the discovery of guiana-第14章

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care　not　how　far。〃　After　that　Captain　Gifford　had　brought　the　two
canoas　to　the　galley；　I　took　my　barge　and　went　to　the　bank's　side　with
a　dozen　shot；　where　the　canoas　first　ran　themselves　ashore；　and　landed
there；　sending　out　Captain　Gifford　and　Captain　Thyn　on　one　hand　and
Captain　Caulfield　on　the　other；　to　follow　those　that　were　fled　into
the　woods。　And　as　I　was　creeping　through　the　bushes；　I　saw　an　Indian
basket　hidden；　which　was　the　refiner's　basket；　for　I　found　in　it　his
quicksilver；　saltpetre；　and　divers　things　for　the　trial　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　soldier　soever　could　take
one　of　those　three　Spaniards　that　we　thought　were　landed。　But　our
labours　were　in　vain　in　that　behalf；　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　Spaniards　we　found　the　Arwacas
hidden　in　the　woods；　which　were　pilots　for　the　Spaniards；　and　rowed
their　canoas。　Of　which　I　kept　the　chiefest　for　a　pilot；　and　carried
him　with　me　to　Guiana；　by　whom　I　understood　where　and　in　what
countries　the　Spaniards　had　laboured　for　gold；　though　I　made　not　the
same　known　to　all。　For　when　the　springs　began　to　break；　and　the　rivers
to　raise　themselves　so　suddenly　as　by　no　means　we　could　abide　the
digging　of　any　mine；　especially　for　that　the　richest　are　defended　with
rocks　of　hard　stones；　which　we　call　the　white　spar；　and　that　it
required　both　time；　men；　and　instruments　fit　for　such　a　work；　I
thought　it　best　not　to　hover　thereabouts；　lest　if　the　same　had　been
perceived　by　the　company；　there　would　have　been　by　this　time　many
barks　and　ships　set　out；　and　perchance　other　nations　would　also　have
gotten　of　ours　for　pilots。　So　as　both　ourselves　might　have　been
prevented；　and　all　our　care　taken　for　good　usage　of　the　people　been
utterly　lost；　by　those　that　only　respect　present　profit；　and　such
violence　or　insolence　offered　as　the　nations　which　are　borderers　would
have　changed　the　desire　of　our　love　and　defence　into　hatred　and
violence。　And　for　any　longer　stay　to　have　brought　a　more　quantity；
which　I　hear　hath　been　often　objected；　whosoever　had　seen　or　proved
the　fury　of　that　river　after　it　began　to　arise；　and　had　been　a　month
and　odd　days；　as　we　were；　from　hearing　aught　from　our　ships；　leaving
them　meanly　manned　400　miles　off；　would　perchance　have　turned　somewhat
sooner　than　we　did；　if　all　the　mountains　had　been　gold；　or　rich
stones。　And　to　say　the　truth；　all　the　branches　and　small　rivers　which
fell　into　Orenoque　were　raised　with　such　speed；　as　if　we　waded　them
over　the　shoes　in　the　morning　outward；　we　were　covered　to　the
shoulders　homeward　the　very　same　day；　and　to　stay　to　dig　our　gold　with
our　nails；　had　been　opus　laboris　but　not　ingenii。　Such　a　quantity　as
would　have　served　our　turns　we　could　not　have　had；　but　a　discovery　of
the　mines　to　our　infinite　disadvantage　we　had　made；　and　that　could
have　been　the　best　profit　of　farther　search　or　stay；　for　those　mines
are　not　easily　broken；　nor　opened　in　haste；　and　I　could　have　returned
a　good　quantity　of　gold　ready　cast　if　I　had　not　shot　at　another　mark
than　present　profit。

This　Arwacan　pilot；　with　the　rest；　feared　that　we　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　itself；　might　come　to　speech　with　us；　persuaded
all　the　nations　that　we　were　men…eaters　and　cannibals。　But　when　the
poor　men　and　women　had　seen　us；　and　that　we　gave　them　meat；　and　to
every　one　something　or　other　which　was　rare　and　strange　to　them；　they
began　to　conceive　the　deceit　and　purpose　of　the　Spaniards；　who　indeed；
as　they　confessed　took　from　them　both　their　wives　and　daughters　daily
。　。　。　But　I　protest　before　the　Majesty　of　the　living　God；　that　I
neither　know　nor　believe；　that　any　of　our　company；　one　or　other；　did
offer　insult　to　any　of　their　women；　and　yet　we　saw　many　hundreds；　and
had　many　in　our　power；　and　of　those　very　young　and　excellently
favoured；　which　came　among　us　without　deceit；　stark　naked。　Nothing　got
us　more　love　amongst　them　than　this　usage；　for　I　suffered　not　any　man
to　take　from　any　of　the　nations　so　much　as　a　pina　（pineapple）　or　a
potato　root　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；　drew
them　to　admire　her　Majesty；　whose　commandment　I　told　them　it　was；　and
also　wonderfully　to　honour　our　nation。　But　I　confess　it　was　a　very
impatient　work　to　keep　the　meaner　sort　from　spoil　and　stealing　when　we
came　to　their　houses；　which　because　in　all　I　could　not　prevent；　I
caused　my　Indian　interpreter　at　every　place　when　we　departed；　to　know
of　the　loss　or　wrong　done；　and　if　aught　were　stolen　or　taken　by
violence；　either　the　same　was　restored；　and　the　party　punished　in
their　sight；　or　else　was　paid　for　to　their　uttermost　demand。　They　also
much　wondered　at　us；　after　they　heard　that　we　had　slain　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　Majesty's　army　and
fleet　had　given　them　of　late　years　in　their　own　countries。

After　we　had　taken　in　this　supply　of　bread；　with　divers　baskets　of
roots；　which　were　excellent　meat；　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　captain；　who　by　the　Spaniards　was　christened
Martin；　I　sent　back　in　the　same　canoa　the　old　Ciawani；　and　Ferdinando；
my　first　pilot；　and　gave　them　both　such　things　as　they　desired；　with
sufficient　victual　to　carry　them　back；　and　by　them　wrote　a　letter　to
the　ships；　which　they　promised　to　deliver；　and　performed　it；　and　then
I　went　on；　with　my　new　hired　pilot；　Martin　the　Arwacan。　But　the　next
or　second　day　after；　we　came　aground　again　with　our　galley；　and　were
like　to　cast　her　away；　with　all　our　victual　and　provision；　and　so　lay
on　the　sand　one　whole　night；　and　were　far　more　in　despair　at　this　time
to　free　her　than　before；　because　we　had　no　tide　of　flood　to　help　us；
and　therefore　feared　that　all　our　hopes　would　have　ended　in　mishaps。
But　we　fastened　an　anchor　upon　the　land；　and　with　main　strength　drew
her　off；　and　so　the　fifteenth　day　we　discovered　afar　off　the　mountains
of　Guiana；　to　our　great　joy；　and　towards　the　evening　had　a　slent
（push）　of　a　northerly　wind　that　blew　very　strong；　which　brought　us　in
sight　of　the　great　river　Orenoque；　out　of　which　this　river　descended
wherein　we　were。　We　descried　afar　off　three　other　canoas　as　far　as　we
could　discern　them；　after　whom　we　hastened　with　our　barge　and
wherries；　but　two　of　them　passed　out　of　sight；　and　the　third　entered
up　the　great　river；　on　the　right　hand　to　the　westward；　and　there
stayed　out　of　sight；　thinking　that　we　meant　to　take　the　way　eastward
towards　the　province　of　Carapana；　for　that　way　the　Spaniards　keep；　not
daring　to　go　upwards　to　Guiana；　the　people　in　those　parts　being　all
their　enemies；　and　those　in　the　canoas　thought　us　to　have　been　those
Spaniards　that　were　fled　from　Trinidad；　and　escaped　killing。　And　when
we　came　so　far　down　as　the　opening　of　that　branch　into　which　they
slipped；　being　near　them　with　our　barge　and　wherries；　we　made　after
them；　and　ere　they　could　land　came　within　call；　and　by　our　interpreter
told　them　what　we　were；　wherewith　they　came　back　willingly　aboard　us；
and　of　such　fish　and　tortugas'　（turtles）　eggs　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　anchor　at　the　parting　of　the　three　goodly　rivers　（the
one　was　the　river　of　Amana；　by　which　we　came　from　the　north；　and　ran
athwart　towards　the　south；　the　other　two　were　of　Orenoque；　which
crossed　from　the　west　and　ran　to　the　sea　towards　the　east）　and　landed
upon　a　fair　sand；　where　we　f