the discovery of guiana-第2节

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our　footmen；　especially　the　Indies　being；　as　they　are　for　the　most
part；　so　mountainous；　full　of　woods；　rivers；　and　marishes。　In　the　port
towns　of　the　province　of　Venezuela；　as　Cumana；　Coro；　and　St。　Iago
（whereof　Coro　and　St。　Iago　were　taken　by　Captain　Preston；　and　Cumana
and　St。　Josepho　by　us）　we　found　not　the　value　of　one　real　of　plate　in
either。　But　the　cities　of　Barquasimeta；　Valencia；　St。　Sebastian；
Cororo；　St。　Lucia；　Laguna；　Maracaiba；　and　Truxillo；　are　not　so　easily
invaded。　Neither　doth　the　burning　of　those　on　the　coast　impoverish　the
king　of　Spain　any　one　ducat；　and　if　we　sack　the　River　of　Hacha；　St。
Martha；　and　Carthagena；　which　are　the　ports　of　Nuevo　Reyno　and
Popayan；　there　are　besides　within　the　land；　which　are　indeed　rich　and
prosperous；　the　towns　and　cities　of　Merida；　Lagrita；　St。　Christophoro；
the　great　cities　of　Pamplona；　Santa　Fe　de　Bogota；　Tunxa；　and　Mozo；
where　the　emeralds　are　found；　the　towns　and　cities　of　Marequita；
Velez；　la　Villa　de　Leiva；　Palma；　Honda；　Angostura；　the　great　city　of
Timana；　Tocaima；　St。　Aguila；　Pasto；　＇St。＇　Iago；　the　great　city　of
Popayan　itself；　Los　Remedios；　and　the　rest。　If　we　take　the　ports　and
villages　within　the　bay　of　Uraba　in　the　kingdom　or　rivers　of　Darien
and　Caribana；　the　cities　and　towns　of　St。　Juan　de　Rodas；　of　Cassaris；
of　Antiochia；　Caramanta；　Cali；　and　Anserma　have　gold　enough　to　pay　the
king's　part；　and　are　not　easily　invaded　by　way　of　the　ocean。　Or　if
Nombre　de　Dios　and　Panama　be　taken；　in　the　province　of　Castilla　del
Oro；　and　the　villages　upon　the　rivers　of　Cenu　and　Chagre；　Peru　hath；
besides　those；　and　besides　the　magnificent　cities　of　Quito　and　Lima；
so　many　islands；　ports；　cities；　and　mines　as　if　I　should　name　them
with　the　rest　it　would　seem　incredible　to　the　reader。　Of　all　which；
because　I　have　written　a　particular　treatise　of　the　West　Indies；　I
will　omit　the　repetition　at　this　time；　seeing　that　in　the　said
treatise　I　have　anatomized　the　rest　of　the　sea　towns　as　well　of
Nicaragua；　Yucatan；　Nueva　Espana；　and　the　islands；　as　those　of　the
inland；　and　by　what　means　they　may　be　best　invaded；　as　far　as　any　mean
judgment　may　comprehend。

But　I　hope　it　shall　appear　that　there　is　a　way　found　to　answer　every
man's　longing；　a　better　Indies　for　her　Majesty　than　the　king　of　Spain
hath　any；　which　if　it　shall　please　her　Highness　to　undertake；　I　shall
most　willingly　end　the　rest　of　my　days　in　following　the　same。　If　it　be
left　to　the　spoil　and　sackage　of　common　persons；　if　the　love　and
service　of　so　many　nations　be　despised；　so　great　riches　and　so　mighty
an　empire　refused；　I　hope　her　Majesty　will　yet　take　my　humble　desire
and　my　labour　therein　in　gracious　part；　which；　if　it　had　not　been　in
respect　of　her　Highness'　future　honour　and　riches；　could　have　laid
hands　on　and　ransomed　many　of　the　kings　and　caciqui　of　the　country；
and　have　had　a　reasonable　proportion　of　gold　for　their　redemption。　But
I　have　chosen　rather　to　bear　the　burden　of　poverty　than　reproach；　and
rather　to　endure　a　second　travail；　and　the　chances　thereof；　than　to
have　defaced　an　enterprise　of　so　great　assurance；　until　I　knew　whether
it　pleased　God　to　put　a　disposition　in　her　princely　and　royal　heart
either　to　follow　or　forslow　（neglect；　decline；　lose　through　sloth）　the
same。　I　will　therefore　leave　it　to　His　ordinance　that　hath　only　power
in　all　things；　and　do　humbly　pray　that　your　honours　will　excuse　such
errors　as；　without　the　defence　of　art；　overrun　in　every　part　the
following　discourse；　in　which　I　have　neither　studied　phrase；　form；　nor
fashion；　that　you　will　be　pleased　to　esteem　me　as　your　own；　though
over　dearly　bought；　and　I　shall　ever　remain　ready　to　do　you　all　honour
and　service。



TO　THE　READER

Because　there　have　been　divers　opinions　conceived　of　the　gold　ore
brought　from　Guiana；　and　for　that　an　alderman　of　London　and　an　officer
of　her　Majesty's　mint　hath　given　out　that　the　same　is　of　no　price；　I
have　thought　good　by　the　addition　of　these　lines　to　give　answer　as
well　to　the　said　malicious　slander　as　to　other　objections。　It　is　true
that　while　we　abode　at　the　island　of　Trinidad　I　was　informed　by　an
Indian　that　not　far　from　the　port　where　we　anchored　there　were　found
certain　mineral　stones　which　they　esteemed　to　be　gold；　and　were
thereunto　persuaded　the　rather　for　that　they　had　seen　both　English　and
Frenchmen　gather　and　embark　some　quantities　thereof。　Upon　this
likelihood　I　sent　forty　men；　and　gave　order　that　each　one　should　bring
a　stone　of　that　mine；　to　make　trial　of　the　goodness；　which　being
performed；　I　assured　them　at　their　return　that　the　same　was　marcasite；
and　of　no　riches　or　value。　Notwithstanding；　divers；　trusting　more　to
their　own　sense　than　to　my　opinion；　kept　of　the　said　marcasite；　and
have　tried　thereof　since　my　return；　in　divers　places。　In　Guiana　itself
I　never　saw　marcasite；　but　all　the　rocks；　mountains；　all　stones　in　the
plains；　woods；　and　by　the　rivers'　sides；　are　in　effect　thorough…
shining；　and　appear　marvellous　rich；　which；　being　tried　to　be　no
marcasite；　are　the　true　signs　of　rich　minerals；　but　are　no　other　than
El　madre　del　oro；　as　the　Spaniards　term　them；　which　is　the　mother　of
gold；　or；　as　it　is　said　by　others；　the　scum　of　gold。　Of　divers　sorts
of　these　many　of　my　company　brought　also　into　England；　every　one
taking　the　fairest　for　the　best；　which　is　not　general。　For　mine　own
part；　I　did　not　countermand　any　man's　desire　or　opinion；　and　I　could
have　afforded　them　little　if　I　should　have　denied　them　the　pleasing　of
their　own　fancies　therein；　but　I　was　resolved　that　gold　must　be　found
either　in　grains；　separate　from　the　stone；　as　it　is　in　most　of　the
rivers　in　Guiana；　or　else　in　a　kind　of　hard　stone；　which　we　call　the
white　spar；　of　which　I　saw　divers　hills；　and　in　sundry　places；　but　had
neither　time　nor　men；　nor　instruments　fit　for　labour。　Near　unto　one　of
the　rivers　I　found　of　the　said　white　spar　or　flint　a　very　great　ledge
or　bank；　which　I　endeavoured　to　break　by　all　the　means　I　could；
because　there　appeared　on　the　outside　some　small　grains　of　gold；　but
finding　no　mean　to　work　the　same　upon　the　upper　part；　seeking　the
sides　and　circuit　of　the　said　rock；　I　found　a　clift　in　the　same；　from
whence　with　daggers；　and　with　the　head　of　an　axe；　we　got　out　some
small　quantity　thereof；　of　which　kind　of　white　stone；　wherein　gold　is
engendered；　we　saw　divers　hills　and　rocks　in　every　part　of　Guiana
wherein　we　travelled。　Of　this　there　have　been　made　many　trials；　and　in
London　it　was　first　assayed　by　Master　Westwood；　a　refiner　dwelling　in
Wood　Street；　and　it　held　after　the　rate　of　twelve　or　thirteen　thousand
pounds　a　ton。　Another　sort　was　afterward　tried　by　Master　Bulmar；　and
Master　Dimock；　assay…master；　and　it　held　after　the　rate　of　three　and
twenty　thousand　pounds　a　ton。　There　was　some　of　it　again　tried　by
Master　Palmer；　Comptroller　of　the　Mint；　and　Master　Dimock　in
Goldsmith's　Hall；　and　it　held　after　six　and　twenty　thousand　and　nine
hundred　pounds　a　ton。　There　was　also　at　the　same　time；　and　by　the　same
persons；　a　trial　made　of　the　dust　of　the　said　mine；　which　held　eight
pounds　and　six　ounces　weight　of　gold　in　the　hundred。　There　was
likewise　at　the　same　time　a　trial　of　an　image　of　copper　made　in
Guiana；　which　held　a　third　part　of　gold；　besides　divers　trials　made　in
the　country；　and　by　others　in　London。　But　because　there　came　ill　with
the　good；　and　belike　the　said　alderman　was　not　presented　with　the
best；　it　hath　pleased　him　therefore　to　scandal　all　the　rest；　and　to
deface　the　enterprise　as　much　as　in　him　lieth。　It　hath　also　been
concluded　by　divers　that　if　there　had　been　any　such　ore　in　Guiana；　and
the　same　discovered；　that　I　would　have　brought　home　a　greater　quantity
thereof。　First；　I　was　not　bound　to　satisfy　any　man　of　the　quantity；
but　only　such　as　adventured；　if　any　store　had　been　returned　thereof；
but　it　is　very　true　that　had　all　their　mountains　been　of　massy　gold　it
was　impossible　for　us　to　have　made　any　longer　stay　to　have　wrought　the
same；　and　whosoever　hath　seen　with　what　strength　of　stone　the　best
gold　ore　is　environed；　he　will　not　think　it　easy　to　be　had　out　in
heaps；　and　especially　by　us；　who　had　neither　men；　instruments；　nor
time；　as　it　is　said　before；　to　perform　the　same。

There　were　on　this　discovery　no　less　than　an　hundred　persons；　who　can
all　witness　that　when　we　passed　any　branch　of　the　river　to　view　the
land　within；　and　stayed　from　our　boats　but　six　hours；　we　were　driven
to　wade　to　the　eyes　at　our　return；　and　if　we　attempted　the　same　the
day　following；　it　was　impossible　either　to　ford　it；　or　to　swim　it；
both　by　reason　of　the　swiftness；　and　also　for　that　the　borders　were　so
pestered　with　fast　woods；　as　neither　boat　nor　man　could　find　place
either　to　land　or　to　embark；　for　in　June；　July；　August；　and　September
it　is　impossible　to　navigate　any　of　those　rivers；　for　such　is　the　fury
of　the　current；　and　there　are　so　many　trees　and　woods　overflown；　as　if
any　boat　but　touch　upon　any　tree　or　stake　it　is　impossible　to　save　any
one　person　therein。　And　ere　we　departed　the　land　it　ran　with　such
swiftness　as　we　drave　down；　most　commonly　against　the　wind；　little
less　than　an　hundred　miles　a　day。　Besides；　our　vessels　were　no　other
than　wherries；　one　little　barge；　a　smal