the discovery of guiana-第20节

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upon　the　said　river　is　Sayma。　In　this　bay　there　are　no　more　rivers　but
these　three　before　rehearsed　and　the　four　branches　of　Amana；　all　which
in　the　winter　thrust　so　great　abundance　of　water　into　the　sea；　as　the
same　is　taken　up　fresh　two　or　three　leagues　from　the　land。　In　the
passages　towards　Guiana；　that　is；　in　all　those　lands　which　the　eight
branches　of　Orenoque　fashion　into　islands；　there　are　but　one　sort　of
people；　called　Tivitivas；　but　of　two　castes；　as　they　term　them；　the
one　called　Ciawani；　the　other　Waraweeti；　and　those　war　one　with
another。

On　the　hithermost　part　of　Orenoque；　as　at　Toparimaca　and　Winicapora；
those　are　of　a　nation　called　Nepoios；　and　are　the　followers　of
Carapana；　lord　of　Emeria。　Between　Winicapora　and　the　port　of
Morequito；　which　standeth　in　Aromaia；　and　all　those　in　the　valley　of
Amariocapana　are　called　Orenoqueponi；　and　did　obey　Morequito　and　are
now　followers　of　Topiawari。　Upon　the　river　of　Caroli　are　the　Canuri；
which　are　governed　by　a　woman　who　is　inheritrix　of　that　province；　who
came　far　off　to　see　our　nation；　and　asked　me　divers　questions　of　her
Majesty；　being　much　delighted　with　the　discourse　of　her　Majesty's
greatness；　and　wondering　at　such　reports　as　we　truly　made　of　her
Highness'　many　virtues。　And　upon　the　head　of　Caroli　and　on　the　lake　of
Cassipa　are　the　three　strong　nations　of　the　Cassipagotos。　Right　south
into　the　land　are　the　Capurepani　and　Emparepani；　and　beyond　those；
adjoining　to　Macureguarai；　the　first　city　of　Inga；　are　the
Iwarawakeri。　All　these　are　professed　enemies　to　the　Spaniards；　and　to
the　rich　Epuremei　also。　To　the　west　of　Caroli　are　divers　nations　of
Cannibals　and　of　those　Ewaipanoma　without　heads。　Directly　west　are　the
Amapaias　and　Anebas；　which　are　also　marvellous　rich　in　gold。　The　rest
towards　Peru　we　will　omit。　On　the　north　of　Orenoque；　between　it　and
the　West　Indies；　are　the　Wikiri；　Saymi；　and　the　rest　before　spoken　of；
all　mortal　enemies　to　the　Spaniards。　On　the　south　side　of　the　main
mouth　of　Orenoque　are　the　Arwacas；　and　beyond　them；　the　Cannibals；　and
to　the　south　of　them；　the　Amazons。

To　make　mention　of　the　several　beasts；　birds；　fishes；　fruits；　flowers；
gums；　sweet　woods；　and　of　their　several　religions　and　customs；　would
for　the　first　require　as　many　volumes　as　those　of　Gesnerus；　and　for
the　next　another　bundle　of　Decades。　The　religion　of　the　Epuremei　is
the　same　which　the　Ingas；　emperors　of　Peru；　used；　which　may　be　read　in
Cieza　and　other　Spanish　stories；　how　they　believe　the　immortality　of
the　soul；　worship　the　sun；　and　bury　with　them　alive　their　best　beloved
wives　and　treasure；　as　they　likewise　do　in　Pegu　in　the　East　Indies；
and　other　places。　The　Orenoqueponi　bury　not　their　wives　with　them；　but
their　jewels；　hoping　to　enjoy　them　again。　The　Arwacas　dry　the　bones　of
their　lords；　and　their　wives　and　friends　drink　them　in　powder。　In　the
graves　of　the　Peruvians　the　Spaniards　found　their　greatest　abundance
of　treasure。　The　like；　also；　is　to　be　found　among　these　people　in
every　province。　They　have　all　many　wives；　and　the　lords　five…fold　to
the　common　sort。　Their　wives　never　eat　with　their　husbands；　nor　among
the　men；　but　serve　their　husbands　at　meals　and　afterwards　feed　by
themselves。　Those　that　are　past　their　younger　years　make　all　their
bread　and　drink；　and　work　their　cotton…beds；　and　do　all　else　of
service　and　labour；　for　the　men　do　nothing　but　hunt；　fish；　play；　and
drink；　when　they　are　out　of　the　wars。

I　will　enter　no　further　into　discourse　of　their　manners；　laws；　and
customs。　And　because　I　have　not　myself　seen　the　cities　of　Inga　I
cannot　avow　on　my　credit　what　I　have　heard；　although　it　be　very　likely
that　the　emperor　Inga　hath　built　and　erected　as　magnificent　palaces　in
Guiana　as　his　ancestors　did　in　Peru；　which　were　for　their　riches　and
rareness　most　marvellous；　and　exceeding　all　in　Europe；　and；　I　think；
of　the　world；　China　excepted；　which　also　the　Spaniards；　which　I　had；
assured　me　to　be　true；　as　also　the　nations　of　the　borderers；　who；
being　but　savages　to　those　of　the　inland；　do　cause　much　treasure　to　be
buried　with　them。　For　I　was　informed　of　one　of　the　caciques　of　the
valley　of　Amariocapana　which　had　buried　with　him　a　little　before　our
arrival　a　chair　of　gold　most　curiously　wrought；　which　was　made　either
in　Macureguarai　adjoining　or　in　Manoa。　But　if　we　should　have　grieved
them　in　their　religion　at　the　first；　before　they　had　been　taught
better；　and　have　digged　up　their　graves；　we　had　lost　them　all。　And
therefore　I　held　my　first　resolution；　that　her　Majesty　should　either
accept　or　refuse　the　enterprise　ere　anything　should　be　done　that　might
in　any　sort　hinder　the　same。　And　if　Peru　had　so　many　heaps　of　gold；
whereof　those　Ingas　were　princes；　and　that　they　delighted　so　much
therein；　no　doubt　but　this　which　now　liveth　and　reigneth　in　Manoa　hath
the　same　humour；　and；　I　am　assured；　hath　more　abundance　of　gold　within
his　territory　than　all　Peru　and　the　West　Indies。

For　the　rest；　which　myself　have　seen；　I　will　promise　these　things　that
follow；　which　I　know　to　be　true。　Those　that　are　desirous　to　discover
and　to　see　many　nations　may　be　satisfied　within　this　river；　which
bringeth　forth　so　many　arms　and　branches　leading　to　several　countries
and　provinces；　above　2；000　miles　east　and　west　and　800　miles　south　and
north；　and　of　these　the　most　either　rich　in　gold　or　in　other
merchandises。　The　common　soldier　shall　here　fight　for　gold；　and　pay
himself；　instead　of　pence；　with　plates　of　half…a…foot　broad；　whereas
he　breaketh　his　bones　in　other　wars　for　provant　and　penury。　Those
commanders　and　chieftains　that　shoot　at　honour　and　abundance　shall
find　there　more　rich　and　beautiful　cities；　more　temples　adorned　with
golden　images；　more　sepulchres　filled　with　treasure；　than　either
Cortes　found　in　Mexico　or　Pizarro　in　Peru。　And　the　shining　glory　of
this　conquest　will　eclipse　all　those　so　far…extended　beams　of　the
Spanish　nation。　There　is　no　country　which　yieldeth　more　pleasure　to
the　inhabitants；　either　for　those　common　delights　of　hunting；　hawking；
fishing；　fowling；　and　the　rest；　than　Guiana　doth；　it　hath　so　many
plains；　clear　rivers；　and　abundance　of　pheasants；　partridges；　quails；
rails；　cranes；　herons；　and　all　other　fowl；　deer　of　all　sorts；　porks；
hares；　lions；　tigers；　leopards；　and　divers　other　sorts　of　beasts；
either　for　chase　or　food。　It　hath　a　kind　of　beast　called　cama　or　anta
（tapir）；　as　big　as　an　English　beef；　and　in　great　plenty。　To　speak　of
the　several　sorts　of　every　kind　I　fear　would　be　troublesome　to　the
reader；　and　therefore　I　will　omit　them；　and　conclude　that　both　for
health；　good　air；　pleasure；　and　riches；　I　am　resolved　it　cannot　be
equalled　by　any　region　either　in　the　east　or　west。　Moreover　the
country　is　so　healthful；　as　of　an　hundred　persons　and　more；　which　lay
without　shift　most　sluttishly；　and　were　every　day　almost　melted　with
heat　in　rowing　and　marching；　and　suddenly　wet　again　with　great
showers；　and　did　eat　of　all　sorts　of　corrupt　fruits；　and　made　meals　of
fresh　fish　without　seasoning；　of　tortugas；　of　lagartos　or　crocodiles；
and　of　all　sorts　good　and　bad；　without　either　order　or　measure；　and
besides　lodged　in　the　open　air　every　night；　we　lost　not　any　one；　nor
had　one　ill…disposed　to　my　knowledge；　nor　found　any　calentura　or　other
of　those　pestilent　diseases　which　dwell　in　all　hot　regions；　and　so
near　the　equinoctial　line。

Where　there　is　store　of　gold　it　is　in　effect　needless　to　remember
other　commodities　for　trade。　But　it　hath；　towards　the　south　part　of
the　river；　great　quantities　of　brazil…wood；　and　divers　berries　that
dye　a　most　perfect　crimson　and　carnation；　and　for　painting；　all
France；　Italy；　or　the　East　Indies　yield　none　such。　For　the　more　the
skin　is　washed；　the　fairer　the　colour　appeareth；　and　with　which　even
those　brown　and　tawny　women　spot　themselves　and　colour　their　cheeks。
All　places　yield　abundance　of　cotton；　of　silk；　of　balsamum；　and　of
those　kinds　most　excellent　and　never　known　in　Europe；　of　all　sorts　of
gums；　of　Indian　pepper；　and　what　else　the　countries　may　afford　within
the　land　we　know　not；　neither　had　we　time　to　abide　the　trial　and
search。　The　soil　besides　is　so　excellent　and　so　full　of　rivers；　as　it
will　carry　sugar；　ginger；　and　all　those　other　commodities　which　the
West　Indies　have。

The　navigation　is　short；　for　it　may　be　sailed　with　an　ordinary　wind　in
six　weeks；　and　in　the　like　time　back　again；　and　by　the　way　neither
lee…shore；　enemies'　coast；　rocks；　nor　sands。　All　which　in　the　voyages
to　the　West　Indies　and　all　other　places　we　are　subject　unto；　as　the
channel　of　Bahama；　coming　from　the　West　Indies；　cannot　well　be　passed
in　the　winter；　and　when　it　is　at　the　best；　it　is　a　perilous　and　a
fearful　place；　the　rest　of　the　Indies　for　calms　and　diseases　very
troublesome；　and　the　sea　about　the　Bermudas　a　hellish　sea　for　thunder；
lightning；　and　storms。

This　very　year　（1595）　there　were　seventeen　sail　of　Spanish　ships　lost
in　the　channel　of　Bahama；　and　the　great　Philip；　like　to　have　sunk　at
the　Bermudas；　was　put　back　to　St。　Juan　de　Puerto　Rico；　and　so　it
falleth　out　in　that　navigation　every　year　for　the　most　part。　Which　in
this　voyage　are　not　to　be　feared；　for　the　time　of　year　to　leave
England　is　best　in　July；　and