the discovery of guiana-第14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！


on　the　same　side　we　anchored　for　that　night　by　another　island；　six
miles　long　and　two　miles　broad；　which　they　call　Ocaywita。　From　hence；
in　the　morning；　we　landed　two　Guianians；　which　we　found　in　the　town　of
Toparimaca；　that　came　with　us；　who　went　to　give　notice　of　our　coming
to　the　lord　of　that　country；　called　Putyma；　a　follower　of　Topiawari；
chief　lord　of　Aromaia；　who　succeeded　Morequito；　whom　（as　you　have
heard　before）　Berreo　put　to　death。　But　his　town　being　far　within　the
land；　he　came　not　unto　us　that　day；　so　as　we　anchored　again　that　night
near　the　banks　of　another　land；　of　bigness　much　like　the　other；　which
they　call　Putapayma；　over　against　which　island；　on　the　main　land；　was
a　very　high　mountain　called　Oecope。　We　coveted　to　anchor　rather　by
these　islands　in　the　river　than　by　the　main；　because　of　the　tortugas'
eggs；　which　our　people　found　on　them　in　great　abundance；　and　also
because　the　ground　served　better　for　us　to　cast　our　nets　for　fish；　the
main　banks　being　for　the　most　part　stony　and　high　and　the　rocks　of　a
blue；　metalline　colour；　like　unto　the　best　steel　ore；　which　I
assuredly　take　it　to　be。　Of　the　same　blue　stone　are　also　divers　great
mountains　which　border　this　river　in　many　places。

The　next　morning；　towards　nine　of　the　clock；　we　weighed　anchor；　and
the　breeze　increasing；　we　sailed　always　west　up　the　river；　and；　after
a　while；　opening　the　land　on　the　right　side；　the　country　appeared　to
be　champaign　and　the　banks　shewed　very　perfect　red。　I　therefore　sent
two　of　the　little　barges　with　Captain　Gifford；　and　with　him　Captain
Thyn；　Captain　Caulfield；　my　cousin　Greenvile；　my　nephew　John　Gilbert；
Captain　Eynos；　Master　Edward　Porter；　and　my　cousin　Butshead　Gorges；
with　some　few　soldiers；　to　march　over　the　banks　of　that　red　land　and
to　discover　what　manner　of　country　it　was　on　the　other　side；　who　at
their　return　found　it　all　a　plain　level　as　far　as　they　went　or　could
discern　from　the　highest　tree　they　could　get　upon。　And　my　old　pilot；　a
man　of　great　travel；　brother　to　the　cacique　Toparimaca；　told　me　that
those　were　called　the　plains　of　the　Sayma；　and　that　the　same　level
reached　to　Cumana　and　Caracas；　in　the　West　Indies；　which　are　a　hundred
and　twenty　leagues　to　the　north；　and　that　there　inhabited　four
principal　nations。　The　first　were　the　Sayma；　the　next　Assawai；　the
third　and　greatest　the　Wikiri；　by　whom　Pedro　Hernandez　de　Serpa；
before　mentioned；　was　overthrown　as　he　passed　with　300　horse　from
Cumana　towards　Orenoque　in　his　enterprise　of　Guiana。　The　fourth　are
called　Aroras；　and　are　as　black　as　negroes；　but　have　smooth　hair；　and
these　are　very　valiant；　or　rather　desperate；　people；　and　have　the　most
strong　poison　on　their　arrows；　and　most　dangerous；　of　all　nations；　of
which　I　will　speak　somewhat；　being　a　digression　not　unnecessary。

There　was　nothing　whereof　I　was　more　curious　than　to　find　out　the　true
remedies　of　these　poisoned　arrows。　For　besides　the　mortality　of　the
wound　they　make；　the　party　shot　endureth　the　most　insufferable　torment
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　ve