As we abode there a while, our Indian pilot, called Ferdinando, would needs goe ashore 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 iourney: when they came to the village of these people the lord of the Islandoffered to lay hands on them, purposing to haue 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, recouered 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 vs, 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 resolued that he should pay the losse of the other, cried out to those in the woods to saue Ferdinando our pilot: but they followed him notwithstanding, and hunted after him vpon 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 recouered the riuer side, and got vpon 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 riuers, we assured our selues hee knew the way better then any stranger could. And indeed, but for this chance, I thinke we had neuer 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 old man himselfe was in great doubt which riuer to take. Those people which dwell in these broken islands and drowned lands, are generally called Tiuitiuas: there are of them two sorts, the one called Ciawani, and the other Waraweete.
A description of the mighty riuer of Orenoque or Baraquan.The great riuer 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 seuen 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 riuers 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 riuer vpon the seuerall North branches, are these Tiuitiuas, of whichthere are two chiefe lords which haue 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 riuer by which Iohn Douglas returned within the land from Amana to Capuri, they call Macuri.
What maner of people the Tiuitiuas are.These Tiuitiuas are a very goodly people and very valiant, and haue the most manly speech and most deliberate that euer I heard, of what nation soeuer. In the Summer they haue houses on the ground, as in other places: in the Winter they dwell vpon 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 Vraba: for betweene May and September the riuer of Orenoque riseth thirty foot vpright, and then are those ilands ouerflowen twenty foot high aboue the leuell of the ground, sauing some few raised grounds in the middle of them: and for this cause they are inforced to liue in this maner. They neuer eat of any thing that is set or sowen: and as at home they vse 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 vse the tops of Palmitos for bread, and kill deere, fish, and porks, for the rest of their sustenance. They haue 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 haue either seene or read. Of these people those that dwell vpon 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 tobacco in the excessiue taking whereof, they exceed all nations: and not withstanding the moistnesse of the aire in which they liue, the hardnesse of their diet, and the great labours they suffer to hunt, fish and fowle for their liuing in all my life, either in the Indies or in Europe, did I neuer behold a more goodly or better fauoured people or a more manly. They were woont to make warre vpon all nations, especially on the Canibals, so as none durst without a good strength trade by those riuers: but of late they are at peace with their neighbours, all holding the Spaniardsfor a common enemy. When their commanders die, they vse great lamentation, and when they thinke the flesh of their bodies is petrified, and fallen from the bones, then they take vp 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 vse to beat the bones of their lords into powder, and their wiues and friends drinke it all in their seuerall sorts of drinks.
After we departed from the port of these Ciawani, wee passed vp the riuer with the flood, and ankered the ebbe, and in this sort we went onward. The third day that we entred the riuer, our galley came on ground, and stucke so fast, as we thought that euen there our discouery had ended, and that we must haue left fourescore and ten of our men to haue inhabited like rooks vpon 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 riuer as euer 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 vs; 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, euery gentleman and others taking their turnes to row, and to spell one the other at the houres end. Euery day we passed by goodly branches of riuers, some falling from the West, others from the East into Amana, but those I leaue to the description in the Cart of discouery, where euery one shalbe named with his rising and descent. When three dayes more were ouergone, our companies began to despaire, the weather being extreame hote, the riuer bordered with very high trees, that kept away the aire, and the current against vs euery day stronger then other: but we euermore commanded our pilots to promise an ende the next day, and vsed it so long, as we were driuen to assure them from foure reaches of the riuer to three, and so to two, and so to the next reach: but so long we laboured, that many dayes were spent, and wee driuen to drawe our selues toharder allowance, our bread euen at the last, and no drinke at all; and our men and our selues so wearied and scorched, and doubtfull withall, whether wee should euer performe it or no, the heat increasing as we drew towards the line: for wee were now in fiue 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 riuer ranne more violently then other against vs, and the barge, wheries, and shippes boat of captaine Gifford and captaine Calfield, had spent all their prouisions: 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 relieued of all wee wanted, and if we returned, that wee were sure to starue by the way, and that the world would also laugh vs to scorne. On the banks of these riuers were diuers sorts of fruits good to eat, flowers and trees of such variety, as were sufficient to make tenne volumes of herbals: we relieued our selues 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 vnto vs 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, hauing little or no bread, and lesse drinke, but onely the thicke and troubled water of the riuer, 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 vs, that if we would enter a branch of a riuer on the right hand with our barge and wheries, and leaue the galley at anker the while in the great riuer, he would bring vs to a towne of the Arwacas, where we should finde store of bread, hennes, fish, and of the countrey wine; and perswaded vs 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 myselfe and foure musketiers and Captaine Calfield with his whery, and as many; and so we entred the mouth of this riuer: and because we were perswaded that it was so nere, we tooke no victuall with vs at all. When we had rowed three houres, we maruelled we saw no signe of any dwelling, andasked the pilot where the towne was: he tolde vs a little further. After three houres more, the Sun being almost set, we began to suspect that he led vs that way to betray vs; for hee confessed that those Spaniards which fled from Trinidad, and also those that remained with Carapana in Emeria, were ioyned together in some village vpon that riuer. But when it grew towards night; and wee demanded where the place was: hee tolde vs but foure reaches more. When we had rowed foure and foure, we saw no signe; and our poore water-men, euen heart-broken, and tired, were ready to giue up the ghost: for we 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, we had surely gone; but our owne necessities pleaded sufficiently for his safety: for it was as darke as pitch, and the riuer began so to narrow it selfe, and the trees to hang ouer from side to side, as wee were driuen with arming swords to cut a passage thorow those branches that couered 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 euer assured vs 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 diuers canoas aboue foure hundred miles off, vpon a iourney towardes the head of Orenoque to trade for golde, and to buy women of the Canibals, who afterward vnfortunately passed by vs as wee rode at an anker in the port of Morequito in the darke of the night, and yet came so neere vs, as his canoas grated against our barges: he left one of his company at the port of Morequito, by whom wee vnderstood that hee had brought thirty yoong women, diuers 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 vs some quantity of bread, fish, and hennes.
A most beautifull countrey.On both sides of this riuer we passed the most beautifull countrey that euer 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 diuers parts groues of trees by themselues, 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 vsed to a keepers call.The riuer of Lagartos, or Crocodiles.Vpon this riuer there were great store of fowle, and of many sorts: we saw in it diuers sorts of strange fishes, and of maruellous bignes: but for lagartos it exceeded, for there were thousands of those vgly serpents; and the people call it for the abundance of them, The riuer 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 riuer, was in all our sights taken and deuoured with one of those lagartos. In the meane while our companies in the gally 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 vs vp the riuer; but the next day, after we had rowed vp and downe some fourescore miles, we returned, and went on our way, vp the great riuer; and when we were euen 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 vpon the banks to make fire, espied foure canoas comming downe the riuer;Two canoas taken.and with no small ioy caused his men to trie the vttermost of their strengths, and after a while two of the foure gaue ouer, and ranne themselues ashore, euery man betaking himselfe to the fastnesse of the woods, the two other lesser got away, while he landed to lay hold on these: and so turned into some by-creeke, we knew not whither.Three Spanyards escaped.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 hauing heard of the defeat of their gouernour in Trinidad, and that we purposed to enter Guiana, came away in those canoas: one of them was a cauallero; as the captaine of the Arwacas after tolde vs, another a souldier, and the third a refiner.
END OF VOL. XIV.
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Page Change5 (Continuation of Part II.)[Added line.]14 with great sprindges[springes], which lifted vp their feete15 Great snow about the twentith[twentieth] of March.17 neere vnto the prouince of Guachoyn[Guachoya]:22 and that they would quit and and[Deleted 'and'.] free him23 of their diposition[disposition], and because they were38 aboue the Riuer in a Prouince called Taguante[Taguanate],40 The Ruier[Riuer] increaseth but once a yeere when the snowes doe40 Another day came some from Tanguanate[Taguanate],41 for pure hunger and weaknesse. The Gourernour[Gouernour]43 Guachoya had told him coucerning[concerning] himselfe,44 canoes of the Saniards[Spaniards], and ouerwhelme them;50 it, as though they had bin venomous. In the mornin-[morning]51 from North to South, aud[and] thitherto they had runne51 midday forward they saw gerat[great] Mountaines, which vntill52 tho[the] current, they went close to the shore,69 This was the valley of Coracones[Coraçones].75 had information of the woollen cloth of Tontonteac[Totonteac],75 which were furnised[furnished] from thence with things79 which stoode without the citie, and straightway[streightway]85 se partio con ocho soldados, qûe[que] de voluntad le quisieron85 pocos dias de camino toparaon[toparon] con vna Prouincia85 quedaron ellos en la dicha Prouiucia[Prouincia] con88 vna Prouiucia[Prouincia] grande, y de muchos pueblos con90 cueros de venados tan bien aderçados[adereçados] como los91 Andauan vestitos[vestidos] de algodon,91 y que la rongan[pongan] por obra.91 as[las] tierras de Cibola, donde ay muchas vacas, de92 que bastan a partir pòr[por] medio vn hombre,93 a su Megestad[Magestad], como testigos de vista:95 con neue[nueve] companneros que97 y que en las riberas del de vna y orta[otra] banda ay99 que tantas almas rededimas con su saugre[sangre] no se104 for the space of twelue dayes traul[trauel],106 as well dresssd[dressed] as those of108 together with the three Indian boyes, and the mestico[mestiço].112 demomonstration[demonstration] of ioy and gladnes114 they got glistering[glistening] and good metal115 concering[concerning] the speedy building of two strong Forts115 to Francis Hernandes of Siuil, concering[concerning] the117 last past I departed from the prouinice[prouince]118 the place which the father prouininciall[prouinciall] tolde vs119 whereby certaine Indians were releiued[relieued] and some121 doubt that some mishappe is is[del is] fallen vnto125 good houses of three or foure ou[or] fiue lofts high,125 prouinces whereof the Father prouncial[prouincial] made report128 they are ruminated[ruinated] by warre128 neuer, thelesse[neverthelesse] I must say the trueth132 which was with him of of[del 2nd of] the prouince135 with some dozen Indians of Meehuacan[Mechuacan],137 The horses fleddde[fledde] from them,145 and al other necesssary[necessary] apparel149 and euery peso is 4.s[.] 8.d. of our money150 perceiued to be preiudicall[preiudiciall] to the Romish doctrine152 sweeter the the[Deleted 2nd 'the'.] countrey154 Wine and olye[oyle] there is none growing154 as some say it is, but a berrie that growteh[groweth]155 the Contractation[Contratation] house, and there receiued my156 which he esteemed aboue any treasure for for[Deleted 'for'.]159 that euer was built iu[in] the Indies,160 out of a ship called the Iesus of Lubec[Lubeck]162 the ships, both from Peru, Hunduras[Honduras], Porto rico,163 a bishop and about forty Spanyardsr[Spanyards.] Among163 hundred Spanyards. In this couutrey[countrey]165 a great wood about two leagus[leagues]166 the Casique brough[brought] it from Shallapa167 from the sea side to the mines of Secatecas[Sacatecas],171 into into[Deleted 'into'.] the countrey.173 The Indiaus[Indians] know a way to drowne174 they haue vsed much lobour[labour] and diligence175 This captine[captaine] lacking things necessary175 had a great checke of the goueruour[gouernour]177 which was fiue yerees[yeeres],177 The people of the countrey are of good statute[stature],179 and bring their masster[master] so much metall178 Sidenote The Indians ignroance[ignorance] from whence they180 then to fine their oare wite[with] lead.180 little set by in these pars[parts],182 and much Cinamom[Cinamon],188 to graunt[grant] him succour and ayde against those188 and held on the former entended[intended] voyage:194 the first Northwinde that blewe, we had had[Deleted 'had'.] our204 he had bene besore[before] shot with an arrow into the throat207 who threatend[threatned] to hang vs for breaking209 proclamation made vpon paine of loosing[losing] of goods211 scaffold or place of iudgmeut[iudgment] vpon the morrow211 maket[market] place in Mexico right ouer against213 caried to be shewed as a spectacle for all the peoble[people]214 and they hate and obhorre[abhorre] the Spaniards215 demaunded[demanded] why I did not marrie221 I bought me an horse of one of the the[Deleted 'the'.] Indians,226 foule weather did sepatate[separate] them, to meete at the231 cansed[caused] them to be beheaded,234 mongst[amongst] the enemies, then to sterue[serue] on ship240 the Admirall,[.] When it was day244 The Port and small harbour of Techuanapa[Tecuanapa] hath245 The place is very hoat[hot],250 wherwith [wherewith] he made three long and famous252 [Sidenote: A for[fort] built in Brasil by the English.]265 the laying out of one thoussand[thousand].267 Salomon spending her mast at the Range of Darmouth[Dartmouth],269 where we might in best safety set our gallly[gally]-frigat272 the gouerner[governor] of the towne sent272 but God sent vs now for a generall scourage[scourge] to them all285 certified Manuel Mascarenhas of these informtions[informations]286 Sidenote All the Canbals[Canibals] of Petiguar288 Maiestie so iustly as he will do who wil[will]288 but he shall shall[Deleted 'shall'.] lose all the countrey.306 disouery[discouery] of the Malucos by the North.317 OF THE GULFE OF CALIFONIA[CALIFORNIA], AND OF THE SEA COAST317 THE OCEAN SEA FROM CHINA AND IAPAN TO THE NOTHWEST[NORTHWEST]325 an Island in the sea, within a crossse[crosse]-bow shoote326 The hauhn[hauen] of S. Andrew329 shore, for she[he] also had seene them,330 ranne through that greene couutrey[countrey]331 and on Tewesday[Tewsday] at breake of day331 great hauen, euuironed[enuironed] with diuers small hilles346 they detemined[determined] to retire to their boats348 very faire and shinining[shining] sea-oyster of pearles350 meane while our Chicimeco[Chichimeco] interpreter358 when we came from Nuena[Nueua] Espanna:365 passed beweene[betweene] the Indians and those of the Trinity367 Indians,*[Deleted '*', no footnote.] where we had slaine the369 with greene shrubs very plesant[pleasant] to behold372 We began therfore[therefore] to set forward,376 We sailed on Munday and Tewsday til noon[noone]386 hauens along by those coastes to the hauen of Acupulco[Acapulco].395 being not well acqainted[acquainted] with that404 and thefore[therefore] I sent him backe very well contented411 Certaine newes of the Spanyaads[Spanyards] at411 hose[those] people as I had done vnto413 met them on the way, whem[when] they went to see414 and that I should not there, fore[therefore] depart thence414 without al[a] doubt would come to annoy them,415 and how it might be that in those sixeteeene[sixteene] dayes426 which ly[lye] towardes the sea:427 with her hignes[highnesse] picture and armes429 of gall continue in eternall distast ;[distaste;]431 mountanous[mountainous], so full of woodes, riuers, and marishes439 made them merrie, in which mood they vaunted o[of] Guiana442 it could not be obtened[obteined] in other sort then[than] this:443 and as many or moe[more] great Cities445 Thuet[Theuet] describeth, is but a branch of Amazones446 And hereof it came that Martines[Martinez] entred so448 built his brigandines vpon a riuer colled[called] Oia449 landed at Cumaná[Cumana] in the West Indies,458 and toke[tooke] diuers prisoners, among others they tooke461 of a riuer called Capuri, whose entrace[entrance] I had469 canaos[canoas] one of them was a cauallero; as469 night, when the Trinite[Trinitie] againe
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