the discovery of guiana-第13章

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the　description　in　the　chart　of　discovery；　where　every　one　shall　be
named　with　his　rising　and　descent。　When　three　days　more　were　overgone；
our　companies　began　to　despair；　the　weather　being　extreme　hot；　the
river　bordered　with　very　high　trees　that　kept　away　the　air；　and　the
current　against　us　every　day　stronger　than　other。　But　we　evermore
commanded　our　pilots　to　promise　an　end　the　next　day；　and　used　it　so
long　as　we　were　driven　to　assure　them　from　four　reaches　of　the　river
to　three；　and　so　to　two；　and　so　to　the　next　reach。　But　so　long　we
laboured　that　many　days　were　spent；　and　we　driven　to　draw　ourselves　to
harder　allowance；　our　bread　even　at　the　last；　and　no　drink　at　all；　and
our　men　and　ourselves　so　wearied　and　scorched；　and　doubtful　withal
whether　we　should　ever　perform　it　or　no；　the　heat　increasing　as　we
drew　towards　the　line；　for　we　were　now　in　five　degrees。

The　further　we　went　on；　our　victual　decreasing　and　the　air　breeding
great　faintness；　we　grew　weaker　and　weaker；　when　we　had　most　need　of
strength　and　ability。　For　hourly　the　river　ran　more　violently　than
other　against　us；　and　the　barge；　wherries；　and　ship's　boat　of　Captain
Gifford　and　Captain　Caulfield　had　spent　all　their　provisions；　so　as　we
were　brought　into　despair　and　discomfort；　had　we　not　persuaded　all　the
company　that　it　was　but　only　one　day's　work　more　to　attain　the　land
where　we　should　be　relieved　of　all　we　wanted；　and　if　we　returned；　that
we　were　sure　to　starve　by　the　way；　and　that　the　world　would　also　laugh
us　to　scorn。　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　ten　volumes　of　Herbals；　we　relieved　ourselves　many　times　with　the
fruits　of　the　country；　and　sometimes　with　fowl　and　fish。　We　saw　birds
of　all　colours；　some　carnation；　some　crimson；　orange…tawny；　purple；
watchet　（pale　blue）；　and　of　all　other　sorts；　both　simple　and　mixed；
and　it　was　unto　us　a　great　good…passing　of　the　time　to　behold　them；
besides　the　relief　we　found　by　killing　some　store　of　them　with　our
fowling…pieces；　without　which；　having　little　or　no　bread；　and　less
drink；　but　only　the　thick　and　troubled　water　of　the　river；　we　had　been
in　a　very　hard　case。

Our　old　pilot　of　the　Ciawani；　whom；　as　I　said　before；　we　took　to
redeem　Ferdinando；　told　us；　that　if　we　would　enter　a　branch　of　a　river
on　the　right　hand　with　our　barge　and　wherries；　and　leave　the　galley　at
anchor　the　while　in　the　great　river；　he　would　bring　us　to　a　town　of
the　Arwacas；　where　we　should　find　store　of　bread；　hens；　fish；　and　of
the　country　wine；　and　persuaded　us；　that　departing　from　the　galley　at
noon　we　might　return　ere　night。　I　was　very　glad　to　hear　this　speech；
and　presently　took　my　barge；　with　eight　musketeers；　Captain　Gifford's
wherry；　with　himself　and　four　musketeers；　and　Captain　Caulfield　with
his　wherry；　and　as　many；　and　so　we　entered　the　mouth　of　this　river；
and　because　we　were　persuaded　that　it　was　so　near；　we　took　no　victual
with　us　at　all。　When　we　had　rowed　three　hours；　we　marvelled　we　saw　no
sign　of　any　dwelling；　and　asked　the　pilot　where　the　town　was；　he　told
us；　a　little　further。　After　three　hours　more；　the　sun　being　almost
set；　we　began　to　suspect　that　he　led　us　that　way　to　betray　us；　for　he
confessed　that　those　Spaniards　which　fled　from　Trinidad；　and　also
those　that　remained　with　Carapana　in　Emeria；　were　joined　together　in
some　village　upon　that　river。　But　when　it　grew　towards　night；　and　we
demanded　where　the　place　was；　he　told　us　but　four　reaches　more。　When
we　had　rowed　four　and　four；　we　saw　no　sign；　and　our　poor　watermen；
even　heart…broken　and　tired；　were　ready　to　give　up　the　ghost；　for　we
had　now　come　from　the　galley　near　forty　miles。

At　the　last　we　determined　to　hang　the　pilot；　and　if　we　had　well　known
the　way　back　again　by　night；　he　had　surely　gone。　But　our　own
necessities　pleaded　sufficiently　for　his　safety；　for　it　was　as　dark　as
pitch；　and　the　river　began　so　to　narrow　itself；　and　the　trees　to　hang
over　from　side　to　side；　as　we　were　driven　with　arming　swords　to　cut　a
passage　through　those　branches　that　covered　the　water。　We　were　very
desirous　to　find　this　town　hoping　of　a　feast；　because　we　made　but　a
short　breakfast　aboard　the　galley　in　the　morning；　and　it　was　now　eight
o'clock　at　night；　and　our　stomachs　began　to　gnaw　apace；　but　whether　it
was　best　to　return　or　go　on；　we　began　to　doubt；　suspecting　treason　in
the　pilot　more　and　more；　but　the　poor　old　Indian　ever　assured　us　that
it　was　but　a　little　further；　but　this　one　turning　and　that　turning；
and　at　the　last　about　one　o'clock　after　midnight　we　saw　a　light；　and
rowing　towards　it　we　heard　the　dogs　of　the　village。　When　we　landed　we
found　few　people；　for　the　lord　of　that　place　was　gone　with　divers
canoas　above　400　miles　off；　upon　a　journey　towards　the　head　of
Orenoque；　to　trade　for　gold；　and　to　buy　women　of　the　Cannibals；　who
afterwards　unfortunately　passed　by　us　as　we　rode　at　an　anchor　in　the
port　of　Morequito　in　the　dark　of　the　night；　and　yet　came　so　near　us　as
his　canoas　grated　against　our　barges；　he　left　one　of　his　company　at
the　port　of　Morequito；　by　whom　we　understood　that　he　had　brought
thirty　young　women；　divers　plates　of　gold；　and　had　great　store　of　fine
pieces　of　cotton　cloth；　and　cotton　beds。　In　his　house　we　had　good
store　of　bread；　fish；　hens；　and　Indian　drink；　and　so　rested　that
night；　and　in　the　morning；　after　we　had　traded　with　such　of　his　people
as　came　down；　we　returned　towards　our　galley；　and　brought　with　us　some
quantity　of　bread；　fish；　and　hens。

On　both　sides　of　this　river　we　passed　the　most　beautiful　country　that
ever　mine　eyes　beheld；　and　whereas　all　that　we　had　seen　before　was
nothing　but　woods；　prickles；　bushes；　and　thorns；　here　we　beheld　plains
of　twenty　miles　in　length；　the　grass　short　and　green；　and　in　divers
parts　groves　of　trees　by　themselves；　as　if　they　had　been　by　all　the
art　and　labour　in　the　world　so　made　of　purpose；　and　still　as　we　rowed；
the　deer　came　down　feeding　by　the　water's　side　as　if　they　had　been
used　to　a　keeper's　call。　Upon　this　river　there　were　great　store　of
fowl；　and　of　many　sorts；　we　saw　in　it　divers　sorts　of　strange　fishes；
and　of　marvellous　bigness；　but　for　lagartos　（alligators　and　caymans）
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　young　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　meanwhile
our　companies　in　the　galley　thought　we　had　been　all　lost；　for　we
promised　to　return　before　night；　and　sent　the　Lion's　Whelp's　ship's
boat　with　Captain　Whiddon　to　follow　us　up　the　river。　But　the　next　day；
after　we　had　rowed　up　and　down　some　fourscore　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；　Captain　Gifford　being　before　the　galley　and
the　rest　of　the　boats；　seeking　out　some　place　to　land　upon　the　banks
to　make　fire；　espied　four　canoas　coming　down　the　river；　and　with　no
small　joy　caused　his　men　to　try　the　uttermost　of　their　strengths；　and
after　a　while　two　of　the　four　gave　over　and　ran　themselves　ashore；
every　man　betaking　himself　to　the　fastness　of　the　woods。　The　two　other
lesser　got　away；　while　he　landed　to　lay　hold　on　these；　and　so　turned
into　some　by…creek；　we　knew　not　whither。　Those　canoas　that　were　taken
were　loaded　with　bread；　and　were　bound　for　Margarita　in　the　West
Indies；　which　those　Indians；　called　Arwacas；　proposed　to　carry　thither
for　exchange；　but　in　the　lesser　there　were　three　Spaniards；　who　having
heard　of　the　defeat　of　their　Governor　in　Trinidad；　and　that　we
purposed　to　enter　Guiana；　came　away　in　those　canoas；　one　of　them　was　a
cavallero；　as　the　captain　of　the　Arwacas　after　told　us；　another　a
soldier　and　the　third　a　refiner。

In　the　meantime；　nothing　on　the　earth　could　have　been　more　welcome　to
us；　next　unto　gold；　than　the　great　store　of　very　excellent　bread　which
we　found　in　these　canoas；　for　now　our　men　cried；　〃Let　us　go　on；　we
care　not　how　far。〃　After　that　Captain　Gifford　had　brought