the discovery of guiana-第9章

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regions　through　which　he　travelled；　his　companies　were　much　wasted；
especially　by　divers　encounters　with　the　Amapaians　（Amapaia　was
Berrio's　name　for　the　Orinoco　valley　above　the　Caura　river）。　And　in
all　this　time　he　never　could　learn　of　any　passage　into　Guiana；　nor　any
news　or　fame　thereof；　until　he　came　to　a　further　border　of　the　said
Amapaia；　eight　days'　journey　from　the　river　Caroli　（the　Caroni　river；
the　first　great　affluent　of　the　Orinoco　on　the　south；　about　180　miles
from　the　sea）；　which　was　the　furthest　river　that　he　entered。　Among
those　of　Amapaia；　Guiana　was　famous；　but　few　of　these　people　accosted
Berreo；　or　would　trade　with　him　the　first　three　months　of　the　six
which　he　sojourned　there。　This　Amapaia　is　also　marvellous　rich　in
gold；　as　both　Berreo　confessed　and　those　of　Guiana　with　whom　I　had
most　conference；　and　is　situate　upon　Orenoque　also。　In　this　country
Berreo　lost　sixty　of　his　best　soldiers；　and　most　of　all　his　horse　that
remained　in　his　former　year's　travel。　But　in　the　end；　after　divers
encounters　with　those　nations；　they　grew　to　peace；　and　they　presented
Berreo　with　ten　images　of　fine　gold　among　divers　other　plates　and
croissants；　which；　as　he　sware　to　me；　and　divers　other　gentlemen；　were
so　curiously　wrought；　as　he　had　not　seen　the　like　either　in　Italy；
Spain；　or　the　Low　Countries；　and　he　was　resolved　that　when　they　came
to　the　hands　of　the　Spanish　king；　to　whom　he　had　sent　them　by　his
camp…master；　they　would　appear　very　admirable；　especially　being
wrought　by　such　a　nation　as　had　no　iron　instruments　at　all；　nor　any　of
those　helps　which　our　goldsmiths　have　to　work　withal。　The　particular
name　of　the　people　in　Amapaia　which　gave　him　these　pieces；　are　called
Anebas；　and　the　river　of　Orenoque　at　that　place　is　about　twelve
English　miles　broad；　which　may　be　from　his　outfall　into　the　sea　700　or
800　miles。

This　province　of　Amapaia　is　a　very　low　and　a　marish　ground　near　the
river；　and　by　reason　of　the　red　water　which　issueth　out　in　small
branches　through　the　fenny　and　boggy　ground；　there　breed　divers
poisonful　worms　and　serpents。　And　the　Spaniards　not　suspecting；　nor　in
any　sort　foreknowing　the　danger；　were　infected　with　a　grievous　kind　of
flux　by　drinking　thereof；　and　even　the　very　horses　poisoned　therewith；
insomuch　as　at　the　end　of　the　six　months　that　they　abode　there；　of　all
their　troops　there　were　not　left　above　120　soldiers；　and　neither　horse
nor　cattle。　For　Berreo　hoped　to　have　found　Guiana　be　1；000　miles
nearer　than　it　fell　out　to　be　in　the　end；　by　means　whereof　they
sustained　much　want；　and　much　hunger；　oppressed　with　grievous
diseases；　and　all　the　miseries　that　could　be　imagined。　I　demanded　of
those　in　Guiana　that　had　travelled　Amapaia；　how　they　lived　with　that
tawny　or　red　water　when　they　travelled　thither；　and　they　told　me　that
after　the　sun　was　near　the　middle　of　the　sky；　they　used　to　fill　their
pots　and　pitchers　with　that　water；　but　either　before　that　time　or
towards　the　setting　of　the　sun　it　was　dangerous　to　drink　of；　and　in
the　night　strong　poison。　I　learned　also　of　divers　other　rivers　of　that
nature　among　them；　which　were　also；　while　the　sun　was　in　the　meridian；
very　safe　to　drink；　and　in　the　morning；　evening；　and　night；　wonderful
dangerous　and　infective。　From　this　province　Berreo　hasted　away　as　soon
as　the　spring　and　beginning　of　summer　appeared；　and　sought　his
entrance　on　the　borders　of　Orenoque　on　the　south　side；　but　there　ran　a
ledge　of　so　high　and　impassable　mountains；　as　he　was　not　able　by　any
means　to　march　over　them；　continuing　from　the　east　sea　into　which
Orenoque　falleth；　even　to　Quito　in　Peru。　Neither　had　he　means　to　carry
victual　or　munition　over　those　craggy；　high；　and　fast　hills；　being　all
woody；　and　those　so　thick　and　spiny；　and　so　full　or　prickles；　thorns；
and　briars；　as　it　is　impossible　to　creep　through　them。　He　had　also
neither　friendship　among　the　people；　nor　any　interpreter　to　persuade
or　treat　with　them；　and　more；　to　his　disadvantage；　the　caciques　and
kings　of　Amapaia　had　given　knowledge　of　his　purpose　to　the　Guianians；
and　that　he　sought　to　sack　and　conquer　the　empire；　for　the　hope　of
their　so　great　abundance　and　quantities　of　gold。　He　passed　by　the
mouths　of　many　great　rivers　which　fell　into　Orenoque　both　from　the
north　and　south；　which　I　forbear　to　name；　for　tediousness；　and　because
they　are　more　pleasing　in　describing　than　reading。

Berreo　affirmed　that　there　fell　an　hundred　rivers　into　Orenoque　from
the　north　and　south：　whereof　the　least　was　as　big　as　Rio　Grande　（the
Magdalena）；　that　passed　between　Popayan　and　Nuevo　Reyno　de　Granada；
Rio　Grande　being　esteemed　one　of　the　renowned　rivers　in　all　the　West
Indies；　and　numbered　among　the　great　rivers　of　the　world。　But　he　knew
not　the　names　of　any　of　these；　but　Caroli　only；　neither　from　what
nations　they　descended；　neither　to　what　provinces　they　led；　for　he　had
no　means　to　discourse　with　the　inhabitants　at　any　time；　neither　was　he
curious　in　these　things；　being　utterly　unlearned；　and　not　knowing　the
east　from　the　west。　But　of　all　these　I　got　some　knowledge；　and　of　many
more；　partly　by　mine　own　travel；　and　the　rest　by　conference；　of　some
one　I　learned　one；　of　others　the　rest；　having　with　me　an　Indian　that
spake　many　languages；　and　that　of　Guiana　（the　Carib）　naturally。　I
sought　out　all　the　aged　men；　and　such　as　were　greatest　travellers。　And
by　the　one　and　the　other　I　came　to　understand　the　situations；　the
rivers；　the　kingdoms　from　the　east　sea　to　the　borders　of　Peru；　and
from　Orenoque　southward　as　far　as　Amazons　or　Maranon；　and　the　regions
of　Marinatambal　（north　coasts　of　Brazil）；　and　of　all　the　kings　of
provinces；　and　captains　of　towns　and　villages；　how　they　stood　in　terms
of　peace　or　war；　and　which　were　friends　or　enemies　the　one　with　the
other；　without　which　there　can　be　neither　entrance　nor　conquest　in
those　parts；　nor　elsewhere。　For　by　the　dissension　between　Guascar　and
Atabalipa；　Pizarro　conquered　Peru；　and　by　the　hatred　that　the
Tlaxcallians　bare　to　Mutezuma；　Cortes　was　victorious　over　Mexico；
without　which　both　the　one　and　the　other　had　failed　of　their
enterprise；　and　of　the　great　honour　and　riches　which　they　attained
unto。

Now　Berreo　began　to　grow　into　despair；　and　looked　for　no　other　success
than　his　predecessor　in　this　enterprise；　until　such　time　as　he　arrived
at　the　province　of　Emeria　towards　the　east　sea　and　mouth　of　the　river；
where　he　found　a　nation　of　people　very　favourable；　and　the　country
full　of　all　manner　of　victual。　The　king　of　this　land　is　called
Carapana；　a　man　very　wise；　subtle；　and　of　great　experience；　being
little　less　than　an　hundred　years　old。　In　his　youth　he　was　sent　by　his
father　into　the　island　of　Trinidad；　by　reason　of　civil　war　among
themselves；　and　was　bred　at　a　village　in　that　island；　called　Parico。
At　that　place　in　his　youth　he　had　seen　many　Christians；　both　French
and　Spanish；　and　went　divers　times　with　the　Indians　of　Trinidad　to
Margarita　and　Cumana；　in　the　West　Indies；　for　both　those　places　have
ever　been　relieved　with　victual　from　Trinidad：　by　reason　whereof　he
grew　of　more　understanding；　and　noted　the　difference　of　the　nations；
comparing　the　strength　and　arms　of　his　country　with　those　of　the
Christians；　and　ever　after　temporised　so　as　whosoever　else　did　amiss；
or　was　wasted　by　contention；　Carapana　kept　himself　and　his　country　in
quiet　and　plenty。　He　also　held　peace　with　the　Caribs　or　cannibals；　his
neighbours；　and　had　free　trade　with　all　nations；　whosoever　else　had
war。

Berreo　sojourned　and　rested　his　weak　troop　in　the　town　of　Carapana　six
weeks；　and　from　him　learned　the　way　and　passage　to　Guiana；　and　the
riches　and　magnificence　thereof。　But　being　then　utterly　unable　to
proceed；　he　determined　to　try　his　fortune　another　year；　when　he　had
renewed　his　provisions；　and　regathered　more　force；　which　he　hoped　for
as　well　out　of　Spain　as　from　Nuevo　Reyno；　where　he　had　left　his　son
Don　Antonio　Ximenes　to　second　him　upon　the　first　notice　given　of　his
entrance；　and　so　for　the　present　embarked　himself　in　canoas；　and　by
the　branches　of　Orenoque　arrived　at　Trinidad；　having　from　Carapana
sufficient　pilots　to　conduct　him。　From　Trinidad　he　coasted　Paria；　and
so　recovered　Margarita；　and　havin