the discovery of guiana-第10节

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！


and　sadness；　and　used　all　the　arguments　he　could　to　dissuade　me；　and
also　assured　the　gentlemen　of　my　company　that　it　would　be　labour　lost；
and　that　they　should　suffer　many　miseries　if　they　proceeded。　And　first
he　delivered　that　I　could　not　enter　any　of　the　rivers　with　any　bark　or
pinnace；　or　hardly　with　any　ship's　boat；　it　was　so　low；　sandy；　and
full　of　flats；　and　that　his　companies　were　daily　grounded　in　their
canoes；　which　drew　but　twelve　inches　water。　He　further　said　that　none
of　the　country　would　come　to　speak　with　us；　but　would　all　fly；　and　if
we　followed　them　to　their　dwellings；　they　would　burn　their　own　towns。
And　besides　that；　the　way　was　long；　the　winter　at　hand；　and　that　the
rivers　beginning　once　to　swell；　it　was　impossible　to　stem　the　current；
and　that　we　could　not　in　those　small　boats　by　any　means　carry　victuals
for　half　the　time；　and　that　（which　indeed　most　discouraged　my　company）
the　kings　and　lords　of　all　the　borders　of　Guiana　had　decreed　that　none
of　them　should　trade　with　any　Christians　for　gold；　because　the　same
would　be　their　own　overthrow；　and　that　for　the　love　of　gold　the
Christians　meant　to　conquer　and　dispossess　them　of　all　together。

Many　and　the　most　of　these　I　found　to　be　true；　but　yet　I　resolving　to
make　trial　of　whatsoever　happened；　directed　Captain　George　Gifford；　my
Vice…Admiral；　to　take　the　Lion's　Whelp；　and　Captain　Caulfield　his
bark；　to　turn　to　the　eastward；　against　the　mouth　of　a　river　called
Capuri；　whose　entrance　I　had　before　sent　Captain　Whiddon　and　John
Douglas　the　master　to　discover。　Who　found　some　nine　foot　water　or
better　upon　the　flood；　and　five　at　low　water：　to　whom　I　had　given
instructions　that　they　should　anchor　at　the　edge　of　the　shoal；　and
upon　the　best　of　the　flood　to　thrust　over；　which　shoal　John　Douglas
buoyed　and　beckoned　（beaconed）　for　them　before。　But　they　laboured　in
vain；　for　neither　could　they　turn　it　up　altogether　so　far　to　the　east；
neither　did　the　flood　continue　so　long；　but　the　water　fell　ere　they
could　have　passed　the　sands。　As　we　after　found　by　a　second　experience：
so　as　now　we　must　either　give　over　our　enterprise；　or　leaving　our
ships　at　adventure　400　mile　behind　us；　must　run　up　in　our　ship's
boats；　one　barge；　and　two　wherries。　But　being　doubtful　how　to　carry
victuals　for　so　long　a　time　in　such　baubles；　or　any　strength　of　men；
especially　for　that　Berreo　assured　us　that　his　son　must　be　by　that
time　come　down　with　many　soldiers；　I　sent　away　one　King；　master　of　the
Lion's　Whelp；　with　his　ship…boat；　to　try　another　branch　of　the　river
in　the　bottom　of　the　Bay　of　Guanipa；　which　was　called　Amana；　to　prove
if　there　were　water　to　be　found　for　either　of　the　small　ships　to
enter。　But　when　he　came　to　the　mouth　of　Amana；　he　found　it　as　the
rest；　but　stayed　not　to　discover　it　thoroughly；　because　he　was　assured
by　an　Indian；　his　guide；　that　the　cannibals　of　Guanipa　would　assail
them　with　many　canoas；　and　that　they　shot　poisoned　arrows；　so　as　if　he
hasted　not　back；　they　should　all　be　lost。

In　the　meantime；　fearing　the　worst；　I　caused　all　the　carpenters　we　had
to　cut　down　a　galego　boat；　which　we　meant　to　cast　off；　and　to　fit　her
with　banks　to　row　on；　and　in　all　things　to　prepare　her　the　best　they
could；　so　as　she　might　be　brought　to　draw　but　five　foot：　for　so　much
we　had　on　the　bar　of　Capuri　at　low　water。　And　doubting　of　King's
return；　I　sent　John　Douglas　again　in　my　long　barge；　as　well　to　relieve
him；　as　also　to　make　a　perfect　search　in　the　bottom　of　the　bay；　for　it
hath　been　held　for　infallible；　that　whatsoever　ship　or　boat　shall　fall
therein　can　never　disemboque　again；　by　reason　of　the　violent　current
which　setteth　into　the　said　bay；　as　also　for　that　the　breeze　and
easterly　wind　bloweth　directly　into　the　same。　Of　which　opinion　I　have
heard　John　Hampton　（Captain　of　the　Minion　in　the　third　voyage　of
Hawkins）；　of　Plymouth；　one　of　the　greatest　experience　of　England；　and
divers　other　besides　that　have　traded　to　Trinidad。

I　sent　with　John　Douglas　an　old　cacique　of　Trinidad　for　a　pilot；　who
told　us　that　we　could　not　return　again　by　the　bay　or　gulf；　but　that　he
knew　a　by…branch　which　ran　within　the　land　to　the　eastward；　and　he
thought　by　it　we　might　fall　into　Capuri；　and　so　return　in　four　days。
John　Douglas　searched　those　rivers；　and　found　four　goodly　entrances；
whereof　the　least　was　as　big　as　the　Thames　at　Woolwich；　but　in　the　bay
thitherward　it　was　shoal　and　but　six　foot　water；　so　as　we　were　now
without　hope　of　any　ship　or　bark　to　pass　over；　and　therefore　resolved
to　go　on　with　the　boats；　and　the　bottom　of　the　galego；　in　which　we
thrust　60　men。　In　the　Lion's　Whelp's　boat　and　wherry　we　carried
twenty；　Captain　Caulfield　in　his　wherry　carried　ten　more；　and　in　my
barge　other　ten；　which　made　up　a　hundred；　we　had　no　other　means　but　to
carry　victual　for　a　month　in　the　same；　and　also　to　lodge　therein　as　we
could；　and　to　boil　and　dress　our　meat。　Captain　Gifford　had　with　him
Master　Edward　Porter；　Captain　Eynos；　and　eight　more　in　his　wherry；
with　all　their　victual；　weapons；　and　provisions。　Captain　Caulfield　had
with　him　my　cousin　Butshead　Gorges；　and　eight　more。　In　the　galley；　of
gentlemen　and　officers　myself　had　Captain　Thyn；　my　cousin　John
Greenvile；　my　nephew　John　Gilbert；　Captain　Whiddon；　Captain　Keymis；
Edward　Hancock；　Captain　Clarke；　Lieutenant　Hughes；　Thomas　Upton；
Captain　Facy；　Jerome　Ferrar；　Anthony　Wells；　William　Connock；　and　above
fifty　more。　We　could　not　learn　of　Berreo　any　other　way　to　enter　but　in
branches　so　far　to　windward　as　it　was　impossible　for　us　to　recover；
for　we　had　as　much　sea　to　cross　over　in　our　wherries；　as　between　Dover
and　Calice；　and　in　a　great　bollow；　the　wind　and　current　being　both
very　strong。　So　as　we　were　driven　to　go　in　those　small　boats　directly
before　the　wind　into　the　bottom　of　the　Bay　of　Guanipa；　and　from　thence
to　enter　the　mouth　of　some　one　of　those　rivers　which　John　Douglas　had
last　discovered；　and　had　with　us　for　pilot　an　Indian　of　Barema；　a
river　to　the　south　of　Orenoque；　between　that　and　Amazons；　whose　canoas
we　had　formerly　taken　as　he　was　going　from　the　said　Barema；　laden　with
cassavi　bread　to　sell　at　Margarita。　This　Arwacan　promised　to　bring　me
into　the　great　river　of　Orenoque；　but　indeed　of　that　which　he　entered
he　was　utterly　ignorant；　for　he　had　not　seen　it　in　twelve　years
before；　at　which　time　he　was　very　young；　and　of　no　judgment。　And　if
God　had　not　sent　us　another　help；　we　might　have　wandered　a　whole　year
in　that　labyrinth　of　rivers；　ere　we　had　found　any　way；　either　out　or
in；　especially　after　we　were　past　ebbing　and　flowing；　which　was　in
four　days。　For　I　know　all　the　earth　doth　not　yield　the　like　confluence
of　streams　and　branches；　the　one　crossing　the　other　so　many　times；　and
all　so　fair　and　large；　and　so　like　one　to　another；　as　no　man　can　tell
which　to　take：　and　if　we　went　by　the　sun　or　compass；　hoping　thereby　to
go　directly　one　way　or　other；　yet　that　way　we　were　also　carried　in　a
circle　amongst　multitudes　of　islands；　and　every　island　so　bordered
with　high　trees　as　no　man　could　see　any　further　than　the　breadth　of
the　river；　or　length　of　the　breach。　But　this　it　chanced；　that　entering
into　a　river　（which　because　it　had　no　name；　we　called　the　River　of　the
Red　Cross；　ourselves　being　the　first　Christians　that　ever　came
therein）；　the　22。　of　May；　as　we　were　rowing　up　the　same；　we　espied　a
small　canoa　with　three　Indians；　which　by　the　swiftness　of　my　barge；
rowing　with　eight　oars；　I　overtook　ere　they　could　cross　the　river。　The
rest　of　the　people　on　the　banks；　shadowed　under　the　thick　wood；　gazed
on　with　a　doubtful　conceit　what　might　befall　those　three　which　we　had
taken。　But　when　they　perceived　that　we　offered　them　no　violence；
neither　entered　their　canoa　with　any　of　ours；　nor　took　out　of　the
canoa　any　of　theirs；　they　then　began　to　show　themselves　on　the　bank's
side；　and　offered　to　traffic　with　us　for　such　things　as　they　had。　And
as　we　drew　near；　they　all　stayed；　and　we　came　with　our　barge　to　the
mouth　of　a　little　creek　which　came　from　their　town　into　the　great
river。

As　we　abode　here　awhile；　our　Indian　pilot；　called　Ferdinando；　would
needs　go　ashore　to　their　village　to　fetch　some　fruits　and　to　drink　of
their　artificial　wines；　and　also　to　see　the　place　and　know　the　lord　of
it　against　another　time；　and　took　with　him　a　brother　of　his　which　he
had　with　him　in　the　journey。　When　they　came　to　the　village　of　these
people　the　lord　of　the　island　offered　to　lay　hands　on　them；　purposing
to　have　slain　them　both；　yielding　for　reason　that　this　Indian　of　ours
had　brought　a　strange　nation　into　their　territory　to　spoil　and　destroy
them。　But　the　pilot　being　quick　and　of　a　disposed　body；　slipt　their
fingers　and　ran　into　the　woods；　and　his　brother；　being　the　better
footman　of　the　two；　recovered　the　creek's　mouth；　where　we　stayed　in
our　barge；　crying　out　that　his　brother　was　slain。　With　that　we　set
hands　on　one　of　them　that　was　next　us；　a　very　old　man；　and　brought　him
into　the　barge；　assuring　him　that　if　we　had　not　our　pilot　again　we
would　presently　cut　off　his　head。　This　old　man；　being　resolved　that　he
should　pay　the　loss　of　the　other；　cried　out　to　those　in　the　woods　to
save　Ferdinando；　our　pilot；　but　they　followed　him　notwithstanding；　and