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cause_n	great_a	king_n	war_n	4,472	5	6.2395	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65182	Voyages and discoveries in South-America the first up the river of Amazons to Quito in Peru, and back again to Brazil, perform'd at the command of the King of Spain by Christopher D'Acugna : the second up the river of Plata, and thence by land to the mines of Potosi by Mons Acarete : the third from Cayenne into Guiana, in search of the lake of Parima, reputed the richest place in the world by M. Grillet and Bechamel : done into English from the originals, being the only accounts of those parts hitherto extant : the whole illustrated with notes and maps.	Acuña, Cristóbal de, b. 1597. Nuevo descubrimiento del gran rio de las Amazonas. English.; Acarete, du Biscay, 17th cent. Relation des voyages dans la rivière de la Plate. English.; Grillet, Jean, 1624-1677. Journal du voyage qu'on fait les Per̀es Jean Grillet et François Bećhamel ... dans la Goyane l'an 1674. English.; Béchamel, François, 1637-1676.	1698 (1698)	Wing V746; ESTC R1215	153,168	365

of Fruitful Plains and partly of Forrests full of Algarobe and Palm-trees which bear Dates somewhat less than those in the East-Countries as well as many other sorts of Trees and Plants amongst others those that yield Pitch and those that produce Cocheneil and Cotton There are divers small Lakes about which there are great quantities of Salt produc'd which is us'd by the People of that Country I stay'd one day at Esseco to prepare my self some Provisions to live upon It 's Situation is upon a very handsome broad River which yet may be foarded on Horseback This Town was formerly as big and as considerable as Cordona but is now ruin'd there being not above 30 Families left in it for the rest deserted it because of the great number of Tigers that infested 'em devouring their Children and sometimes Men when they could surprize 'em besides an incredible number of Venemous Flies that sting very smartly with which the Country is fill'd for four or five Leagues about the Town so that there 's no going abroad without being mask'd This Country is also sufficiently Fruitful in Wheat Barley Vines and other Fruit-trees and would abound in Cattle if the Tigers did not devour ' em From Esseco to Salta is 15 Leagues And this space of Land would be like that I have just now spoken of but that it is Gravelly in some places One may easily discern Salta about 2 Leagues before one comes at it because it stands in the middle of a fine Plain which is fertile in Corn Grapes and other sorts of Fruit Cattle and other necessaries of Life Encompass'd in some places with Hills and some pretty high Mountains The Town is upon the bank of a Little River over which there is a Bridge It may contain about 400 Houses and 5 or 6 Churches and Convents the Structure of which is like that of those I have before describ'd 'T is not encompass'd with any Walls Fortifications or Ditches but the Wars the Inhabitants have had with their Neighbours have train'd them in Martial Discipline and render'd 'em more careful to have Arms in a readiness than formerly They are about 500 Men who all bear Arms besides Slaves Moulatos and Blacks who are three times as many 'T is a place of great resort because of the considerable Trade they have in Corn Meal Cattle Wine Salted Meat Tallow and other Commodities wherewith they Trade with the Inhabitants of Peru. Twelve Leagues beyond it lies Xuxui which is the last Town of Tucuman on the side of Peru. There are up and down on the Road a great many Cottages or Farms and more than in any other place tho' the Country is not so pleasant nor so fruitful being almost nothing else but Hills and Mountains This Town of Xuxui contains about 300 Houses 'T is not very full of People because of the continual Wars the Inhabitants of it as well as those of Salta have with the Savages of the Valley of Calchaqui who are continually harasing of ' em The Cause that set these Wars on Foot is as follows The Governor of Tucuman Don Alonso de Mercado and de Villa Corta having receiv'd Information that the House of the last Incas or Kings of Peru which was call'd the White-house was in this Valley and that there was a great deal of Treasure there which the Natives kept as a mark of their Ancient Grandeur gave advice of it to his Catholick Majesty and begg'd leave to make a Conquest of it and subject it to his Government as it had far'd with so many other places which he obtain'd To accomplish his design he thought meet to employ Don Pedro Bohoriers a Moor and Native of Estramadura as being a Person who had been accustom'd to converse with Savage People and was capable of carrying on Intreagues amongst 'em and so more fit than another to make this design succeed but the business had a quite contrary Event For this Bohoriers when he was got among the Savages of this Valley and had gain'd their Affections instead of acquitting himself of his Commission endeavor'd to establish himself in Power amongst 'em in which he succeeded so well that by his Craft and good address he brought 'em to choose and acknowledge him for their King after which he declar'd himself against this Spanish Governor and began a War with him towards the end of 1638 and several times routed him and his Forces which gave occasion to several of the Indian Natives that were under the Dominion of the Spaniards to throw of their Yoke and joyn with the People of this Valley who by these additions have render'd themselves somewhat formidable Hither also the Slaves of Peru particularly those that serve in the Mines fly when they can find an opportunity to make their escape And the safe retreat they find here draws a great number of 'em to this place insomuch that the Spaniards would not have half Men enough to work in the Mines if they did not get Negros from Congo Angola and other places on the Coast of Guinea by means of divers Genoese that go thither to fetch 'em and sell 'em to them at a price concerted between ' em From Xuxui to Potosi they count a 100 Leagues the way is very troublesome and there is but this one Road to go from Tucuman to Peru. Two Leagues from Xuxui I began to advance to the Mountains between which there 's a little and very narrow Valley that reaches as far as Omagoaca which is 20 Leagues beyond and along it there runs a small River which one is oblig'd to pass and repass very often Before you are got 4 Leagues in this Road you meet with Vulcanos or Burning Mountains full of Sulphurous matter which break out in Flames from time to time and sometimes burst open and throw quantities of Earth into the Valley which makes the way so dirty when a Rain comes soon after it as it almost always happens that sometimes you must be forc'd to stay Five or Six Months or till the Summer comes to dry it to make it passable These Vulcanos continue for 2 Leagues upon this Road and in all this space there are no Houses either of Spaniards or Savages but beyond it all along as far as Omagoaca there are a great many little Cottages inhabited only by Indians and depending on some Towns of theirs which are govern'd by their Chiefs whom they call Couracas who have a Cacique over them whose Orders they obey and whose residence is at Omagoaca which is a Town of 200 Houses built of Earth and standing in no good Order The Land about it is none of the best however they sow Wheat there and a great quantity of Millet which the Indians ordinarily use As for Cattle they have very few and commonly eat Beef dry'd in the Sun which is brought them by those that Trade with 'em they have also Goats and Sheep of their own Product The most of these Savages are Catholicks

beyond what they are in Spain they never go abroad unless it be to go to Mass or to make some Visit or to some publick Feast and that but rarely The Women here are generally addicted to excess in taking Coca This is a Plant that comes from the side of Cusco which when it is made up in Rowls and dry'd they chew as some do Tobacco they are so heated and sometimes absolutely fuddled by it that they have no command of themselves at all 'T is likewise often us'd by the Men and has the same effects upon them They are otherwise very Temperate in eating and drinking tho' they have before dwelt in places well stor'd with all sort of Provisions as Beef Mutton Fowls Venizon raw and preserv'd Fruits Corn and Wine which are brought hither from other parts and some from a great distance which makes these Commodities dear so that the meaner sort of People especially those that have very little before-hand would find it hard enough to live there if Money were not very plenty and easie to be got by them that are willing to work The best and finest Silver in all the Indies is that of the Mines of Potosi the principal of which are found in the Mountain of Aranzasse where besides the prodigious quantities of Silver that have been taken out of Veins in which the Mettal evidently appear'd and which are now exhausted there is almost as great quantities of it found in places where they had not digg'd before nay from some of the Earth which they threw aside formerly when they open'd the Mines and made Pits and Cross-ways in the Mountains they have taken Silver and have found by this that the Silver has been form'd since that time which shews how proper the Quality of this Ground is for the production of that Metal But indeed this Earth does not yield so much as the Mines that are found by Veins among the Rocks There are besides these another sort of Veins of Earth which they call Paillaco which are as hard as a Stone and of the Colour of Clay which were slighted heretofore and yet as Experience has since taught were not so contemptable as was suppos'd since Silver is got out of 'em with so little Charge that there is no inconsiderable profit found in the Work Besides the Mines of this Mountain there are a great many others about the Country at a greater distance that are pretty good amongst others those of Lippes of Carangas and of Porco but those of Ouroures that have been lately discover'd are better The King of Spain does not cause any of these Mines to be wrought on his own account but leaves 'em to those Persons that make the Discovery of 'em who remain Masters of 'em after the Corregidor has visited 'em and declar'd 'em Proprietors on the accustom'd Conditions and Privileges The same Corregidor describes and marks out the superfices of the Ground in which they are allow'd to open the Mine on the outside which does not for all that limit or restrain their work under-ground every Man having liberty to follow the Vein he has found let the extent and depth of it reach never so far tho' it should cross that which another has digged near it All that the King reserves for himself besides the Duties we shall hereafter speak of is to give a general direction by his Officers for all the work of the Mines and to order the number of Savages to be employ'd in 'em to prevent the disorders that would arise if every Proprietor of the Mines should have liberty to set as many of 'em to work as he pleas'd which would frequently give occasion to those that are most powerful and Rich to ingross and have so great a Number of 'em that few or none would remain for others to employ to keep their work going forward for this would be contrary to the Kings Interest which is to make Provision that that there be a sufficient number of Slaves for all the Mines that are open'd For this end he obliges all the Couracas or Chiefs of the Savages to furnish every one a certain number which they must always keep compleat or else are forc'd to give twice as much Money as would have been paid in Wages to those that are wanting if they had been present Those that are destin'd for the Mines of Potosi don't amount to above Two thousand and two or three hundred these are brought and put into a great Enclosure which is at the Foot of the Mountain where the Corregidor makes a distribution of 'em to the Conductors of the Mines according to the Number they want and after Six days constant Work the Conductor brings 'em back the Saturday following to the same place where the Corregidor causes a review to be made of 'em to make the owners of the Mines give 'em the Wages that are appointed 'em and to see how many of 'em are dead that the Couracas may be oblig'd to supply the number that is Wanting for there 's no Week passes but some of 'em die either by divers accidents that Occur as the tumbling down of great quantities of Earth and falling of Stones or by Sickness and other Casualties They are sometimes very much incommoded by Winds that are shut up in the Mines the coldness of which joyn'd to that of some parts of the Earth chills 'em so excessively that unless they chew'd Coca which heats and fuddles 'em it would be intolerable to ' em Another great hardship which they suffer is that in other places the Sulphurous and Mineral Vapours are are so great that it strangely drys 'em up so that it hinders 'em from free respiration and for this they have no other remedy than the Drink which is made with the Herb of Paraguay of which they prepare a great quantity to refresh and moisten 'em when they come out of the Mines at the times appointed for eating or sleeping this Drink serves 'em also for Physick to make 'em Vomit and cast up whatever incommodes their Stomachs Among these Savages they ordinarily choose the best Workmen to break up the Oar between the Rocks this they do with Iron-barrs which the Spaniards call Palancas and other Instruments of Iron others serve to carry what they digg in little Baskets to the entrance of the Mine others to put it in Sacks and load it upon a sort of great Sheep which they call Carneros de la Tierra they are taller than Asses and commonly carry Two hundred Pound weight these serve to carry it to the Work-houses which are in the Town along the River which comes from the Lake I have spoken of before In these Work-houses which are a Hundred and twenty in Number the Oar is refined of which take the following account They first beat it well upon Anvils with certain great Hammers which a Mill continually keeps at work when they are pretty well reduc'd to Powder they pass it thro' a fine Sieve

nothing in the World touches 'em more sensibly than to talk to 'em of leaving their native Country Not but that they received our Men very kindly and with a great deal of Joy when they landed in their Country We had large Experience of their Kindness when we lodged at one of their great Towns which contain'd above 500 Families where for a whole day they were continually coming to visit us bringing us Hens Ducks Fish Meal Fruits and all other things we wanted with so much Freedom and Confidence in us that the Women and Children did not care to go out of our sight Nay they frankly told us that if the Portuguez would let them alone to enjoy their own Houses they should come if they pleas'd with all their Hearts to dwell amongst 'em and that they would receive 'em and serve 'em as their best Friends as long as they liv'd CHAP. LXXIV The ill Treatment these People receiv'd from the Portuguez at this time ALL the Civilities of the Tapajotos were not sufficient to touch the Minds of People that mind nothing but Self-interest and the Gratification of their covetous Humour such as those that go to conquer these Countries proposing nothing to themselves in so long and difficult an Enterprize but to get a great number of Slaves to sell or truck for other Goods who therefore had scarce Patience to hear the Proposals of these poor People much less so much Justice as to treat 'em with Civility and Reason but having got a Notion that these People had abundance of Slaves to wait on 'em began to treat 'em as Rebels to commit great Outrages upon 'em and to menace 'em with a cruel War All things were in this posture when we arrived at the Fort of the Portuguez call'd Destierro that is the Fort of Banishment where their Troops were coming together to put in execution this barbarous Design I not being able wholly to hinder it however endeavour'd by the best Methods I could take at least to suspend the execution of it for a little time till I could give the Governour of Para advice of it He that was to command in this Expedition was Benoise Maziel the Governour of Para's Son who was constituted in the Office of Serjeant Major of the State He gave me his Word that he would not advance to put his Enterprize in execution till he had received fresh Orders from his Father But I had scarce left him before he embark'd as many Souldiers as he could in a Brigantine arm'd with Pieces of Canon and in other less Vessels with which he came suddenly upon 'em to surprize ' em These poor People immediately accepted Peace with a thousand Testimonies of their good Affection to the Portuguez and when they had submitted their Persons to their pleasure Maziel commanded 'em to bring him all the poison'd Arrows they had which was what they most fear'd These poor Wretches presently obey'd and they were no sooner disarm'd but the Portuguez made 'em all come together and inclos'd 'em like Sheep in a Fold securing 'em with a strong Guard and immediately let loose a great many Indians of their own Company whom they brought with 'em who for doing of Mischief are like so many unchain'd Devils and these in a very little time sack'd this whole Town so that they spoil'd and broke every thing in it they seiz'd all the Daughters and Wives of these miserable Creatures and committed such abominable Violences before their Eyes that one of the Company that gave me an account of this Action protested to me that he had rather never have any Slaves than to procure 'em at this rate and that he would sooner leave all those he had in possession than see such Cruelties committed again CHAP. LXXV That such kind of Treatment makes these People hate the Europeans and that they have as much Subtlety as Courage to defend themselves THE Inhumanity of the Portuguez did not stop here for they having no other design than that of procuring Slaves were not satisfied in having the Masters in possession therefore they endeavour'd to affright these poor Indians whom they kept under Guard with terrible Menaces and made 'em tremble at the thoughts of the new Cruelties they said they would exercise on 'em if they would not give 'em Slaves and on the other hand promis'd them that if they would they should not only have their full Liberty but they would consider 'em as their best Friends and besides would give 'em as many Iron Tools and Cotton Clothes in exchange for 'em as should fully satisfy ' em What could these poor Creatures do more than abandon themselves to the Discretion of their Enemies They saw they were in their hands depriv'd of their Arms their Houses plunder'd their Wives and Daughters ravish'd They therefore offer'd to procure 'em a thousand Slaves and sent some of their Company to get 'em together but these poor Wretches were fled away to secure themselves while the Town was pillaging therefore they could not possibly get above two hundred These they deliver'd to the Portuguez and promising to procure all the rest for which they had engag'd were set at liberty In the Condition these poor Creatures were they would have given their very Children for Slaves to come to a Composition with their Enemies as they have frequently done The Portuguez put all these Slaves in a Vessel and sent 'em to Maragnon and Para. This I assert as a thing I saw with my own Eyes This Prey was very grateful to the Portuguez and their Success in this Expedition so encouraged 'em and excited their Avarice that they soon made preparation to go and seek a greater Booty of this kind in another Province more remote upon this great River 'T is not to be doubted but they exercis'd still greater Cruelties because in these Expeditions there go very few that have any Honour or Conscience who might be capable of assisting him that commands to restrain the Souldiers Barbarities These things must needs enrage all the Inhabitants of this River against the Name of the Portuguez And I doubt not that when an Attempt shall be made to pacify the Commotions and allay the Hatred these Violences have caus'd among those People it will be found a matter of that great difficulty that 't will scarce ever be accomplish'd whereas in the State we left these People upon the River when we pass'd by their Countries nothing could have been more easy than to have made a General Peace with them These are the Conquests of Brazil so much talk'd of and this is the Traffick the Souldiers live upon and let me add this is the true and just Cause for which God punishes these miserable Souldiers to that degree that they are perpetually in War and Trouble and have scarce Bread to eat And I believe if it were not that God in some sort makes use of 'em to accomplish his Designs upon the Indians and that they are

him provided he would give him for 'em 22000 Hides at a Crown apiece 12000 pound of Vigogne Wool at 4 Livers 10 Sous per Pound ane 30000 Crowns in Silver to pay the Charges of Equipping his Ship which was perform'd accordingly But under the pretence of his Bargain and while the Leather was Loading in the Vessel the Captain under-hand sold his Richest Commodities and for the Value of 'em which amounted to 100000 Crowns he got at least 400000. Thus the Captain of the Ship and the Governor both made a great Advantage but this Governor whose Name is Don Alonza de Mercado and de Villacorta being a very disinterested Man and not at all greedy of Money declar'd that the Profit of this business was for the King his Master and gave him advice of it by this Courrier Being separated from these Vessels we came to an Anchor before Buenos Ayres but for all the Instances and Offers we could make one time after another to this Governor we could never obtain his Permission to put our Goods ashore and to expose 'em to Sale to the People of the Place because we had no Licence for it from Spain He only consented to let us go into the City from time to time to procure Victuals for our Men and such other Necessaries as we wanted He treated us with this Rigour for Eleven Months after which there happen'd an Occasion which oblig'd him to use us better and to enter into a sort of an Accommodation with us There was another Spanish Ship in the Port the same that a Year before had brought Troops and Arms from Spain to reinforce the Garisons of Buenos Ayres and of Chili of which I have spoken above which contin'd here all this time upon her own private business but the Captain that Commanded her could not manage his Affairs with so much secrecy but it came to the Governor's Ear that he design'd in prejudice of the Prohibition that was made to carry away a great quantity of Silver and indeed he seiz'd on a Sum of 113000 Crowns that was just ready to be carry'd of of which the Captain could have no restitution made and fearing a greater disapointment namely that he should be seiz'd he set Sail to return into Spain without waiting for any Letters for his Catholick Majesty with which the Gouernor would have intrusted him together with the Information he had receiv'd of the Intelligence the Dutch had gotten in the Country which he had a mind to send into Spain with all speed as well as some Persons whom he had seiz'd that were guilty of holding this Correspondence with the Dutch among whom there was a Captain nam'd Alberto Janson a Dutch-man The flight of this Spanish Vessel therefore oblig'd the Governor to alter his carriage toward us and to facilitate the Return of our Vessel which he thought good to make use of for want of another to carry his Letters and Prisoners into Spain upon condition we would take upon us this Charge he suffer'd us after a tacite manner to do our business and to carry off 4000 Hides but we having great Acquaintance with the Merchants of the Place manag'd our Affairs so well that under the Umbrage of this permission we sold all our Goods and brought away a Rich Cargo in Silver Hides and other Commodities after which without loosing any time we took our Course for Spain At our Arrival in the River of Corunna in Gallicia we receiv'd Advice by the Letters which N sent us to the Ports upon all the Coasts that there was an Order from the King of Spain to seize us at our return because we had been at Buenos Ayres without leave Upon this we resolv'd after we had sent the Letters and Prisoners that were committed to our Charge to the Governor of Corunna by the hand of the Sergeant Major of Buenos Ayres who came about the Affairs of that Country in our Vessel to pass out of that River and to go 6 Leagnes from thence into the Road of Barias where I found a small Vessel in which I loaded the greatest part of what I had on my own account and that of my Friends The Governor of Corunna receiving advice of it dispatch'd a Hoy after me to stop me but I us'd that precaution and diligence that this Hoy could never come up with me so that I happily arriv'd in France at the Port of Socca where I by this means sav'd the fruit of my Labours and long Voyage The great Ship which I left in the Road of Barias had not so favourable a Lot and one may say was ship-wrack'd at the very Port for having left the Road of Barias to get speedily to that of Santonge to secure all the Goods she had on board except 4000 Hides of which her Bill of Lading gave an account and having begun to put 600 Hides into a Dutch Vessel that she met there the bad Weather constrain'd her to put in at the Port from whence she first went out where she was Confiscated with all her Cargo for the use of the King of Spain under the pretence before spoken of that she had not the Permission of his Catholick Majesty for her Voyage While these things were transacting the Sergeant Major of Buenos Ayres Arriv'd at Madrid and the King of Spain having Caused the Informations he brought to be examin'd which principally insisted upon the necessity there was of sending new Recruits of Men and Ammunition to augment the Carisons of Buenos Ayres and of Chili the better to secure the Country against the Enterprizes of Strangers and also from the attempt of the Savages of Chili immediately orderd Three Vessels to be Equipp'd for this purpose the Command of which was given to N There was good store of Ammunition Embark'd in 'em but for Recruits of Souldiers there were but 300 Men of whom the greatest part were sent into Chili In the same Vessel there were Lawyers sent to form a Court of Common-Justice which they call an Audience at Buenos Ayres where there were only some Officers for the Decisions of Petty Matters before the Greater Causes being remitted to the Audience that is Established at Chaquisaca otherwise call'd la Plata in the Province of Los Charcas 500 Leagues from Buenos Ayres When N return'd from this Voyage he came to Oyarson in the Province of Guipuscoa his Native Country from whence he sent me an account of himself and we agreed to have a secret Enterview upon the Frontiers accordingly we met and gave one another an account of the Affairs in which we were both concern'd and by this account we found there were about 60000 Livers due from him to me which he has not yet paid FINIS A JOURNAL OF THE TRAVELS OF JOHN GRILLET AND FRANCIS BECHAMEL INTO GVIANA In the Year 1674. IN Order to Discover the Great Lake of PARIMA and the many Cities said to be situated on its Banks and reputed the Richest in the WORLD