world to be compared with it; and the like affirmeth Domingo de Vera who was Campe Maister and Generall for Anthony Bereo in this Discouery, and no lesse saith Rodrigo de Caranoa Register for the Sea, and many others: So that to The conclusion. conclude your trouble and the tediousnes of my weary discourse, this Empire is that rich Magazany which yet hath her Maidenhead neuer sackt, turn'd, nor wrought, the face of the earth hath not beene turnd nor the vertue and salt of the soyle spent by manurance, The graues haue not been opened for Gold, the Mines not broken with the sledge or pickaxe, nor their Images puld downe out of their Temples. It hath neuer beene entred by any army of strength, and neuer conquered or possessed by any Christian Prince: Besides by the report of all former Discouerers, especially our Generall, it is so defensible and easie to bee kept from the assaults of any inuaders, that if two Forts bee builded in one of the Prouinces which he beheld and tooke especiall note of; the flood setteth in so neere the banke where the channell also lyeth that no Ship can passe vp, but within a pikes length, of the artillery, first of the one, and afterwards of the other, which two Forts he supposeth will bee sufficient guard, both to the Empire of Inga, and to one hundred other seuerall Kingdomes, all lying within the great Riuer of Orenoque, euen to the Citty of Quito in Peru. Of this Empire if it shall please God to make the King our Maister Soueraigne, what honor and reward it will bring him and his Subiects may easily bee coniectured by what is before written; and since it is or may bee vndertaken by his owne vassaile, and one who is bound in extraordinary bonde more then euery common Subiect, to spend the vttermost of his life in the same, no doubt but hee will effect it with that wisedome, diligence, and care which shall bee sutable to the greatnes of the action, and the trust reposed, being thus far forth further encouraged by Anthonio Bereo the Spaniard, who in great earnestnes, and A strange Pro. Vpon his Soules health protested, that hee had phesie. seene amongst diuers most antient Prophesies in Peru (at such time as that Empire was reduced to the Spanish obedience) one that affirmed, that from Inglatierra (which is to say, England) those Ingas should bee againe in time to come restored and deliuered from the seruitude of the former Conquerors, and this hee auowed to haue seene in diuers of their most principall and chiefest Temples, preserued with great reuerence and care, and till this day beleeued of all the Indians: Now an entrance in former yeares our Generall did make, as you haue read, with that successe that not any before or since hath euer equalled & displanted the first garrisons, if then now he suc ceed ceed and haue fortune answerable to his rare wisedome, industry and direction, whether it bee in this or any other to himselfe onely concealed, there is no doubt but (God assisting) hee will with such honor and high thoughts, passe and go thorow the same, that his nation shall haue praise, his friendes comfort, and himselfe the true aduancement of his merits. But to giue you a little tast of what hath succeeded in our present lourney, you shall vnderstand that we departed from Plimouth to Corke in Ireland, where after some refreshment wee set saile out of the riuer of Corke, and thence sailed more than three Moneths before we came to the Coast of Guiana, which albeit generally it bee euer run in seauen or eight weekes, yet were the windes so strangely crosse vnto vs, (a thing seldome seene in that passage) that in lesse time we could not effect our purpose: So that vpon the seauenth day of Nouember last past, 1617. wee discouered the Coast of Guiana, during which time of our being at Sea, we had a great visitation of Sicknesse, so that many were sick, and some are dead, amongst which, the most eminent persons that dyed were these. Captaine John Pygot our Lieftenant Generall, worthy Captaine Hastings, my Lord of Huntingtons brother, a Gentleman of so much foreward hope, and goodnes, that that he was couered with many teares, and much mourning; also there died Maister Talbot Scholler, which hath been long imployed by our Generall; M. Newball, the maister Chirurgeon of our Generalls Ship, and others, with which I will not trouble your eares. Vpon the discouering of the Coast, we came into the faire Riuer of Caliana, being (as it appeareth to me) a branch of Oerenoque, where my Lord, our Generall cast Anchor, and doth purpose to refresh his sick men, and to take in fresh water and other necessary prouisions, of which that Coast aboundeth, and so to proceed in his enterprise which God in his mercy prosper, for our hopes euery day grow stronger and stronger. This part of Guiana in which we now are, is to me a very Paradise, and so excellent in all perfections and beauties, that Nature seemes only here to haue her Temple; we haue euen now (being the Month of Nouember) a much more delicate Sommer, then is in England at Mid-sommer, the Sun and Ayre so wholesome & pleasant without offence or scorching, the trees & ground so brauely flourishing, and euery thing in Generall so absolute and full of fruitfull promise, that more cannot be by man desired: for mine own part I dare assure you, that in my life time I neuer saw or tasted more strange, more delicate, & more pleasant fruits, then heere we may continually gather in most infinite aboundance, being besides so wondrous wholsome and vnoffensiue, that I haue not heard any any complaine either of surfet, or other accidentall sicknes, as wormes, fluxes & such like, which commonly follow the much eating of sweet and pleasant fruit. To enter into a Description of the beautifull prospect of this Country which wee now see, although it be but the out-borders and skirts of the Empire, so neare a neighbour to the maine Ocean, that in reason it should promise the least fertilitie; yet I say againe, to describe the goodlinesse thereof, the brauery of the Hils, and comlinesse of the vallies, both shadowed and adorned with goodly tall green trees; the pleasantnesse and coolnesse of the Riuers which runne and mixe themselues in the most conuenientest places, plentifully stored with fish of seuerall natures; the variety of rare coloured Birds which flie vp and down in euery place about vs, no colour almost vnder the Sun but being reuealed in their feathers were to draw a Landskip of that excellent perfection, which no Art could better, hardly imitate. For truely hitherto to mine eye this Country hath appeared a very earthly Paradise, and therefore doubtlesse is full of strong promises, that our attemptings cannot returne without much honour and reward, a rent hopefully due to euery such noble action. But since it yet resteth in hope, I will leaue it to the will and direction of the great GOD of Heauen: To whose protection I refer you, with this assurance, that as our successe shall happen, and the action either decrease or diminish, so you shall by writing more amply vnderstand thereof. From the Riuer of Caliana on the Coast of Guiana, this seauenteenth of Nouember, 1617. R. M. FINIS. |