the discovery of guiana-第9节

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sufficient　pilots　to　conduct　him。　From　Trinidad　he　coasted　Paria；　and
so　recovered　Margarita；　and　having　made　relation　to　Don　Juan
Sarmiento；　the　Governor；　of　his　proceeding；　and　persuaded　him　of　the
riches　of　Guiana；　he　obtained　from　thence　fifty　soldiers；　promising
presently　to　return　to　Carapana；　and　so　into　Guiana。　But　Berreo　meant
nothing　less　at　that　time；　for　he　wanted　many　provisions　necessary　for
such　an　enterprise；　and　therefore　departed　from　Margarita；　seated
himself　in　Trinidad；　and　from　thence　sent　his　camp…master　and　his
sergeant…major　back　to　the　borders　to　discover　the　nearest　passage
into　the　empire；　as　also　to　treat　with　the　borderers；　and　to　draw　them
to　his　party　and　love；　without　which；　he　knew　he　could　neither　pass
safely；　nor　in　any　sort　be　relieved　with　victual　or　aught　else。
Carapana　directed　his　company　to　a　king　called　Morequito；　assuring
them　that　no　man　could　deliver　so　much　Guiana　as　Morequito　could；　and
that　his　dwelling　was　but　five　days'　journey　from　Macureguarai；　the
first　civil　town　of　Guiana。

Now　your　lordship　shall　understand　that　this　Morequito；　one　of　the
greatest　lords　or　kings　of　the　borders　of　Guiana；　had　two　or　three
years　before　been　at　Cumana　and　at　Margarita；　in　the　West　Indies；　with
great　store　of　plates　of　gold；　which　he　carried　to　exchange　for　such
other　things　as　he　wanted　in　his　own　country；　and　was　daily　feasted；
and　presented　by　the　governors　of　those　places；　and　held　amongst　them
some　two　months。　In　which　time　one　Vides；　Governor　of　Cumana；　won　him
to　be　his　conductor　into　Guiana；　being　allured　by　those　croissants　and
images　of　gold　which　he　brought　with　him　to　trade；　as　also　by　the
ancient　fame　and　magnificence　of　El　Dorado；　whereupon　Vides　sent　into
Spain　for　a　patent　to　discover　and　conquer　Guiana；　not　knowing　of　the
precedence　of　Berreo's　patent；　which；　as　Berreo　affirmeth；　was　signed
before　that　of　Vidas。　So　as　when　Vides　understood　of　Berreo　and　that
he　had　made　entrance　into　that　territory；　and　foregone　his　desire　and
hope；　it　was　verily　thought　that　Vides　practised　with　Morequito　to
hinder　and　disturb　Berreo　in　all　he　could；　and　not　to　suffer　him　to
enter　through　his　seignory；　nor　any　of　his　companies；　neither　to
victual；　nor　guide　them　in　any　sort。　For　Vides；　Governor　of　Cumana；
and　Berreo；　were　become　mortal　enemies；　as　well　for　that　Berreo　had
gotten　Trinidad　into　his　patent　with　Guiana；　as　also　in　that　he　was　by
Berreo　prevented　in　the　journey　of　Guiana　itself。　Howsoever　it　was；　I
know　not；　but　Morequito　for　a　time　dissembled　his　disposition；
suffered　ten　Spaniards　and　a　friar；　which　Berreo　had　sent　to　discover
Manoa；　to　travel　through　his　country；　gave　them　a　guide　for
Macureguarai；　the　first　town　of　civil　and　apparelled　people；　from
whence　they　had　other　guides　to　bring　them　to　Manoa；　the　great　city　of
Inga；　and　being　furnished　with　those　things　which　they　had　learned　of
Carapana　were　of　most　price　in　Guiana；　went　onward；　and　in　eleven　days
arrived　at　Manoa；　as　Berreo　affirmeth　for　certain；　although　I　could
not　be　assured　thereof　by　the　lord　which　now　governeth　the　province　of
Morequito；　for　he　told　me　that　they　got　all　the　gold　they　had　in　other
towns　on　this　side　Manoa；　there　being　many　very　great　and　rich；　and
（as　he　said）　built　like　the　towns　of　Christians；　with　many　rooms。

When　these　ten　Spaniards　were　returned；　and　ready　to　put　out　of　the
border　of　Aromaia　（the　district　below　the　Caroni　river）；　the　people　of
Morequito　set　upon　them；　and　slew　them　all　but　one　that　swam　the
river；　and　took　from　them　to　the　value　of　40；000　pesos　of　gold；　and
one　of　them　only　lived　to　bring　the　news　to　Berreo；　that　both　his　nine
soldiers　and　holy　father　were　benighted　in　the　said　province。　I　myself
spake　with　the　captains　of　Morequito　that　slew　them；　and　was　at　the
place　where　it　was　executed。　Berreo；　enraged　herewithal；　sent　all　the
strength　he　could　make　into　Aromaia；　to　be　revenged　of　him；　his
people；　and　country。　But　Morequito；　suspecting　the　same；　fled　over
Orenoque；　and　through　the　territories　of　the　Saima　and　Wikiri
recovered　Cumana；　where　he　thought　himself　very　safe；　with　Vides　the
governor。　But　Berreo　sending　for　him　in　the　king's　name；　and　his
messengers　finding　him　in　the　house　of　one　Fajardo；　on　the　sudden；　ere
he　was　suspected；　so　as　he　could　not　then　be　conveyed　away；　Vides
durst　not　deny　him；　as　well　to　avoid　the　suspicion　of　the　practice；　as
also　for　that　an　holy　father　was　slain　by　him　and　his　people。
Morequito　offered　Fajardo　the　weight　of　three　quintals　in　gold；　to　let
him　escape；　but　the　poor　Guianian；　betrayed　on　all　sides；　was
delivered　to　the　camp…master　of　Berreo；　and　was　presently　executed。

After　the　death　of　this　Morequito；　the　soldiers　of　Berreo　spoiled　his
territory　and　took　divers　prisoners。　Among　others　they　took　the　uncle
of　Morequito；　called　Topiawari；　who　is　now　king　of　Aromaia；　whose　son
I　brought　with　me　into　England；　and　is　a　man　of　great　understanding
and　policy；　he　is　above　an　hundred　years　old；　and　yet　is　of　a　very
able　body。　The　Spaniards　led　him　in　a　chain　seventeen　days；　and　made
him　their　guide　from　place　to　place　between　his　country　and　Emeria；
the　province　of　Carapana　aforesaid；　and　he　was　at　last　redeemed　for　an
hundred　plates　of　gold；　and　divers　stones　called　piedras　hijadas；　or
spleen…stones。　Now　Berreo　for　executing　of　Morequito；　and　other
cruelties；　spoils；　and　slaughters　done　in　Aromaia；　hath　lost　the　love
of　the　Orenoqueponi；　and　of　all　the　borderers；　and　dare　not　send　any
of　his　soldiers　any　further　into　the　land　than　to　Carapana；　which　he
called　the　port　of　Guiana；　but　from　thence　by　the　help　of　Carapana　he
had　trade　further　into　the　country；　and　always　appointed　ten　Spaniards
to　reside　in　Carapana's　town　（the　Spanish　settlement　of　Santo　Tome　de
la　Guyana；　founded　by　Berrio　in　1591　or　1592；　but　represented　by
Raleigh　as　an　Indian　pueblo）；　by　whose　favour；　and　by　being　conducted
by　his　people；　those　ten　searched　the　country　thereabouts；　as　well　for
mines　as　for　other　trades　and　commodities。

They　also　have　gotten　a　nephew　of　Morequito；　whom　they　have　christened
and　named　Don　Juan；　of　whom　they　have　great　hope；　endeavouring　by　all
means　to　establish　him　in　the　said　province。　Among　many　other　trades；
those　Spaniards　used　canoas　to　pass　to　the　rivers　of　Barema；　Pawroma；
and　Dissequebe　（Essequibo）；　which　are　on　the　south　side　of　the　mouth
of　Orenoque；　and　there　buy　women　and　children　from　the　cannibals；
which　are　of　that　barbarous　nature；　as　they　will　for　three　or　four
hatchets　sell　the　sons　and　daughters　of　their　own　brethren　and
sisters；　and　for　somewhat　more　even　their　own　daughters。　Hereof　the
Spaniards　make　great　profit；　for　buying　a　maid　of　twelve　or　thirteen
years　for　three　or　four　hatchets；　they　sell　them　again　at　Margarita　in
the　West　Indies　for　fifty　and　an　hundred　pesos；　which　is　so　many
crowns。

The　master　of　my　ship；　John　Douglas；　took　one　of　the　canoas　which　came
laden　from　thence　with　people　to　be　sold；　and　the　most　of　them
escaped；　yet　of　those　he　brought；　there　was　one　as　well　favoured　and
as　well　shaped　as　ever　I　saw　any　in　England；　and　afterwards　I　saw　many
of　them；　which　but　for　their　tawny　colour　may　be　compared　to　any　in
Europe。　They　also　trade　in　those　rivers　for　bread　of　cassavi；　of　which
they　buy　an　hundred　pound　weight　for　a　knife；　and　sell　it　at　Margarita
for　ten　pesos。　They　also　recover　great　store　of　cotton；　Brazil　wood；
and　those　beds　which　they　call　hamacas　or　Brazil　beds；　wherein　in　hot
countries　all　the　Spaniards　use　to　lie　commonly；　and　in　no　other；
neither　did　we　ourselves　while　we　were　there。　By　means　of　which
trades；　for　ransom　of　divers　of　the　Guianians；　and　for　exchange　of
hatchets　and　knives；　Berreo　recovered　some　store　of　gold　plates；
eagles　of　gold；　and　images　of　men　and　divers　birds；　and　dispatched　his
camp…master　for　Spain；　with　all　that　he　had　gathered；　therewith　to
levy　soldiers；　and　by　the　show　thereof　to　draw　others　to　the　love　of
the　enterprise。　And　having　sent　divers　images　as　well　of　men　as
beasts；　birds；　and　fishes；　so　curiously　wrought　in　gold；　he　doubted
not　but　to　persuade　the　king　to　yield　to　him　some　further　help；
especially　for　that　this　land　hath　never　been　sacked；　the　mines　never
wrought；　and　in　the　Indies　their　works　were　well　spent；　and　the　gold
drawn　out　with　great　labour　and　charge。　He　also　despatched　messengers
to　his　son　in　Nuevo　Reyno　to　levy　all　the　forces　he　could；　and　to　come
down　the　river　Orenoque　to　Emeria；　the　province　of　Carapana；　to　meet
him；　he　had　also　sent　to　Santiago　de　Leon　on　the　coast　of　the　Caracas；
to　buy　horses　and　mules。

After　I　had　thus　learned　of　his　proceedings　past　and　purposed；　I　told
him　that　I　had　resolved　to　see　Guiana；　and　that　it　was　the　end　of　my
journey；　and　the　cause　of　my　coming　to　Trinidad；　as　it　was　indeed；　and
for　that　purpose　I　sent　Jacob　Whiddon　the　year　before　to　get
intelligence：　with　whom　Berreo　himself　had　speech　at　that　time；　and
remembered　how　inquisitive　Jacob　Whiddon　was　of　his　proceedings；　and
of　the　country　of　Guiana。　Berreo　was　stricken　into　a　great　melancholy
and　sadness；　and　used　all　the　arguments　he　could　to　dissuade　me；　and
also　assured　the　gentlemen　of　my　company　that　it　wou