the discovery of guiana-第13章

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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　judgment　or　experience　kept　all　that
glistered；　and　would　not　be　persuaded　but　it　was　rich　because　of　the
lustre；　and　brought　of　those；　and　of　marcasite　withal；　from　Trinidad；
and　have　delivered　of　those　stones　to　be　tried　in　many　places；　and
have　thereby　bred　an　opinion　that　all　the　rest　is　of　the　same。　Yet
some　of　these　stones　I　shewed　afterward　to　a　Spaniard　of　the　Caracas；
who　told　me　that　it　was　El　Madre　del　Oro；　that　is；　the　mother　of　gold；
and　that　the　mine　was　farther　in　the　ground。

But　it　shall　be　found　a　weak　policy　in　me；　either　to　betray　myself　or
my　country　with　imaginations；　neither　am　I　so　far　in　love　with　that
lodging；　watching；　care；　peril；　diseases；　ill　savours；　bad　fare；　and
many　other　mischiefs　that　accompany　these　voyages；　as　to　woo　myself
again　into　any　of　them；　were　I　not　assured　that　the　sun　covereth　not
so　much　riches　in　any　part　of　the　earth。　Captain　Whiddon；　and　our
chirurgeon；　Nicholas　Millechamp；　brought　me　a　kind　of　stones　like
sapphires；　what　they　may　prove　I　know　not。　I　shewed　them　to　some　of
the　Orenoqueponi；　and　they　promised　to　bring　me　to　a　mountain　that　had
of　them　very　large　pieces　growing　diamond…wise；　whether　it　be　crystal
of　the　mountain；　Bristol　diamond；　or　sapphire；　I　do　not　yet　know；　but
I　hope　the　best；　sure　I　am　that　the　place　is　as　likely　as　those　from
whence　all　the　rich　stones　are　brought；　and　in　the　same　height　or　very
near。　On　the　left　hand　of　this　river　Caroli　are　seated　those　nations
which　I　called　Iwarawaqueri　before　remembered；　which　are　enemies　to
the　Epuremei；　and　on　the　head　of　it；　adjoining　to　the　great　lake
Cassipa；　are　situated　those　other　nations　which　also　resist　Inga；　and
the　Epuremei；　called　Cassipagotos；　Eparegotos；　and　Arawagotos。　I
farther　understood　that　this　lake　of　Cassipa　is　so　large；　as　it　is
above　one　day's　journey　for　one　of　their　canoas；　to　cross；　which　may
be　some　forty　miles；　and　that　thereinto　fall　divers　rivers；　and　that
great　store　of　grains　of　gold　are　found　in　the　summer　time　when　the
lake　falleth　by　the　banks；　in　those　branches。

There　is　also　another　goodly　river　beyond　Caroli　which　is　called　Arui；
which　also　runneth　through　the　lake　Cassipa；　and　falleth　into　Orenoque
farther　west；　making　all　that　land　between　Caroli　and　Arui　an　island；
which　is　likewise　a　most　beautiful　country。　Next　unto　Arui　there　are
two　rivers　Atoica　and　Caura；　and　on　that　branch　which　is　called　Caura
are　a　nation　of　people　whose　heads　appear　not　above　their　shoulders；
which　though　it　may　be　thought　a　mere　fable；　yet　for　mine　own　part　I
am　resolved　it　is　true；　because　every　child　in　the　provinces　of
Aromaia　and　Canuri　affirm　the　same。　They　are　called　Ewaipanoma；　they
are　reported　to　have　their　eyes　in　their　shoulders；　and　their　mouths
in　the　middle　of　their　breasts；　and　that　a　long　train　of　hair　groweth
backward　between　their　shoulders。　The　son　of　Topiawari；　which　I
brought　with　me　into　England；　told　me　that　they　were　the　most　mighty
men　of　all　the　land；　and　use　bows；　arrows；　and　clubs　thrice　as　big　as
any　of　Guiana；　or　of　the　Orenoqueponi；　and　that　one　of　the
Iwarawaqueri　took　a　prisoner　of　them　the　year　before　our　arrival
there；　and　brought　him　into　the　borders　of　Aromaia；　his　father's
country。　And　farther；　when　I　seemed　to　doubt　of　it；　he　told　me　that　it
was　no　wonder　among　them；　but　that　they　were　as　great　a　nation　and　as
common　as　any　other　in　all　the　provinces；　and　had　of　late　years　slain
many　hundreds　of　his　father's　people；　and　of　other　nations　their
neighbours。　But　it　was　not　my　chance　to　hear　of　them　till　I　was　come
away；　and　if　I　had　but　spoken　one　word　of　it　while　I　was　there　I　might
have　brought　one　of　them　with　me　to　put　the　matter　out　of　doubt。　Such
a　nation　was　written　of　by　Mandeville；　whose　reports　were　holden　for
fables　many　years；　and　yet　since　the　East　Indies　were　discovered；　we
find　his　relations　true　of　such　things　as　heretofore　were　held
incredible　（Mandeville；　or　the　author　who　assumed　this　name；　placed
his　headless　men　in　the　East　Indian　Archipelago；　the　fable　is　borrowed
from　older　writers；　Herodotus　&c）。　Whether　it　be　true　or　no；　the
matter　is　not　great；　neither　can　there　be　any　profit　in　the
imagination；　for　mine　own　part　I　saw　them　not；　but　I　am　resolved　that
so　many　people　did　not　all　combine　or　forethink　to　make　the　report。

When　I　came　to　Cumana　in　the　West　Indies　afterwards　by　chance　I　spake
with　a　Spaniard　dwelling　not　far　from　thence；　a　man　of　great　travel。
And　after　he　knew　that　I　had　been　in　Guiana；　and　so　far　directly　west
as　Caroli；　the　first　question　he　asked　me　was；　whether　I　had　seen　any
of　the　Ewaipanoma；　which　are　those　without　heads。　Who　being　esteemed　a
most　honest　man　of　his　word；　and　in　all　things　else；　told　me　that　he
had　seen　many　of　them；　I　may　not　name　him；　because　it　may　be　for　his
disadvantage；　but　he　is　well　known　to　Monsieur　Moucheron's　son　of
London；　and　to　Peter　Moucheron；　merchant；　of　the　Flemish　ship　that　was
there　in　trade；　who　also　heard；　what　he　avowed　to　be　true；　of　those
people。

The　fourth　river　to　the　west　of　Caroli　is　Casnero：　which　falleth　into
the　Orenoque　on　this　side　of　Amapaia。　And　that　river　is　greater　than
Danubius；　or　any　of　Europe：　it　riseth　on　the　south　of　Guiana　from　the
mountains　which　divide　Guiana　from　Amazons；　and　I　think　it　to　be
navigable　many　hundred　miles。　But　we　had　no　time；　means；　nor　season　of
the　year；　to　search　those　rivers；　for　the　causes　aforesaid；　the　winter
being　come　upon　us；　although　the　winter　and　summer　as　touching　cold
and　heat　differ　not；　neither　do　the　trees　ever　sensibly　lose　their
leaves；　but　have　always　fruit　either　ripe　or　green；　and　most　of　them
both　blossoms；　leaves；　ripe　fruit；　and　green；　at　one　time：　but　their
winter　only　consisteth　of　terrible　rains；　and　overflowing　of　the
rivers；　with　many　great　storms　and　gusts；　thunder　and　lightnings；　of
which　we　had　our　fill　ere　we　returned。

On　the　north　side；　the　first　river　that　falleth　into　the　Orenoque　is
Cari。　Beyond　it；　on　the　same　side　is　the　river　of　Limo。　Between　these
two　is　a　great　nation　of　Cannibals；　and　their　chief　town　beareth　the
name　of　the　river；　and　is　called　Acamacari。　At　this　town　is　a
continual　market　of　women　for　three　or　four　hatchets　apiece；　they　are
bought　by　the　Arwacas；　and　by　them　sold　into　the　West　Indies。　To　the
west　of　Limo　is　the　river　Pao；　beyond　it　Caturi；　beyond　that　Voari；
and　Capuri　（the　Apure　river）；　which　falleth　out　of　the　great　river　of
Meta；　by　which　Berreo　descended　from　Nuevo　Reyno　de　Granada。　To　the
westward　of　Capuri　is　the　province　of　Amapaia；　where　Berreo　wintered
and　had　so　many　of　his　people　poisoned　with　the　tawny　water　of　the
marshes　of　the　Anebas。　Above　Amapaia；　toward　Nuevo　Reyno；　fall　in
Meto；　Pato　and　Cassanar。　To　the　west　of　those；　towards　the　provinces
of　the　Ashaguas　and　Catetios；　are　the　rivers　of　Beta；　Dawney；　and
Ubarro；　and　toward　the　frontier　of　Peru　are　the　provinces　of
Thomebamba；　and　Caxamalca。　Adjoining　to　Quito　in　the　north　side　of
Peru　are　the　rivers　of　Guiacar　and　Goauar；　and　on　the　other　side　of
the　said　mountains　the　river　of　Papamene　which　descendeth　into　Maranon
or　Amazons；　passing　through　the　province　Motilones；　where　Don　Pedro　de
Orsua；　who　was　slain　by　the　traitor　Aguirre　before　rehearsed；　built
his　brigandines；　when　he　sought　Guiana　by　the　way　of　Amazons。

Between　Dawney　and　Beta　lieth　a　famous　island　in　Orenoque　（now　called
Baraquan；　for　above　Meta　it　is　not　known　by　the　name　of　Orenoque）
which　is　called　Athule　（cataract　of　Ature）；　beyond　which　ships　of
burden　cannot　pass　by　reason　of　a　most　forcible　overfall；　and　current
of　water；　but　in　the　eddy　all　smaller　vessels　may　be　drawn　even　to
Peru　itself。　But　to　speak　of　more　of　these　rivers　without　the
description　were　but　tedious；　and　therefore　I　will　leave　the　rest　to
the　description。　This　river　of　Orenoque　is　navigable　for　ships　little
less　than　1；000　miles；　and　for　lesser　vessels　near　2；000。　By　it；　as
aforesaid；　Peru；　Nuevo　Reyno　and　Popayan　may　be　invaded：　it　also
leadeth　to　the　great　empire　of　Inga；　and　to　the　provinces　of　Amapaia
and　Anebas；　which　abound　in　gold。　His　branches　of　Casnero；　Manta；
Caur