the discovery of guiana-第23章

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and　to　see　many　nations　may　be　satisfied　within　this　river；　which
bringeth　forth　so　many　arms　and　branches　leading　to　several　countries
and　provinces；　above　2；000　miles　east　and　west　and　800　miles　south　and
north；　and　of　these　the　most　either　rich　in　gold　or　in　other
merchandises。　The　common　soldier　shall　here　fight　for　gold；　and　pay
himself；　instead　of　pence；　with　plates　of　half…a…foot　broad；　whereas
he　breaketh　his　bones　in　other　wars　for　provant　and　penury。　Those
commanders　and　chieftains　that　shoot　at　honour　and　abundance　shall
find　there　more　rich　and　beautiful　cities；　more　temples　adorned　with
golden　images；　more　sepulchres　filled　with　treasure；　than　either
Cortes　found　in　Mexico　or　Pizarro　in　Peru。　And　the　shining　glory　of
this　conquest　will　eclipse　all　those　so　far…extended　beams　of　the
Spanish　nation。　There　is　no　country　which　yieldeth　more　pleasure　to
the　inhabitants；　either　for　those　common　delights　of　hunting；　hawking；
fishing；　fowling；　and　the　rest；　than　Guiana　doth；　it　hath　so　many
plains；　clear　rivers；　and　abundance　of　pheasants；　partridges；　quails；
rails；　cranes；　herons；　and　all　other　fowl；　deer　of　all　sorts；　porks；
hares；　lions；　tigers；　leopards；　and　divers　other　sorts　of　beasts；
either　for　chase　or　food。　It　hath　a　kind　of　beast　called　cama　or　anta
（tapir）；　as　big　as　an　English　beef；　and　in　great　plenty。　To　speak　of
the　several　sorts　of　every　kind　I　fear　would　be　troublesome　to　the
reader；　and　therefore　I　will　omit　them；　and　conclude　that　both　for
health；　good　air；　pleasure；　and　riches；　I　am　resolved　it　cannot　be
equalled　by　any　region　either　in　the　east　or　west。　Moreover　the
country　is　so　healthful；　as　of　an　hundred　persons　and　more；　which　lay
without　shift　most　sluttishly；　and　were　every　day　almost　melted　with
heat　in　rowing　and　marching；　and　suddenly　wet　again　with　great
showers；　and　did　eat　of　all　sorts　of　corrupt　fruits；　and　made　meals　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　air　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
near　the　equinoctial　line。

Where　there　is　store　of　gold　it　is　in　effect　needless　to　remember
other　commodities　for　trade。　But　it　hath；　towards　the　south　part　of
the　river；　great　quantities　of　brazil…wood；　and　divers　berries　that
dye　a　most　perfect　crimson　and　carnation；　and　for　painting；　all
France；　Italy；　or　the　East　Indies　yield　none　such。　For　the　more　the
skin　is　washed；　the　fairer　the　colour　appeareth；　and　with　which　even
those　brown　and　tawny　women　spot　themselves　and　colour　their　cheeks。
All　places　yield　abundance　of　cotton；　of　silk；　of　balsamum；　and　of
those　kinds　most　excellent　and　never　known　in　Europe；　of　all　sorts　of
gums；　of　Indian　pepper；　and　what　else　the　countries　may　afford　within
the　land　we　know　not；　neither　had　we　time　to　abide　the　trial　and
search。　The　soil　besides　is　so　excellent　and　so　full　of　rivers；　as　it
will　carry　sugar；　ginger；　and　all　those　other　commodities　which　the
West　Indies　have。

The　navigation　is　short；　for　it　may　be　sailed　with　an　ordinary　wind　in
six　weeks；　and　in　the　like　time　back　again；　and　by　the　way　neither
lee…shore；　enemies'　coast；　rocks；　nor　sands。　All　which　in　the　voyages
to　the　West　Indies　and　all　other　places　we　are　subject　unto；　as　the
channel　of　Bahama；　coming　from　the　West　Indies；　cannot　well　be　passed
in　the　winter；　and　when　it　is　at　the　best；　it　is　a　perilous　and　a
fearful　place；　the　rest　of　the　Indies　for　calms　and　diseases　very
troublesome；　and　the　sea　about　the　Bermudas　a　hellish　sea　for　thunder；
lightning；　and　storms。

This　very　year　（1595）　there　were　seventeen　sail　of　Spanish　ships　lost
in　the　channel　of　Bahama；　and　the　great　Philip；　like　to　have　sunk　at
the　Bermudas；　was　put　back　to　St。　Juan　de　Puerto　Rico；　and　so　it
falleth　out　in　that　navigation　every　year　for　the　most　part。　Which　in
this　voyage　are　not　to　be　feared；　for　the　time　of　year　to　leave
England　is　best　in　July；　and　the　summer　in　Guiana　is　in　October；
November；　December；　January；　February；　and　March；　and　then　the　ships
may　depart　thence　in　April；　and　so　return　again　into　England　in　June。
So　as　they　shall　never　be　subject　to　winter　weather；　either　coming；
going；　or　staying　there：　which；　for　my　part；　I　take　to　be　one　of　the
greatest　comforts　and　encouragements　that　can　be　thought　on；　having；
as　I　have　done；　tasted　in　this　voyage　by　the　West　Indies　so　many
calms；　so　much　heat；　such　outrageous　gusts；　such　weather；　and　contrary
winds。

To　conclude；　Guiana　is　a　country　that　hath　yet　her　maidenhead；　never
sacked；　turned；　nor　wrought；　the　face　of　the　earth　hath　not　been　torn；
nor　the　virtue　and　salt　of　the　soil　spent　by　manurance。　The　graves
have　not　been　opened　for　gold；　the　mines　not　broken　with　sledges；　nor
their　images　pulled　down　out　of　their　temples。　It　hath　never　been
entered　by　any　army　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　seen；　the　flood
setteth　in　so　near　the　bank；　where　the　channel　also　lieth；　that　no
ship　can　pass　up　but　within　a　pike's　length　of　the　artillery；　first　of
the　one；　and　afterwards　of　the　other。　Which　two　forts　will　be　a
sufficient　guard　both　to　the　empire　of　Inga；　and　to　an　hundred　other
several　kingdoms；　lying　within　the　said　river；　even　to　the　city　of
Quito　in　Peru。

There　is　therefore　great　difference　between　the　easiness　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
possess　it；　it　shall　be　found　unaccessible　for　any　enemy；　except　he
come　in　wherries；　barges；　or　canoas；　or　else　in　flat…bottomed　boats；
and　if　he　do　offer　to　enter　it　in　that　manner；　the　woods　are　so　thick
200　miles　together　upon　the　rivers　of　such　entrance；　as　a　mouse　cannot
sit　in　a　boat　unhit　from　the　bank。　By　land　it　is　more　impossible　to
approach；　for　it　hath　the　strongest　situation　of　any　region　under　the
sun；　and　it　is　so　environed　with　impassable　mountains　on　every　side；
as　it　is　impossible　to　victual　any　company　in　the　passage。　Which　hath
been　well　proved　by　the　Spanish　nation；　who　since　the　conquest　of　Peru
have　never　left　five　years　free　from　attempting　this　empire；　or
discovering　some　way　into　it；　and　yet　of　three…and…twenty　several
gentlemen；　knights；　and　noblemen；　there　was　never　any　that　knew　which
way　to　lead　an　army　by　land；　or　to　conduct　ships　by　sea；　anything　near
the　said　country。　Orellana；　of　whom　the　river　of　Amazons　taketh　name；
was　the　first；　and　Don　Antonio　de　Berreo；　whom　we　displanted；　the
last：　and　I　doubt　much　whether　he　himself　or　any　of　his　yet　know　the
best　way　into　the　said　empire。　It　can　therefore　hardly　be　regained；　if
any　strength　be　formerly　set　down；　but　in　one　or　two　places；　and　but
two　or　three　crumsters　（Dutch；　Kromsteven　or　Kromster；　a　vessel　with　a
bent　prow）　or　galleys　built　and　furnished　upon　the　river　within。　The
West　Indies　have　many　ports；　watering　places；　and　landings；　and　nearer
than　300　miles　to　Guiana；　no　man　can　harbour　a　ship；　except　he　know
one　only　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　town　of　strength；
the　whole　empire　is　guarded；　and　whatsoever　companies　shall　be
afterwards　planted　within　the　land；　although　in　twenty　several
provinces；　those　shall　be　able　all　to　reunite　themselves　upon　any
occasion　either　by　the　way　of　one　river；　or　be　able　to　march　by　land
without　either　wood；　bog；　or　mountain。　Whereas　in　the　West　Indies
there　are　few　towns　or　provinces　that　can　succour　or　relieve　one　the
other　by　land　or　sea。　By　land　the　countries　are　either　desert；
mountainous；　or　strong　enemies。　By　sea；　if　any　man　invade　to　the
eastward；　those　to　the　west　cannot　in　many　months　turn　against　the
breeze　and　eastern　wind。