Of Sr. Walter Rauleigh. WITH The true Description of GVIANA: As also a Relation of the excellent Gouernment, and much hope of the prosperity of the Voyage. Sent from a Gentleman of his Fleet, to a most especial Friend of his in London. From the Riuer of Caliana, on the Coast of Guiana, Nouemb. 17. 1617. Printed for H. G. and are to be sold by I. Wright, at the signe of the Bible without New-gate. 1618. NEWES OF Sr. Walter Rauleigh. N these queasie and most dangerous times, wherein Truth is manacled by Opinion and Imagination, euery man making his owne thoughts a Comment vpon other mens labours, and by scrues or wrests winding euery designe to that which best suites with their fancies: I could not chuse but borrow so much time from the necessitie of mine occasions, as to acquaint you with some particular passages in our voyage: Which though in the value it may be much short both of what your selfe and others expect, because at this time our designe is but an Embrion, conceiued, and farre from that happy perfection to which I doubt not (the diuine will assisting vs) but wee shall, to the comfort of our noble and good friends, and the honour of our Nation, with all prosperitie of fortune bring to passe: Yet in as much as I know the malice of many enuious and euill disposed people, who build the Against Background-worke of their owne honors vpon other mens disgraces, and with the venome of their aspersions seeke (as much as in their malice lies) to poyson the worthy labours of the most noble attempters. To which our Voyage (being most hopefull to our friends, and most dreadfull to our contraries) is infinitely subiect, and that such rancour doth await and follow vs, as the great Leuiathan of the Sea pursueth the Bonittos, I doubt not but my present Relation shall giue you (whose vertue I seeke onely to satisfie) that assurance of good hope in our attemptings, as shall arme you against whatsoeuer slander or imputation shall be able (in misty thicke fogs of disdaine) to throw before you. biters. And albeit to the iudgement of euery vertuous good man, there needeth no other Apologie for the hope of our successe, then the wisdome, experience, and vndefatigable labors, in the like designes, of our Generall, who now setting all Christendome; nay, almost the whold world at gaze vpon him, if hee should not not to such beholders giue a renowned satisfaction; it were against all rules of worth and policie to imagine. Yet aboue all, this mee thinkes should satisfie euery reasonable soule, and make Enuy feede onely vpon his owne Serpent, when not alone the entyre wisdome of our Land, but the suffrage and allowance of our Soueraigne (who is the very soule of that wisdome) doth both giue way to our action, whose goodnes what man would be so ingratefull to abuse, or what folly could be so strong in any sencible soule, as to seeke to goe inuisible before God. But Sir, these arguments are needlesse against a slander of such weaknesse, nor will I trouble your eares with a confutation of them, who stand already confounded in all good mens opinions: suffice it, that hitherto our successe is answerable to our hopes, and our hope as strong as any that hath passed from our Kingdome since the first discouery, and no doubt but the end will bring forth as worthy, if not a much better issue: In as much as wee haue had both the cleare lights of all other mens experience, and the approued knowledge of a great part of our designe in our Generals noble and personall tryall. Besides, wee know that the tops of hye Scales, Mountaines, or Pyramides are not to be attained vnto by leaping or iumping at, but by slow degrees, and by secure and safe steps, euen lento pede, as the Parrat climbes with both beake and feete: For if wee looke into the courses of all the most excellent men of our Nation which haue made it as famous for sea-actions as any Nation in the world, we shall finde, how euen by little and little, as Hanibal with Vinegar wasted the Alpes, and made a passage (where neuer any before was discerned) for not himselfe alone, but a whole Army to passe ouer: So our famous and excellent Attempters haue by degrees, man after man, adding step vnto step, made such a way ouer the whole world, that except the very heart of all, (which as in the Anatomy of mans body, it is not to be found out, or toucht, till a man haue past through first both all the exteriour and interiour members, and so likewise of the braine: Nature as it were defending all her most excellent workes from euery ordinary assault and inuasion) so there is at this day not left any Climate unsearcht or vndiscouered, but onely this, which as for its site and place, being the middle of the world, and also for the excellency of it, may well be stiled The heart of the world, as the most principall and renowned part of it. At which if it be our fortunes to arriue, the worke will be worthy the Doer, and a fayre lewell for his Crowne, who is the Royall Author and Comforter of so great an Attempt, by so many Kings and Princes attempted, and yet vnachiued. And that wee may walke vp this Scale, with as much ease and safety, safety, as all mortall hope can allow vs, let vs turne backe our eyes and looke into the actions of most of the most famous & noble Gentlemen which haue gone before vs, and made those most fayre and large paths, through which we daily walke: wee shall see that M. William Haukins, the Father of Sir John M. William Haukins a man of infinite vertue and great action Haukins his made his first Discouries but to the Southerne Ilands, trauell. called the Grand Canaria, and found there great Trade, and great Commoditie: which for the benefit might well haue taken. vp the rest of any mans minde (whose end had beene wealth and no other) but the Gentleman hauing a more worthy ayme, (though then in the winter and last quarter of his age) from thence discouered some part of the small Ilands which belonged to the West Indies, learnt intelligence of the maine: and out of hist iudgement saw what was fittest both for Traffique and other more materiall Discoueries. This (not able to furnish himselfe) hee imparted to his most worthy Sonne Sir John Haukins, and making him rich with his knowledge, kins Trauell. so armd him for the Enterprise, that in the yeare 1562. hee made a Voyage thither, with three small Ships, and but 100. men, and made Discouery of the Iland of Hispaniola, De Plata, Monte Christi, and the Ilands of Caicos, where by way of traffique hee made such merchandise that hee not onely laded all his owne ships, but diuers other Hulkes which he there hyred, and so returned home with more wealth and honour then ever any had done before his time. Sr. John Hau. Yet since he had gone not a steppe higher then his father had done before him, and made the scale no larger nor easier for others that should pursue him: out of the excellency of his disposition and loue to his Country, in the yeare 156 4. hee betooke himselfe to the Sea againe, and with a Fleet of foure Sr. Iohns se Ships and 170. men, went againe to the West Indies, cond Voyage. and in his way did discouer the Iland Sambula, and other partes of Affricke: thence to the Iland called Sancta Dominica, so to Margarita, thence to Tortuga, after to Barbarotta, then to the Ilands of Curasao, Ranchario, Rio de la Hacha, and others, thence to Cape St. Anthony, and so to the sandy Ilands and lastly by Florida, where he showed that excellency of good nature and rare humanity to certaine distressed Frenchmen, that the remembrance will liue whilst there liues any record of goodnes, or any thankfulnesse in France: and thus hee returned home the second time, laden with as much wealth and honor, as euer any had done before him, and to this braue heroicall scale of Discouery, had now added diuers noble and spacious |