the discovery of guiana-第8章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


garnished　with　gold；　and　divers　rarities；　which　he　carried　to　the
Spanish　king。

After　Hernandez　de　Serpa；　it　was　undertaken　by　the　Adelantado；　Don
Gonzalez　Ximenes　de　Quesada；　who　was　one　of　the　chiefest　in　the
conquest　of　Nuevo　Reyno；　whose　daughter　and　heir　Don　Antonio　de　Berreo
married。　Gonzalez　sought　the　passage　also　by　the　river　called
Papamene；　which　riseth　by　Quito；　in　Peru；　and　runneth　south…east　100
leagues；　and　then　falleth　into　Amazons。　But　he　also；　failing　the
entrance；　returned　with　the　loss　of　much　labour　and　cost。　I　took　one
Captain　George；　a　Spaniard；　that　followed　Gonzalez　in　this　enterprise。
Gonzalez　gave　his　daughter　to　Berreo；　taking　his　oath　and　honour　to
follow　the　enterprise　to　the　last　of　his　substance　and　life。　Who
since；　as　he　hath　sworn　to　me；　hath　spent　300；000　ducats　in　the　same；
and　yet　never　could　enter　so　far　into　the　land　as　myself　with　that
poor　troop；　or　rather　a　handful　of　men；　being　in　all　about　100
gentlemen；　soldiers；　rowers；　boat…keepers；　boys；　and　of　all　sorts；
neither　could　any　of　the　forepassed　undertakers；　nor　Berreo　himself；
discover　the　country；　till　now　lately　by　conference　with　an　ancient
king；　called　Carapana　（Caribana；　Carib　land；　was　an　old　European　name
for　the　Atlantic　coast　near　the　mouth　of　the　Orinoco；　and　hence　was
applied　to　one　of　its　chiefs。　Berrio　called　this　district　〃Emeria〃）；
he　got　the　true　light　thereof。　For　Berreo　came　about　1；500　miles　ere
he　understood　aught；　or　could　find　any　passage　or　entrance　into　any
part　thereof；　yet　he　had　experience　of　all　these　fore…named；　and
divers　others；　and　was　persuaded　of　their　errors　and　mistakings。
Berreo　sought　it　by　the　river　Cassanar；　which　falleth　into　a　great
river　called　Pato：　Pato　falleth　into　Meta；　and　Meta　into　Baraquan；
which　is　also　called　Orenoque。　He　took　his　journey　from　Nuevo　Reyno　de
Granada；　where　he　dwelt；　having　the　inheritance　of　Gonzalez　Ximenes　in
those　parts；　he　was　followed　with　700　horse；　he　drove　with　him　1；000
head　of　cattle；　he　had　also　many　women；　Indians；　and　slaves。　How　all
these　rivers　cross　and　encounter；　how　the　country　lieth　and　is
bordered；　the　passage　of　Ximenes　and　Berreo；　mine　own　discovery；　and
the　way　that　I　entered；　with　all　the　rest　of　the　nations　and　rivers；
your　lordship　shall　receive　in　a　large　chart　or　map；　which　I　have　not
yet　finished；　and　which　I　shall　most　humbly　pray　your　lordship　to
secrete；　and　not　to　suffer　it　to　pass　your　own　hands；　for　by　a　draught
thereof　all　may　be　prevented　by　other　nations；　for　I　know　it　is　this
very　year　sought　by　the　French；　although　by　the　way　that　they　now
take；　I　fear　it　not　much。　It　was　also　told　me　ere　I　departed　England；
that　Villiers；　the　Admiral；　was　in　preparation　for　the　planting　of
Amazons；　to　which　river　the　French　have　made　divers　voyages；　and
returned　much　gold　and　other　rarities。　I　spake　with　a　captain　of　a
French　ship　that　came　from　thence；　his　ship　riding　in　Falmouth　the
same　year　that　my　ships　came　first　from　Virginia；　there　was　another
this　year　in　Helford；　that　also　came　from　thence；　and　had　been
fourteen　months　at　an　anchor　in　Amazons；　which　were　both　very　rich。

Although；　as　I　am　persuaded；　Guiana　cannot　be　entered　that　way；　yet　no
doubt　the　trade　of　gold　from　thence　passeth　by　branches　of　rivers　into
the　river　of　Amazons；　and　so　it　doth　on　every　hand　far　from　the
country　itself；　for　those　Indians　of　Trinidad　have　plates　of　gold　from
Guiana；　and　those　cannibals　of　Dominica　which　dwell　in　the　islands　by
which　our　ships　pass　yearly　to　the　West　Indies；　also　the　Indians　of
Paria；　those　Indians　called　Tucaris；　Chochi；　Apotomios；　Cumanagotos；
and　all　those　other　nations　inhabiting　near　about　the　mountains　that
run　from　Paria　through　the　province　of　Venezuela；　and　in　Maracapana；
and　the　cannibals　of　Guanipa；　the　Indians　called　Assawai；　Coaca；　Ajai；
and　the　rest　（all　which　shall　be　described　in　my　description　as　they
are　situate）　have　plates　of　gold　of　Guiana。　And　upon　the　river　of
Amazons；　Thevet　writeth　that　the　people　wear　croissants　of　gold；　for
of　that　form　the　Guianians　most　commonly　make　them；　so　as　from
Dominica　to　Amazons；　which　is　above　250　leagues；　all　the　chief　Indians
in　all　parts　wear　of　those　plates　of　Guiana。　Undoubtedly　those　that
trade　Amazons　return　much　gold；　which　（as　is　aforesaid）　cometh　by
trade　from　Guiana；　by　some　branch　of　a　river　that　falleth　from　the
country　into　Amazons；　and　either　it　is　by　the　river　which　passeth　by
the　nations　called　Tisnados；　or　by　Caripuna。

I　made　enquiry　amongst　the　most　ancient　and　best　travelled　of　the
Orenoqueponi；　and　I　had　knowledge　of　all　the　rivers　between　Orenoque
and　Amazons；　and　was　very　desirous　to　understand　the　truth　of　those
warlike　women；　because　of　some　it　is　believed；　of　others　not。　And
though　I　digress　from　my　purpose；　yet　I　will　set　down　that　which　hath
been　delivered　me　for　truth　of　those　women；　and　I　spake　with　a
cacique；　or　lord　of　people；　that　told　me　he　had　been　in　the　river；　and
beyond　it　also。　The　nations　of　these　women　are　on　the　south　side　of
the　river　in　the　provinces　of　Topago；　and　their　chiefest　strengths　and
retracts　are　in　the　islands　situate　on　the　south　side　of　the　entrance；
some　60　leagues　within　the　mouth　of　the　said　river。　The　memories　of
the　like　women　are　very　ancient　as　well　in　Africa　as　in　Asia。　In
Africa　those　that　had　Medusa　for　queen；　others　in　Scythia；　near　the
rivers　of　Tanais　and　Thermodon。　We　find；　also；　that　Lampedo　and
Marthesia　were　queens　of　the　Amazons。　In　many　histories　they　are
verified　to　have　been；　and　in　divers　ages　and　provinces；　but　they
which　are　not　far　from　Guiana　do　accompany　with　men　but　once　in　a
year；　and　for　the　time　of　one　month；　which　I　gather　by　their　relation；
to　be　in　April；　and　that　time　all　kings　of　the　borders　assemble；　and
queens　of　the　Amazons；　and　after　the　queens　have　chosen；　the　rest　cast
lots　for　their　valentines。　This　one　month　they　feast；　dance；　and　drink
of　their　wines　in　abundance；　and　the　moon　being　done　they　all　depart
to　their　own　provinces。　They　are　said　to　be　very　cruel　and
bloodthirsty；　especially　to　such　as　offer　to　invade　their　territories。
These　Amazons　have　likewise　great　store　of　these　plates　of　gold；　which
they　recover　by　exchange　chiefly　for　a　kind　of　green　stones；　which　the
Spaniards　call　piedras　hijadas；　and　we　use　for　spleen…stones　（stones
reduced　to　powder　and　taken　internally　to　cure　maladies　of　the
spleen）；　and　for　the　disease　of　the　stone　we　also　esteem　them。　Of
these　I　saw　divers　in　Guiana；　and　commonly　every　king　or　cacique　hath
one；　which　their　wives　for　the　most　part　wear；　and　they　esteem　them　as
great　jewels。

But　to　return　to　the　enterprise　of　Berreo；　who；　as　I　have　said；
departed　from　Nuevo　Reyno　with　700　horse；　besides　the　provisions　above
rehearsed。　He　descended　by　the　river　called　Cassanar；　which　riseth　in
Nuevo　Reyno　out　of　the　mountains　by　the　city　of　Tunja；　from　which
mountain　also　springeth　Pato；　both　which　fall　into　the　great　river　of
Meta；　and　Meta　riseth　from　a　mountain　joining　to　Pamplona；　in　the　same
Nuevo　Reyno　de　Granada。　These；　as　also　Guaiare；　which　issueth　out　of
the　mountains　by　Timana；　fall　all　into　Baraquan；　and　are　but　of　his
heads；　for　at　their　coming　together　they　lose　their　names；　and
Baraquan　farther　down　is　also　rebaptized　by　the　name　of　Orenoque。　On
the　other　side　of　the　city　and　hills　of　Timana　riseth　Rio　Grande；
which　falleth　into　the　sea　by　Santa　Marta。　By　Cassanar　first；　and　so
into　Meta；　Berreo　passed；　keeping　his　horsemen　on　the　banks；　where　the
country　served　them　for　to　march；　and　where　otherwise；　he　was　driven
to　embark　them　in　boats　which　he　builded　for　the　purpose；　and　so　came
with　the　current　down　the　river　of　Meta；　and　so　into　Baraquan。　After
he　entered　that　great　and　mighty　river；　he　began　daily　to　lose　of　his
companies　both　men　and　horse；　for　it　is　in　many　places　violently
swift；　and　hath　forcible　eddies；　many　sands；　and　divers　islands　sharp
pointed　with　rocks。　But　after　one　whole　year；　journeying　for　the　most
part　by　river；　and　the　rest　by　land；　he　grew　daily　to　fewer　numbers；
from　both　by　sickness；　and　by　encountering　with　the　people　of　those
regions　through　which　he　travelled；　his　companies　were　much　wasted；