the discovery of guiana-第16章

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in　the　world；　and　abideth　a　most　ugly　and　lamentable　death；　sometimes
dying　stark　mad；　sometimes　their　bowels　breaking　out　of　their　bellies；
which　are　presently　discoloured　as　black　as　pitch；　and　so　unsavory　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　attain　to　the　true　knowledge　of　the　cure；　although
they　have　martyred　and　put　to　invented　torture　I　know　not　how　many　of
them。　But　everyone　of　these　Indians　know　it　not；　no；　not　one　among
thousands；　but　their　soothsayers　and　priests；　who　do　conceal　it；　and
only　teach　it　but　from　the　father　to　the　son。

Those　medicines　which　are　vulgar；　and　serve　for　the　ordinary　poison；
are　made　of　the　juice　of　a　root　called　tupara；　the　same　also　quencheth
marvellously　the　heat　of　burning　fevers；　and　healeth　inward　wounds　and
broken　veins　that　bleed　within　the　body。　But　I　was　more　beholding　to
the　Guianians　than　any　other；　for　Antonio　de　Berreo　told　me　that　he
could　never　attain　to　the　knowledge　thereof；　and　yet　they　taught　me
the　best　way　of　healing　as　well　thereof　as　of　all　other　poisons。　Some
of　the　Spaniards　have　been　cured　in　ordinary　wounds　of　the　common
poisoned　arrows　with　the　juice　of　garlic。　But　this　is　a　general　rule
for　all　men　that　shall　hereafter　travel　the　Indies　where　poisoned
arrows　are　used；　that　they　must　abstain　from　drink。　For　if　they　take
any　liquor　into　their　body；　as　they　shall　be　marvellously　provoked
thereunto　by　drought；　I　say；　if　they　drink　before　the　wound　be
dressed；　or　soon　upon　it；　there　is　no　way　with　them　but　present　death。

And　so　I　will　return　again　to　our　journey；　which　for　this　third　day　we
finished；　and　cast　anchor　again　near　the　continent　on　the　left　hand
between　two　mountains；　the　one　called　Aroami　and　the　other　Aio。　I　made
no　stay　here　but　till　midnight；　for　I　feared　hourly　lest　any　rain
should　fall；　and　then　it　had　been　impossible　to　have　gone　any　further
up；　notwithstanding　that　there　is　every　day　a　very　strong　breeze　and
easterly　wind。　I　deferred　the　search　of　the　country　on　Guiana　side
till　my　return　down　the　river。

The　next　day　we　sailed　by　a　great　island　in　the　middle　of　the　river；
called　Manoripano；　and；　as　we　walked　awhile　on　the　island；　while　the
galley　got　ahead　of　us；　there　came　for　us　from　the　main　a　small　canoa
with　seven　or　eight　Guianians；　to　invite　us　to　anchor　at　their　port；
but　I　deferred　till　my　return。　It　was　that　cacique　to　whom　those
Nepoios　went；　which　came　with　us　from　the　town　of　Toparimaca。　And　so
the　fifth　day　we　reached　as　high　up　as　the　province　of　Aromaia；　the
country　of　Morequito；　whom　Berreo　executed；　and　anchored　to　the　west
of　an　island　called　Murrecotima；　ten　miles　long　and　five　broad。　And
that　night　the　cacique　Aramiary；　to　whose　town　we　made　our　long　and
hungry　voyage　out　of　the　river　of　Amana；　passed　by　us。

The　next　day　we　arrived　at　the　port　of　Morequito；　and　anchored　there；
sending　away　one　of　our　pilots　to　seek　the　king　of　Aromaia；　uncle　to
Morequito；　slain　by　Berreo　as　aforesaid。　The　next　day　following；
before　noon；　he　came　to　us　on　foot　from　his　house；　which　was　fourteen
English　miles；　himself　being　a　hundred　and　ten　years　old；　and　returned
on　foot　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
down　victual；　which　they　did　in　great　plenty；　as　venison；　pork；　hens；
chickens；　fowl；　fish；　with　divers　sorts　of　excellent　fruits　and　roots；
and　great　abundance　of　pinas；　the　princess　of　fruits　that　grow　under
the　sun；　especially　those　of　Guiana。　They　brought　us；　also；　store　of
bread　and　of　their　wine；　and　a　sort　of　paraquitos　no　bigger　than
wrens；　and　of　all　other　sorts　both　small　and　great。　One　of　them　gave
me　a　beast　called　by　the　Spaniards　armadillo；　which　they　call
cassacam；　which　seemeth　to　be　all　barred　over　with　small　plates
somewhat　like　to　a　rhinoceros；　with　a　white　horn　growing　in　his　hinder
parts　as　big　as　a　great　hunting…horn；　which　they　use　to　wind　instead
of　a　trumpet。　Monardus　（Monardes；　Historia　Medicinal）　writeth　that　a
little　of　the　powder　of　that　horn　put　into　the　ear　cureth　deafness。

After　this　old　king　had　rested　awhile　in　a　little　tent　that　I　caused
to　be　set　up；　I　began　by　my　interpreter　to　discourse　with　him　of　the
death　of　Morequito　his　predecessor；　and　afterward　of　the　Spaniards；
and　ere　I　went　any　farther　I　made　him　know　the　cause　of　my　coming
thither；　whose　servant　I　was；　and　that　the　Queen's　pleasure　was　I
should　undertake　the　voyage　for　their　defence；　and　to　deliver　them
from　the　tyranny　of　the　Spaniards；　dilating　at　large；　as　I　had　done
before　to　those　of　Trinidad；　her　Majesty's　greatness；　her　justice；　her
charity　to　all　oppressed　nations；　with　as　many　of　the　rest　of　her
beauties　and　virtues　as　either　I　could　express　or　they　conceive。　All
which　being　with　great　admiration　attentively　heard　and　marvellously
admired；　I　began　to　sound　the　old　man　as　touching　Guiana　and　the　state
thereof；　what　sort　of　commonwealth　it　was；　how　governed；　of　what
strength　and　policy；　how　far　it　extended；　and　what　nations　were
friends　or　enemies　adjoining；　and　finally　of　the　distance；　and　way　to
enter　the　same。　He　told　me　that　himself　and　his　people；　with　all　those
down　the　river　towards　the　sea；　as　far　as　Emeria；　the　province　of
Carapana；　were　of　Guiana；　but　that　they　called　themselves
Orenoqueponi；　and　that　all　the　nations　between　the　river　and　those
mountains　in　sight；　called　Wacarima；　were　of　the　same　cast　and
appellation；　and　that　on　the　other　side　of　those　mountains　of　Wacarima
there　was　a　large　plain　（which　after　I　discovered　in　my　return）　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　further　side　of
those　mountains；　beyond　the　valley　of　Amariocapana。　He　answered　with　a
great　sigh　（as　a　man　which　had　inward　feeling　of　the　loss　of　his
country　and　liberty；　especially　for　that　his　eldest　son　was　slain　in　a
battle　on　that　side　of　the　mountains；　whom　he　most　entirely　loved）
that　he　remembered　in　his　father's　lifetime；　when　he　was　very　old　and
himself　a　young　man；　that　there　came　down　into　that　large　valley　of
Guiana　a　nation　from　so　far　off　as　the　sun　slept　（for　such　were　his
own　words）；　with　so　great　a　multitude　as　they　could　not　be　numbered
nor　resisted；　and　that　they　wore　large　coats；　and　hats　of　crimson
colour；　which　colour　he　expressed　by　shewing　a　piece　of　red　wood
wherewith　my　tent　was　supported；　and　that　they　were　called　Orejones
and　Epuremei；　that　those　had　slain　and　rooted　out　so　many　of　the
ancient　people　as　there　were　leaves　in　the　wood　upon　all　the　trees；
and　had　now　made　themselves　lords　of　all；　even　to　that　mountain　foot
called　Curaa；　saving　only　of　two　nations；　the　one　called　Iwarawaqueri
and　the　other　Cassipagotos；　and　that　in　the　last　battle　fought　between
the　Epuremei　and　the　Iwarawaqueri　his　eldest　son　was　chosen　to　carry
to　the　aid　of　the　Iwarawaqueri　a　great　troop　of　the　Orenoqueponi；　and
was　there　slain　with　all　his　people　and　friends；　and　that　he　had　now
remaining　but　one　son；　and　farther　told　me　that　those　Epuremei　had
built　a　great　town　called　Macureguarai　at　the　said　mountain　foot；　at
the　beginning　of　the　great　plains　of　Guiana；　which　have　no　end；　and
that　their　houses　have　many　rooms；　one　over　the　other；　and　that
therein　the　great　king　of　the　Orejones　and　Epuremei　kept　three
thousand　men　to　defend　the　borders　against　them；　and　withal　daily　to
invade　and　slay　them；　but　that　of　late　years；　since　the　Christians
offered　to　invade　his　territories　and　those　frontiers；　they　were　all
at　peace；　and　traded　one　with　another；　saving　only　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　enemy。

After　he　had　answered　thus　far；　he　desired　leave　to　depart；　saying
that　he　had　far　to　go；　that　he　was　old　and　weak；　and　was　every　day
called　for　by　death；　which　was　also　his　own　phrase。　I　desired　him　to
rest　with　us　that　night；　but　I　could　not　entreat　him；