie of Manoa: which being done, we
weyed ankor, and coasted the river on Guiana
side,
because wee came upon the North side, by the launes of
the Saima and Wikiri.
There came with us from Aromaia a Cassique called
Putijma, that commanded the province of Warapana,
(which Putijma slewe the nine Spaniards upon Caroli
before spoken of) who desired us to rest in the Porte of
his countrey, promising to bring us unto a mountaine
adjoyning to his towne that had stones of the colour of
golde, which hee perfourmed. And after wee had rested
there one night, I went my selfe in the morning with
most of the Gentlemen of my company, over land towards
the said mountaine, marching by a rivers side called
Mana
, leaving on the right hand a towne called Tuteritona, standing in the Province of Tarracoa, of the which
Wariaaremagoto is principall. Beyond it lieth another
towne towards the South, in the valley of Amariocapana,
which beareth the name of the sayd valley, whose plaines
stretch themselves some sixtie miles in length, East and
West, as faire ground, and as beautifull fields, as any
man hath ever seene, with divers copsies scattered here
and there by the rivers side, and all as full of deere as
any forrest or parke in England
, and in everie lake and
river the like abundance of fish and foule, of which
Irraparragota is lord.
From the river of Mana
, we crost another river in the
said beautifull valley called Oiana, & rested our selves by
a cleere lake, which lay in the middle of the said Oiana,
and one of our guides kindling us fire with two stickes,
wee stayed a while to drie our shirts, which with the heate
hong very wette and heavie on our sholders. Afterwards
wee sought the ford to passe over towards the mountaine
called Iconuri, where Putijma foretold us of the mine. In
this lake we saw one of the great fishes, as big as a
wine pipe, which they call Manati, being most excellent
and holsome meate. But after I perceived, that to passe
the said river would require halfe a dayes march more,
I was not able my selfe to endure it, and therefore I
sent Captaine Keymis with sixe shot to goe on, and gave
him order not to returne to the port of Putijma, which
is called Chiparepare, but to take leisure, and to march
downe the sayd valley, as farre as a river called Cumaca,
where I promised to meete him againe, Putijma himselfe
promising also to bee his guide: and as they marched,
they left the townes of Emparepana, and Capurepana,
on the right hand, and marched from Putijmas house
downe the sayd valley of Amariocapana, and wee returning the same day to the rivers side, saw by the way
many rockes, like unto gold ore, and on the left hand,
a round mountaine which consisted of minerall stone.
From hence we rowed downe the streame, coasting the
province of Parino: As for the branches of rivers which
I overpasse in this discourse, those shall be better expressed in the description with the mountaines of Ajo,
Ara, and the rest, which are situate in the provinces of
Parino and Carricurrina. When we were come as farre
downe as the land called Ariacoa, (where Orenoque
devideth it selfe into three great branches, each of them
being most goodly rivers) I sent away captaine Henrie
Thin, and captaine Greenevile with the galley, the neerest
way, and tooke with mee captaine Gifford, captaine Calfield, Edward Porter, and captaine Eynos with mine owne
barge, and the two wherries, and went downe that branch
of Orenoque, which is called Cararoopana, which leadeth
towards Emeria the province of Carapana, and towards
the East sea
, as well to finde out captaine Keymis, whome
I had sent over land, as also to acquaint my selfe with
Carapana, who is one of the greatest of all the lords of
the Orenoqueponi: and when I came to the river of
Cumaca (to which Putijma promised to conduct captaine
Keymis) I left captaine Eynos and master Porter in the
sayd river to expect his comming, & the rest of us rowed
downe the streame towards Emeria.
In this branch called Cararoopana were also many
goodly Islands, some of sixe miles long, some of ten,
and some of twenty. When it grew towards sunneset,
we entred a branch of a river that fell into Orenoque
called Winicapora: where I was enformed of the mountaine of Christall, to which in trueth for the length of
the way, and the evill season of the yeere, I was not able
to march, nor abide any longer upon the journey: wee
saw it afarre off and it appeared like a white Churchtower of an exceeding height. There falleth over it a
mighty river which toucheth no part of the side of the
mountaine, but rusheth over the toppe of it, and falleth
to the ground with so terrible a noyse and clamor, as if
a thousand great bels were knockt one against another.
I thinke there is not in the world so strange an over-fall,
nor so wonderfull to behold: Berreo told mee that there
were Diamonds and other precious stones on it, and that
they shined very farre off: but what it hath I know not,
neither durst he or any of his men ascend to the top of
the sayd mountaine, those people adjoyning being his
enemies (as they were) and the way to it so impassable.
Upon this river of Winicapora wee rested a while, and
from thence marched into the countrey to a town called
after the name of the river, whereof the captaine was
one Timitwara, who also offered to conduct mee to the
top of the sayd mountaine called Wacarima: But when
wee came in first to the house of the sayd Timitwara,
being upon one of their sayd feast dayes, we found them
all as drunke as beggers, and the pots walking from one
to another without rest: we that were weary, and hote
with marching, were glad of the plenty though a small
quantitie satisfied us, their drinke being very strong and
headie, and so rested our selves a while; after wee had
fedde, we drew our selves backe to our boats, upon the
river and there came to us all the lordes of the countrey,
with all such kinde of victuall as the place yeelded, and
with their delicate wine of Pinas, and with abundance
of hens, and other provisions, and of those stones which
wee call Spleene-stones.
Wee understood by the chiefetaines of Winicapora, that
their lord Carapana was departed from Emeria which was
now in sight, & that he was fled to Cairamo, adjoyning
to the mountains of Guiana
, over the valley called Amariocapana, being perswaded by those tenne Spaniards which
lay at his house, that we would destroy him, and his
countrey.
But after these Cassiques of Winicapora & Saporatona
his followers perceived our purpose, and saw that we
came as enemies to the Spaniards onely, and had not so
much as harmed any of those nations, no though we
found them to be of the Spaniards owne servants, they
assured us that Carapana would be as ready to serve us,
as any of the lords of the provinces, which we had passed;
and that he durst doe no other till this day but entertaine
the Spaniards, his countrey lying so directly in their way,
and next of all other to any entrance that should be made
in Guiana
on that side.
And they farther assured us, that it was not for feare
of our comming that he was remooved, but to be acquited
of the Spaniards or any other that should come hereafter.
For the province of Cairoma is situate at the mountaine
foote, which devideth the plaines of Guiana
from the
countreys of the Orenoqueponi: by meanes whereof if
any should come in our absence into his townes, hee
would slip over the mountaines into the plaines of Guiana
among the Epuremei, where the Spaniards durst not
follow him without great force.
But in mine opinion, or rather I assure my selfe, that
Carapana (being a notable wise and subtil fellow, a man
of one hundred yeeres of age, and therefore of great
experience) is remooved, to looke on, and if he finde that
we returne strong he will be ours, if not, hee will excuse
his departure to the Spaniards, and say it was for feare
of our comming.
Wee therefore thought it bootlesse to rowe so farre
downe the streame, or to seeke any farther of this olde
fox: and therefore from the river of Waricapana (which
lieth at the entrance of Emeria) we returned againe, and
left to the Eastward those foure rivers which fall from
the mountaines of Emeria into Orenoque, which are
Waracayari, Coirama, Akaniri, and Iparoma: below those
foure are also these branches and mouthes of Orenoque,
which fall into the East sea
, whereof the first is Araturi,
the next Amacura, the third Barima, the fourth Wana,
the fift Morooca, the sixt Paroma, the last Wijmi: beyond them there fall out of the land betweene Orenoque
and Amazones 14 rivers which I forbeare to name,
inhabited by the Arwacas and Canibals.
It is now time to returne towards the North, and wee
found it a wearisome way backe from the borders of
Emeria, to recover up againe to the head of the river
Carerupana, by which we descended, and where we parted
from the galley, which I directed to take the next way
to the port of Toparimaca, by which we entred first.
All the night it was stormie and darke, and full of
thunder and great showers, so as wee were driven to
keepe close by the bankes in our small boats, being all
heartily afraid both of the billow and terrible curent of
the river. By the next morning we recovered the mouth
of the river of Cumaca, where we left captaine Eynos
and Edward Porter to attend the comming of captaine
Keymis over land: but when wee entred the same, they
had heard no newes of his arrivall, which bred in us a
great doubt what might become of him: I rowed up a
league or two farther into the river, shooting off pieces
all the way, that hee might know of our being there.
And the next morning wee heard them answere us also
with a piece: wee tooke them aboord us, and tooke our
leave of Putima their guide, who of all others most
lamented our departure, and offered to send his sonne
with us into England
, if we could have stayed till he
had sent backe to his towne: but our hearts were cold
to behold the great rage and increase of Orenoque, and
therefore departed, and turned toward the West, till we
had recovered the parting of the three branches aforesayd,
that we might put downe the streame after the galley.
The next day we landed on the
Island of Assapano
(which devideth the river from that branch by which we
sent downe to Emeria) and there feasted our selves with
that beast which is called Armadilla presented unto us
before at
Winicapora, and the day following we recovered
the galley at ankor at the port of Toparimaca, & the same
evening departed with very foule weather and terrible
thunder, and showers, for the Winter was come on very
farre: the best was, we went no lesse then 100 miles a
day, downe the river; but by the way we entred, it was
impossible to returne, for that the
river of Amana, being
in the bottome of the bay of Guanipa, cannot be sayled
backe by any meanes, both the brize and current of the
sea were so forcible: and therefore wee followed a branch
of Orenoque called Capuri, which entred into the sea
Eastward of our ships, to the end we might beare with
them before the wind, and it was not without neede, for
we had by that way as much to crosse of the maine sea
after we came to the rivers mouth, as between Gravelyn
and Dover, in such boats as your Hon. hath heard.
To speake of what past homeward were tedious, either
to describe or name any of the rivers, Islands, or villages
of the Tivitivas which dwell on trees: we will leave all
those to the generall mappe: and to be short, when we
were arrived at the sea side, then grew our greatest
doubt, and the bitterest of all our journey forepassed, for
I protest before God, that we were in a most desperate
estate: for the same night which we ankored in the mouth
of the river of Capuri, where it falleth into the sea, there
arose a mightie storme, and the rivers mouth was at
least a league broad, so as we ranne before night close
under the land with our small boates, and brought the
Galley as neere as we could, but she had as much a doe
to live as could be, and there wanted little of her sinking,
and all those in her; for mine owne part I confesse, I
was very doubtfull which way to take, either to goe over
in the pestred Galley, there being but sixe foote water
over the sandes, for two leagues together, and that also
in the channell, and she drew five: or to adventure in
so great a billow, and in so doubtfull weather, to crosse
the seas in my barge. The longer we taried the worse
it was, and therefore I tooke Captaine Gifford, Captaine
Calfield, and my cosen Greenevile into my barge; and
after it cleared up, about midnight we put our selves to
Gods keeping, and thrust out into the sea, leaving the
Galley at anker, who durst not adventure but by daylight: And so being all very sober, and melancholy, one
faintly chearing another to shewe courage, it pleased God
that the next day about nine of the clocke, wee descried
the Ilande of Trinidad, and stearing for the neerest part
of it, wee kept the shore till wee came to Curiapan,
where wee founde our shippes at ankor, then which there
was never to us a more joyfull sight.
Now that it hath pleased God to sende us safe to our
shippes, it is time to leave Guiana
to the Sunne, whom
they worshippe, and steare away towardes the North:
I will therefore in a fewe wordes finish the discovery
thereof. Of the severall nations which we found upon
this discovery I will once againe make repetition, and
howe they are affected. At our first enterance into
Amana, which is one of the outlets of Orenoque, we left
on the right hand of us in the bottome of the bay, lying
directly against Trinidad
, a nation of inhumaine Canibals,
which inhabite the rivers of Guanipa and Berbeese; in
the same bay there is also a third river which is called
Areo, which riseth on Paria side towards Cumana
, and
that river is inhabited with the Wikiri, whose chiefe
towne upon the sayd river is Sayma; In this bay there
are no more rivers, but these three before rehearsed, and
the foure branches of Amana, all which in the Winter
thrust so great abundance of water into the sea, as the
same is taken up fresh, two or three leagues from the
land. In the passages towardes Guiana
(that is, in all
those landes which the eight branches of Orenoque fashion
into Ilands) there are but one sort of people called Tivitivas, but of two castes as they tearme them, the one
called Ciawani, the other Waraweeti, and those warre
one with another.
On the hithermost part of Orenoque, as at
Toparimaca,
and Winicapora, those are of a nation called Nepoios,
and are of the followers of Carapana, Lord of Emeria.
Betweene Winicapora and the port of Morequito which
standeth in
Aromaia, and all those in the valley of Amariocapana are called Orenoqueponi, and did obey Morequito,
and are now followers of Topiawari. Upon the river of
Caroli, are the Canuri, which are governed by a woman
(who is inheritrix of that Province) who came farre off
to see our Nation, and asked me diverse questions of
her Majestie, being much delighted with the discourse of
her Majesties greatness, and wondering at such reports
as we truely made of her Highnesse many vertues: And
upon the head of Caroli, and on the lake of Cassipa, are
the three strong Nations of the Cassipagotos. Right
South into the land are the Capurepani, and Emparepani,
and beyond those adjoyning to Macureguarai (the first
citie of Inga
) are the Iwarawakeri : all these are professed
enemies to the Spaniards, and to the rich Epuremei also.
To the West of Caroli are diverse nations of Canibals,
and of those Ewaipanoma without heads. Directly West
are the Amapaias and Anebas, which are also marvellous
rich in gold. The rest towards Peru
we will omit. On
the North of Orenoque, betweene it and the West Indies
are the Wikiri, Saymi, and the rest before spoken of, all
mortall enemies to the Spaniardes. On the South side
of the maine mouth of Orenoque, are the Arwacas; and
beyond them the Canibals and to the South of them the
Amazones.
To make mention of the severall beasts, birds, fishes,
fruits, flowers, gummes, sweet woods, and of their severall
religions and customes, would for the first require as
many volumes as those of Gesnerus, and for the rest
another bundle of Decades. The religion of the Epuremei
is the same which the Ingas, Emperours of Peru
used,
which may be read in Cieza
, and other Spanish stories,
how they beleeve the immortalitie of the soule, worship
the Sunne, and burie with them alive their best beloved
wives and treasure, as they likewise doe in Pegu
in the
East Indies, and other places. The Orenoqueponi bury
not their wives with them, but their jewels, hoping to
injoy them againe. The Arwacas dry the bones of their
Lords, and their wives and friends drinke them in powder.
In the graves of the Peruvians the Spaniards found their
greatest abundance of treasure: the like also is to be
found among these people in every Province. They have
all many wives, and the Lords five-fould to the common
sort: their wives never eate with their husbands, nor
among the men, but serve their husbands at meales, and
afterwardes feede by themselves. Those that are past
their younger yeeres, make all their bread and drinke,
and worke their cotten beds, and doe all else of service
and labour, for the men doe nothing but hunt, fish, play,
and drinke, when they are out of the warres.
I will enter no further into discourse of their maners,
lawes and customes: and because I have not my selfe
seene the cities of Inga
, I cannot avow on my credit what
I have heard, although it be very likely, that the Emperour
Inga hath built and erected as magnificent palaces in
Guiana
, as his ancestors did in Peru
, which were for their
riches and rarenesse most marvellous and exceeding all
in Europe
, and I thinke of the world, China
excepted,
which also the Spaniards (which I had) assured me to be
true, as also the Nations of the borderers, who being but
Salvages to those of the in-land, doe cause much treasure
to be buried with them: for I was enformed of one of
the Cassiques of the valley of Amariocapana which had
buried with him a little before our arrivall, a chaire of
golde most curiously wrought, which was made either in
Macureguaray adjoyning, or in Manoa: but if we should
have grieved them in their religion at the first, before
they had bene taught better, and have digged up their
graves, we had lost them all: and therefore I helde my
first resolution, that her Majestie should either accept or
refuse the enterprise, ere any thing should be done that
might in any sort hinder the same. And if Peru
had so
many heapes of golde, whereof those Ingas were Princes,
and that they delighted so much therin; no doubt but
this which now liveth and reigneth in Manoa, hath the
same honour, and I am assured hath more abundance of
golde, within his territorie, then all Peru
and the West
Indies.
For the rest, which my selfe have seene, I will promise
these things that follow, which I know to be true. Those
that are desirous to discover and to see many nations,
may be satisfied within this river, which bringeth foorth
so many armes and branches leading to severall countries
and provinces, above 2000 miles East and West, and 800
miles South and North, and of these, the most eyther
rich in golde, or in other marchandizes. The common
souldier shall here fight for golde, and pay himselfe in
steede of pence, with plates of halfe a foote broad,
whereas he breaketh his bones in other warres for provant
and penury. Those commanders and chieftaines that
shoot at honour and abundance, shall finde there more
rich and beautifull cities, more temples adorned with
golden images, more sepulchres filled with treasure, then
either Cortez found in Mexico
, or Pizarro in Peru
: and
the shining glory of this conquest will eclipse all those
so farre extended beames of the Spanish nation. There
is no countrey which yeeldeth more pleasure to the inhabitants, either for those common delights of hunting,
hawking, fishing, fowling, or the rest, then Guiana
doth.
It hath so many plaines, cleere rivers, abundance of
Phesants, Partriges, Quailes, Railes, Cranes, Herons,
and all other fowle: Deere of all sorts, Porkes, Hares,
Lions, Tygers, Leopards, and divers other sortes of
beastes, either for chase, or food. It hath a kind of
beast called Cama, or Anta, as bigge as an English beefe,
and in great plentie.
To speake of the severall sorts of every kind, I feare
would be troublesome to the Reader, and therefore I will
omit them, and conclude that both for health, good ayre,
pleasure, and riches I am resolved it cannot bee equalled
by any region either in the East or West. Moreover
the countrey is so healthfull, as of an hundred persons &
more (which lay without shift most sluttishly, and were
every day almost melted with heate in rowing and march
ing, and suddenly wet againe with great showers, and
did eate of all sorts of corrupt fruits, and made meales
of fresh fish without seasoning, of Tortugas, of Lagartos
or Crocodiles, and of all sorts good and bad, without
either order or measure, and besides lodged in the open
aire every night) we lost not any one, nor had one ill
disposed to my knowledge, nor found any Calentura, or
other of those pestilent diseases which dwell in all hot
regions, and so neere the Equinoctiall line.
Where there is store of gold, it is in effect needlesse
to remember other commodities for trade: but it hath
towards the South part of the river, great quantities of
Brasil-wood, and diverse berries that die a most perfect
crimson and carnation: And for painting, all France,
Italy
, or the East Indies yeelde none such: For the more
the skin is washed, the fairer the colour appeareth, and
with which, even those browne and tawnie women spot
themselves, and colour their cheekes. All places yeeld
abundance of cotton, of silke, of balsamum, and of those
kindes most excellent, and never knowen in Europe
, of
all sortes of gummes, of Indian pepper: and what else
the countries may afford within the land we knowe not,
neither had we time to abide the triall, and search. The
soile besides is so excellent and so full of rivers, as it
will carrie sugar, ginger, and all those other commodities,
which the West Indies have.
The navigation is short, for it may be sayled with an
ordinarie winde in sixe weekes, and in the like time backe
againe, and by the way neither lee shore, enemies coast,
rockes, nor sandes, all which in the voyages to the West
Indies, and all other places we are subject unto, as the
chanell of Bahama, comming from the West Indies, cannot well be passed in the Winter, & when it is at the
best, it is a perilous and a fearefull place. The rest of
the Indies for calmes, and diseases very troublesome, and
the sea about the Bermudas
a hellish sea for thunder,
lightning, and stormes.
This very yeere [1595] there were seventeene sayle of
Spanish ships lost in the chanell of Bahama, and the great
Philip like to have sunke at the Bermudas
was put backe to
Saint Juan de Puerto rico. And so it falleth out in that
Navigation every yeere for the most part, which in this
voyage are not to be feared: for the time of yeere to
leave England
is best in July, and the Summer in Guiana
is in October, November, December, Januarie, Februarie,
and March, and then the ships may depart thence in
Aprill, and so returne againe into England
in June, so as
they shall never be subject to Winter-weather, either
comming, going, or staying there: which for my part, I
take to be one of the greatest comforts and incouragements that can be thought on, having (as I have done)
tasted in this voyage by the West Indies so many calmes,
so much heat, such outragious gustes, foule weather, and
contrarie windes.
To conclude, Guiana
is a countrey that hath yet her
maydenhead, never sackt, turned, nor wrought, the face
of the earth hath not bene torne, nor the vertue and salt
of the soyle spent by manurance, the graves have not
bene opened for golde, the mines not broken with sledges,
nor their Images puld downe out of their temples. It
hath never bene entered by any armie of strength, and
never conquered or possessed by any christian Prince.
It is besides so defensible, that if two forts be builded
in one of the Provinces which I have seene, the flood
setteth in so neere the banke, where the channell also
lyeth, that no ship can passe up but within a Pikes length
of the artillerie, first of the one, and afterwards of the
other: Which two Forts will be a sufficient guarde both
to the Empire of Inga, and to an hundred other several
kingdomes, lying within the said river, even to the citie
of Quito
in Peru
.
There is therefore great difference betweene the easinesse of the conquest of Guiana
, and the defence of it
being conquered, and the West or East Indies: Guiana
hath but one entrance by the sea (if it hath that) for any
vessels of burden : so as whosoever shall first possesse
it, it shall be found unaccessible for any enemie, except
he come in
Wherries, Barges, or Canoas, or else in flat
bottomed boates, and if he doe offer to enter it in that
manner, the woods are so thicke two hundred miles
together upon the rivers of such entrance, as a mouse
cannot sit in a boat unhit from the banke. By lande it
is more impossible to approch, for it hath the strongest
situation of any region under the sunne, and is so environed with impassable mountaines on every side, as it
is impossible to victuall any company in the passage:
which hath bene well prooved by the Spanish nation, who
since the conquest of Peru
have never left five yeeres free
from attempting this Empire, or discovering some way
into it, and yet of three and twentie severall Gentlemen,
Knights, and Noble men, there was never any that knewe
which way to leade an army by land, or to conduct shippes
by sea, any thing neere the saide countrie. Orellana, of
whom the river of Amazones taketh name, was the first,
and Don Antonio de Berreo (whom we displanted) the
last: and I doubt much, whether he himselfe or any of
his yet know the best way into the sayde Empire. It
can therefore hardly be regained, if any strength be
formerly set downe, but in one or two places, and but
two or three crumsters or gallies built, and furnished
upon the river within: The West Indies have many
portes, watering places, and landings, and nearer then
three hundred miles to Guiana
, no man can harbour a
shippe, except he know one onely place, which is not
learned in haste, and which I will undertake there is not
any one of my companies that knoweth, whosoever
hearkened most after it.
Besides by keeping one good Fort, or building one
towne of strength, the whole Empire is guarded, and
whatsoever companies shall be afterwardes planted within
the land, although in twentie severall Provinces, those
shall be able all to reunite themselves upon any occasion
eyther by the way of one river, or be able to march by
land without either wood, bogge, or mountaine: whereas
in the West Indies there are fewe townes or Provinces
that can succour or relieve one the other, eyther by land
or sea: By land the countries are either desert, mountaynous, or strong enemies: by sea, if any man invade
to the Eastward, those to the West cannot in many
moneths turne against the brize and Eastern wind, besides
the Spaniards are therein so dispersed, as they are no
where strong, but in Nueva Espanna onely: the sharpe
mountaines, the thornes, and poysoned prickles, the
sandie and deepe wayes in the valleys, the smothering
heate and aire, and want of water in other places are
their onely and best defence, which (because those nations
that invade them are not victualled or provided to stay,
neither have any place to friend adjoyning) doe serve them
in steede of good armes and great multitudes.
The West Indies were first offered her Majesties grandfather by Columbus
a stranger, in whom there might be
doubt of deceipt, and besides it was then thought in
credible that there were such and so many lands & regions
never written of before. This Empire is made knowen
to her Majestie by her owne vassall, and by him that
oweth to her more duetie then an ordinary subject, so
that it shall ill sort with the many graces and benefites
which I have received to abuse her Highnesse, either
with fables or imaginations. The countrey is alreadie
discovered, many nations wonne to her Majesties love
and obedience, and those Spaniardes which have latest
and longest laboured about the conquest, beaten out,
discouraged and disgraced, which among these nations
were thought invincible. Her Majestie may in this enterprize employ all those souldiers and gentlemen that are
younger brethren, and all captaines and chieftaines that
want employment, and the charge will be onely the first
setting out in victualling and arming them : for after the
first or second yeere I doubt not but to see in London
a
Contractation house of more receipt for Guiana
, then
there is now in
Sivill for the West Indies.
And I am resolved that if there were but a small army
a foote in Guiana
, marching towards Manoa the chiefe
citie of Inga
, he would yeeld to her Majestie by composition so many hundred thousand pounds yeerely, as
should both defend all enemies abroad, and defray all
expences at home, and that he would besides pay a garrison of three or foure thousand souldiers very royally
to defend him against other nations: For he cannot but
knowe, how his predecessors, yea how his owne great
uncles Guascar and Atabalipa sonnes to Guainacapa
Emperour of Peru, were (while they contended for the
Empire) beaten out by the Spaniards, and that both of
late yeres and ever since the said conquest, the Spaniards
have sought the passages and entrey of his countrey:
and of their cruelties used to the borderers he cannot be
ignorant. In which respects no doubt but he will be
brought to tribute with great gladnesse, if not, he hath
neither shot nor yron weapon in all his Empire, and
therefore may easily be conquered.
And I farther remember that Berreo confessed to me
and others (which I protest before the Majestie of God
to be true) that there was found among prophesies in
Peru
(at such time as the Empire was reduced to the
Spanish obedience) in their chiefest temples, amongst
divers others which foreshewed the losse of the said
Empire, that from Inglatierra those Ingas should be
againe in time to come restored, and delivered from the
servitude of the said Conquerours. And I hope, as we
with these few hands have displanted the first garrison,
and driven them out of the said countrey, so her Majestie
will give order for the rest, and either defend it, and
hold it as tributary, or conquere and keepe it as Empresse
of the same. For whatsoever Prince shall possesse it,
shall be greatest, and if the king of Spaine enjoy it, he
will become unresistable. Her Majestie hereby shall confirme and strengthen the opinions of all nations, as
touching her great and princely actions. And where the
South border of Guiana
reacheth to the Dominion and
Empire of the Amazones, those women shall hereby heare
the name of a virgin, which is not onely able to defend
her owne territories and her neighbours, but also to invade
and conquer so great Empires and so farre removed.
To speake more at this time, I feare would be but
troublesome: I trust in God, this being true, will suffice,
and that he which is King of all Kings and Lord of
Lords, will put it into her heart which is Ladie of Ladies
to possesse it, if not, I will judge those men worthy to
be kings thereof, that by her grace and leave will undertake it of themselves.