John Nichols, Humphrey Dimmocke, and every of them, their heirs and assigns, and the heirs and assigns of every of them, and their, and every of their deputies, factors or apprentices, who shall serve them, or any of them by the space of seven years, that they, and every, or any of them, shall from time to time and at all times for ever have free trade and traffic for all manner of merchandize, or commodities whatsoever, unto, in, and from all that part of America called Assamacomock, alias Wingandacoa, alias Virginia aforesaid, or unto, or from any other part or country, of, or in Ame rica aforesaid, where he the said Sir Walter Ralegh, his heirs or assigns, or any other person or persons claiming or pretending any manner of right, title, or interest, or which hereafter shall or may claim, or pretend any right, title, or interest, by, from, or under him the said Sir Walter Ralegh, hath, challengeth, claimeth, or may or shall hereafter, have, challenge, or claim any interest, jurisdiction, title, rule, or privilege, by any conveyance, or discovery heretofore made, or hereafter to be made, or by any other way or means whatsoever.

And farther, the said Sir Walter Ralegh, as well for, and in especial regard and zeal of planting the Christian religion in and among the said barbarous and heathen countries, and for the advancement and preferment of the same, and the common utility and profit of the inhabitants therein, as also for the encouragement of the said Thomas Smith, William Sanderson, Walter Bayly, William Gamage, Edmund Nevill, Thomas Harding, Walter Marler, Thomas Martin, Gabriel Harris, William George, William Stone, Henry Fleetwood, John Gerrard, Robert Macklin, Richard Hakluyt, Thomas Hood, Thomas Wade, Richard Wright, Edmund Walden, John White, John Nichols, and the other assistants now lying in Virginia, and others adventurers aforesaid, their heirs, and assigns, doth by these pretents, freely and liberally dispose and give unto them, the said Thomas Smith, William Sanderson, and the rest aforesaid, the sum of £100 of lawful money

of England, to be by them adventured and disposed in and among other their adventures unto the places and countries before mentioned, to have, hold, occupy, use, employ, possess, enjoy, and dispose, as well the said sum of £100, given as aforesaid, as also all such gain, profit, commodity, advantage, and increase, as they by God's assistance, shall thereof make to their only uses and behoofs, and to the uses and behoofs of the several heirs, executors, and assigns of them and every of them, without rendering any account for the same, or any par cel thereof, to the said Sir Walter Ralegh, his heirs, executors, er assigns, or any of them.

And the said Sir Walter Ralegh, for himself, his heirs and assigns, and every of them, doth farther covenant and grant, to, and with the said Thomas Smith, William Sander son, Walter Bayly, William Gamage, Edmund Nevill, Thomas Harding, Walter Marler, and the rest aforesaid, and to and with the said John White, Roger Bayly, Ananias Dayre, Christopher Cooper, John Sampson, Thomas Steevens, Roger Prat, Dionise Harvey, John Nichols, and Humphry Dymmock, and the heirs and assigns of them, and every of them, by these presents, to discharge, save and keep harmless from time to time, and at all times for ever, them and every of them, their several heirs and assigns, and every of them, and the deputies, factors, and servants of them, and every of them, and apprentices of them, and every or any of them, who shall serve them or any of them the space of seven years, of and from all rents, subsidies, customs, tolls, taxes, tallages, and all other charges, services, duties, and demands, whatsoever, required or demanded, or to be required or demanded, at any time or times hereafter, or for the trading or transporting any commodity or profit, into or from the said country of Assamacomock, alias Wingandacoa, alias Virginia aforesaid, or any other country in America aforesaid, whereunto or wherein the said Sir Walter Ralegh, his heirs or assigns, hath or may or shall have any interest, right, or title, by virtue of the said letters VOL. II.

U

patents, or by any discovery, or other means whatsoever, or for any other matter, cause, or thing whatsoever; the fifth part of all the ore of gold and silver, that from time to time, and at all times after such discovery, subduing and possessing as aforesaid, shall be there gotten and obtained, (alway reserved to the use of the said Sir Walter Ralegh, his heirs and assigns) only excepted and foreprised.

And the said Sir Walter Ralegh doth farther covenant and grant by these presents for him, his heirs and assigns, to and with the said Thomas Smith, William Sanderson, and the rest aforesaid their heirs and assigns, that he the said Sir Walter Ralegh, his heirs or assigns, upon sufficient and reasonable request made to him by the persons aforesaid, or any of them, their heirs or assigns, shall and will at any time or times hereafter, ratify, affirm, and approve by his deed or deeds, or by any other conveyance or conveyances in law, the corporation heretofore made by him the said Sir Walter Ralegh, consisting of one governor and twelve assistants, as by his said indenture made to John White and others, more plainly doth appear, for the more perfect and better assurance, and sure making of the said corporation, if any imperfection and want in law thereof be. And farther, that he the said Sir Walter Ralegh, his heirs and assigns, shall and will, as much as in him or them lieth, procure and endeavour to obtain the queen's Majesty's letters patents, for ratification, approbation, and more sure confirmation, of the said corporation and society, with all prerogatives, commodities, jurisdictions, royalties, privileges, and preeminences, whatsover granted and conveyed by her Majesty to the said Sir Walter Ralegh his heirs or assigns, or by him the said Sir Walter Ralegh, to the said John White and others, as by his said indenture of grant made to the said John White, and others more plainly appeareth. In witness whereof, the parties to these presents have hereunto interchangeably put their hands and seals, the day and year first above written.'

N°. IX.

AN ABSTRACT TAKEN OUT OF CERTAIN SPANIARDS' LETTERS CONCERNING GUIANA, AND THE COUNTRIES LYING UPON THE GREAT RIVER OF ORONOKO; WITH CERTAIN REPORTS ALSO TOUCHING THE SAME.

[From HAKLUYr's Voyages, III, 662, and BIRCH's Works of Ralegh, I. 236.]

An Advertisement to the reader.

Those letters out of which the abstracts following are ta ken, were surprised at sea as they were passing for Spain in the year 1594, by Captain George Popham; who, the next year, and the same that Sir Walter Ralegh dsscovered Guiana, as he was in a voyage for the West Indies, learned also the reports annexed. All which, at his return, being two months after Sir Walter, as also so long after the writing of the former discourse, hearing also of his discovery, he made known, and delivered to some of her Majesty's most honourable privy council and others. The which, seeing they confirm in some part the substance, I mean the riches of that country, it hath been thought fit that they should be thereunto adjoined. Wherein the reader is to be advertised, that although the Spaniards seem to glory much of their formal possession taken before Morequito the lord of Aromaya, and others thereabout, which thoroughly understood them not at that time, whatsoever the Spaniards otherwise pretend; yet, according to the former discourse, and as also it is related by Caworaco, the son of Topiawari, now chief lord of the said Aromaya, who was brought into England by Sir Walter Ralegh, and was present at the same possession and discovery of the Spaniards mention

ed in these letters, it appeareth, that after they were gone out of their country, the Indians then having farther consideration of the matter, and more than conjecture of their intent, having known and heard of their former cruelties upon the borderers and others of the Indians elsewhere, at their next coming, there being ten of them sent and employed for a farther discovery, they were provided to receive and entertain them in another manner of sort than they had done before; that is to say, they slew them, and buried them in the country so much sought. They gave them by that means a full and complete possession, the which before they had but begun. And so they are minded to do, to as many Spaniards as come after. Other possession they have had none since. Neither do the Indians mean, as they protest, to give them any other. One other thing to be remembered is, that in these letters the Spaniards seem to call Guiana and other countries near it, bordering upon the river of Oronoko, by the name of Nuevo Dorado, because of the great plenty of gold there in most places to be found; alluding also to the name of El Dorado, which was given by Martinez to the great city of Manoa, as is in the former treatise specified. This is all I thought good to advertise. As for some other matters, I leave them to the consideration and judgment of the indifferent reader.

W. R.'

LETTERS TAKEN AT SEA BY CAPTAIN GEORGE POPHAM,

1594.

Alonso's letter from the Gran Canaria to his brother, being commander of S. Lucar, concerning El Dorado.

There have been certain letters received here of late of a land newly discovered, called Nuevo Dorado, from the sons of certain inhabitants of this city, who were in the discovery. They write of wonderful riches to be found in the said Do