the discovery of guiana-第15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！


battle　on　that　side　of　the　mountains；　whom　he　most　entirely　loved）
that　he　remembered　in　his　father's　lifetime；　when　he　was　very　old　and
himself　a　young　man；　that　there　came　down　into　that　large　valley　of
Guiana　a　nation　from　so　far　off　as　the　sun　slept　（for　such　were　his
own　words）；　with　so　great　a　multitude　as　they　could　not　be　numbered
nor　resisted；　and　that　they　wore　large　coats；　and　hats　of　crimson
colour；　which　colour　he　expressed　by　shewing　a　piece　of　red　wood
wherewith　my　tent　was　supported；　and　that　they　were　called　Orejones
and　Epuremei；　that　those　had　slain　and　rooted　out　so　many　of　the
ancient　people　as　there　were　leaves　in　the　wood　upon　all　the　trees；
and　had　now　made　themselves　lords　of　all；　even　to　that　mountain　foot
called　Curaa；　saving　only　of　two　nations；　the　one　called　Iwarawaqueri
and　the　other　Cassipagotos；　and　that　in　the　last　battle　fought　between
the　Epuremei　and　the　Iwarawaqueri　his　eldest　son　was　chosen　to　carry
to　the　aid　of　the　Iwarawaqueri　a　great　troop　of　the　Orenoqueponi；　and
was　there　slain　with　all　his　people　and　friends；　and　that　he　had　now
remaining　but　one　son；　and　farther　told　me　that　those　Epuremei　had
built　a　great　town　called　Macureguarai　at　the　said　mountain　foot；　at
the　beginning　of　the　great　plains　of　Guiana；　which　have　no　end；　and
that　their　houses　have　many　rooms；　one　over　the　other；　and　that
therein　the　great　king　of　the　Orejones　and　Epuremei　kept　three
thousand　men　to　defend　the　borders　against　them；　and　withal　daily　to
invade　and　slay　them；　but　that　of　late　years；　since　the　Christians
offered　to　invade　his　territories　and　those　frontiers；　they　were　all
at　peace；　and　traded　one　with　another；　saving　only　the　Iwarawaqueri
and　those　other　nations　upon　the　head　of　the　river　of　Caroli　called
Cassipagotos；　which　we　afterwards　discovered；　each　one　holding　the
Spaniard　for　a　common　enemy。

After　he　had　answered　thus　far；　he　desired　leave　to　depart；　saying
that　he　had　far　to　go；　that　he　was　old　and　weak；　and　was　every　day
called　for　by　death；　which　was　also　his　own　phrase。　I　desired　him　to
rest　with　us　that　night；　but　I　could　not　entreat　him；　but　he　told　me
that　at　my　return　from　the　country　above　he　would　again　come　to　us；
and　in　the　meantime　provide　for　us　the　best　he　could；　of　all　that　his
country　yielded。　The　same　night　he　returned　to　Orocotona；　his　own
town；　so　as　he　went　that　day　eight…and…twenty　miles；　the　weather　being
very　hot；　the　country　being　situate　between　four　and　five　degrees　of
the　equinoctial。　This　Topiawari　is　held　for　the　proudest　and　wisest　of
all　the　Orenoqueponi；　and　so　he　behaved　himself　towards　me　in　all　his
answers；　at　my　return；　as　I　marvelled　to　find　a　man　of　that　gravity
and　judgment　and　of　so　good　discourse；　that　had　no　help　of　learning
nor　breed。　The　next　morning　we　also　left　the　port；　and　sailed　westward
up　to　the　river；　to　view　the　famous　river　called　Caroli；　as　well
because　it　was　marvellous　of　itself；　as　also　for　that　I　understood　it
led　to　the　strongest　nations　of　all　the　frontiers；　that　were　enemies
to　the　Epuremei；　which　are　subjects　to　Inga；　emperor　of　Guiana　and
Manoa。　And　that　night　we　anchored　at　another　island　called　Caiama；　of
some　five　or　six　miles　in　length；　and　the　next　day　arrived　at　the
mouth　of　Caroli。　When　we　were　short　of　it　as　low　or　further　down　as
the　port　of　Morequito；　we　heard　the　great　roar　and　fall　of　the　river。
But　when　we　came　to　enter　with　our　barge　and　wherries；　thinking　to
have　gone　up　some　forty　miles　to　the　nations　of　the　Cassipagotos；　we
were　not　able　with　a　barge　of　eight　oars　to　row　one　stone's　cast　in　an
hour；　and　yet　the　river　is　as　broad　as　the　Thames　at　Woolwich；　and　we
tried　both　sides；　and　the　middle；　and　every　part　of　the　river。　So　as
we　encamped　upon　the　banks　adjoining；　and　sent　off　our　Orenoquepone
which　came　with　us　from　Morequito　to　give　knowledge　to　the　nations
upon　the　river　of　our　being　there；　and　that　we　desired　to　see　the
lords　of　Canuria；　which　dwelt　within　the　province　upon　that　river；
making　them　know　that　we　were　enemies　to　the　Spaniards；　for　it　was　on
this　river　side　that　Morequito　slew　the　friar；　and　those　nine
Spaniards　which　came　from　Manoa；　the　city　of　Inga；　and　took　from　them
14；000　pesos　of　gold。　So　as　the　next　day　there　came　down　a　lord　or
cacique；　called　Wanuretona；　with　many　people　with　him；　and　brought　all
store　of　provisions　to　entertain　us；　as　the　rest　had　done。　And　as　I
had　before　made　my　coming　known　to　Topiawari；　so　did　I　acquaint　this
cacique　therewith；　and　how　I　was　sent　by　her　Majesty　for　the　purpose
aforesaid；　and　gathered　also　what　I　could　of　him　touching　the　estate
of　Guiana。　And　I　found　that　those　also　of　Caroli　were　not　only　enemies
to　the　Spaniards；　but　most　of　all　to　the　Epuremei；　which　abound　in
gold。　And　by　this　Wanuretona　I　had　knowledge　that　on　the　head　of　this
river　were　three　mighty　nations；　which　were　seated　on　a　great　lake；
from　whence　this　river　descended；　and　were　called　Cassipagotos；
Eparegotos；　and　Arawagotos　（the　Purigotos　and　Arinagotos　are　still
settled　on　the　upper　tributaries　of　the　Caroni　river；　no　such　lake　as
that　mentioned　is　known　to　exist）；　and　that　all　those　either　against
the　Spaniards　or　the　Epuremei　would　join　with　us；　and　that　if　we
entered　the　land　over　the　mountains　of　Curaa　we　should　satisfy
ourselves　with　gold　and　all　other　good　things。　He　told　us　farther　of　a
nation　called　Iwarawaqueri；　before　spoken　of；　that　held　daily　war　with
the　Epuremei　that　inhabited　Macureguarai；　and　first　civil　town　of
Guiana；　of　the　subjects　of　Inga；　the　emperor。

Upon　this　river　one　Captain　George；　that　I　took　with　Berreo；　told　me
that　there　was　a　great　silver　mine；　and　that　it　was　near　the　banks　of
the　said　river。　But　by　this　time　as　well　Orenoque；　Caroli；　as　all　the
rest　of　the　rivers　were　risen　four　or　five　feet　in　height；　so　as　it
was　not　possible　by　the　strength　of　any　men；　or　with　any　boat
whatsoever；　to　row　into　the　river　against　the　stream。　I　therefore　sent
Captain　Thyn；　Captain　Greenvile；　my　nephew　John　Gilbert；　my　cousin
Butshead　Gorges；　Captain　Clarke；　and　some　thirty　shot　more　to　coast
the　river　by　land；　and　to　go　to　a　town　some　twenty　miles　over　the
valley　called　Amnatapoi；　and　they　found　guides　there　to　go　farther
towards　the　mountain　foot　to　another　great　town　called　Capurepana；
belonging　to　a　cacique　called　Haharacoa；　that　was　a　nephew　to　old
Topiawari；　king　of　Aromaia；　our　chiefest　friend；　because　this　town　and
province　of　Capurepana　adjoined　to　Macureguarai；　which　was　a　frontier
town　of　the　empire。　And　the　meanwhile　myself　with　Captain　Gifford；
Captain　Caulfield；　Edward　Hancock；　and　some　half…a…dozen　shot　marched
overland　to　view　the　strange　overfalls　of　the　river　of　Caroli；　which
roared　so　far　off；　and　also　to　see　the　plains　adjoining；　and　the　rest
of　the　province　of　Canuri。　I　sent　also　Captain　Whiddon；　William
Connock；　and　some　eight　shot　with　them；　to　see　if　they　could　find　any
mineral　stone　alongst　the　river's　side。　When　we　were　come　to　the　tops
of　the　first　hills　of　the　plains　adjoining　to　the　river；　we　beheld
that　wonderful　breach　of　waters　which　ran　down　Caroli；　and　might　from
that　mountain　see　the　river　how　it　ran　in　three　parts；　above　twenty
miles　off；　and　there　appeared　some　ten　or　twelve　overfalls　in　sight；
every　one　as　high　over　the　other　as　a　church　tower；　which　fell　with
that　fury；　that　the　rebound　of　water　made　it　seem　as　if　it　had　been
all　covered　over　with　a　great　shower　of　rain；　and　in　some　places　we
took　it　at　the　first　for　a　smoke　that　had　risen　over　some　great　town。
For　mine　own　part　I　was　well　persuaded　from　thence　to　have　returned；
being　a　very　ill　footman；　but　the　rest　were　all　so　desirous　to　go　near
the　said　strange　thunder　of　waters；　as　they　drew　me　on　by　little　and
little；　till　we　came　into　the　next　valley；　where　we　might　better
discern　the　same。　I　never　saw　a　more　beautiful　country；　nor　more
lively　prospects；　hills　so　raised　here　and　there　over　the　valleys；　the
river　winding　into　divers　branches；　the　plains　adjoining　without　bush
or　stubble；　all　fair　green　grass；　the　ground　of　hard　sand；　easy　to
march　on；　either　for　horse　or　foot；　the　deer　crossing　in　every　path；
the　birds　towards　the　evening　singing　on　every　tree　with　a　thousand
several　tunes；　cranes　and　herons　of　white；　crimson；　and　carnation；
perching　in　the　river's　side；　the　air　fresh　with　a　gentle　easterly
wind；　and　every　stone　that　we　stooped　to　take　up　promised　either　gold
or　silver　by　his　complexion。　Your　Lordship　shall　see　of　many　sorts；
and　I　hope　some　of　them　cannot　be　bettered　under　the　sun；　and　yet　we
had　no　means　but　with　our　daggers　and　fingers　to　tear　them　out　here
and　there；　the　rocks　being　most　hard　of　that　mineral　spar　aforesaid；
which　is　like　a　flint；　and　is　altogether　as　hard　or　harder；　and
besides　the　veins　lie　a　fathom　or　two　deep　in　the　rocks。　But　we　wanted
all　things　requisite　save　only　our　desires　and　good　will　to　have
performed　more　if　it　had　pleased　God。　To　be　short；　when　both　our
companies　returned；　each　of　them　brought　also　several　sorts　of　stones
that　appeared　very　fair；　but　were　such　as　they　found　loose　on　the
ground；　and　were　for　the　most　part　but　coloured；　and　had　not　any　gold
fixed　in　them。　Yet　such　as　had　no　judgm