Northward he enter'd into the Country of the Quixos where the Conquests of the Yncas of Peru ended This Province is forty Leagues in length and twenty in breadth and was inhabited by a People that never us'd to dwell together in Towns or Villages like those of Peru but liv'd in a straggling manner scatter'd up and down the Country CHAP. II. The way Gonzalles Pizarre took in passing out of Quito and the Difficulties he met with in his Journey THE March of our Adventurers was retarded not only by the Opposition they had from the People of the Country who disputed their Passage but also by continual Rains and Earthquakes so violent that many Houses were overturn'd and deep Breaches made in the Earth before 'em together with such terrible Storms and Claps of Thunder that any one but Gonzalles Pizarre would have abandon'd such an Enterprize as seem'd to be oppos'd both by Heaven and Earth However he with his Men did not give over their March for all this bad Weather but cross'd the Province of the Quixos till they came to the foot of some high Mountains all cover'd with Snow which make a part of those which the Spaniards call the Cordeliers and which bound the Province of the Quixos on the North. Tho the Rains still continued they resolv'd to pass over the Mountains but were not far advanc'd before the Rain turn'd into a Snow so thick and cold that many of the Indians were kill'd by it The Spaniards were likely to have undergone the same fate if they had continued their March as they began They concluded that nothing but Expedition could save 'em from the Rigor of the Cold and therefore left all the Cattle they had with them and lighted themselves of the rest of their Provisions and Baggage hoping they should find enough on t'other side of the Mountains When they were got over them they enter'd into a Valley call'd Zumaque which is a hundred Leagues from Quito by the account of good Geographers there they found abundance of Provisions and Refreshments and continued there two Months to acquaint themselves with the Country and to see if they could make any advantage of it But this Place not answering the great hopes they had conceiv'd of their Adventure Pizarre parted from Zumaque with sixty good Souldiers to discover the Country of Cannelle but in pursuing the Course he had taken towards the North he found the way so rough and mountainous that he was constrain'd to change his Road he therefore turn'd directly to the East and after some few days march enter'd into that famous Country call'd by the Inhabitants Cannelle from certain great Trees like Olive-Trees that are call'd so in that Place CHAP. III. The Countries near the River of Amazons discover'd by Gonzalles Pizarre HErrera the Spanish Historian says Pizarre exercis'd the greatest Cruelty imaginable on the Inhabitants of these Regions insomuch that he gave Men to be eaten alive by his Dogs This engag'd all the Country to put themselves in Arms against him so that he was oblig'd to encamp himself as in an Enemy's Country And his Cruelties together with the Despair he was in of ever being able to find what he was seeking after had like to have put an end to his Enterprize at once He was encamp'd on the Bank of a River which swell'd so much in one Night that if the Sentinels who perceiv'd the Water was apace getting ground of 'em had not warn'd 'em of their Danger they had been all drown'd but at the Alarm they gave 'em they soon secur'd themselves by making towards the Cottages of the wild People and Pizarre resolv'd to return to Zumaque not knowing what other course to take From thence he proceeded again with all his Men and after a March of four Leagues he met with a great Village call'd Ampua govern'd by a Cacique and found a great number of the Inhabitants in a posture of Defence expecting their Enemy But there was another and a greater Obstacle in his way than this Cacique and all his Troops and that was a River so wide and deep that he could have no thoughts of venturing to swim over it He could therefore find no better Expedient than to enter into a Treaty with the People of the Country and to desire the help of their Canoos to cross this River The Cacique receiv'd this Proposal with great Civility offer'd 'em what they ask'd and gave 'em as many of those little Boats as they desir'd and Pizarre made 'em a return of a great many little Spanish Toys by way of Requital This Cacique having receiv'd Advice of the ill Treatment many of his Neighbours had receiv'd from the Spaniards thought of nothing more than how to get rid of them And to deliver himself from the danger of the Company of such bad Guests endeavour'd to make 'em believe there were great Riches to be found among the People that dwelt upon this River some days Journey lower Pizarre both by his Actions and by the Mouth of his Guides who were his Interpreters return'd him Thanks for his Courtesy but finding no appearance of those pretended Riches he return'd to Zumaque very much dissatisfied with his Expedition However he had too much Courage to return back to Quito just as he came he had a mind therefore to attempt some great Exploit and by the Discovery of some other Peru to render himself as considerable as the Marquess of Pizarre his elder Brother He open'd his Mind to Francis Oreillane a Gentleman of Truxillo in Spain who was come to join him in the Valley of Zumaque with fifty Troopers well appointed He very much encourag'd his Design and tho the Rainy Season was not yet past that did not hinder him from advancing forward he left his little Army at Zumaque and having taken a hundred effective Souldiers and some Indians for Guides and to carry Provisions he march'd directly to the East CHAP. IV. The first News he receiv'd of this famous River and of the Riches of the People that dwell near it EIther the Ignorance of his Guides or the Hatred they bare him engaged him in a Country all full of Mountains Forests and Torrents so that he was necessitated to make Ways where he found none and to open himself a Passage through the Woods with Hatchets where none had ever gone before At length after many days March he pierc'd through as far as the Province of Coca The Cacique of which Province came before him and offer'd him all the Accommodations the Country afforded for his Refreshment Gonzalles promis'd himself much from this kind Entertainment and by the Assistance of his Guides enter'd into Conversation with the Cacique He inform'd him that the Country through which he had pass'd which was so full of Mountains Forests and Brooks was the only Passage he could have taken to come thither that it was extremely difficult to get through it but that if he were willing to embark on the
River you need only follow the Stream of it to enter into the Amazone and the Entrance of it is almost under the Line where the Province of the long-hair'd Indians begins ninety Leagues below the Port of Napo This is the third Passage which is discover'd into the River of Amazons on the North side CHAP. XLVI Of the River Coca and the River Pagamino which enter into the Amazone on the South side UNder the Line there is another River by which one may descend into the Amazone it passes across the Province of Quixos and is nearest to the City of Quito beginning at the City of the Cofanes where it takes the Name of Coca and from all along hence it amasses together such great Quantities of Water that it may well be said to make the principal of all those Channels that compose this great Fresh-water Sea The Navigation of this River is very troublesom and difficult by reason of the great Sreams of Water that trouble it all along till it meets the River Napo but this last and the others that enter into the Amazone on the other side of the Line toward the South are navigated with much more ease The first of these is the River Pagamino which is none of the most commodious and pleasant it is three days Journey by Land from the City of Avila which likewise belongs to the Government of the Quixos 'T was by this River the Portuguez Fleet enter'd and landed within the Jurisdiction of Quito This River enters into the Amazone below the River Quito and the Napo at a place call'd La Junta de los Rios twenty five Leagues below the Port of Napo When the Portuguez returned we found a better way to join their Fleet than that which they lighted on in coming into this Country For we went strait from Quito to Archidoua which likewise belongs to the Government of the Quixos and is under the Jurisdiction of Quito from whence by one day's Journey only which we travelled on foot it being in the Winter that is in the time of the Rains but might be performed on Horse-back at any other Season we arrived at the Port of the River Napo This River is great and rich and all the Inhabitants of the neighbouring Ports under the Government of Quito account it the Depository of their Treasures for they every Year gather from its Shores all the Gold they need to defray the Expence of their Families Besides this River abounds with Fish and the Fields near it are full of Game the Soil is very good and requires but little Charge to cultivate it It returns the Husbandman prodigious quantities of all sorts of Grain This is the principal and best Way that can be taken to go from the Province of Quito to the River of Amazons 't is much more commodious and easy than all the rest Yet I have heard on that side that near the Town of Ambatte which is 10 Leagues from Quito on the River Bamba there is another River that comes to discharge it self into the Amazone and that there is in it but one fall of Water caus'd by the Currents that at all obstructs the Navigation of it This way is very commodious to bring one into this great River about 60 or 70 Leagues lower than the Port of Napo by which means we may cross through the whole Province of the Quixos CHAP. XLVII Of the Rivers of Curaray and Maragnon THE seventh way of coming at the River Amazone is on the side of the Province of the Macas which also appertains to the Government and Jurisdiction of Quito from the Mountains of this Province there descends a great River call'd Curaray by following the Course of which you 'l fall into this great River at 2 degrees Latitude and 150 Leagues below the Port of Napo all the space of Land is well peopled with several different Nations The eighth and last Passage into our great River is on the side of St. Jago from the Mountains of the Province of the Maguas the most powerful of all the Rivers that render Tribute to the Amazone It waters all that great Country so distant from it and is there call'd Maragnon but at its Mouth and some Leagues higher it bears the Name of Tumburagna This River enters into the Amazone at four degrees Latitude and more than 300 Leagues above the Mouth of it it is so deep and has such impetuous Currents that the Navigation of it is troublesome and somewhat dangerous but the Assurances we have that there are great numbers of Idolatrous and Barbarous Indians inhabiting these large Countries it waters will make those that are animated with Zeal for the Glory of God and the Salvation of Souls easily surmount some Difficulties It was to make an Essay of so noble an Enterprize that in the beginning of the Year 1638 two of our Society pass'd through the Province of the Maguas in quest of these large Countries from whom I receiv'd a great many Letters in which they give an account of the endless Extent of this River and of the innumerable Provinces they receiv'd certain Intelligence of from time to time This River Maragnon joins with Amazone 230 Leagues below the Port of Napo CHAP. XLVIII Of the River Napo THis River Napo of which I have had occasion to speak so often has its Source at the foot of a great Desart call'd Aulizana which is 18 Leagues from Quito and which is very wonderful tho this Place is so near the Equinoctial Line yet this as well as many other Plains that are upon those Mountains call'd the Cordeliers is always cover'd with Snow that serves to temper the Heat under the Torrid Zone which is so excessive that one would think it should render all those Countries not habitable as St. Augustin says of them which yet by means of this perpetual Refreshment are the most temperate and serene Regions that have been discover'd since the Age wherein that great Saint flourish'd This River of Napo from its Source takes its Course between great Rocks which render it unnavigable till it comes to touch that place which is call'd the Port of Napo where the Vezinos or Inhabitants of Archidoua have their Plantations and Gardens there it becomes more smooth and less rapid and bears upon its Waters those little Canoos the Indians use for their Traffick however it retains something of its Roughness and Impetuosity for five or six Leagues below this Port and then all on a sudden becomes calm and smooth and so remains till it enters into the River Coca which makes the space of about 25 Leagues during which space it has a good Bottom and a smooth Course and affords the largest Vessels a very safe Passage The Conjunction it makes with the River Coca is call'd La Junta de los Rios the joining of the Rivers and this is reported to have been the place where Francis d' Oreillane and his Men arriv'd and made that Brigantine in which
encumbred either with Sands Flats Isles or impetuous Currents which after a few Trials become familiar The way propounded to the Cardinal was this First shun the strong Currents by passing aside into 2 Degrees of South Latitude then steer up agen by the Coast of Brazil at 30 min. South Lat. double the Point of Zaparara and sail to the South-west after that follow the Coast of the Province of Para and pass the Channel of the Isle of the Sun at 1 Deg. 15 Min. South Lat. and 26 Leagues from the main Sea lastly sail Westward leave the side of Para and keep the same Latitude to gain the Bank-side of Curupa and there enter into the best Road of this River at 2 deg S. Lat. and 30 Leagues beyond Curupa which is but 1 deg 30 min. on the same side of the Line Since that time the French being Masters of the Isle of Cayenne which they have fortified and cultivated to the North of the Amazone have not nor any other Nation that we know of planted any Countrey on this River but have contented themselves with making Journeys into Guiana particularly in search of the vast Lake of Parima which the Spaniards have long fancied to be the richest Place in the World calling it the Kingdom of Dorado whither all the great Families of Peru retir'd and built the Golden City of Manoa What grounds the Spaniards went upon in their Attempts to find out these Places at a mighty Expence of Blood and Treasure will best appear by the following Travels of M. Grillet and Bechamel who went beyond the suppos'd Longitudes of these Places and could not learn the least Tidings of them from any of the Indian Nations tho the Circumference of the Lake alone is generally reckon'd to be above 1500 Miles 'T is true some may object that this doth not wholly destroy the common Geography of that Country and give this plausible Argument that the simple innocent Indians are grown so extremely sensible of the cruel Dispositions of the Europeans that they begin now to conceal industriously every thing from them and lead them out of the way lest they should fix in their Country and exercise their Barbarities over them for by a modest Computation the number of Americans murder'd in cold Blood exceeds that of the People now living in Europe To this Journey a short Description of Guiana was thought fit to be annex'd being drawn up by M. Gomberville out of Original Papers for the Instruction and Vse of Mareshal D'Estrade Vice-roy of all the French Plantations in America The Notes are from another hand perhaps M. Villamont who was pleas'd to divert himself with such sort of Papers It remains now that we give some Account of what Voyages have been made up the River De la Plata In the Year 1512. Joannes Dias de Solis and again in 1515. was the first Discoverer of this Plate or Silver River wherein he and most of his Relations spent their Lives and Estates An. 1526. Sebastian Cabota a Venetian by his Father but born at Bristol in England went above 120 Leagues up this River and staid in it above 15 Months An. 1527. Diego Garcias a Portuguez made further Discoveries in it but nothing more was done till nine Years after when Pedro de Mendoza return'd with 12 Ships and 1000 Men. And about the Year 1540. Alvarez Cabeca de Vacca went and peopled the Provinces to some purpose At first they found much Gold and Silver with infinite numbers of different Nations soon lessened under the Tyranny and Devastations of their new Masters the Country prodigiously fertile the Rivers overflowing every Year upon the Stationary Rains as the Amazone and Orenoque in Guiana and as the Nile and the Niger in Africa Since then the Spaniards have been possest of this part of America and no Strangers have pass'd up this River to Potosi to give us any exact Relation thereof this of M. Acarete is the latest and much more copious and particular than that of Martin del Barco or the Dutch Journal translated from a Manuscript by J. de Laet in his Hist Ind. besides what is here related by Acarete of the Mines of Potosi is wholly new and merits our notice The way he went seems to be a shorter and a safer Passage to and from the Mines of Potosi than that usually practis'd by Arica Lima Panama and Porto-Belo especially now the Boucaniers are so well acquainted with those Seas and Countries but he has given a pretty good reason why the Spaniards don't open a Trade that way THE COURSE OF THE RIVER OF AMAZONS Described according to the Relation of F Chr d'Acugna by Monr. Sanson Geographer in Ordinary to the French King London Printed for S. Buckley A Relation of the Great River of AMAZONS in South-America Containing all the Particulars of Father Christopher d' Acugna's Voyage made at the Command of the King of Spain Taken from the Spanish Original of the said Chr. d' Acugna Jesuit CHAP. I. Of the Country in which the River of Amazons is situated Of its Reputation and of the first Discoveries the Spaniards made of it THE Spaniards were no sooner become Masters of that Part of America which is now called Peru but they extremely desir'd to make a Discovery of the great River of Amazons which some Geographers through a vulgar Error have call'd the River of Maragnon They were induc'd to attempt this not only by the Account they had receiv'd of the Fertility of the Soil and of the Riches of the People along that famous River but also because they had very good Reasons to believe that it took its Course from the West to the East and that receiving all the Rivers that descend from the Mountains of Peru it was a kind of Canal through which there was a Passage from the Southern to the Northern Sea Upon these Conjectures some Persons undertook to go in search of this River but to no purpose Others afterward made the like Essay but with no better Success At length in the Year 1539. Gonzalles Pizarre being made Governor of the Province of Quito by the Marquess Francis Pizarre his Brother who was Governor of Peru put himself in an Equipage to go to his Government and from thence to pass on to the Conquest of the Country of Cannelle He got together two hundred Foot and a hundred Horse partly at his own Charge and partly at the Expence of some that accompanied him in this Expedition which cost above fifty thousand Castillans of Gold Being arriv'd at Quito he order'd all necessary Provisions to be made for his Journey took a great number of Indian Slaves to carry the Baggage and set forward at the end of December in the Year 1539 with four hundred Spaniards and four thousand Indians He order'd for the Subsistence of his Men four thousand Sheep Cows and Swine to be driven along with 'em and taking his Course directly
River he saw before him or to follow it by Land he might assure himself that along the Banks of another River much greater than this he should find a Country abounding with all things whose Inhabitants were cover'd with Plates of Gold There was no need of saying any thing more to Pizarre to incite him to any kind of Enterprize who presently sent two of his Guides to Zumaque with Orders to his Officers to come and join him who march'd immediately and surmounting all the Difficulties of the way arriv'd much fatigued to the Town of Coca Pizarre having rested 'em some few days and afterwards put them in Battalia before the Cacique who was much terrified at them he amass'd almost all the Provisions of his whole Province to make a Present of them to Pizarre that by this Magnificence he might civilly acquit himself of his new Acquaintance who was more impatient of his stay than the other and the next Morning having filed his Troops along the River he took his leave of the Cacique presenting him with a fine Sword and put himself at the head of his Cavalry and followed the pleasant Course of the River This good way did not last long but they had Rivulets to swim over must go up-hill and down-hill in uneven ways and march forty three days without finding any Provision for his Troops or any Fords or Canoos by which to pass the River CHAP. V. The Discovery which Pizarre made of the River of Coca and Oreillane's floating on this River by Pizarre's order and so entering into the River of Amazons THis long March having mightily fatigued our Travellers they were stop'd by a very surprizing sight The River was press'd by two Rocks one on each side its Passage at no more than twenty foot distance from one another and the Water going through this Strait precipitated it self into a Valley and made a Leap of two hundred Fathom Here it was that Pizarre caus'd that famous Bridg to be made for his Troops to pass over which is so much boasted of by the Spanish Historians But finding the Way not at all better on the other side and their Provision growing more and more scarce every day Pizarre resolv'd to make a Brigantine to carry by Water all his sick Men Provisions Baggage and a hundred thousand Livres in Gold which they had got amongst ' em This was no small Difficulty but Industry and Necessity surmounted it and the Vessel being finished Pizarre embark'd all in it that hindred his March and gave the Command of it to Francis Oreillane with fifty Souldiers giving him express Order not to part far from him but to come every Night to the Camp He observ'd this Order exactly till his General seeing all his Men were much pinch'd with Hunger commanded him to go and seek some Provisions and Cottages where his Men might be refreshed Oreillane had no sooner receiv'd his Orders but he launched out into the middle of the River and the Rapidity of the Stream carry'd him as fast as he could wish for he made above a hundred Leagues in three days without the use of either Sails or Oars The Current of Coca carried him into another River which was much larger but nothing near so swift he made his Observation of it one whole day and seeing that the farther he went down the more the River widen'd he did not doubt but this was that great River which had been so often and in vain sought after The Joy he conceiv'd at his good Fortune so transported him that it made him quite forget himself so that he thought of nothing but the Enjoyment of this good Success and trampling upon his Duty Oath Fidelity and Gratitude he had now nothing in view but how to bring about the Enterprize he was contriving CHAP. VI. Oreillane hoping for an extraordinary Success from the Discovery of this River and being willing to have the sole Glory of it leaves his General and makes himself the Head of this Enterprize TO this end Oreillane perswaded his Companions that the Country whither they were arriv'd was not the same with that which their General had described that it had not that great Plenty the Cacique had told him he should find at the joining of the two Rivers that they must certainly float along farther to find that pleasant and fertile Country where they might store themselves with Provisions and besides that they all saw there was no likelihood of getting up this River again which indeed they came down in three days but as he believ'd could not make the same way back again in the space of a whole Year that it was much more reasonable to wait for their Company on this new River and that in the mean time it was necessary for 'em to go seek Provisions Thus concealing his Design he hoisted up the Sails and abandoning himself to the Wind to his Fortune and to his Resolution he thought of nothing but of pursuing the course of the River till he should discover it quite to the Sea His Companions were startled at the manner of his putting in execution the Design he had been proposing to 'em and thought themselves oblig'd to tell him that he went beyond the Orders of his General and that in the extreme want he was in they ought to carry him the little Provision they could find and that he had given sufficient Evidence that he had some ill Design because he had neglected to leave two Canoos at the Bank of the two Rivers as the General had appointed him for his Army to pass over in These Remonstrances were made to him chiefly by a Dominican Frier nam'd Gaspard de Carvajal and by a young Gentleman of Badajos in Spain call'd Fernand Sanches de Vargas The Consideration they had for these two Persons occasion'd a Division of the Company in this little Vessel into two Parties and from Words they were like to have fallen to Blows but that Oreillane stifling their Gratitude by his Dissimulation by fair Protestations and great Promises appeas'd this Disorder By means of the Friends he had in the Vessel he gain'd most of the Souldiers that were against him to his side and seeing the two Heads of the other Party left almost alone he caus'd Fernand Sanches de Vargas to be set ashore leaving him quite alone without Victuals and without Arms in a dismal Wilderness bounded on one side with high Mountains and with a River on the other He had more Prudence than to treat the Frier after the same manner yet he gave him to understand that it was not for him to penetrate any more into the Pretensions of his Commander unless he had a mind to be severely chastis'd After this he continued his Voyage and the next day being willing to know if he might depend upon all that were with him for the success of his Resolutions he let 'em know that he aspir'd to a much higher pitch of Dignity than what he might have
obtain'd in the Service of Pizarre that he ow'd every thing to himself and his King and that his Fortune having as it were led him by the hand to the greatest and most desirable Discovery that was ever made in the Indies namely the great River upon which they were sailing which coming out of Peru and running from West to East was the finest Channel in the new World through which one might pass from the Northern to the Southern Sea that he could not without betraying them all and without ravishing from them the Fruits of their Voyage and Industry make others share in a Favour which Heaven had reserv'd for them alone That as for himself his Design was to go into Spain to beg of his Catholick Majesty the Government of this great Country all along this noble River he promis'd them they should be all Governours of Castles and Towns and have other Recompences proportionate to their Valour and Generosity that they should only follow him that they knew him well that he was not uncapable of the Post he design'd to ask of the King and that it was certainly due to him for having made a Discovery of the Country That as for the Oath he had taken to Pizarre he disingag'd himself of it that he was resolv'd to be commanded by him no longer that he renounc'd the Power he had receiv'd from him and would have no other Authority nor Command but what he ask'd of them and what they would give him in naming him chief Commander under the King their Master in the Discovery of this great River CHAP. VII Oreillane gives his Name to this River The Change of the Name he had given it by a Fable himself compos'd to render his Discovery the more famous HIS Harangue was followed with a general Consent to make him the Head of this Enterprize He began to use his Authority in giving his Name to this great and famous River and not content to know the course of it he was desirous of discovering the Country it water'd He therefore went ashore to get Provisions and to acquaint himself with the Inhabitants But he found the People able to defend their Bread and had several Battels with the Natives who let him know they were not without Courage nay they were so stout and resolute in the defence of their Country that the Women mix'd themselves with the Men in the Battel and seconded them with admirable Bravery both in shooting of Arrows and in standing their Ground 'T was this that gave occasion to Oreillane that he might render his Discovery more considerable and glorious to tell that he had enter'd into a Country of vast Extent along this River which was govern'd by Amazons a sort of Women who had no Husbands who destroy'd all their Male-Children and who came arm'd at a certain time every Year in a Body to the Frontiers of their Neighbours there to choose themselves Paramours to prevent the Extinction of so extraordinary a Nation And this was the reason why this River he had first call'd after his own Name was since call'd the River of Amazons However Oreillane pursued his Course with a great deal of Success and the more he advanc'd the more all things seem'd to concur to prosper his Infidelity As he went farther down he found other People not so warlike and savage as the others They receiv'd him with a great deal of Civility and admir'd all that he and his Company did and all that they had their Persons their Clothes their Arms their Vessel and every thing else They look'd upon 'em as a sort of extraordinary Men were willing to enter into an amicable Treaty with 'em and gave 'em as much Provision as they could desire CHAP. VIII Oreillane passes out of this River by an Arm that goes into the Sea near the North-Cape His Voyage into Spain to beg of the King the Conquest and Government of this Country His unfortunate Return and his End worthy of his Treachery OReillane finding himself in a Post so favourable to his Designs stop'd here for some time and caus'd another Brigantine to be made larger than the former because they were too much crowded in it He continued there as long as was necessary to inform himself well of the Country and having taken his Farewel of the courteous Indians he set sail After several days Voyage he happily came to the place where this River goes out into the Sea and sail'd out with it and taking good notice of the Places necessary to be observ'd for his Return he coasted along a Cape now call'd the North Cape 200 Leagues from the Island La Trinidada and sail'd directly thither where he bought a Vessel in which he pass'd into Spain and presented himself to the Emperor Charles V. at Vailladolid he so charm'd the Emperor with the agreeable recital of his Adventures and with the fair Promises he made that he obtain'd three Ships of him in which to return from whence he came with Orders to build Forts and Houses in those places which he should find most commodious and to take possession of the Country in the Name of this Prince His Dispatches were soon given but the execution of 'em was very tedious for he was above seven Years at the Court of Spain before he could put himself in a condition to sail About the end of the Year 1549 he imbark'd with all his Men but was no sooner got to the Latitude of the Canaries but a contagious Distemper passing from one of his Vessels into the others took off part of his Souldiers a considerable number of 'em was carried off soon after by the same Infection tho he was got no further than Cape-Verd when he was advis'd to return back to Spain He was so rash notwithstanding as to continue his Voyage and to promise himself the sight of the River of Amazons for all this And indeed he did see it and came to the Mouth of it with his Vessels but finding he wanted Men he order'd 'em all to come aboard his own Ship and quitted the two others But the number of his Men daily diminishing having built two Barks in an Island where he had made some stay he only reserv'd himself one of them of a pretty large size and several times attempted to get up higher into the River He was in fine necessitated to yield to his Fortune which had forsaken him and suffer'd him to go to the place of his Ruin He was cast on the Coasts of Caracas and from thence upon a certain Island call'd St. Marguerite where he lost the last of his Men and dying as well with Despair as Sickness he made Charles V. lose the great Hopes he had conceiv'd of so daring an Enterprize CHAP. IX This Discovery thus begun in 1540 remain'd imperfect till the Year 1560 when a Spanish Gentleman nam'd Orsua ask'd leave of the Vice-Roy of Peru to make this Discovery His Equipage and the beginning of his Voyage and
Generosity than the other and counted it no small Happiness to be able by these means to serve his Prince on so important an Occasion CHAP. XIX The Departure of Father D'Acugna The way the Spaniards and Portuguez took together to get to the River Amazone THE Portuguez General being prepar'd for his return to Para by the River Amazone and the Royal Audience of Quito having well consider'd that it might very much turn to account for some Jesuits to make this Voyage with him that they might take exact notice of every thing worthy of Observation on this great River and carry the Relation of it into Spain to his Catholick Majesty signified their Mind to the Provincial of the Jesuits which at that time was Father Francis de Fuentes who taking it for a great Honour that so much Confidence should be put in the Members of his Community as the discharge of so important an Affair confirm'd the Nomination that had been made of Father Christopher D'Acugna tho he was Rector of the Jesuits College at Cuence under the Jurisdiction of Quito and gave him Father Andrew Dartieda Professor of Divinity in the same College for his Companion These two Jesuits receiv'd their Orders by Patents issued from the Chancery of Quito the Purport of which was that they should go without delay with the Captain Major Peter de Texeira and that after they were arriv'd at Para they should go into Spain to give the King an Account of all they should observe in their Voyage These Fathers readily obey'd the Orders they had receiv'd and accordingly set forward on the 16th of January 1639 to begin a Voyage that lasted ten Months before they arriv'd at Para where they enter'd into Port the twelfth day of December in the same Year As they left Quito they took the way of those high Mountains on foot from which that great River of the Amazones derives its Sources a River which has nothing in its rise wherein it excels other Rivers but is so very much augmented in its Course that the Mouth of it is eighty four Leagues in breadth These Jesuits took all the care they could and labour'd with all possible Accuracy to observe every thing that was worth a Remark they took the Latitudes in every place of the River where they could do it they took an account of the Names of all the Rivers that run into it and of all the Nations that inhabit the Borders of it They took notice of the Quality of the Lands of the Goodness of the Fruits of the Temperature of the Climates and of every thing that is serviceable to the Life of Man they enter'd into Commerce with the People of the Country In a word they forgot nothing that they thought might conduce to furnish them with a perfect Knowledg of those Provinces which had never been entirely discover'd till then Therefore they that read this Relation are desir'd by one of those Fathers who undertook to expose it to the World not to disbelieve what he has written because he can prove that what he affirms for a Truth is really so by above thirty Spaniards and Portuguez that accompanied him in this Voyage and he hopes the Reader will not imagine he makes no Conscience of affirming things that are untrue in a matter of this Weight and Importance CHAP. XX. The general Idea which Father D'Acugna gives of this River and the Elogiums he gives it after he had view'd it throughout ON the famous River of Amazons is the richest most fertile and best peopled Country of Peru and without an Hyperbole 't is the largest and most eminent River in the World it passes through divers Kingdoms of a vast Extent and enriches more Provinces than the Ganges that vast River that waters part of the East Indies than the Euphrates which after it has run through Persia comes across Syria to throw it self into the Sea or than the Nile which comes out of the Mountains of Cuama and passing through Africa and the most barren Countries in the World turns them into fruitful and delicious Provinces by the overflowing of its Waters In a word the River Amazone nourishes an infinitely greater number of People and carries its fresh Water a great way further into the Sea than any of those mighty Rivers altho these have given their Names to entire Gulphs or troubled the Sea with their Waters to a considerable length A great many more Rivers fall into the Amazone than into the Ganges and if the Banks of the latter are cover'd with gilded Sand those of the former are fill'd with a Sand of pure Gold and the Waters that always wash them are continually discovering Mines of Gold and Silver in the Bowels of the Earth In short the Places it waters are an Earthly Paradise and if Men did but lend their Assistance Nature in that Country as they 〈…〉 all the Borders of that great River would be full of large Gardens perpetually fill'd with Fruits and Flowers It sometimes overflows its Banks and thereby renders all the Ground fruitful through which its Waters pass and that not only for one but for several Years After all these extraordinary Improvements the change of Seasons is not necessary to the Provinces situate near this great River They find every thing near 'em abundance of Fish in their Waters more than they can wish a thousand different kinds of Animals in the neighbouring Mountains all sorts of Birds in such plenty as can hardly be imagined The Trees always loaded with Fruit the Fields with a plentiful Crop and the Bowels of the Earth consisting of precious Mines of all sorts of Metals In fine among the vast number of People that dwell along the Banks of this River there are scarce any to be seen but what are handsome well made and very ingenious in all things they are concern'd about CHAP. XXI The Source of this River and the Emulation of all the Provinces of Peru about it TO enter into a particular History of this River I shall begin with its Original and as there have heretofore been great Contests between eminent Cities about the Birth of divers Hero's of former Ages so there is no less Emulation among the Provinces of Peru which of them should be the Mother of this great River because the true Source of it is unknown to this day The City of Lima as magnificent and as potent as it is boasts that she has the Mountains of Ganneo and the Cavaliers within her Jurisdiction and the Fountain-head of the Amazone seventy Leagues above her But this is not the Source of it but of another River that runs into the Amazone Others maintain that the Source of this great River proceeds from the Mountains of Moida in the new Kingdom of Granada and is call'd the River Caquetta but they are mistaken too and confound the matter for the Caquetta and the Amazone run separately above seven hundred Leagues and when they come near together
the Caquetta seems to turn its Course and running on the side of the Amazone at a considerable distance thus continues it till having at length pierced through the Province of Agnos it comes to add its Waters to that vast River But in a word Peru in general claims the Original of this great Work of Nature But the truth of this matter is that the City of St. Francis commonly call'd Quito has the sole Glory of producing this great Wonder of the World Eight Leagues from this City is found the true Source of this River beyond those vast Mountains that divide the Jurisdiction of this City from that of the Quixos at the foot of two great Rocks one of which is call'd Guamana and the other Pulca which stand at near two Leagues distance one from another Between those two Mountains is a great Lake and in the midst of this Lake is another Mountain which has been torn up by the very Roots by an Earthquake and so overturn'd in the Lake which is very deep and large 'T is from this Lake that the great River of Amazons proceeds within twenty Minutes of the Equinoctial Line Southern Latitude CHAP. XXII The Course of this River its Length its different Breadth and Depth THis River runs from West to East it continually coasts along the South side of the Equinoctial Line and is not distant from it above two three four or at most five Degrees in the greatest of its Windings From its Rise to the Place where it empties it self into the Sea it runs not above 1276 good Spanish Leagues tho Oreillane makes it 1800. It always proceeds in a winding Course and by its great Turnings which are like so many Arms draws into its Channel a great number of Rivers as well from the South as the North side of it It s breadth is different in some places 't is a League wide in others two three and more in other Places it does not widen it self any more for a long space as if it were to amass all its Waters and its whole impetuous Force together to discharge it self by a Mouth of eighty four Leagues broad into the Sea The narrowest Place of this River is a quarter of a League or a little less in two Degrees two thirds of Southern Latitude This Strait by the Providence of God is fitly situated for the building of a Citadel to stop the Course of the strongest Enemy that should enter by Sea through the Mouth of this River and if an Enemy should come down by a River that runs into the Amazon call'd Rionegro by building a Fort just where this River enters into the Amazone this Passage may be so secured that any that should attempt to get through it may be easily hindred This Strait is three hundred and seventy Leagues from the Mouth of the River from whence with Canoos and other light Vessels with Sails and Oars timely Advice might be given in eight days of the Arrival of any Vessels that the Fort at this Strait might put it self in a posture of Defence and stop the Enemy's Passage The Depth of this River is in some Places so great that no Bottom is to be found from the Mouth of it to the River Rio-negro which is near 600 Leagues there 's always at least thirty or forty Fathom of Water in its greatest Channel From thence upwards the Depth of it is uncertain sometimes twenty sometimes twelve and sometimes eight Fathom But at its Beginning it has Water enough to carry the largest Vessels For tho the Current be very swift yet every day without fail there rise certain Eastern Breezes that continue three or four Hours together and sometimes a whole day which hold back the Waters so as to retain the Stream in a degree of Motion that is not violent CHAP. XXIII The great number of Islands in this River and the means the Inhabitants use for the Preservation of their Roots at the time of its Inundations THis River is all full of Islands of all Sizes and in so great number that they are not to be counted many of them being very near one to another There are some four or five others ten and others 20 Leagues in compass That which is inhabited by the Toupinambi of whom we shall speak hereafter is above 100 Leagues about There are a great many very small Islands which the Inhabitants of the Country use only to sow their Seed in but all of these and the greatest part of the large ones are overflowed by the River every Year and these regular Inundations do so enrich them with the Slime and Mud it carries along with it that they would never become barren tho they should be every year sown with Yuca or Magnioca which are a sort of Roots which serve the Natives instead of Bread and with which the Earth furnishes them in great abundance Tho these frequent Inundations seem to be attended with great Inconveniences yet the Author of Nature has taught these Barbarians to make a good Improvement of them Before these Floods come they gather in all their Yuca of which Root they make a sort of Bread called Cassave which is ordinarily used in all the Coasts of Brazil and in many other Places both of the Continent and Islands of America They make great Caves in the Ground wherein they put these Roots and having well stopp'd them up with Earth leave 'em there as long as the Flood lasts this is an infallible way of preserving those Roots which otherwise would be subject to rot with the excessive moisture of the Ground When the Waters are run off they open these Caves and take out their Roots and eat them without finding them at all the worse for lying in the Earth Thus as Nature has taught the Ant to store up Food enough to nourish her all the Year no wonder she has taught the Indians as barbarous as they are how to preserve their Provisions seeing the Divine Providence takes a more particular Care of Men than of Beasts CHAP. XXIV The Bread and Drink made by the Inhabitants to these Islands and other Places that border on this River and the various sorts of Fruits Roots and Grain they live upon THe Roots of Yuca we have been speaking of serve these People for Bread which they eat with their other Food besides this they make a Drink of it which they all generally esteem as the most delicious and excellent Liquor in the World To make the Bread they squeeze out all the Juice of the Root and then beat and pound it till 't is become a kind of Meal of which they make great Cakes and bake them in an Oven this they call Cassave which has a very pleasant Taste when 't is new but after one day becomes very dry so that it may be kept several Months they ordinarily put it on the tops of their Huts that it may keep the more dry And when they have a mind to make their
Drink they take these dry Cakes and temper them in Water which they boil as long as they think sufficient over a gentle Fire This Paste boil'd thus in Water makes a Drink so strong by its great Fermentation that it fuddles 'em like our Wine They use this Drink at all their Assemblies and Entertainments as when they inter their Dead when they receive any Guests when they celebrate their Feasts at their Seed-time and Harvest in a word at all times when they meet this Liquor is the Spirit that animates 'em and the Charm that holds 'em together They make besides this another sort of Drink with a great deal of wild Fruit of which they have extraordinary plenty this they peel and put in Water with which when it is well mix'd it soon by Fermentation acquires such a Savour and Strength that it often has a more agreeable Relish than Beer which is so much in use in many Nations They keep these Liquors in great Earthen Vessels as they do in Spain or in lesser ones which they make of the Trunk of a hollow Tree or else in Baskets made of Rushes which they cover within and without with a sort of Pitch so that they don't leak in the least This Bread and Drink are not the only Provisions they live upon they have many other sorts of Food in use amongst 'em besides Fruit of various kinds as Bonanes Ananas Gouyaves Amos and a sort of very pleasant Chesnuts which at Peru they call Almandras de la Sierra that is Mountain-Almonds but the Truth is they are rather of the Figure of a Chesnut than of an Almond because they grow in Hulls that are bristly like those of our Chesnuts They have Palms of various kinds Coco-Nuts and Dates that are very well tasted tho they are wild and many other sorts of Fruit that are produced only in hot Countries They have likewise divers kinds of Roots that are good Food as Batates Yuca Mensa which the Portuguez call Machachora and Cajas which are like our Saligots and others which are good both to rost and boil have a pleasant Relish and are very nourishing CHAP. XXV The great Plenty of Fish in this River and which is the best sort of them FIsh is so common with 'em that when any one offers it to 'em they proverbially say E'ne put it in your own Dish There is so great a number of 'em in the River that without any other Nets than their Hands they can take as many as they please But the Pege Buey is as it were the King of all the Fish that swim in the River Amazone from its Source till it discharges it self into the Sea 'T is not to be imagin'd what a delicious Taste this Fish has any one that eats it would think it to be most excellent Flesh well season'd This Fish is as big as a Heifer of a Year and a half old it has a Head and Ears just like those of a Heifer and the Body of it is all cover'd with Hair like the Bristles of a white Hog it swims with two little Arms and under its Belly it has Teats with which it suckles its young Ones The Skin of it is very thick and when 't is dress'd into Leather it serves to make Targets that are Proof against a Musquet Bullet This Fish feeds upon Grass on the Bank of the River like an Ox from which it receives so good Nourishment and is of so pleasant a Taste that a Man is more strengthen'd and better satisfied in eating a small quantity of it than in eating twice as much Mutton This Fish has not free Respiration in the Water and therefore often thrusts out its Snout to take Breath and is by this means discover'd to them that seek after it When the Indians get the sight of it they follow it with their Oars in little Canoos and when it appears above Water to get Breath they throw at it their sort of Harping-Irons made of Shells with which they stop its course and take it when they have kill'd it they cut it into good pieces and broil it upon Wooden Grates which they call Boucan and being thus dress'd 't will keep good above a Month They have not the way of salting and drying it to keep a great while because they have no great quantity of Salt and that which they use to season their Meat is very rare with 'em and is made only of the Ashes of a sort of Palm-Tree so that 't is more like Salt-Peter than common Salt CHAP. XXVI The Means the Indians use to preserve their Fish in those Seasons wherein they can neither fish nor hunt THO the Indians don 't know how to keep their broil'd Fish very long yet they sustain no great damage by it because Nature has given them Industry enough to get fresh Meat all their Winter which is the time of the Rains during which they can neither hunt nor fish For this purpose they make choice of some fit places where the Floods can never come and there they dig a kind of a Pond of a moderate depth to hold a good quantity of Water which they inclose round with a Palisado of Stakes they bring Water into these Ponds and keep 'em always full that they may use 'em as Reservers for their Winter Provisions At the season when the Tortoises come ashore to lay their Eggs the Indians go to lie in Ambush in the places where they know they ordinarily come and when they see a sufficient number upon the shore they go and turn 'em upon their Backs to hinder 'em from retreating and when they have thus secur'd 'em they begin at their leisure to carry 'em to their Reservers for this end when they are at any considerable distance from their Huts they string all their Tortoises together with great Cords through holes that they make on the top of their Shells and turning 'em upon their Feet lead 'em to the Water where they tie 'em to their Canoos and so make 'em follow them home when they are got home they put 'em in their Reservers and unloose 'em feeding 'em with the Leaves and Branches of Trees which they throw into them and take 'em out to spend as they want ' em One of these Tortoises is enough to feed a numerous Family some time so that 't is not to be wonder'd at that these Indians are never reduc'd to Scarcity seeing they make Provision of so great a number of Tortoises having commonly above a hundred in each Reserver so that the proportion they provide for each Person in their Families is enough to maintain several People These Tortoises are as large as those Targets Souldiers formerly us'd to defend themselves withal and their Flesh is as good as that of a Heifer At the time of their laying some Females are found with two or three hundred Eggs in their Belly bigger than those of Pullets and as good tho not of so easy Digestion
At one Season of the Year they are so fat that a good Barrel of Fat may be taken out of 'em which is as good as Butter and being salted a little tastes extraordinary well and keeps very well too this will not only serve to fry Fish but is likewise as good for Sauces as the best Butter in the World so that these Barbarians have no absolute need of our Commodities but make as good Provision for their Necessities as the most civiliz'd Nations in the World can do 'T is not amiss further to remark two things in respect of these Tortoises one is that after they have made a Hole in the Sand above the Bounds of the highest Tides they lay all their Eggs at a time one after another after which they carefully cover them up with the same Sand they have digged up to make their Nest so that 't is impossible for any to discover the place of it Then they return backwards into the Water to prevent the notice of their true Track and never come ashore again till the next Year leaving their Eggs to be hatch'd by the Heat of the Sun which is always accomplish'd in forty days after which the young ones are seen to creep out of the Sand being about the bigness of a Crown and thus in a train like Ants they make to the Water The other Remark is that the Sea-men bone 'em and salt them and so carry 'em into all the Colonies of the Antego Islands a Trade in which many Captains and Merchants have found their Account CHAP. XXVII The Prudence these People have been taught by Necessity and the Confidence they have in the abundance of all things which they enjoy THE Indians of this happy River make this prudent Provision I have been speaking of for a Season wherein they seem to want every thing but their Winter being past their Fears are carried away with it and they have plenty of all things so that they never take care for the Morrow and because they don't think of wanting any thing the ensuing day they make no other Provision for it than in feeding themselves well to day that they may be the stronger and more ready in seeking their Food to morrow They have all imaginable Dexterity in catching all sorts of Fish that are in this River and have as many ways for it as there is diversity of Seasons When the Inundations diminish and leave Lakes in the lower parts of the Lands that have been overflow'd they have a very pleasant Trick to take the Fish that are left in those places They strike the Water with two or three flat Sticks with the noise of which the Fish are no sooner stunn'd but they come up to the top of the Water as if they were dead and suffer themselves to be taken up with the hand Not that it is the Noise that produces this Effect but the Quality of the Wood which makes the Fish drunk The Galibis who are the Natives of Cayen and of one part of Guiana make use of it and call it Inecou But the most common way of fishing which they use at all times and on all occasions is with an Arrow which they dart with one hand from a smooth little Board which they hold in t'other This Arrow having pierc'd the Fish serves instead of a Cork to shew which way it moves when it is wounded they pursue it in their Canoos and getting hold of the end of the Arrow they draw up the Fish with it they catch all sorts of Fish after this manner neither small nor great can escape their Weapons And there are so many sorts of 'em in this River and all of 'em so excellent that it would be too tedious a business to give an ample Description of ' em There is one amongst the rest which the Indians call Paraque which resembles a great Eel or rather a small Conger which has a very strange Property for if a Man takes it in his Hand while 't is alive immediately a Coldness and Shivering seizes him as if he were taken with a fit of an Ague but the shaking presently ceases upon letting it go out of his Hand again CHAP. XXVIII The abundance of Game that is found near this River and the divers sorts of Animals the People of these Countries live upon TO prevent the Disgust these wild People might have of Fish tho it were never so good if they should always be forc'd to feed upon it and to satisfy the Desire they might have of sometimes eating Flesh Nature has render'd the Land as favourable to 'em as the Water for it produces Animals of all kinds as well for the Necessity as for the Delight of its Inhabitants But among others there is a Creature call'd Dautas of the bigness of a Mule and very like one both in Colour and Shape the Flesh of which is as good as that of a young Bullock only it has a more faint and waterish Taste They have likewise a sort of Hogs in the Mountains that are neither of our domestick nor of our wild kind of Swine but of a particular Species which have a sort of Vent upon their Backs like a Navel All the West Indies are stor'd with this kind of Animals Their Flesh is very good and wholsome and at least may compare with that of the wild Swine that are taken in some Forests in Europe Besides these there is another sort resembling our Domestick Hogs they have also Renados Pacas Cotias Ignanats Agotis and other Animals which are peculiar to the West Indies and are as good as the most delicious sorts we have in Europe They have also Partridges and tame Poultry like ours which have been brought to 'em from Peru and which from one to another have been spread throughout the Coasts of the River of Amazons The many Lakes they have up and down breed a multitude of Geese and other Water-Fowl 'T is very remarkable how little Pains their Game costs 'em We often had experience of it in our Camp Every Evening when our Men went ashore after they had caus'd the Indians that were of our Party to make us as many Huts as were necessary to lodg us which took up some time our Company separated some went a hunting in the Mountains with their Dogs others went upon the River with their Bows and Arrows and in a few hours time we should see 'em return loaded with more Fish and Venison than all our Men could eat and this was not once or twice only but throughout our whole Voyage not without our great Admiration which gave us occasion to attribute this great Abundance to the mighty and liberal Providence of that God who once fed five thousand Persons with five Loaves and a few Fishes CHAP. XXIX The agreeable Temperature of the Air in all this Country what it is that makes Winter there and whether the Heat be great it being under the Line That there is but one Inconveniency there
ALL along this River and in all the neighbouring Provinces the Air is so temperate and the Seasons of the Year so regular that there 's no Excess either of Heat or Cold nor any troublesome variety of Weather For tho there is every Year a kind of Winter yet it does not proceed from the different Course of the Planets or Distance of the Sun for that always rises and sets at the same hour That which most incommodes 'em is the frequency of the Inundations which leave a great Dampness in the Ground and by their overflowing the Plains hinder 'em several Months from sowing and gathering in the Fruits of the Earth By these Floods they distinguish the Winter from the Spring throughout all Peru they call all that time wherein the Earth produces no Crop the Winter and they call that Season the Spring which they employ in sowing and gathering in not only their Maze which is the principal part of their Harvest but all the other Product of the Ground whether that which grows spontaneously or by Cultivation These Inundations happen twice a Year all along the whole Extent of this River We have observ'd that those who dwell near the Mountains of Quito suffer more Heat than those that inhabit along this River towards the Sea the reason is because there come Breezes from the Coast of the Northern Sea that continue two three or four hours in a day and sometimes more these Winds extreamly refresh the Air and are a great Comfort to those People that are less remote from the Sea However it must be said that the highest degree of Heat even in the Mountains themselves is no greater than is at Panama and at Cartagena for however violent it be in it self it is every where moderated by the gentle Winds which blow every day and not only render the Air tolerable and agreeable to the Inhabitants but have besides the Property of preserving all their Victuals and Stores from corrupting I have had the Experience of it my self in the Wafers we carried with us which at the end of five Months and a half since we parted from Quito were as good as if they had been newly made This made me and my Companion wonder the more because in our Travels in almost all other Parts of America we observ'd that Bread and other things of the least Substance corrupted in a little time And tho all this long stretch of Land is so near the Equinoctial Line yet the Heat of the Sun is not at all hurtful nor the Evening Air neither tho it be very cool and moist I have good reason to testify this for during our whole Voyage I have commonly pass'd whole Nights in the open Air without getting the least Pain in my Head or the least Defluxion of Rhume and yet in all other Places the least walking abroad in a Moon-shiny Night has very much incommoded me 'T is true at the beginning of our Voyage almost all of our Men that came from cold Countries had Agues but were all cur'd by bleeding three or four times We neither felt nor heard of any such bad Air along this River as there is in almost all other places of Peru that have been discover'd where People are sometimes in a moment taken with violent Rhumatisms throughout all their Limbs which could not proceed but from a sudden Corruption of the Humours and which in some degenerated to an incurable Palsy and cost others their Lives In a word were it not for the Heats which are in most of the inhabited Parts of Peru intolerable the Country of the River of Amazons might without Exaggeration be term'd an Earthly Paradise CHAP. XXX The Beauty of this Country and the abundance of Medicinal Simples Plants and Trees it yields THis sweet Temperature of the Air causes all the Borders of this River to be cover'd with a thousand kinds of lovely Trees the pleasant Verdure of which is perpetually preserv'd by the moderate Disposition of the Air a thousand Landskips were presented to our Eyes still more and more fine and more diversified as if they emulated one another and made us confess that Art had yet a great deal to learn of Nature when she discovers her self after so excellent and surprizing a manner The Ground is very low in most places near the Banks of the River but rises gradually at a distance with little Hills that adjoin to curious Plains all cover'd with Flowers without so much as a Tree beyond these are lovely Vales all cloth'd with Grass and Herbs preserv'd continually green by the refreshing Rivulets that run through ' em Beyond all this Extent of Ground are Hills rising one above another till they make those high Mountains which extend from one end of Peru to the other call'd Cordeliers because they are rang'd in order as if they were plac'd by a Line or Cord. There are a great many Thickets that produce all sorts of Simples which the Indians know how to use for the Cure of their Diseases There grow Cassia-Trees which bear the best Cassia in all the Indies There is excellent Sarsaparilla Gums and Rosins that are very good for Wounds and Bruises and a prodigious quantity of Honey which the Bees on all sides make in such abundance that the store of it is not to be exhausted This is as good to eat as it is for the Composition of various Medicines The Bees also make a sort of black Wax which is however very good and burns as well as that which is white or yellow There are a kind of Trees call'd by the People of the Country Audirouas from which there runs an Oil of extraordinary Virtue for curing Wounds There is another Tree call'd Copayba which yields a Balm surpassing the best that is to be had in the East In a word there grows a multitude of different kinds of Herbs and Plants of very great Virtue besides those that are not yet known which would suffice to make a new Dioscorides and a second Pliny And it would be a matter of no small Difficulty to give an account of all the Properties of so many different Simples CHAP. XXXI The Multitude of Trees that grow in this Countrey Cedars and other kinds fit for the building of Vessels and the Providence of Nature in furnishing this Part of the World with all Necessaries for that purpose except Iron THE Trees that grow along this River are innumerable and of a surprizing Tallness and Bulk I measured a Cedar that was thirty Hands breadth in Compass the Poplars are almost all of that size and excellent Timber for building either for Sea or Land Those Trees which are known in the Country are for the most part Cedars Coibos Palohierro and Palocolorado and other such like which are no sooner cut down but they may be safely used and the Vessels that are made of 'em may be launched as soon as they are finished There is no need of any of the Materials of Europe
for the building of 'em in those Parts but only of Iron for the forging of Nails and other pieces of Smiths Work necessary to the building of great and small Vessels All other things are found in this Country in great Plenty The Inhabitants make Cables of the Bark of Trees they have Pitch and Tar as good as are to be had in Europe and they have Oil either to render it firm and solid or to temper its Hardness one sort of which they draw from Fish and another sort they get from Trees They make a sort of Tow which they call Ambira so good that no better can be used for the caulking of Vessels and to make Musket-Match Their Cotton abundantly furnishes 'em with Stuff to make Sails and this grows the best of all the small Seeds they sow in their Fields And after all there are so great numbers of People that one might have as many Work-men and Sea-men as one pleas'd for the building and manning of as many Galleons as one should think meet to put upon the Stocks CHAP. XXXII Four things which abound on the Banks of this River which are capable of inriching great Kingdoms THere are four things along this River which being well manag'd would be capable of enriching many Kingdoms the first is Wood for building of which there is some found of a rare and particular Colour like fine Ebony and there is so prodigious a quantity of common Wood that is worth transporting that how much soever should be carried away the Country can never be exhausted The second thing is the Coco-tree which serves for the Composition of Chocolat with these the Banks of the River are covered and throughout our whole Voyage our Men cut scarce any thing else to make Huts of for our Camp This Tree is very much esteem'd for its Fruit throughout all New Spain and in all other Places where it is known what Chocolat is Every Foot of this Tree will produce eight Silver Rials all Charges paid And it may easily be suppos'd there 's no need of great labour to cultivate these Trees along this River seeing Nature without the Assistance of Husbandry and Art makes 'em bring forth Fruit in so great abundance The third is Tobacco of which there is a prodigious quantity along this River which is very much esteem'd by all the Natives so that if it were raised with that Care this Plant requires it would be the best Tobacco in the World because in the Judgment of those that understand it there can't be desired a better Soil and Climat for this sort of Plant than what is to be found on this River But that which is the most considerable of all and for the sake of which in my opinion it would be very well worth the while to make firm and substantial Establishments along this River is Sugar This is the fourth thing and the Traffick of it is more honourable as well as the Profit more sure and greater for a Nation than that of the rest And now since we are ingag'd in a War with the Dutch it ought to excite an Emulation in us and make us endeavour to furnish our selves with those Commodities our Enemies bring from Brazil and we ought to establish our selves with all Expedition in this Countrey and set up Mills and other Sugar-Works which would neither require very much Time nor Labour nor Charge which last is that which is most fear'd now a days The Ground is as good for the planting of Sugar-Canes as any is in the whole Continent of Brazil and of this we can give Assurance as having seen and known all those Provinces The Soil on the Banks of this River is white and fat of as good a kind as can be desired by those that know what belongs to the Cultivation of these Plants and it becomes so fruitful and rich by the Inundations of the River which by continuing a few days improve the Ground that there is more reason to fear too great than too little a Crop 'T will be no new thing to make Sugar-Canes grow in this Country because we found throughout the whole Length of this great River such as gave us sufficient Proof of the great abundance to which they might be multiplied whenever any People should apply themselves to cultivate 'em and to make Sugar-Mills which might be done with a little Charge at any time not only because there 's all sorts of Wood in great plenty as I have already said but also because there is the Conveniency of Water for 'em in as great quantity as one can desire There is nothing wanting but Copper which we may supply in sending it thither from our own Country and which we may be sure will turn to a considerable Account CHAP. XXXIII Many other Commodities profitable for Traffick which are found in this Country BEsides these four sorts of Commodities that may be brought from these Lands that are discover'd capable of inriching the whole World there are also many others which altho less rare would not fail to bring a considerable Profit to a Nation such as Cotton that grows there abundantly Rocou that our Dyers use to make fine Scarlet which is so esteem'd by all Nations that have Commerce with us Cassia and Sarsaparilla there are made also several Oils for the healing of Wounds which equal the best Balsams there are found Gums and Rosins of an admirable Scent and a certain Plant call'd Pita which yields the best Thred in the World and which the Ground produces in vast plenty and a thousand other things the Usefulness and Advantages of which are discover'd every day CHAP. XXXIV Convincing Reasons to shew that many of the Mountains of this Countrey must needs contain Mines of Gold and Silver I Do not speak of the many Mines of Gold and Silver which are discover'd in the conquer'd Countries nor those which Time may further discover there but I am mightily mistaken in my Judgment if many others may not be found in this Countrey more rich than all those of Peru tho the famous Mountain of Potosi be comprehended in it I speak not this without ground nor only with a design to advance the Value of this great River but found what I say upon Reason and Experience because I have seen a great deal of Gold among the Indians whom we met as we went down the River who gave us very certain Assurances that there were a great number of Gold and Silver Mines in their Country This great River receives all the Waters of the richest Countries of America On the South-side those rich Rivers some of which have their Sources round about Potosi others at the Foot of Guanico which is a Mountain near the City of Lima flow into it others come down from Cusco others from Cuenca and from Gibaros which is the richest Country for Gold of any that has been yet discovered so that on this side all the Rivers Sources little Springs and
Rivulets which run into the Sea for the space of 600 Leagues that is from Potosi as far as Quito render Homage to the River of Amazons and pay it Tributes of Gold as all the others likewise do that descend from the new Kingdom of Granada which is no less rich in Gold than all the other Provinces of Peru. And seeing this River is the great Channel and principal Passage to all the richest Places of Peru one may reasonably be assured that it is the Soveraign Mistress of them all besides if that golden Lake hath all the Gold which the common Report ascribes to it if the Amazons inhabit the richest Mountains in the World as many that say they have seen 'em assure us if the Tocantins abound so much in precious Stones and Gold as some of the French who have travell'd in their Country do affirm if the Omagnas with the Reputation of their vast Wealth were once capable of casting all Peru into confusion and of forcing the Viceroy to send a great Army under the Conduct of Pedro de Orsua to conquer their Country all these Places adjoin to the River of Amazons The Golden Lake the Amazons the Tocantins and the Omagnas are upon the Banks of it as shall be shewn hereafter and in fine this is the River that seems to be ordain'd by the Hand of God to be the Depository of those immense Treasures which the Divine Providence has reserved to inrich the Greatest most Valiant and happiest Prince upon Earth CHAP. XXXV The prodigious Extent of the Countries along this River THE vast Extent of Land along the Banks of this great River is as much as an Empire of 4000 Leagues in Circuit I think I am not much out of the way in my Computation for if it contains in length 1276 Leagues exactly measur'd tho Oreillane who first discover'd and past through it accounts it 1800 Leagues if each River which enters into it either on the North or South-side runs above 200 Leagues in length and in many places above 400 without approaching any Country that is peopled by the Spaniard on any side there being only various Nations of Indians that are yet unknown to be found from this River to those Places so far distant it must be granted that the breadth of this Empire would contain above 400 Leagues at least in the narrowest part of it which with the 1126 Leagues in length of our Account or 1800 Leagues by Oreillane's Computation makes very little less than 4000 Leagues in Compass by the Rules of Cosmography and Arithmetick CHAP. XXXVI The many different Nations which live in those Provinces to the number of abovâ— one hundred and fifty ALL the new World it may well be so call'd is peopled with Barbarians dispers'd in different Provinces who make so many Nations of which there are more than 150 of whom I can speak with good assurance I shall give an account of their Names and describe the Situation of their Countries having seen part of 'em my self and receiv'd Information of the rest by those Indians that have convers'd with 'em the diversity of their Language makes the Distinction of those Nations which are as large and as well peopl'd with Inhabitants as any of those we have seen in our whole Voyage the Country is so well peopl'd that their Huts are near one another and this not only in the extent of one and the same Nation but throughout so that the utmost Plantations of one Nation border so near to those of another that they can hear one another cutting Wood from the last Village of one Nation into divers Plantations of the other This near Neighbourhood does not at all serve to keep 'em in Amity one with another but on the contrary they are in continual War and are daily killing and making Slaves of one another this is the ordinary Misfortune of great multitudes and if it were not for this there would not be Ground enough to contain ' em They appear valiant and resolute among themselves but yet we never saw any in our whole Voyage who would stand their ground against our Souldiers and none of these Barbarians had so much Boldness as to put themselves in a posture of Defence but only made use of that shift which those that are cowardly and faint-hearted have always imbraced which is to betake themselves to flight a thing very easy to them because they go upon the Water in certain little Vessels so extremely light that they make to the shore as swift as Lightning and taking these Boats at their Backs retire towards some Lake of which there are a great many made by the River where putting their Vessels again into the Water when they are got in 'em they defy all their Enemies let 'em be who they will because they can't do the same with any Vessels they can have CHAP. XXXVII The Arms which these People use both Offensive and Defensive ALL their Arms consist in Javelins of a moderate length and in Darts made of very hard Wood which they work to so sharp a Point that they can easily pierce a Man through with 'em they throw 'em with so much dexterity They have besides these another sort of Weapon call'd Estolicas in the using of which the Souldiers of the great Irica King of Peru were very well skill'd this is a Staff of about six Foot long and three Fingers broad made as flat as a Board at the end of it on one side they fix a Bone made like a Tooth to which they fasten an Arrow of six Foot long the Point whereof is likewise headed with a Bone or with a very hard piece of Wood which they cut in the form of a barb'd Arrow-head so that where it hits it remains fast and hangs at its whole length they take it in their Right-hand with which they hold this Weapon by the lower end and fixing the Arrow in the Bone that is in the upper end of it they cast it with so much Force and Exactness that they never miss doing Execution within 50 Paces These Weapons serve 'em for War for Hunting and especially for Fishing so that whatever kind of Fish they can perceive in the River they shoot it let it be never so much cover'd under Water and that which is yet more to be admir'd is that with these Weapons they pierce Tortoises when after they are run into the River to hide themselves they thrust their Heads out of the Water to take breath as they commonly do from time to time after small Intervals they strike 'em with this Arrow through the Neck which is the only place in which they can be wounded because it is not cover'd with the Shell For Defensive Weapons they make use of Targets which they make of Canes split in two and which they so fitly and closely join one with another that tho they are much lighter yet they are no less strong than those others which they make of
in the Exercise of their Weapons their Conversation is sweet and peaceable and their Inclinations very agreeable We had sufficient Opportunity of knowing this by the Commerce we had with many of them For they presently had such a good Opinion of us that they did not make the least difficulty of trusting their Lives and all they had besides in our Hands Some of them continued with us a considerable time eating and drinking with our Men without shewing the least Suspicion or Apprehension of Danger Nay they had the Civility to give us their Huts to lodg in while several of their Families crowded themselves in one or two that we might have the Accommodation of the rest The Indians we had with us offer'd 'em a thousand insolent Affronts and we could not possibly hinder 'em from insulting over 'em but they patiently bore all and without the least Resentment All this together with the slender Veneration they seem to have for their Idols give us great ground to hope that if ever the Knowledg of the true God of Heaven and Earth and the Doctrine of the Gospel should be preach'd to 'em there will be a great prospect of their becoming good Christians CHAP. XLIV The principal Mouths by which the River of Amazons empties it self into the Sea and the chief Rivers of Peru that run into the Amazone WE have hitherto treated in general of this Noble and Famous River of Amazons now 't is but reasonable we should enter upon the Detail of our Account and speak particularly of its Sources and Passages I shall therefore give a Relation of its Ports and distinctly observe all the Rivers that seed it and maintain its prodigious Greatness I shall even advance into all the Countries it waters I shall make observation of its Depths in several Parts of it and of the particular Inclinations of the many sorts of People it maintains I design to omit nothing that 's worthy of notice because I have been an Eye-witness of it and having been sent by one of the greatest Monarchs in Christendom on purpose to make accurate Observations on every thing upon this great River it may be I am more capable than another to give an account of what was given me in charge I shall say nothing of the principal Mouth of this River into the Ocean on the side of Para for it has long since been known by all that sail into America it is well known that it lies under the Line at the utmost Confines of Brazil Nor shall I say any thing of that Mouth of our River by which the Tyrant Lopez Daguyrre invaded the Island of La Trinidada because I never saw it and those that have been there have told me there is no direct Entrance into the River of Amazons by the Mouth it being the Mouth of another River that has Communication with the Amazone by several Arms which from one space to another extend themselves far from it and enter into the Sea with this other River My Intention is only to give the Inhabitants of the conquer'd Countries of Peru an account of the Passages they have to the River of Amazons or rather of the Rivers of each Province that empty themselves into it I have already said that as we came down it we saw its Banks open'd by many Rivers and Rivulets both on the South and North sides Therefore if any embark on these Rivers they must necessarily fall into the Amazone But because 't is not certainly known from what Provinces they draw their Original and upon what Towns their Sources border and because 't is yet less known in those places whence they spring whether they fall into this great River or no I shall endeavour to remove these Doubts and shall treat of eight of 'em which I have taken particular notice of and all that know these Provinces will confirm the Report I give Three of 'em pass from the side of the Amazone and go down toward the new Kingdom of Granada Four others we saw on the South-side and there 's another which runs under the Equinoctial Line and at length empties it self into this great River CHAP. XLV Of the Rivers of Caqueta Putomayo and Aguarcio which come from the new Kingdom of Granada and enter into the River Amazone on the North-side THe first Entrance that we discover'd to fall into this River which may be termed a Sea of fresh Water on that side that looks towards the new Kingdom of Granada is through the Province of Micoa in the Government of Popayan following the Current of the great River Caqueta into which all those others that descend on the side of St. Foy Bogota Jimanas and Cagnan come to render Homage as to their Lady and Mistriss This River is very famous in the Countrey for the Numbers of Indians that inhabit the Banks of it It has a great many Arms that extend themselves into very remote Provinces and return to join themselves to that Body from which they separated from a great multitude of Islands that are all inhabited by an infinite number of wild People This River continually takes its Course parallel with the Amazone always running along by it tho at a considerable distance and from one Place to another sending Arms of Water towards it big enough to be taken each of 'em for whole Rivers at last gathering it self together at the Latitude of four degrees it discharges it self into our River and 't is by that Arm of it which is nearest to the Province of the Aquas that one must directly take ones Course to go down unto the Amazone because there are some Arms that tend towards the North and they that shall be so imprudent as to embark on this Arm will certainly be expos'd to the same Danger that befel Capt. Fernand Perez de Quesada who having embarked on the Caquetta with 300 Men and suffered himself to be carried along the side of St. Foy arrived in the Province of Algodonal from whence he was forced to retire with much more haste than he came tho he was so well attended with a good number of Men. The second most remarkable Entrance we find on the North side is by the Town of Pasto which also depends on the Government of Popayan From this Town you must cross the neighbouring Mountains called the Cordeliers which is a difficult incommodious Journey because of the badness of the Ways which you must travel partly on Foot and the rest on Horse-back You 'l at length arrive at the River Putomayo on which you must embark and sailing down it it will bring into the famous River of Amazons at the Latitude of two Degrees and a half and 330 Leagues below the Port of Napo The same Way that leads to the River Putomayo leads in like manner to the River Aguarico because when you leave the Mountains 't is but turning near Succombios and near that Town you meet the River Aguarico otherwise call'd the golden
he sailed and discover'd all the River of Amazons CHAP. XLIX Of the Town of Anose where Capt. John de Palacios dwelt with whom there were the two Lay-Friers who made their Escape down to Para spoken of before FOrty seven Leagues below the place where these Rivers join on the South-side is situated the Town of Anose which is a Plantation made by Capt. John de Palacios who as I said before was kill'd by the Inhabitants of the Country 18 Leagues below this Town on the North-side lies the River Agarico which enters into the Amazone this River is sufficiently famous not only for its Air which is none of the best but also for the quantity of Gold that is found in its Sands from whence it has had the Name of the Golden River these hundred Years At the Mouth of it on one side as well as t'other of the River of Amazons begins the great Province of the long-hair'd Indians which extends on the North-side for above 180 Leagues and continually receives great quantities of Water from the Amazone which makes divers Lakes of a great Compass and Depth The first Notices that the Inhabitants of Quito receiv'd of this Country gave 'em a very great desire to make a Conquest of it because of the great number of Indians with which this Province is peopled And indeed there have been at several times some Essays of this kind made but always in vain witness the last of 'em that had such bad Success when Capt. John de Palacios was kill'd as has been already said CHAP. L. The Place where General Texeira left his Fleet of Portuguez 'T Was in this Province of the long-hair'd Indians at the Mouth of the River which bears their Name and enters into the Amazone 20 Leagues below the River again that by the Order of General Texeira forty Portuguez of his Fleet with 200 of the Indians they brought with 'em continued constantly for the space of eleven Months At first they found nothing but good Entertainment of all sorts from the Inhabitants of the Country to whom in return they gave all Necessaries they had occasion for but this did not continue long This was too great a Familiarity for Men that knew themselves guilty of the death of the Spanish Captain for they being the Authors of this Fact knew well enough that the Blood they had shed cry'd for Vengeance against 'em and therefore being under Apprehensions of being chastis'd for their Boldness on the least occasion that should offer they mutinied and after they had kill'd three of our Indians took up Arms to defend their Lives and Lands The Portuguez on this occasion acted like themselves and presently sought to be reveng'd for it being contrary to their Humour to put up Injuries or to suffer Indians to take the liberty of acting with so much Insolence as this they betook themselves to Arms and with their wonted Courage for which they are so famous flew upon their Enemies and repuls'd them with so much Vigor that with the loss of a very few Men they killed a considerable number of Indians and took above 70 of 'em Prisoners some of whom died in the places of their Confinement and the rest made their Escape so that in a little time there was not one of them left These Portuguez did not get much by their Victory for they now found themselves reduc'd to such Extremity that they saw they must either perish for want of Food or else be oblig'd to go with their Swords in their hands to fetch Provision out of the very Mouths of their Enemies Accordingly they resolv'd to make Incursions into the Country and either by fair means or soul to get a Supply for their pinching Necessities Some of 'em went out to fight and others kept the Camp but both the one and the other in spite of all their Bravery did not fail to meet with frequent and violent Insults from their Enemies who omitted no fit occasion to give 'em all sorts of Alarms and to do 'em all the Mischief they could especially upon the River where they surpriz'd a great many of their Vessels some of which they pillaged and brake others of 'em in pieces and yet this was not the greatest Damage they did our Men for they laid Ambuscades for our Indians and cut the Throats of all that fell into their hands 'T is true for every Man they kill'd the Portuguez kill'd six of them but this Chastisement was nothing comparable to what the Portuguez used to make the Indians suffer for such kind of Revolts These People were call'd by the Spaniards who saw them first the Hairy Indians because throughout this Province the Men as well as the Women wear their Hair quite down to their Knees Their Weapons are Darts their Houses are Huts made very neatly and curiously with the Branches of Palm-Trees Their Food is like that of all the other Indians upon the Amazone They are always in War with their Neighbours at the Head of this Province of the long-hair'd Savages on the South-side on the other side of the River of Amazons they have for their Neighbours the Avixiras the Yurusnies the Zaparas and the Yquitos who are on one side enclosed by the River Curaray and on the other by the Amazone into which the former empties it self 4 Leagues below the Province of the long-hair'd Indians at near two degrees Latitude Eighty Leagues below Curaray on the same South-side the famous River Tumburagua which as I said before descends from the Province of the Maynas by the Name of Maragnon enters into the Amazone and is so impetuous and violent that it preserves its Waters entirely together while it runs with its ordinary Swiftness several Leagues forward into the Amazone without mixing with it which makes it extend above a League in Breadth at its Mouth at length it acknowledges the Superiority of the Amazone and pays it not only the ordinary Tribute which the other Rivers render it but another more considerable Advantage besides of many sorts of Fish that are not found in the River of Amazons till you come to the Mouth of this River CHAP. LI. The Province of the Aguas their Manners and Customs SIxty Leagues below the River Tumburagua begins the Province of the Aguas which is the most fertile and spacious of all the Provinces we found along this great River of Amazons the Spaniards vulgarly call it Omaguas by a corruption of its proper Name and to make it answer to the Situation of their Dwellings because the Word Aguas in their Language signifies without or abroad This Province is above 200 Leagues in length and is so well peopled that the Villages are situate very close one to another so that almost as soon as you are past one you discover another The Breadth of this Country in all appearance is but of small extent it being no greater than that of our River for the Habitations of these People are in all the
Islands throughout the whole Length of it which are in great number and some of which are very spacious and considering they are all either peopled or at least cultivated for the Sustenance of the Inhabitants one may easily imagine there must needs be vast numbers of Indians in a Country that extends 200 Leagues in Length This Nation is the most reasonable and best civilized of all those that dwell along this River This Advantage they received from those that not long since went down amongst 'em from the Countrey of the Quixos where after having had Peace with the Spaniards for a long time they were at last wearied with the ill Treatment they received from 'em and embarking in their Canoos suffered themselves to be carried down with the Stream of the River till they met with other Indians of their Nation upon whose Strength and Power they could rely and accordingly took up their Residence with ' em These last Comers introduc'd among the others several things they had seen practised by the Spaniards and taught 'em how to live after a more civil and regular manner They were all clothed both Men and Women with all the Decency imaginable their Garments are made of Cotton of which they gather a prodigious quantity and they do not only make Stuffs enough for their own use but make a great many to sell to their Neighbours who are mightily taken and that not without reason with the Beauty of those pretty Works with which they deck their Stuffs they make some very thin Clothes which are not only woven with Threds of different Colours but the Paint of 'em is disposed with so much Art in the weaving that the different Threds can't be distinguished one from another They are so submissive and obedient to their principal Caciques that these whom they look upon as their Princes need speak but a Word to have whatever they command put in execution This whole Nation has been so long accustomed to make their Heads flat that as soon as their Children are born they put them in a kind of Press forcing Nature after this manner with one little Board which they hold upon the Forehead and another much larger which they put behind the Head and which serves them for a Cradle and all the rest of the Body of the new-born Infant is as it were inclos'd with this piece of Wood they lay the Child upon his Back and this Board being bound fast to that which is upon the Forehead they make the Head of the Child almost as slat as ones Hand thus there being no room for the Head to grow but by spreading it self wide from one Ear to the other they are extremely disfigured by this violent Artifice The Aguas have perpetual War with several other Nations both on the one and the other side of the River On the South side among other Enemies they have the Curinas who are so numerous that they not only very well defend themselves on the side of the River from innumerable Multitudes of the Aguas but at the same time likewise sustain the Efforts and Shocks of other Nations that come a great way down the Countrey to make War with them On the North side the Zoeunas are Enemies to the Aguas and are by the Accounts I have had of them no less numerous nor less stout than the Curinas which appears in that they maintain a War against a great number of Enemies that come down from Places a great way up in the Country CHAP. LII The Love these People have for the Captives they take in War and the Calumny they bie under in being reported to eat ' em THese Aguas make Slaves of all the Prisoners they take in War and use 'em for all kinds of Service however they treat 'em with so much Love and Kindness that they make 'em eat with themselves and there 's nothing in the World displeases 'em more than to desire 'em to sell 'em as we found by experience on several occasions I remember once at our Arrival at an Indian Town they received us not only with all the Marks of Peace and Amity but even with all the Tokens of extraordinary Joy They offer'd us all they had for our Sustenance without requiring any thing in return We on our parts shewed that Civility to them that became us we bought their painted Cotton-Cloth which they very willingly parted with we desired 'em to sell us some Canoos which are better to them than the best and swiftest Horses and they presently offer'd 'em to us but when we began to talk with 'em about their Slaves and to importune 'em to sell us some of 'em this was to them the most uncivil and inhumane Discourse that could be one of them presently gave us to understand that he would no longer keep company with us another shew'd himself mightily troubled at the matter On the one hand they were very diligent to hide 'em from us on the other to get some of 'em that were with us out of our Hands in a word they gave us Signs enough to convince us that they had a greater esteem for their Slaves than for all the rest of their Goods and that they had rather part with all they possess'd besides than part with them And this being the truth of the matter 't is a malicious thing of the Portuguez to report that the reason why the Aguas are unwilling to sell their Slaves is because they fatten 'em and keep 'em to eat at their Feasts This is a Calumny they have invented to palliate the Cruelties they have exercised upon these poor Wretches I may farther add that at least as far as concerns the Nation of the Aguas I have found the contrary true by the Testimony of two Indians that were Natives of Para who came up with the Portuguez as far as Quito and ran away when they were arriv'd there who falling into the hands of these People were made Slaves and remained with them eight Months these assured me they had been out with them at their Wars and that they never saw 'em eat any of their Enemies when they had taken 'em and made Slaves of 'em 't was true indeed they said when they had taken any of their Enemies that had the Reputation of being Valiant and Great they kill'd 'em at their Feasts and Assemblies only out of fear of sustaining some considerable Damage by 'em if they should suffer 'em to live but that they did not eat these neither when they had kill'd 'em but when they had cut off their Heads which they us'd to hang up in their Huts as Trophies they roll'd their Bodies into the River I don't deny that there are some Caribees in those Parts that eat their Enemies without any Sentiments of Horror but this is a Custom peculiar to them and is not practised among other Indians And this I desire may be taken notice of and credited that Human Flesh has never been sold in any
of the Publick Shambles of this Nation as the Portuguez have reported who under the pretence of revenging such kind of Cruelties commit those that are incomparably greater themselves since they are so inhuman and barbarous as to make Slaves of those that were born free and independent CHAP. LIII The great Cold in those parts under the Line in June July and August and the reason of it AFter we were got down about 100 Leagues more or less into the Country of the Aguas and so had pass'd about half way through this vast Province we arriv'd at a Town of this Nation where we were obliged to continue three days we there felt it so extreme cold that those of us that were born and bred in the coldest Province of Spain were constrain'd to put on more Clothes This so sudden change of the Temper of the Air surpriz'd me and gave me the Curiosity to enquire the Cause of it of the People of the Country they told me it was no unusual thing in their Quarters that every Year for three Moons for thus they count and mean for three Months they felt the same Cold these three Months are June July and August but this Answer did not satisfy me who was willing to have a more solid and perfect knowledg of the reason of this so piercing Cold. Upon Consideration I found that the Winds passing through that vast and mountainous Desert which is situate a great way up in the Country on the South-side all those three Months and so bringing along with them the cold Air occasion'd by the Snow with which those Desert Mountains are cover'd cause these surprizing Effects in the Neighbouring Countries under the Torrid Zone And for this reason I don't question but the Situation of this Country is capable of making the Ground produce good Wheat and all other sorts of Grain and Fruits that grow in the Soil of Quito which is in like manner situated under the Line or very near it and yet is made very fertile and fit for all sorts of Grain and Fruits and this by reason of that fresh Air brought thither by the Winds that come off from the Mountains which are cover'd with Snow CHAP. LIV. Of the River Putomayo which comes from the new Kingdom of Granada and the River Yotau which comes from the Neighbourhood of the City of Cusco SIxteen Leagues below the place where we felt so much Cold on the North-side we met with the great River Putomayo which is so famous in the Government of Popayan in the new Kingdom of Granada This is a very great and wide River because it receives 30 other very considerable Rivers before it falls into the Amazone Those that inhabit the places about its Mouth call it Iza it comes down from the Mountains of Pasto in the Kingdom of Granada there 's abundance of Gold found in the Sand and Gravel of it and we were assur'd that the Banks of it were extremely well peopled so that a Troop of Spanish Souldiers coming upon this River found Enemies enow to constrain 'em to retire with some loss The Names of the Natives that inhabit these Parts are the Yurinas the Guaraicas the Parianas the Zyas the Ahyves the Cuvos and those that are nearest the Source dwell on both sides of the River as being the Lords and Masters of it and are call'd the Omaguas the Aguas of the Islands call 'em the true Omaguas Fifty Leagues below this Mouth of Putomayo we found on the other side the Mouth of another fine large River which takes its Rise near Cusco and enters into the Amazone at the Latitude of three degrees and a half the Natives call it Yosau and 't is esteem'd above all the rest for its Riches and for the great number of People it maintains the Names of whom are these the Tepanas the Gavains the Ozuanas the Morvas the Naunos the Conomamas the Mariavas and the Omaguas which are the last Nation that dwell upon this River towards Peru and by consequence are the nearest Neighbours the Spaniards have on that side This Nation is accounted to be very rich in Gold because they wear great Plates of Gold hanging at their Ears and Nostrils and if I don't mistake these Indians are the same with those I have read of in the History of the Tyrant Lopez Daguirre to whose Country Pedro d' Orsua was sent by the Vice-roy of Peru to make a Discovery of it because of the great Reputation they had of being the most wealthy People in America however Pedro d' Orsua miss'd his way and instead of taking the River Yotau sail'd upon an Arm of another River which enters into the Amazone some Leagues below the other so that when he was fallen down into the Amazone he found himself so far below these People whose Country he went to discover that he perceiv'd it impossible to get up to 'em not only because of the Impetuosity of the Currents against which he was afraid to hazard himself but likewise because of the Discontent all his Souldiers express'd at so difficult an Enterprize This River Yotau abounds with Fish and its Banks with all sorts of Venison and wild Fowl and is besides very Navigable because it has a good Bottom and a very gentle Current by what I have been able to learn from those that dwell upon its Banks CHAP. LV. The utmost Borders of the People call'd the Aguas who possess the space of 54 Leagues along this River and the River Yurva which comes from the side of Cusco IN following the Course of the River of Amazons we came down about fourteen Leagues lower and arriv'd at the utmost Bounds of the long Province of the Aguas which is a Town well peopled wherein they keep a strong Garison this being the principal Fort they have on that side to resist the Irruptions of their Enemies for the space of above 54 Leagues along this River They are the sole Masters of its Banks so that their Enemies don't possess an Inch of Land there but the Bounds of their Country are so narrow that from the Banks of the River you may see the remotest Villages they have on the Continent They have a thousand small Rivers that fall into the Amazone and that serve to convey 'em into the Country for what they want on the North-side the Curis and the Quirabas are their Enemies and the Cachiguaras and the Jucuris on the South-side We could not come at the sight of these Nations because our Orders would not permit us to go so high into the Country but we discover'd the Mouth of a River which we may with good reason call the River of Cusco because according to the Relation which I have seen of the Voyage of Francis Oreillane this River goes North and South from the City of Cusco it enters into the Amazone at the Latitude of 5 degrees and at 24 Leagues distance from the last great Village of the Aguas The Natives call it
Yurna the Country is well peopled and on the Right-hand as you enter into this River against the Stream are the same People I have spoken of before who inhabit the Banks of the River Yotau for they extend themselves from the Banks of one of these Rivers to the other and so dwell between 'em both almost as in an Island and if I am not mistaken it was by this last River that Pedro d' Orsua came down from Peru into the Amazone CHAP. LVI Of the Nation of the Curuzicaris who possess the space of 24 Leagues along this River Of their Husbandry and Ingenuity in making all sorts of Vtensils and Earthen Ware TWenty eight Leagues below the River Yurva on the same South-side begins the great and potent Nation of the Curuzicaris in a Country all cover'd with Mountains and Precipices This Nation inhabits only the Bank of the Amazone on the South-side and possesses above 24 Leagues of it in length This People is so numerous that their Villages are very near one another so that we could scarce make four hours sail but we found new Plantations and sometimes we found their Towns so long that we could not get clear of 'em in half a day We found abundance of those Villages without one Soul in 'em all the Inhabitants being frighted away with the false News that we put all to Fire and Sword and that the least Evil they were to expect from us was to be all made Slaves The greatest part of 'em retir'd as far as the Mountains But tho these People are so timerous that they may well be term'd the greatest Cowards upon the River of Amazons yet we saw in all their Houses the Marks of a great deal of good Husbandry and Neatness for we found abundance of Provisions which they had laid up in store and which is more a great deal of Houshold-goods amongst which the Vessels they had made to eat and drink in were the neatest and most commodious of any we had yet seen through the whole Course of this great River They have in the Marshy Places where they dwell a sort of Earth very good to make all kinds of Vessels of this they make great Pots or Jars in which they make their Drink and knead their Dough and Pans and Pots to boil in and a sort of Ovens in which they bake their Bread they likewise make Drinking-Cups and Basons of it and very neat Frying-pans They make great quantities of all these Utensils to carry on the Trade they have with all the neighbouring Nations who having occasion for all these pieces of Houshold-stuff come from all Quarters to procure 'em in this Country and carry them away in great Burdens giving in exchange for 'em all sorts of things this People want which are not produc'd in their own Country The first Village the Portuguez of our Fleet met with in coming up the River of Amazons they call'd the Golden Town because they found some pieces of Gold there which these People had receiv'd in exchange from those Indians that wear Plates of Gold at their Ears and Noses This Gold was carried to Quito and upon trial the greatest part of it was found of the â—â—ineness of twenty three Carrats But the Natives observing the Greediness of our Men and how eagerly they hunted after more of these little Plates of Gold took care to hide â—em all so that in a little time they were none of 'em to be found And they took such exact care of the business at our return that altho we found a great many of these Indians yet there was but one of 'em that had these Far-pendants and those very small ones which I bought of him CHAP. LVII Of the Golden Mine and the River Yquyari which springs out of it and yields all those Plates of Gold of which those People make their Pendants THE Portuguez Fleet as they came from Para to discover this great River of Amazons could not get any certain knowledg of many things that are to be met with there because they came away without Interpreters and could obtain none to inform 'em and give 'em a faithful account of things So that if the Portuguez pretend to give a good account of any Matter it must be only from what they have learn'd of the Indians by Signs which are ordinarily very uncertain and equivocal because every one is apt to apply them to what his Fancy leads him these Difficulties ceas'd at their return and it pleas'd God to favour us with such good Interpreters that I can affirm that all that is contain'd in this Relation is written upon the certain Knowledg and ample Discovery of all things by the means of the Interpreters we carried with us 'T is from them I have the Account I am now going to give of that Mine from whence the Natives have those Golden Pendants for their Ears and Noses which we saw Over against this great Village a little higher on the North-side there enters into the Amazone a River call'd Yurupaci going up this River you arrive at a place where you are to go ashore to cross the Country for three days Journey at the end of which you meet another River call'd Yupara by sailing on which you meet with the River Yquiari which is that the Portuguez call the Golden River it springs from the foot of a Mountain hard by Here the Natives amass Gold together in prodigious quantities they find it all in Spangles or Grains of a good alloy they beat these small Grains of Gold together till they form those little Plates which they hang at their Ears and Noses as we have said before The People of this Country that find this Gold trade with it among their Neighbours who are call'd the Mavagus as for the other they are call'd the Yuma Guaris which is as much as to say the Metal-gatherers for Yuma signifies Metal and Guaris those that gather it up and under this general Name of Yuma they understand all sorts of Metals therefore they call'd all the Iron Tools that we had as Axes Hatchets Bills and Knives by the same Name of Yuma The way of getting to this place seem'd to me to be very troublesome and difficult because of changing the Rivers so many times and of making so long a Journey across the Country which giving me no satisfaction I could not be at rest till I had discover'd an Advantage more easily attainable of which I shall discourse hereafter CHAP. LVIII The Affectation of this People to have great Holes made in their Ears and Nostrils at which they hang their Plates of Gold THese Savages go all naked both Men and Women and their Riches only serve 'em for a small Ornament with which they deck their Ears and Noses for they put the Gold they get out of the Mines to no other use than that of adorning themselves they all generally have their Ears bored for this end and they affect to have the Holes
made so vastly wide that one may almost thrust ones Fist through the Hole in the tips of some of their Ears this is the place at which they hang their Jewels and they commonly wear in them a handful of Leaves made up close together to keep their Ears constantly in the same Figure This passes among 'em for the greatest piece of Finery in the World On the other side of the Amazone over against this high Country which the Curazicaris possess there is a flat Country all intersected with Rivers and particularly with several Arms of the River Caqueta which run along through it so that this Country is all made up of Islands inclos'd by great Lakes that extend several Leagues in length till at last all these Waters crowd together and pour themselves into the Rionegro and so fall into the Amazone All these Islands are peopled with many different Nations but those that possess the most Land are the Zuavas CHAP. LIX Of the River Yupara and the short Cut it makes to the Golden Mountain FOurteen Leagues below the Village which the Portuguez call the Golden Town on the North-side we saw the mouth of the River Yupara which is that by which one may enter into the Golden River and this is the most direct the most sure and shortest way to come at that Golden Mountain that is so vastly rich This Mouth is at the Latitude of two degrees and a half and so is that Village which is situate four Leagues lower on the South-side on the Edg of a great Precipice at the foot of which is the Mouth of another great and fine River which the Natives call Tapi the Banks of which are inhabited by a great number of Indians call'd the Paguavos I have already said that the Nation of the Curazicaris takes up above four and twenty Leagues of the Length of this Country and I add that all their Lands are very high Ground where you may see very pleasant Fields and fine Pastures for Cattel there are also Groves of Trees that extend a great length and a great many Lakes that abound with Fish which would be a great advantage to any that should make Plantations in those parts CHAP. LX. An Account of many other Nations and of divers Rivers that descend into the Amazone and of the Golden Lake that is so famous in Peru. TWenty six Leagues below Tapi the River Catua falls into the Amazone at the Mouth of it it forms a great Lake of Water that looks green it has its Source far up in the Country on the South-side and its Banks as well as those of other Rivers are peopled with Indians Yet 't is said another River that comes on the North-side and falls into the Amazone six Leagues below Tapi and is called Agaranatuba far exceeds all the other Rivers for the multitude of different Nations that inhabit its Banks One may also have Communication with the River Yupara of which we have spoken above by the way of this River The People it maintains are called the Yacarets c. All these Nations speak two different Languages and 't is in their Country if what is talked in the new Kingdom of Granada be true that this so much desired Golden Lake is to be found which has so long made the Inhabitants of Peru very uneasy I don't affirm this as a Certainty It may be it will please God one day to put this Matter out of doubt There is another River that enters into the Amazone sixteen Leagues lower than Araganatuba and bears the same Name but it is to be observ'd that these two are indeed one and the same River divided into two different Arms and therefore both bear the same Name till they empty themselves into the Amazone Two and twenty Leagues below this last Arm of Araganatuba are the utmost Limits of this great and rich Nation of the Curazicaris who inhabit one of the best Cantons of Land we have met with in all the Extent of this great River CHAP. LXI Of the warlike People called Yorimaus TWO Leagues lower begins the Country of the most renown'd and warlike Nation of any all along the River of Amazons these People made all the Portuguez Fleet tremble when they went to land in their Countrey as they came up from Para. They are call'd the Yorimaus they dwell on the South-side of the River and not only possess all the Continent along its Banks for above sixty Leagues successively but likewise the greatest part of all those Islands the Amazone makes in that long space for tho the Extent of Land this People possess is confin'd within the Space of a little above sixty Leagues on the River Amazone yet having all the Islands besides within the same space and all the Continent a good way up in the Countrey they are as numerous as any Nation we saw wherever we set foot to land all along the River The greatest part of the Yorimaus are well made and of a better Shape than the rest of the Indians they go naked as well as others but one may well see by the Air of their Countenances that they have a greater dependance upon their Courage than the other Savages they came amongst us and went from us with the greatest Assurance that could be and there pass'd no day but above 200 Canoos full of Women and Children came aboard our Admiral bringing with them all sorts of Fruits Fishes Meal and other things which we bought of 'em in exchange for Glass-Buttons Needles and Knives This was at the first Village of the Yorimaus which is built at the Mouth of a fine River that seemed to us to be very impetuous by the great Force with which it repuls'd the Waters of the Amazone as it ran into it I don't doubt but the Banks of it are inhabited as well as those of all the others by many different Nations but we could not learn the Names of 'em because our Fleet only pass'd by the Mouth of it CHAP. LXII The Length of the Country which these People possess and the great Islands they inhabit in the River of Amazons TWo and twenty Leagues below this first Plantation of the Yorimaus we met with the greatest Village we had yet seen on this great River The Houses joined to one another and continued so to do above a League in length each of these Houses contains not only one Family as is customary in most Cities in Europe but in those that were least filld there dwelt 4 or 5 entire Families and more in the greatest part of ' em By this may be conjectur'd what an incredible multitude of people must needs live in that one Town We went to their Houses and found all there in profound Peace They waited for our coming without being at all alarm'd by it and furnished us with all necessary Provisions which our Fleet began now to want We continued five days in this Place and stor'd our selves here with a Provision of above
five hundred Measures of Meal of Magnioc so that we had more than enough of it to accomplish our Voyage which as we continued from thence we perpetually met with the Villages of this Nation one soon after another at last we arriv'd at a place thirty Leagues below this great Town which in all appearance is the chief Strength of this Nation 'T is a great Island made by one Arm of the Amazone as it goes to join it self to another River that comes to fall into it and both together run against the Banks of this last River which are inhabited by so great a Multitude of people that 't is not without reason that their Neighbours fear and respect 'em if it were only for their Numbers CHAP. LXIII The Extent of the Province of the Yorimaus and of the River of Cuchiguara Of a People so ingenious in working of Wood that they equal the best Masters in Europe TEN Leagues below this Island the Province of the Yorimaus ends and two Leagues farther we found on the South-side the Mouth of a famous River which the Indians call Cuchiguara 't is navigable tho there are Rocks in it in some Places and 't is very full of Fish and well stock'd with Tortoises its Banks are loaded with Maze and Magnioc In a word it has every thing necessary to make the Navigation of it easy and agreeable All the Banks of this River are peopled with different Nations which I shall name one after another successively beginning with those that dwell at the Mouth of it going on with those that dwell along the River upward which are the Cuchiguaras and bear the same Name with the River Cuchiguara c. and in fine all the last are call'd the Curiguiris who according to the Report that Persons who have been with them and offer'd to conduct us to them gave us are Giants of sixteen Spans height and very stout they go naked as well as the others and wear great Plates of God at their Ears and Nostrils We were informed that 't would be a Journey of two Months to go into the Province of these Giants from the Mouth of this River When we had passed some space farther we found on the South-side the People call'd the Caupunas and the Zurinas which are the most ingenious and curious handy-craft Men that we saw in all the Country Without any other Tools than such as I have spoken of before they make Chairs in the Form of Beasts with so much Curiosity and so commodious for a Man to sit at his Ease that I think the Invention of Man cannot contrive better They make Estolicas which are their ordinary Weapons of a very slender Stick with so much Art that 't is not to be wondred at that other Nations in the Country are very desirous of them and which is very strange they 'll cut a rais'd Figure so much to the Life and so exactly upon any coarse Piece of Wood that many of our Carvers might take Pattern by them 'T is not only to gratify their own Fancies and for their own Use that they make these Pieces of Work but also for the Profit it brings them for they hereby maintain a Trade with their Neighbours and truck their Work with them for any Necessaries to serve their Occasions CHAP. LXIV Of the River Basurara and the great Islands it forms Of the People that inhabit those Parts Of their Arms and the Commerce they have with the Dutch that inhabit Cayenne THirty two Leagues below the Mouth of Cuchiguara we met the Mouth of another River on the North-side call'd Basurara by the Natives This River extends it self a great way up in the Country and forms several great Lakes so that the Country is divided into divers large Islands which are all peopled with an infinite Number of Inhabitants These Lands lie very high and are never overflow'd by the Inundations let them be never so great This Country abounds with all sorts of Provision as Maze Magnioc all kinds of Fruit Venison Wild-Fowl and Fish and yields its Inhabitants a liberal Maintenance which makes it abound as much in Men as in all other things All the People that live in the large Extent of this Country are call'd by the general Name of Carabuyavas and are divided into particular Provinces some of which are call'd the Ceraguanas c. All the Indians use Bows and Arrows and among some of them I saw Iron Tools and Weapons as Hatchets Halbards Bills and Knives I asked them by our Interpreters from whence they had those Instruments of Iron they answered that they bought them of the People of that Country that dwelt nearest the Sea on that side who had their Goods in exchange for 'em that they were white Men like us and made use of the same Arms as Swords and Guns and had Houses upon the Sea-Coast that the only difference between them and us was that they had all light-colour'd Hair These Tokens were sufficient to assure us that these were the Dutch that were in possession of the Mouth of the Smooth River or the River Philippe some time before It was in the Year 1638 that they made a Descent into Guiana which depends on the Government of the New Kingdom of Granada and not only made themselves Masters of the whole Island but came upon it by such a Surprize that the Spaniards had not time to carry away the Holy Sacrament of the Altar but left it in Captivity in the Enemies hand They promised themselves a great Ransom from us to get this holy Pledg out of their hands knowing what Respect and Love the Catholicks have for the precious Body of their Saviour but our Men took another Course which was to betake themselves to their Arms and compose good Companies of Souldiers who were resolved to go with the Courage of Christians to expose their Lives to deliver their Saviour from the hands of his Enemies They were big with these just and pious Resolutions which could only be inspired from Heaven when we parted from thence to return into Spain to render an Account of our Voyage CHAP. LXV Of the great River called Rionegro or the Black River because its Waters are so clear that they look black again and of a fit Place to fortify upon this River which would be a means to obtain the Sovereignty of the Amazone by the way to it from the North-Cape through the River call'd Riogrande ON the same North-side thirty Leagues or something less from Basurara we met with the largest Mouth and the finest River of any that come to throw themselves into the Amazone It runs a Course of 1300 Leagues in length the Mouth of it is a League and a half wide which is at the Latitude of four degrees and to speak a little pleasantly one may say this mighty River is so haughty that 't is offended to meet with a greater than it self and as the incomparable Amazone stretches out
its Arms to receive it this proud River disdains to be so embrac'd as to lose it self in the other's Waters and therefore keeps separated from it and fills up half the Bed of the Amazone it self for above the length of twelve Leagues so that the Waters of the one may be easily distinguished from the other by those that sail in this Channel The Portuguez had some Reason to call this the Black River because at its Mouth and many Leagues above its Depth together with the Clearness of those Waters which are pour'd into its Channel from several great Lakes make it appear black as if it were dyed tho when it is put in a Glass it looks as clear as Crystal It takes its Course from West to East at its beginning but has such great Windings that in a very little space it changes its Course to different Points but the Course it runs for several Leagues before it empties it self into the Amazone is again from West to East The Indians that live upon the Banks of it call it Curiguarura but the Toupinambous of whom we shall speak presently give it the name of Vrama which signifies Black Water in their Language They also give another name to the Amazone which it retains in those Parts namely Pajanaquris which is as much as to say the Great River to distinguish it from another which tho it be a great River however is much less than this and named Pajanamira which enters into the Amazone on the South-side a League below the Black River We were assur'd that this River was inhabited by a great number of People of different Nations the last of which wear Clothes and Hats like ours which sufficiently convinc'd us that thâ—se People were not remote from our Cities in Peru. Those that dwell on the Banks of the Black River possess a great deal of Ground they are call'd Canicuaris and Curupatabas and the last Nation is that of the Quaravaquazanas that dwell upon one Arm of the Black River and 't is by this Arm as we were sufficiently inform'd that one may pass into the Riogrande the Mouth of which goes into the Sea at the North-Cape near which River the Dutch have established themselves All these Nations make use of Bows and Arrows the most of which they poison with the Juice of Herbs All the Lands upon this Black River are situate very high the Soil is very good and if manur'd would yield plenty of all sorts of Fruit even such as we have in Europe in some places that lie well to produce ' em There are a great many fine and pleasant Fields all cover'd with excellent Pasturage sufficient to nourish an innumerable stock of all sorts of Cattle There are likewise abundance of good Trees the Timber of which is very good for all sorts of Carpenters Work whether for Land or Water And besides this great plenty of Wood the Country yields very good Stones and that in vast Quantities fit for the noblest Buildings The Borders of it are stor'd with all sorts of Game Indeed it has but a few Fish in comparison with the River of Amazons the reason of which is from the exceeding Clearness of the Water But to make amends for this Defect the Lakes which are in the Country and pour their Waters into this River yield the Inhabitants more Fish than they need This River has at the Mouth of it the best Situation in the World for the making of a Fort and plenty of Stones to build it which would be very proper to hinder our Enemies from coming by this River to enter into the great Channel of the Amazone not that I think this to be the best place of all for a Fortification for such a purpose but rather several Leagues above this Mouth in an Arm that goes to cast it self into the River call'd Riogrande whose Mouth as I have already said is in the North Sea there we might place all our Forces with the greatest Certainty of entirely stopping the Passage of our Enemies into this new World which they so passionately desire to discover and which they will some time or other attempt if they are not prevented by securing this Passage I dare not affirm that this River call'd the Riogrande into which the Arm of the Black River enters is the Smooth River or the Philippe for both enter into the Sea toward the North Cape but by all the Observations I have made I am very inclinable to believe that it is the River Philippe because 't is the first considerable River that enters into the Sea beyond the Cape But this I know for certain that the Riogrande is not the River Orenoque because the principal Mouth of it into the Sea is over against the Island of La Trinidada which is above a hundred Leagues below the Place where the Philippe empties it self into the Sea It was by this River that the Tyrant Lopez Daguirre pass'd into the North Sea and seeing he made this Voyage very well some body else may as well succeed in the same Attempt and follow the Course which another has steer'd before him CHAP. LXVI A Mutiny happens in the Portuguez Fleet when they see themselves so near home without having got any Treasure they take up a Resolution to go and pillage the People upon the Black River and to get Slaves but are prevented by Father D' Acugna OUR Fleet lay still at Anchor in the Mouth of the Black River on the 12th day of October in the Year 1639 when the Portuguez Souldiers calling to mind that they were now almost as good as at home and had got nothing these two Years since they went out began to look upon the end of their Voyage as the greatest Misfortune that could befal them and to tell one another that since they had reap'd no other Advantage by all the Labour and Hardship they had pass'd through but the loss of two long Years and the Increase of their Miseries they ought to consider what they had to do while opportunity offer'd it self and that it would be a ridiculous thing to expect of his Catholick Majesty the Reward of those Services they had render'd him in the Discovery of so many Countries seeing a great many others before them who had been prodigal of their Blood and hazarded their Lives for the Advancement of the Grandeur of Spain had for all that died upon a Dunghil not knowing to whom to apply themselves for the Relief of their Necessities These seditious Words being received with Applause by the greatest part of the Portuguez they immediately resolv'd to speak their Minds to their General and to engage him one way or other to fall in with their Designs No sooner had they taken up this Resolution but they addressed themselves to him telling him it was needless for them to represent to him the miserable Condition they were in since he knew it as well as themselves that they had now been for two Years
roving up and down upon these Rivers where they were every day in danger of perishing either by Hunger or excessive Labour or by the Arrows of the Savages and therefore begg'd him to compassionate their Necessity and not to take it amiss that they sought some Relief that they were sure that only along the Black River they could get as many of those Slaves which the Indians had taken in War as would turn to a considerable account to them and tho they should bring nothing home from their Voyage but these Slaves they hop'd they should not be ill receiv'd by their Friends at Para but that if they should return home empty-handed and should bring no Slaves with them after they had pass'd through so many populous Provinces the Inhabitants of which durst come to their very Doors to make Slaves of them they should be reckon'd the most cowardly and infamous Wretches in the World The General considering he was but one against a great many and perceiving a Mutiny was already form'd in the Minds of the Souldiers thought it not his best way to irritate them any more but gave 'em permission to put this Enterprize in execution seeing the Wind favour'd their Entrance into the Black River and seem'd to invite 'em to this Project The Portuguez were transported with Joy that they had obtain'd this Leave and there was not one amongst 'em but promis'd himself at least 300 Slaves for his share This Resolution gave me no small Uneasiness for I did not well know what were the General 's true Sentiments of this Attempt but I soon found both that he had Courage and a great deal of Generosity and that he was a mortal Enemy of such Violences as the Souldiers were going to commit for my part by the Grace of God I thought my self strong enough not to need fear any thing and therefore made a firm Resolution with my self rather to die a thousand times if it were possible than consent to any thing that would be against the Glory of God or against the Service of his Catholick Majesty At the same time I went to celebrate the holy Mass and after I had done I retir'd with my Comrade that we might consult together by what means to hinder so barbarous and diabolical Resolution and we agreed to make an open Protestation against their Rashness and Disobedience CHAP. LXVII The Order given to the Fleet to set sail which was done without noise And of the River of Wood or Cayary and the divers Nations that inhabit its Banks from whence there is a short cut to the Mountain Potosi I Communicated our Resolution to the General who was very glad to find me of his Mind but confess'd nothing could be more bold than my Protestation However he gave signal Proof of the greatness of his Courage on this occasion for he caus'd the Paper containing my Protestation to be publish'd through the Fleet at the same time commanding the Sea-men to furl the Sails and to put all things in readiness to pass out of the Black River the next day and to return into the Amazone to finish our Voyage This Order was put in execution for we went back the day following and continuing our Course 40 Leagues lower on the South-side we found the great River of Wood which is a Name the Portuguez gave it when they came from Para because of the vast quantity of pieces of Timber this River carried down with it But the proper Name of it among the Indians that dwell near it is Cayari it comes as I have said from the South-side and as we were told is form'd of two great Rivers which meet together some Leagues above the Mouth of it And in all probability seeing it was by this River that the Toupinambous came down into this Country one may venture to affirm that there is no shorter and surer way to come at the Province of Potosi than by the way of this River There are many Nations inhabiting the shores of it the first on the side of the Mouth of it are the Zurinas and the Cayanas and above them are the Vrarchaus the Anamaris the Guarinumas the Curanaris the Pepunacas and the Abacaris From the Mouth of this River as you go down the Amazone you meet with the Zapucayas and the Wbaringas who are excellent Workmen in Wood below them are the Guaranaquacos the Maraguas the Guimajis the Burais the Punovis the Orequaras the Aperas and other Nations of whose Names I can give no certain account CHAP. LXVIII Of the Island of the Toupinambous who came out of Brazil when it was conquer'd by the Portuguez and made themselves Masters of this Island TWenty eight Leagues below the River Cayari as we continued our Course on the Amazone on the South-side we arriv'd at a great Island 60 Leagues in breadth and consequently above 200 Leagues in compass This whole Island is peopled with the valiant Toupinambous who when Brazil was conquer'd voluntarily exil'd themselves from their Country choosing rather to quit all the Province of Fernambuco than to lose their Liberty and to submit themselves to the severe Government of the Portuguez They left above 84 great Villages where they had planted themselves and came away so universally that there was not one living Soul left in all their Houses They took their way on the left-hand of those great Mountains call'd Cordeliers which begin at the Strait of Magellan and cross through all Southern America from North to South They pass'd all the Rivulets and Rivers that descend from those Mountains to discharge themselves into the Ocean Some of 'em came as far as Peru and dwelt with the Spaniards towards the Source of the River Cayari they continued with 'em some time but a Spaniard having caus'd one of 'em to be whipp'd for killing a Cow they could not put up this Injury but resolv'd all to be gone and making use of the Advantage of the River they all embark'd in their Canoos and went down it as far as this great Island where they now dwell They speak the general Language of Brazil which extends through all the Country that the Portuguez have conquer'd as far as Maragnon and Para They told us that when their Fathers left Brazil not knowing how to get Sustenance all together in the Desarts through which they were to pass they were constrain'd during a March of above 900 Leagues to separate by reason of their multitude so that some went one way and some another and by this means all the Mountains of Peru call'd the Cordeliers are peopled with the Toupinambous This is a very brave and valiant Nation of Indians as they made themselves appear to be to the People whom they found in this Island where they are at present estastlish'd For in all appearance these Toupinambous were very few in comparison of the Inhabitants of this Island when they arriv'd there yet 't is certain they so often beat and so entirely subdued all
those they fought with that after they had destroy'd whole Nations they forc'd the rest to leave their Native Country in fear and to go and plant themselves in very distant Regions These Warlike Savages use Bows and Arrows with great dexterity and have so noble a Courage and Greatness of Mind that in these Qualities they seem not to come behind the most accomplish'd Nations in Europe But tho almost all of 'em are but the Children or Grand-children of those that came from Brazil into this Island yet it is to be observ'd that they begin to degenerate from their Ancestors by the Alliances they contract with those of this Country and by their accustoming themselves to the manner of living us'd by the original Inhabitants They all receiv'd us with Demonstrations of extraordinary Joy and let us know that they thought to resolve in a little time to enter into a Treaty with us and to put themselves in the number of the Allies and Friends of the People of Para. This Declaration of theirs pleas'd me very much and made me hope that no small Advantages would accrue to our Nation by it For if these valiant People once become of our Party it must needs be an easy matter for us to bring all the other Nations of the River of Amazons to reasonable Terms since there is none of 'em but tremble at the very Name of the Toupinambous CHAP. LXIX Of the Ingenuity of the Toupinambous of their Language and the Account we received of the Salt-Pits in Peru. THese Toupinambous are a very ingenious and intelligent People and having no need of Interpreters to treat with them because as I have said they speak the general Language of Brazil which many of our Portuguez that have been born and bred there speak as well as they we had the Advantage of a very particular Account of divers things which I am going to relate and which may be believed on their Report because they are a People that have rov'd abroad and subjected all the neighbouring Countries to their Power They told us that on the South-side near their Island there are two Nations among others upon the Continent that are very remarkable one of 'em are Dwarfs as small as little Children and are called Guayazis the other is a Race of People that come into the World with their Feet turn'd behind 'em so that those that are unacquainted with their monstrous Shape and should follow their Track would run from 'em instead of overtaking 'em they are called Matayus and are tributary to the Toupinambous whom they are obliged to furnish with Hatchets made of Stone to fell great Trees with when they have a mind to clear a Piece of Ground for they frame these Hatchets very neatly and 't is their whole business to make of ' em They told us moreover that on the other side of the River that is Northward there are seven Provinces adjoining one to another which are very populous but because they are a People but of mean Courage and Strength and only feed upon Fruits and some small wild Animals without ever fighting one with another when they are angry or ever taking up Arms to defend themselves from other Nations they are of no account in the Country They further told us that themselves had been a long time at Peace with another Nation whose Confines extend to those we have just spoken of and had a regular Trade with 'em for all Commodities wherewith either Countrey abounded and that the principal thing they had from this People was Salt for which they gave 'em other things in exchange and that this Salt came from a Place not far distant from ' em If this be true these Salt-pits would be of great advantage to the Spaniards and would serve 'em not only for those parts of the Countrey that are conquer'd but also for the more commodious establishing of Colonies on the Banks of this great River But if there should be nothing in this Story on this side it is not to be doubted but Salt is to be found in great abundance along those Rivers that come down on the side of Peru because in the Year 1631 when I was in the City of Lima two Men went from thence at two different times to seek some and came back with as much as they could carry they told us they came to a certain Place where they went on one of the Rivers in all appearance one of those lesser Rivers that form that great one which falls into the Amazone and arrived at a Mountain all of Salt of which the Inhabitants made great advantage being become very rich by the Traffick they had in exchange for it from those Indians that came a great way to buy it not that it is any strange thing in Peru and in all the Mountains to see Rocks of Salt-stones the Salt of which is very good for no other is made use of in all that Countrey 'T is got out of the Rock with Iron Instruments in great pieces each of which weigh 5 or 6 Arobas This Province of the Toupinambous is sixty six Leagues in length and ends with a great Town situated at the Latitude of 3 Degrees as is also the first Town of the Indian Aguas of which we have spoken before CHAP. LXX Of the Amazons an Account of their Manners and Customs THese Toupinambous likewise confirm'd the Report which is spread throughout this great River of the Renown'd Amazons from whence it borrows its true Name by which it has been known from the very first Discovery of it to this day not only by those who have navigated it but also by all Cosmographers who have given any good account of it It would be very strange if the Name of Amazone should have been impos'd on this River without any reasonable Ground and that tho it well deserves a Name that might render it famous it should only be known by a fabulous one This does not seem at all probable that such a River as this that possesses so many Advantages above all others should have deriv'd its Glory from a Title that does not belong to it like what we see in some Men who when they have not Vertue enough to obtain the Glory they desire by their own Merit are so mean spirited and disingenuous to deck themselves with the advantageous Qualities of others But the Proofs that give assurance that there is a Province of Amazons on the Banks of this River are so strong and convincing that it would be a renouncing of moral Certainty to scruple the giving credit to it I don't build upon the solemn Examinations made by the Authority of the Soveraign Court of Quito in which many Witnesses have been heard that have been born in those Parts and liv'd there a long time and of all things contain'd in their Frontier Countries one of the principal which is particularly affirm'd by 'em is that one of those Provinces near our River
is peopled with a sort of warlike Women who live together and maintain their Government alone without the Company of Men that at a certain Season of the Year they seek the Society of Men in order to perpetuate their Race but at all other times live together in their Towns and imploy themselves in manuring the Ground from which with hard Labour they procure all Necessaries for the Support and Comfort of Life Nor will I insist on other Informations that have been made in the new Kingdom of Granada at the Royal Seat of the City of Pasto where several Indians were examined and particularly one Indian Woman who affirm'd that she had been in the very Countrey which these valiant Women inhabit and whose Account was in every respect conformable to what had been before asserted in the foregoing Relations but I can't conceal what I have heard with my own Ears and the Truth of which I have been enquiring after from my first embarking on the Amazone and I must say I have been inform'd at all the Indian Towns where I have been that there are such Women in the Countrey as I have above described and every one that gave me an account of 'em did it by Characters so exactly agreeing with the rest that if there be nothing in it it must needs be said that the greatest Lie in the World passes throughout all America for one of the most certain Historical Truths However we had the clearest Information of the Province where these Women dwell of their singular Customs of the Indians that correspond with them of the Ways into their Country and of those Indians with whom they converse to prevent the Extinction of their Race in the last Village which makes the Frontier Town between them and the Toupinambous CHAP. LXXI The best Account of the Amazons of America THirty six Leagues below this utmost Village of the Toupinambous as you go down our Great River you meet with another on the North-side which comes from the very Province of the Amazons and is known among the People of the Country by the Name of Cunuris This River bears the Name of those Indians that dwell nearest to the Mouth of it Above these first People higher up the River Cunuris you meet with other Indians call'd Apotos that speak the general Language of Brazil higher still you find the Tagaris and lastly the Guacaras who are the People that have the Privilege to converse with these valiant Women and enjoy their Favours They dwell upon huge Mountains that are prodigiously high among which there is one that lifts its Head a great Height above all the rest which is so buffeted with Winds that it is quite barren and looks very bare the Name of it is Yacamiaba These Women as has been said are very couragious and have always maintain'd themselves alone without the help and assistance of Men and when their Neighbours come into their Countrey at a time concerted with them they receive 'em with their Weapons in their Hands which are Bows and Arrows and which they exercise as if they were going against their Enemies but knowing well that the others don 't come to fight but are their Friends they lay down their Arms and all run into the Canoos or other little Vessels of these Indians and each Amazone takes the Hammock a Cotton Bed they hang up to sleep in which she finds next at hand this she carries home and hangs up in a Place where the Owner of it may know it again when he comes after which she receives him as her Guest and treats him those few days they continue together These Indians afterward return to their own Dwellings and never fail to make this Voyage every Year at the appointed time The Girls which they bear are brought up by their Mothers and instructed in the use of Arms as well as inur'd to Labour as if they were ambitious to advance the wonted Valour of their Predecessors still to a greater Height As for the Male-Children 't is not certain what they do with 'em I saw an Indian who told me that when he was a Child he was with his Father at such an Enterview and assured me that they gave the Male Children to their Fathers the next time they came after their Birth But the common Report is that they kill all their Males as soon as they are born and this is generally suppos'd to be the truest Account Time will discover the Truth of this Matter 'T is certain they have Treasures in their Country enough to enrich the whole World The Mouth of this River upon the Banks of which the Amazons dwell is at the Latitude of two Degrees and a half CHAP. LXXII Of the River Vexamina and the Strait of the Amazone where it is but a quarter of a League in breadth AFter having cross'd the Mouth of the true River of Amazons we came down 24 Leagues more upon our great River and on the same North-side found another small River call'd Vexamina which enters into the Amazone just at the place wher this great and spacious River grows narrow and is so shut up by the Land that it contracts it self into the space of a little more than a quarter of a League The Situation is extremely favourable for the building of two Forts on the two Banks of our incomparable River which would not only obstruct the Passage of an Enemy that should come up this River from the Sea but would also serve for Custom-houses for the Entry of every thing that should be carried down from Peru this way if this River should ever be inhabited and stock'd with the People of our Nation Tho this Strait is at 360 Leagues distance from the Sea yet the flowing and ebbing of Tides are perceiv'd here for the River is seen to increase and diminish every day altho not so sensibly as some Leagues below CHAP. LXXIII The River of the Tapajotos their Courage their poison'd Arrows and the manner of their treating the Portuguez Fleet. FOUR Leagues below this Strait on the South-side is the Mouth of the great and noble River of the Tapajotos which borrows its Name from that of the Inhabitants of the Province which it waters This Country is well stock'd with Indians the Land of it is very good and abounds with all sorts of Provision These Tapajotos are a couragious People and are dreaded by all the Nations that dwell near 'em because they invenom their Arrows with so subtile a Poison that they kill those they wound there being no Remedy found powerful enough to resist their Venom This was the only Reason why the Portuguez themselves were so long their Neighbours without having any Commerce or Alliance with them tho they were very desirous of obtaining their Friendship but when they would have obliged 'em to quit their Country and to come and inhabit the Places which the Portuguez had conquer'd the Tapajotos would never give their Consent to it because
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
continually engag'd in War against the Dutch and have already obtain'd several Victories over those Hereticks if it were not I say for these things I believe our Lord Jesus Christ would have long since extirpated such cruel and abominable Conquerors But to return to the Tapajotos and the famous River upon the Banks of which they dwell I say the bottom of this River is very good so that a great English Vessel some Years ago went a considerable way up it with a design to make Plantations in this Province and to settle the Trade of Tobacco with the People of the Country to which end they offer'd 'em very advantagious Terms but the Tapajotos would accept of none but surpriz'd the English unawares and kill'd all they could come at after they had seiz'd their Arms which they keep to this day Thus they made the rest leave the Country in more haste than they come to it for they escap'd in their Vessel and by setting Sail with all speed avoided such another Rencounter which would have destroy'd 'em all CHAP. LXXVI Of the River Curupatuba and the Account we receiv'd of Mountains of Gold Silver Azure and precious Stones among the Inhabitants of this River ABout forty Leagues below the Mouth of the River of the Tapajotos we met with the River Curupatuba which comes down on the North-side of the Amazone and gives its Name to the first Indian Town that is at Peace with the Portuguez and under the Protection of their King This River is not very big but very wealthy if the Natives are to be believ'd who assure us that at the end of six days Voyage up the Stream of it there is a little Rivulet in the Sand and Banks of which there is a great quantity of Gold found below the place where it washes the foot of an indifferently large Mountain called Yuquaratinci The Indians moreover told us that near this River there is another place call'd Picari from whence they have often taken a sort of Metal harder than Gold but very white without doubt they mean Silver with which they were wont formerly to make Hatchets and Knives but finding the Tools made of this Metal were apt to have their Edg turn'd when any Stress was put to 'em they did not make any account of ' em They further gave us an account That near the Strait I have spoken of there are two Hills one of which by the Signs they gave of it is in all probability a Hill of Azure and it seems the other which they call Penagara when the Sun shines or when the Nights are clear and bright glitters and sparkles as if it were full of rich Diamonds They assur'd us that horrible Noises were heard in it from time to time which is a certain sign that this Mountain contains Stones of a great Value in its Entrails CHAP. LXXVII Of the River Ginipape which has Treasures of Gold in its Banks and is famous for a good Soil for Tobacco and Sugar-Canes THE River Ginipape which comes down on the North-side and enters into the Amazone 60 Leagues below the Villages of Curupatuba promises as great Treasures and as rich Mountains as those of which we have just now spoken The Indians assure us of so much Gold along the Banks of it that if it be according to their Relation this one River possesses more Riches than are in all Peru. The Lands this River waters are of the Government of Maragnon which is in the hands of Benedito Maziel And without counting the great Extent of this Country which alone is larger than all Spain join'd together and that it contains several Mines of which we have very certain knowledg I shall only say that generally the Ground of it is of the best kind for the Production of all sorts of Grain and Fruit and what may turn to the Account of those that inhabit it that is to be found in all the vast Extent of the great River of Amazons This Country is situate on the North-side and comprehends several great Provinces of Savages But that which is yet more considerable is that in this Country are those Fields so famous for the Production of prodigious quantities of Tucui Our Enemies the Dutch have given a Reputation to these Lands and have often found by Experience not only the Goodness and Fertility of the Soil but also the vast Profits with which this alone is capable of inriching its Inhabitants Therefore they could never forget this sweet place but have made Plantations there several times tho to their Damage and Sorrow because they have been always forc'd out of 'em by the Portuguez Therefore 't is worth Consideration that this Place is very good to make great Plantations of Tobacco and that there 's no part of all the Countries that have been discover'd that is better for the planting of Canes and for making of Sugar This Soil returns all the Cultivation that is bestow'd upon it with Usury and produces all sorts of Provision in extraordinary plenty There are very fine pieces of Pasture-ground which in their vast Extent would feed an infinite number of all sorts of Cattle Six Leagues above the place where this River empties it self into the Amazone the Portuguez had a Fort which they call'd Del Dostierro that is The Fort of Banishment kept only by thirty Souldiers and some pieces of Artillery which was of more use to keep the Indians that are reduc'd under the Power of the Portuguez in Fear and Subjection and to maintain the Authority of the Governor than to secure the River and obstruct the Passage of an Enemy This Fort has been since demolish'd by Benedito Maziel with the Consent of the Governor of Curupa which is thirty Leagues lower down the River But it is to be remark'd that it was situate in a place of some Consideration seeing their Enemies Vessels were oblig'd to pay Custom for their Passage that way CHAP. LXXVIII Of the River Paranaiba TEN Leagues below the River Ginipape on the South-side is a fine large and noble River that comes to render Homage to the Amazone into which it discharges it self by a Mouth two Leagues wide The People of the Country call it Paranaiba there are upon the Banks of it some Villages of Indians that are at Peace with the Portuguez and that have settled themselves upon the Mouth of this River in Obedience to the Orders of the Governor of this Province There are many other Nations further up in the Country but we could not have any satisfactory Account of 'em any more than of divers other things upon this great River CHAP. LXXIX A farther Account of the River of Amazons Of the multitude of Islands near the Mouth of it inhabited by an infinite Number of People of different Nations TWO Leagues below the River Ginipape of which I have given some account in the 77th Chapter our River of Amazons begins to divide it self into divers great Arms which
often desir'd and so much sought after and so often miss'd by the Spaniards of Peru and here at Length it flows into the Sea after it has water'd a Country of 1276 Leagues in Length after it has furnished a multitude of Nations with its Fruitfulness and Plenty and in a word after it has divided America into Two Parts almost in the widest Place of it and furnish'd the Natives with a great Channel into which the Best the Richest and most Pleasant Rivers that come down from all the Mountains and Coasts of the New World discharge their Waters And 't is farther remarkable that against the Mouth of it for above 30 Leagues at Sea you may take up Fresh-Water during the Ebb of the Tide which is an extraordinary refreshment to those Ships especially that in coming from Europe have Sail'd â—2000 Leagues before they Arrive here Thus in short I have given a Relation of an ample Discovery of this great River Which tho' it possesses so great Treasures yet excludes no Nation in the World from 'em but on the contrary invites all sorts of People to reap the Profits of the Riches with which 〈◊〉 abounds It offers to the Poor a plentiful Maintenance to the Labourer the Liberal Recompence of his Toil to the Merchant a Profitable Trade to the Souldier an Occasion of Signalizing himself to the Rich an Improvement of their Wealth to Gentlemen Honorable Employments to Noblemen Large Provinces and to Kings themselves Empires and a New World But those who of all others are call'd upon to promote such new Conquests and ought to be most heartily concern'd in 'em are such as with the greatest Affection seek the Advancement of the Glory of God and are Zealously bent to design the Salvation of the Souls of an Innumerable Multitude of Idolatrous and Heathenish Indians who want the Help and Light the Faithful Ministers of the Gospel should furnish them withal to dispel the shadows of Sin and Death with which those poor Wretches have been so long benighted And let none Excuse themselves from an Attempt of this kind Here 's Work enough to employ every one of us and how great a Number soever of Labourers should devote themselves to it there will still be more wanting for so great a Harvest This New Vine-yard will still want more hands to Cultivate and Dress it how able and how fervent soever they should prove who shall be engag'd in this Service But it is rather to be wish'd than expected that we shall ever see this New World Subjected to the Keys of the Church of Rome I hope all the Illustrious Catholick Princes of Christendom to whom may it please the Almighty to grant many and happy Years will each of 'em be inspir'd from Heaven with Zeal for so Holy an Enterprize as the Conquest of Souls some by their wonted Liberalities for the Maintenance and Subsistence of Priests and Ministers of the Gospel and others by their care to provide and convey Clergymen into those Countries And all of 'em have reason to esteem it a great happiness for them that in the Age wherein they live this difficult and troublesom way should be open'd to bring more Nations and those more populous at once into the Bosom of the Church than all the rest that have been hitherto discover'd in the whole New World CHAP. LXXXIV A Computation of the Longitudes Latitudes and Distances of Places upon this Great River FROM the Mouth of Napo which is on the South of the Amazone to Anete are Forty seven Leagues Anete is under the Line on the South-side of this great River From Anete to the Aguarico Eighteen Leagues The Mouth of this River is on the North-side of the Amazone and under the Line also From the Aguarico to the Chevelus Twenty Leagues The Mouth of this River is also on the North of the Amazone and declines a little from the Line towards the South From the Chevelus to the Curaray Forty Leagues The Mouth of this River is on the South of the Amazone in the Second Degree of Southern Latitude From the Curaray to the Maragnon Eighty Leagues The Mouth of this River is on the South of the Amazone having Four Degrees of Southern Latitude and Three Hundred and Seven Degrees and Fifty Minutes of Longitude From the Maragnon to the beginning of the Province of the Omaquas Sixty Leagues All this Province consists in great Islands From the beginning of this Province to a certain great Habitation of the same One Hundred and Nineteen Leagues This is an Isle on the South-side of the Channel of the Amazone having three Degrees of Southern Latitude and Three hundred and twelve Degrees and Fifty five Minutes of Longitude From this Habitation to the Putomayo Seventeen Leagues The Mouth of this River is on the North-side of the great Amazone From the Putomayo to the Yetau Fifty Leagues The Mouth of this River is on the South-side of the Amazone and hath Three Degrees Thirty Minutes of Southern Latitude From the Yetau to the end of the Province of the Omaquas Fourteen Leagues In this place there is a great and puissant Habitation in an Isle From the end of this Province to the Cuzco Twenty five Leagues The Mouth of this River is on the South-side of the Amazone having Five Degrees of Southern Latitude and Three Hundred Fifteen Degrees and Fifty Minutes of Longitude From the Cuzco to the Village of Gold Twenty eight leagues This place is on the South-bank of the Channel of the great Amazone From the Village of Gold to the Yupura Fourteen Leagues The Mouth of this River is on the North-side of the Amazone and hath Three Degrees of Southern Latitude From the Yupura to the Tapi Four Leagues The Mouth of this River is on the South-side of the Amazone From the Tapi to the Catua Twenty five Leagues The Mouth of this River is on the South-side of Amazone and towards the Green Lake which is formed by the great Amazone From the Catua and the Green Lake to the First Mouth of the Araganatuba Six Leagues This is on the North-side of the Amazone From the First Mouth to the Second of the Araganatuba Sixteen Leagues on the North-side of the Amazone From the Second Mouth of the Araganatuba to the end of the Province of Curusiraris Twenty two Leagues All this Province is on the South of the great River From the end of Curusiraris to the beginning of the Province of Yoriman Two Leagues on the South-side of the Amazone From the beginning of Yoriman to a great and very long Habitation Twenty three Leagues on the South of the River to Four Degrees of that Latitude and Three hundred nineteen Degrees and Thirty Minutes of Longitude From this long Habitation to the Isle Yoriman Thirty two Leagues On the South-bank side of the Amazone From this Isle to the end of the Province of Yoriman Ten Leagues on the South-side of the Amazone From the end of Yoriman to
the Cuchuguara Two Leagues The Mouth of this River is also on the South of the Amazone From the Cuchuguara to the Basurura Thirty two Leagues The Mouth of this River is on the North-side of the Amazone and hath Four Degrees Thirty Minutes of Southern Latitude From the Basurura to the Rio Negro or Black River Thirty Leagues The Mouth of this River is also on the North-side of the Amazone having Four Degrees of Southern Latitude and Three Hundred Twenty Two Degrees and Twenty Minutes of Longitude From Rio-Negro unto the Modera are Four Leagues the Mouth of this River being on the South of the Amazone From the Modera to the beginning of the Isle Topinambas Twenty Eight Leagues This great Isle is in the River of the Amazons towards the South-side From the beginning to the end of this Isle Sixty two Leagues In this place is a Great and Puissant Habitation of the Topinambi having Three Degrees of Southern Latitude and Three Hundred twenty seven Degrees Thirty Minutes of Longitude From the end of Topinambas to the Cunuris Thirty Leagues the Mouth of which River is to the North of the Amozone From the Cunuris to the Bosphore of the Amazone Twenty four Leagues This Strait hath Two Degrees and Forty Minutes of Southern Latitude and Three hundred and twenty eight Degrees and Fifty Minutes in Longitude From the Bosphore to the Tapajosos Forty Leagues the Mouth of which River is on the South-side of the great Amazone From the Tapajosos to the Curupatuba Forty Leagues the Mouth of which River is on the North-side of the great Amazone From the Curupatuba to the Fort of Destierro Fifty four Leagues which Fort is also on the North-side of the great River From the foresaid Fort to the Ginipape Six Leagues the Mouth of which River is on the North-side also having Two Degrees of Southern Latitude and Three hundred thirty one Degrees and Fifty Minutes of Longitude And about Two Leagues from this Ginipape towards the Sea the great River of Amazons begins to open by little and little towards its great Mouth into the Sea From the Ginipape to the Paranaiba Ten Leagues the Mouth of which River is on the South-side of the Amazone From the Paranaiba to the Pacaxas Forty Leagues the Mouth of which is also on the South of the Amazone From the Pacaxas to Commuta Forty Leagues This place is also on the South-side of the Amazone From Commuta to Para Thirty Leagues This Town is also on the South-bank of the great Mouth of the Amazone having one Degree and Thirty Minutes of South Latitude From Para to the Isle du Soleil Fourteen Leagues This Isle is also near to the same South-bank And from Para to Zaparara Forty Leagues which is a Cape on the extremity of the South-bank of the great River having Thirty five Minutes of South Latitude and Three hundred thirty seven Degrees and ten Minutes of Longitude So the whole length of this great River of Amazons is One thousand two hundred seventy six Leagues From the Ginipape to Corupa which is on the North-side of the Mouth of this River Thirty Leagues From Corupa to the North Cape the distance is not well known This Cape is on the extremity of the North-bank of the great River having Forty five Minutes of North Latitude and Three hundred thirty three Degrees and Fifty Minutes of Longitude The End AN ACCOUNT OF A VOYAGE UP THE River de la Plata And thence over Land to PERU With Observations on the Inhabitants as well Indians and Spaniards the Cities Commerce Fertility and Riches of that Part of America By Mons Acarete du Biscay LONDON Printed for Samuel Buckley at the Dolphin over against St. Dunstans Church in Fleetstreet 1698. A MAP of the Provinces PARAGUAY and TUCUMAN with the River Plate London Printed for S Buckley A Relation of Mons Acarete du Biscay's Voyage up the River de la Plata and from thence by Land to Peru and his Observations in it THE Inclination I always had to Travelling made me leave my Father's House very young but I can truly aver that I was not so much prompted to it out of pure Curiosity to 〈◊〉 Forreign Countries as out of hope 〈◊〉 acquire Knowledge and improve my â—â—dgment which for the future might 〈◊〉 helpful to me not only in my private concerns but likewise render me more â—â—â—viceable to my King and Country which I declare was the chief aim of my Voyages I went first into Spain where 〈◊〉 tarried long enough to learn their language particularly at Cadiz The fancy took me to go to the West-Indies possess'd by the Spaniards for I often heard them talk of the Beauty and Fertility of the Country and the great Riches they draw from thence but then I was at a loss how to bring it about because 't is very difficult for a Stranger to get into those Parts but there happen'd a conjuncture which favour'd my Design and gave me an opportunity to proceed in it in the manner following In the Year 1654 Oliver Cromwell at that time Protector of the Common-wealth of England sent Admiral Blake with a Squadron of Men of War towards the Coasts of Algarve and Andalousia to wait for the Spanish Gallions which come yearly from the Indies The Spaniards being advertis'd of it resolv'd to equip a Fleet with all expedition to oppose the English and frustrate their design To this end they set out 28 Men of War and 6 Fireships under the Command of Don Paul de Contreras whose Vice-Admiral was the Amirante Castana on board whom was I. The Two Fleets came up with each other near Cape St. Vincent where they staid many Days but the English perceiving they were like to make nothing on 't retir'd towards Lisbon and the Spaniards stood into Cadiz where all the Gallions safely arriv'd in the beginning of the Year 1655 except the Vice-Admiral which was lost in the Channel of Bahama upon the Coasts of Florida Sometime after this the English having declar'd War against the Spaniards more openly by taking Jamaica the Navigation to the West-Indies was a long time interrupted by their Cruisers hovering about Cadiz and San Lucar where they intercepted some Ships coming from the Indies richly laden took one of the biggest burnt Two others and put the rest to flight and afterwards went to the Canaries where they burnt most of the Flota that were arriv'd there from New Spain and waited orders from Madrid what course to take to escape falling into the hands of the English While these things were doing the Dutch who sought to make their advantage of the Troubles that the Spaniards were embroil'd in sent several Ships to the River de la Plata laden with Goods and Negroes which they took in at Angola and Congo These Ships being arriv'd in that River and come up to Buenos Ayres the Inhabitants of the place who had a long time been depriv'd of the Supplies which they had
us'd to receive by the Spanish Gallions who were hinder'd by the English from making their constant Voyages and were besides in want of Negroes and other things wrought so far upon the Governor that for a Present which they oblig'd the Hollanders to give him and satisfying the Customs due to the King of Spain they were permitted to Land and Trade there Mean time the Spanish Ministers apprehending lest the Interruption of the Commerce and the scarcity of European Commodities in those Parts might constrain the Inhabitants to Traffick with Strangers which 't is their Interest to prevent as much as they can thought fit to grant Licences to several of their private Subjects to Trade to the Indies at their own proper risque A certain Cavalier took one of them and fitted out a Ship at Cadiz where I abode at that time I resolv'd to go in her and that the more willingly because I had formerly had some dealings with him He very friendly consented to let me go under his Name for his Nephew that I might conceal my being a Forreigner which if known would have stopt my Voyage because in Spain they allow none but Native Spaniards to go in their Ships to the Indies We set Sail about the latter end of December 1657 in a Ship of 450 Tuns and in 105 Days reach'd the Mouth of the River de la Plata where we met a French Frigat Captain Foran Commander and fought her some time we got clear of her and continued our Course till we came before Buenos Ayres where we found 22 Dutch Ships and among them 2 English Laden homewards with Bulls-hides Plate and Spanish-wool which they had receiv'd in exchange for their Commodities a few days after 3 Dutch Ships going out of the Road encounter'd Captain Foran and another Frigat nam'd the Mareschale Commanded by the Chevalier de Fontenay after a tough dispute the Hollanders boarded and took the Mareschale put all her Men to the Sword and the Chevalier among the rest This accident alarum'd those of Beuenos Ayres and made them put themselves upon their guard imagining there was a French Squadron come into the River to make an attempt upon their Country Whereupon they resolv'd to send for aid to Count Albaeliste Viceroy over all the Spanish Acquisitions in America and Resident at Lima in Peru who caus'd to be Levy'd with much difficulty and some force but 100 Men which were not sent to them till 8 or 9 Months after under the Command of Don Sebastian Comacho But before I proceed further 't is fit I deliver my Observations concerning the River de la Plata and the Countries through which it runs In those Parts 't is call'd the Paraguay but more vulgarly the Great Parana probably because the River of Parana falls into it above the Town de las Corrientes ' Its Mouth which lies in the 35th Degree of Southern Latitude on that side the Equinoctial Line is between Cape de Castillos and Cape de Sant Antonio about 80 Leagues distant from each Tho' it be deep enough every where yet the commonest Road into it and most us'd by Sailors is on the North-side from Castillos to Montvidio which is half-way to Buenos Ayres and notwithstanding there is a Channel on the same North-side from Montvidio to Buenos Ayres the shallowest place in which is Three Fathom deep yet for more security they cross over against Monvidio into the South Channel because 't is broader and has Three Fathom and a half Water at least where 't is shallowest all the bottom is muddy till within 2 Leagues of Buenos Ayres where lyes a sand Bank there they take in Pilots to Steer them to a place call'd the Posso just before the Town distant a Cannon shot from Shore wherein no Vessels may enter but such as have a Licence from the King of Spain those that have no such permission are oblig'd to Anchor a League Lower The River is full of Fish but of them there are hardly more than Seven or Eight sorts good to eat there are abundance of those Whales call'd Gibars and Sea-dogs who commonly bring forth their young ashore and whose Skin is fit for several uses I was told that about 5 or 6 Years before I came there the River was almost dry'd up for some days no Water being left but only in the middle Channel and there so little that they forded it on Horseback as one may do most of the Rivers that fall into that de la Plata in which there are likewise a great many Otters with whose Skins the Savages Cloath themselves The Country on the North-side of the River de la Plata is of great extent Inhabited by none but Savages call'd Charuas most of the little Islands that lie all along the River and the Shore sides are cover'd with Woods full of Wild Boars From Cape de Castillos up to Rio Negro as well as from the same Cape to San Paulo bordering upon Brasil the Coasts are uninhabited tho' the Country especially along the River seems to be very good having little Rivulets running down from the Hills thro' the Plains The Spaniards settled first there but afterwards remov'd to Buenos Ayres because 't was troublesom to cross over the great Parana to go to Peru. I went ashore frequently beyond Rio Negro but never farther than Three quarters of a League into the Land there are but few Savages to be seen and they have their Habitations a good way up in the Country those I met with were well made with long Hair and very little Beard they wear nothing but a great Skin made of little ones patch'd together that hangs down to their heels and a piece of Leather under their Feet ty'd with Straps about their Ankles For Ornament they bind a Fillet of some Stuff about their Heads which comes over the Fore-head and keeps the Hair back behind The Women have no other Garment but these Skins which they gird about their Wastes and cover their heads with a sort of little Hats made of Rushes of divers Colours From Rio Negro to Las Corrientes and the River of Parana the Country is well stockt with Bulls and Cows there are likewise a great many Stags whose Skins they sell for right Buff. The Savages about Rio Negro are the only People from the Sea thither that keep Correspondence with those of Buenos Ayres and the Casiques and Couracas their Leaders do Hommage to the Governor of that Place from whence they are but about 20 Leagues distant One of the chief Spanish Towns on that side is Las Siete Corrientes Situate near the place where the Two Rivers Paraguay and Parana meet Upon the Parana stand Three or Four Villages pretty far from each other and thinly Peopled tho' the Country be very proper for Vine-yards and has enough planted already to supply the Neighbouring Parts with Wine The Inhabitants are under the Jurisdiction of a Governour resident at Assomption which is the most important
Place the Spaniards have in that Country and stands higher up the River Paraguay on the North-side 't is the Metrapolitan City a Bishop's Seat has several very neat Churches and Convents and is well crowded with Inhabitants because a great many Idle People and such as have run out their Fortunes and can live no longer in Spain or Peru flock thither as to their last refuge The Land abounds in Corn Millet Sugar Tobacco Honey Cattle Oaks fit for Shipping Pine-Trees for Masts and particularly in that Herb call'd the Herb of Paraguay which they drive a great Trade in all over the West-Indies and this obliges the Merchants of Chili and Peru to hold a Correspondence with those of Paraguay because without that Herb with which they make a refreshing Liquor with Water and Sugar to be drank lukewarm the Inhabitants of Peru Savages and others especially those that work in the Mines could not subsist for the Soil of the Country being full of Mineral Veins the Vapours that rise out of the Ground suffocate them and nothing but that Liquor can recover them again which revives and restores them to their former Vigour In this City of Assomption the Native Indians as well as Spaniards are very courteous and obliging to Strangers They indulge themselves in a great deal of liberty even with respect to Women insomuch that being often necessitated to Sleep in the open Air because of the excessive Heat they spread their Quilts in the Streets and lie there all Night Men and Women together Nor is any Body scandaliz'd at it Having plenty of all things good to eat and drink they give themselves up to Ease and Idleness and don 't much trouble themselves with Trading abroad nor heaping up Money which upon that account is very scarce among 'em contenting themselves with trucking the Commodities of their own Product for others more necessary and useful to them Further up in the Country that is to say towards the Head of the River Vrugay in the Province of Paraguay are many Settlements of Colonies transplanted thither by the Jesuits Missionaries that prevail'd upon the Savages in those Parts who are naturally tractable to quit their Woods and Mountains and come and dwell together in Villages in a Civil Community where they instructed them in the Christian Religion taught them Mechanicks to play upon Musical Instruments and several other Arts covenient to Human Life Thus the Missionaries who came upon a Religious Motive are largely recompenc'd by the Temporal Advantages which they reap here The report that there were Golden Mines in this Country could not be kept so close but that the Spaniards had some inkling of it and among others Don Hiacinto de Laris Governor of Buenes Ayres who about the Year 1653 had orders from the King of Spain to go and visit these Settlements and examine into their Wealth At first coming he was well receiv'd but perceiving that he began to inspect their Riches and search for Gold The Savages who are shy of working in the Mines took up Arms and forc'd him and his Followers Fifty in Number to depart out of their Country The Governor who succeeded him inform'd himself more particularly of this matter and to make the best use of his Intelligence inter'd into a strict Alliance with the Jesuits of his own Government who hold a Correspondence with the rest of their Fraternity and having got a considerable Sum from the Hollanders for leave to Trade at Buenos Ayres he engag'd the Jesuits to furnish him 100000 Crowns in Gold for the value in Silver for lightness of Carriage But this same Governor being arrested by the King of Spain's Order for permitting the Dutch to Trade at Buenos Ayres his Gold was seiz'd and confiscated which upon trial prov'd to be much finer than that of Peru and by this and other Circumstances they discover'd that it came from the Mines found out by the Jesuits in these parts On the South-side of the River de la Plata from Cape Sant Antonio to within 30 Leagues of Buenos Ayres 't is dangerous Sailing because of the Banks that lie in the way wherefore they always go on the North-side as I said before till they come up so far then they cross over to the South-side which is very safe especially when the Wind blows against the Stream of the River and swells it for when a Westerly Wind blows from Land the Water falls however when the Water is at the lowest 't is Three Fathom and a half deep both in the North and South Channels When we enter'd into the South-Channel we came in sight of those Vast Plains extending to Buenos Ayres and thence as far as the River Salladillo 60 Leagues short of Cordoua which are so cover'd with all sorts of Cattle that notwithstanding multitudes of them are daily destroy'd for their Skins there 's no Sign of their diminution As soon as we arriv'd at the Cape of Buenos Ayres we gave notice of it to the Governor who understanding that we had the King of Spain's Licence for coming thither without which he could not have permitted us entrance into the place unless he would have broke his Orders he sent the Kings Officers on board to visit our Ship according to custom which done we landed our Goods and laid them up in a Ware-house hired for the time of our stay They consisted chiefly in Linnen Cloath particularly that made at Rouen which goes off very well in those Parts as also in Silks Ribans Thread Needles Swords Horse-shoes and other Iron-work Working-tools of all sorts Drugs Spices Silk and Wollen-Stockings Woollen-Cloath Serges and other Woollen-Stuffs and generally in every thing fit for Cloathing which as we were inform'd were proper commodities for those Parts Now the Custom is that as soon as a Licens'd Ship that is to say which has the King of Spain's Permission comes to Buenos Ayres The Governor of the Place or Captain of the Ship dispatches a Messenger to Peru with the Letters from Spain if he has any or else to acquaint the Merchants with his Arrival whereupon some of them immediately set out to Buenos Ayres or else send Commissions to their Correspondents to buy up what Wares they think convenient 'T was my fortune to be sent upon both these Errands for among a great many Letters that we brought with us was a large pacquet from his Catholick Majesty for Peru enclos'd in a Leaden Box as all the Dispatches from the Spanish Court to the Indies commonly are to the end that if the Ship that carries them should be in eminent peril of falling into an Enemies Hands they might be flung over board and sunk This Pacquet was entrusted to my care wherein were many Letters to the Vice-Roy of Peru and other Prime Officers in those Parts signifying the Birth of the Prince of Spain and I carry'd likewise an Inventory attested by the Kings Officers at Buenos Ayres of the greatest part of our Lading to be
shewn to the Merchants of Potosi they rely'd upon the conditions of the Goods as specified in the Inventory and so bargain'd for what they lik'd but their effects did not come to 'em till Seven or Eight Months after A Description of Buenos Ayres BEfore I say any thing of my Journy to Peru I will set down what I observ'd remarkable at Buenos Ayres whilst I tarry'd there The Air is pretty temperate much as 't is in Andalousia but not quite so warm the Rains fall almost as often in Summer as Winter and the Rain in sultry weather usually breeds divers kinds of Toads which are very common in this Country but are not venemous The Town stands upon a rising Ground on the side of the River de la Plata a Musquet shot from the Channel in an Angle of Land made by a little Rivulet call'd Riochuelo which falls into the River a quarter of a League from the Town it contains 400 Houses has no enclosure neither Wall nor Ditch and nothing to defend it but a little Fort of Earth surrounded with a Ditch which commands the River and has Ten Iron Guns the biggest of which is a Twelve Pounder there the Governor resides who has but 150 Men in Garrison which are form'd into Three Companies Commanded by Three Captains whom he appoints at will and indeed he changes them so often that there is hardly a Wealthy Citizen but has been a Captain these Companies are not always full because the Souldiers are drawn by the cheapness of Living in those Parts to desert frequently notwithstanding they endeavour to keep them in the Service by a large pay which is per diem Four Reals worth 1 s. 6 d. English and a Loaf of 3 d. ob which is as much as one Man can eat But the Governor keeps 1200 tame Horses in a Plain thereabouts for his ordinary Service and in case of necessity to mount the Inhabitants of the Place and form a small Body of Cavalry Besides this Fort there is a little Bastion at the Mouth of the Rivulet wherein they keep Guard there are but Two Iron-Guns mounted upon it each carrying a Three Pound Ball this commands the place where the Barks come ashore to deliver or take in goods which are liable to be visited by the Officers of the Bastion when they lade and unlade The Houses of the Town are built of Earth because there is but little Stone in all those Parts up as far as Peru they are thatch'd with Canes and Straw have no Stories all the Rooms are of a Floor and are very Spacious they have great Court-yards and behind their Houses large Gardens full of Orange-trees Lemon-trees Fig-trees Apple-trees Pear-trees and other Fruit-trees with store of Herbs Cabbages Onions Garlick Lettice Peas Beans and especially their Melons are excellent the Soil being very fat and good they live very commodiously and except Wine which is something dear they have plenty of all sorts of Victuals as Beef Veal Mutton Venison Hares Coneys Pullets Ducks Wild-geese Partridges Pidgeons Turtles and all kind of Wild-fowl and so cheap that one may buy Partridges for a Penny a piece and the rest proportionably There are likewise abundance of Ostriches who herd in Flocks like Cattle and tho' they are good Meat yet none but the Savages eat of them They make Umbrellas of their Feathers which are very commodious in the Sun their Eggs are good and every body eats of 'em tho' they say they are of hard Digestion I saw one thing of these Creatures very remarkable and that is while the Hen sits upon the Eggs they have the Instinct or Foresight to provide for their Young so five or six days before they come out of the Shell they set an Egg in each of the four Corners of the place where they sit these Eggs they break and when they rot Worms and Maggots breed in 'em in prodigious numbers which serve to nourish the Young Ostriches from the time they are hatch'd till they are able to go farther for their sustenance The Houses of the better sort of Inhabitants are adorn'd with Hangings Pictures and other Ornaments and decent Moveables and all that are tollerably well to pass are serv'd in Plate and have a great many Servants Blacks Moulatos Mestices Indians Cabres or Sambos who are all Slaves The Negroes come from Guinea the Moulatos are begotten by a Spaniard upon a Black the Mestices are born of a Spaniard and an Indian and the Sambos of an Indian Man and a Mestice all distinguishable by their Colour and Hair They employ these Slaves in their Houses or to cultivate their Grounds for they have large Farms stock'd with Grain in abundance as Wheat Barley and Millet or to look after their Horses and Mules who feed upon nothing but Grass all the Year round or to kill Wild-Bulls or in fine to do any kind of Service All the Wealth of these Inhabitants consists in Cattle wich multiply so prodigiously in this Province that the Plains are quite cover'd with 'em particularly with Bulls Cows Sheep Horses Mares Mules Asses Swine Deer and others insomuch that were it not for a vast number of Dogs who devour the Calves and other young Beasts they would over-run the Country they make so great profit of the Skins and Hides of these Annimals that a single Instance will be sufficient to shew how far it might be improv'd by good hands The 22 Dutch Ships that we found at Buenos Ayres were each of them laden with 13 or 14000 Bull-hides at least which amount to above 300000 Livers or 33500 l. Sterling bought by the Dutch at Seven or Eight Reals a piece that is under an English Crown and sold again in Europe for Twenty-five Shillings English at least When I express'd my astonishment at the sight of such an infinite number of Cattle they told me of a Stratagem sometimes made use of when they apprehend a descent from any Enemies that is matter of greater wonder and 't is this they drive such a Herd of Bulls Cows Horses and other Animals to the Shore-side that 't is utterly impossible for any number of Men even tho' they should not dread the fury of those Wild Creatures to make their way through so great a drove of Beasts The First Inhabitants of this place put every one their mark upon those they could catch and turn'd 'em into their enclosures but they multiply'd so fast that they were forc'd to let 'em loose and now they go and kill them according as they want 'em or have occasion to make up a quantity of Hides for Sale At present they mark only those Horses and Mules which they catch to tame and breed up for Service Some Persons make a great Trade of sending them to Peru where they yield 50 Patagons or 11 l. 13 s. 4 d. Sterling a pair Most of the Dealers in Cattle are very Rich but of all the Trading People the most considerable are they that Traffick in
of Fruitful Plains and partly of Forrests full of Algarobe and Palm-trees which bear Dates somewhat less than those in the east-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
and live according to the Rules of the Roman Catholick Religion they have a Church at Omagoaca which is supplied with Priests who go from time to time to celebrate Mass there These Priests dwell at Socchoa which is the Plantation of Don Paulo d' Obaudo who is a Spaniard but born in this Country and is Lord Proprietor of it which contains not only all the Valley of Omagoaca but likewise a great space of Land beyond and is a Country of about 60 or 80 Leagues in extent where there are a great many Vigognes of whose Wool this Lord makes a very considerable Advantage He takes these Creatures with a great deal of ease by means of his Subjects the Indians who have no other trouble than that of making a great Inclosure with Nets about a Foot and a half high to which they tie a great many Feathers that are blown to and fro by the Wind after which the Savages hunt these Creatures and drive 'em within the Nets as they do Wild-Boars in France into the Toils when this is done some come on Horse-back within the compass of Ground in which they are inclos'd and while the poor Beasts dare not go near the Nets for fear of the Feathers that play about 'em they with certain Bowls fastened to Cords knock down and kill as many of 'em as they please From Omagoaca to Mayo they count it 30 Leagues there 's nothing to be met with along this way but a very few Plantations of Savages because 't is so very Cold here in the Winter that 't is hard to be endur'd The way from Mayo to Toropalca is through very pleasant Plains there are Two hundred Houses in the Town inhabited by Catholick Savages only one Portuguese lives there with his Family Beyond Toropalca is the Country of Chichas which is very Mountainous and is stor'd with divers Mines of Gold and Silver and Work-houses where they prepare the Metal 'T is 25 Leagues in extent as far as Potosi where I arriv'd after a Journey of Sixty three Days A Description of the City of Potosi and the Mines there I Was no sooner alighted from my Horse at a Merchants House to whom I had been recommended but I was conducted by him to the President of the Provinces of Los Charcas to whom the Order I carried from the King of Spain was directed as the Principal Director of his Catholick Majesty's Affairs in this Province in which Potosi is Situate which is the place of his Ordinary Residence altho' the City de la Plata is the Capital After I had deliver'd the Order to him I was brought to the Corregidor to deliver that which belong'd to him and afterwards to those other Officers for whom I brought Orders they all receiv'd me very well particularly the President who presented me with a Chain of Gold for the good News I had brought him But before we go any farther 't is convenient I should give some description of the City of Potosi as I have done of others The Spaniards call it the Imperial City but no body could ever tell me for what reason 't is Situate at the Foot of a Mountain call'd Arazassou and divided in the midst by a River which comes from a Lake inclos'd with Walls which lies about a quarter of a League above the City and is a kind of reserver to hold the Water that is necessary for the Work-houses of that part of the City which is on this side of the River over against the Mountain is rais'd upon a little Hill and is the largest and most inhabited part for on that which is on the side of the Mountain there 's scarce any thing but Engines and the Houses of those that Work in ' em The City has neither Walls Ditches nor Forts for its defence there are reckon'd to be 4000 Houses well built of good Stone with several Floors after the manner of the Buildings in Spain The Churches are well made and all richly adorn'd with Plate Tapestry and other Ornaments and above all those of the Monks and Nunns of whom there are several Convents of different Orders which are very well furnish'd This is not the least populous City of Peru with Spaniards Mestices Strangers and Natives which last the Spaniards call Indios with Moulatos and Negroes They count there are between 3 and 4000 Natural Spaniards bearing Arms who have the Reputation of being very stout Men and good Souldiers The number of the Mestices is not much less nor are they less expert at a Weapon but the greatest part of 'em are Idle apt to quarrel and Treacherous therefore they commonly wear Three or Four Buff-wast-coats one upon another which are proof against the point of a Sword to secure themselves from private stabs The Strangers there are but few there are some Dutch Irish and Genoese and some French most of whom are of St. Malo Provence or Bayonne and pass for People of Navarre and Biscaye As for the Indians they are reckon'd to amount to near 10000 besides the Moulatos and the Blacks but they are not permitted to wear either Swords or Fire-Arms no not their Couracas and Caciques tho' they may all aspire to any degree of Knight-hood and to Benefices to which they are often rais'd for their laudable Actions and good Services They are also forbidden to wear the Spanish habit but are oblig'd to cloath themselves in a different manner in a close-coat without sleeves which they wear next their Shirts to which their Band and lac'd Cuffs are fasten'd their Breeches are wide at bottom after the French fashion their Legs and Feet naked The Blacks and Moulatos being in the Service of the Spaniards are habited after the Spanish Mode and may bear Arms and all the Indian Slaves after Ten Years service are set at liberty and have the same privileges with the others The Government of this City is very exact by the Care which is taken by Twenty four Magistrates who are constantly observing that good orders be kept in it besides the Corregidor and President of Los Charcas who directs Officers after the manner of Spain It is to be observ'd that excepting these two Principal Officers as well at Potosi as every where else in the Indies all the People whether Knights Gentlemen Officers or others are concern'd in Commerce of which some of them make so great an advantage that in the City of Potosi there are some reckon'd to be worth Two some Three and some Four Millions of Crowns and a great many worth Two Three or Four hundred thousand Crowns The common People to live much at their ease but are all proud and haughty and always go very fine either in Cloth of Gold and Silver or in Scarlet or Silk trimmed with a great deal of Gold and Silver-Lace The Furniture of their Houses is very Rich for they are generally serv'd in Plate The Wives both of Gentlemen and Citizens are kept very close to a degree
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
and spread it upon the Ground about half a Foot thick in a square place that is very smooth prepar'd for the purpose then they cast a great deal of Water upon it after which they with a Sieve spread upon it a certain quantity of Quick-silver which is proportion'd by the Officers of the Mint and also a Liquid substance of Iron which is prepar'd by Two Millstones one of which is fix'd and the other is continuly turning between these they put an Old Anvil or some other Massy piece of Iron which is worn away and Consum'd with Water by the turning Mill-stone so that 't is reduc'd to a certain Liquid Matter The Oar being thus prepar'd they stir it about and mix it as Men do when they make Mortar for a Fortnight together every day tempering it with Water and after this they several times put it into a Tub wherein there is a little Mill which by its motion separates from it all the Earth with the Water and casts 'em off together so that nothing but the Metallick Matter remains at the bottom which is afterwards put into the Fire in Crucibles to separate the Quick-silver from it which is done by Evaporation for as for the Iron substance that does not Evaporate but remains mix'd with the Silver which is the reason that there is always in Eight Ounces for example sake Three quarters of an Ounce or thereabouts of false Alloy The Silver when thus refin'd is carried to the Mint where they make an Essay of it whether it be of the right Alloy after which it is melted into Barrs or Ingots which are weigh'd and the fifth part of 'em deducted which belongs to the King and are stamp'd with his mark the rest appertain to the Merchant who in like manner applies his mark to them and takes 'em away from thence when he pleases in Barrs or else converts 'em into Reals and other Money This fifth part is the only profit the King has from the Mines which yet are esteem'd to amount to several Millions But besides this he draws considerable Sums by the ordinary Impositions upon Goods without reckoning what he raises upon Quick-silver both that which is taken out of the Mines of Guancavelica which are Situated between Lima and Cusco and that which is brought from Spain with which Two Vessels are loaded every Year because that which is taken out of these Mines is not sufficient for all the Indies They use divers ways of Carriage to Transport all the Silver that is annually made about Potosi for Spain first they Load it upon Mules that carry it to Arica which is a Port on the South-Sea from whence they Transport it in small Vessels to the Fort of Lima or Los Reys which is a Fort upon the same Sea Two Leagues from Lima here they Embark it with all that comes from other parts of Peru in Two great Gallions that belong to his Catholick Majesty each of which carry 1000 Tuns and are Arm'd each with 50 or 60 Pieces of Canon these are commonly accompanied with a great many small Merchant Ships as Richly Loaded which have no Guns but a few Petareroes to give Salutes and take their Course towards Panama taking care always to send a little Pinnace 8 or 10 Leagues before to make discoveries They might make this way in a Fortnights time having always the help of the South-wind which reigns alone in this Sea yet they never make it less than a Months Voyage because by this delay the Commander of the Gallions makes a great advantage in furnishing those with Cards that have a mind to play on Ship-board during the Voyage which amounts to a very considerable Sum both because the Tribute he receives is Ten Patagons for every Pack of Cards and because there is a prodigious quantity of 'em consum'd they being continually at play and there being scarce any body aboard but is concern'd for very considerable Sums When the Gallions arrive at Panama on the Continent they put their Lading ashoar and wait to hear of those from Spain who commonly about the same time or a little after arrive at Portobelo which is 18 Leagues from the North-Sea in the mean time they carry thither part of the Gold Silver and other Commodities of this Fleet which are design'd for Europe upon Mules by Land and part by Water upon the River of Chiagre in Boats made of an entire piece of Wood call'd Piragouas A few days after they are unladen and after the Gallions are likewise arriv'd from Spain a very great Fair is held there for a Fortnight together in which they Sell and Barter all sorts of Goods necessary for each Country which is perform'd with so much honesty that the Sale is made only by the Inventories without opening the Bales without the least Fraud The Fair being ended they all retire to the places to which they respectively belong The Gallions that are to return into Spain go to Havana in the Island of Cuba where they wait for the Arrival of the Flota of la Vera-Crux in New Spain as soon as that has joyn'd 'em they continue their Course together passing thro' the Channel of Bahama along the Coast of Florida they touch at the Island of Bermudos where they commonly meet with Advice of the State of Affairs in Europe and with orders to direct them how to avoid any disasters and to perform their Voyage in safety As for the Gallions of Peru after they have taken in a new Cargo at Panama they return to Lima steering divers Courses because of the Contrariety of the Wind which keeps 'em Two or Three Months at Sea Being there they dispose of what they have for Peru And the rest of the Goods is taken off by the Merchants of Chili who give a great many Commodities of their Country in exchange for 'em as Goats-leather which in the Language of the Country is call'd Cordouan Cordage Hemp Pitch and Tar Oyls Olives and Almonds and above all a great quantity of Dust of Gold which is taken out of the Rivers of Capiapo Coquinbo Baldivia and others which fall into the South-Sea And now we are speaking of the Commodities of Chili some small matter must be said concerning this great Province or Kingdom At the Mouths of those Rivers of which I have just been speaking there are good Ports and Cities each of which consist of about 4 or 500 Houses and those sufficiently stock'd with People The most considerable Cities upon the Sea-Coast are Baldivia la Conception Copiapo and Coquinbo Baldivia is Fortified and has a Garrison in it usually compos'd only of Banish'd Men and Malefactors of the Indies the Three others are Cities of Trade Farther up in the Countrey is St. Jago de Chili which is the Capital of all Chili where there is likewise a strong Garrison and some regular Troops by reason of the continual War they have with the Savages call'd Aoucans Beyond it in the Mountains lies the little
Province of Chicuito of which the principal Places are St. Juan de la Frontera and Mendoca round about these Towns there grows a great deal of Corn and abundance of Vines which furnish the Country of Chili and the Province of Tucuman as far as Buenos Ayres Three Weeks after my Arrival at Potosi there were great rejoycings made for the Birth of the Prince of Spain which lasted for a Fortnight together during which time all Work ceased throughout the City in the Mines and in the Adjacent places and all the People great and small whether Spaniards Forreigners Indians or Blacks minded nothing else but to do something extraordinary for the Solemnizing of this Festival It began with a Cavalcade made by the Corregidor the Twenty four Magistrates of the City the other Officers the Principal of the Nobility and Gentry and the most eminent Merchants of the City all richly Cloth'd All the rest of the People and particularly the Ladies being at the Windows and casting down abundance of perfum'd Waters and great quantities of dry Sweet-meats The following days they had several Plays some of which they call Juegos de Toros others Juegos de Cannas several sorts of Masquerades Comedies Balls with Vocal and Instrumental Musick and other Divertisements which were carry'd on one day by the Gentlemen another day by the Citizens one while by the Gold-smiths another while by the Miners some by the People of divers Nations others by the Indians and all with great Magnificence and a prodigious Expence The Rejoycings of the Indians deserve a particular remark for besides that they were richly cloth'd and after a different manner and that Comical enough with their Bows and Arrows they in one Night and Morning in the Chief Publick place of the City prepar'd a Garden in the form of a Labyrinth the Plats of which were adorn'd with Fountains spouting out Waters furnished with all sorts of Trees and Flowers full of Birds and all sorts of Wild-beasts as Lions Tygers and other kinds in the midst of which they express'd their Joy a Thousand different ways with extraordinary Ceremonies The last day save one surpass'd all the rest and that was a Race at the Ring which was perform'd at the Charge of the City with very surpizing Machines First there appear'd a Ship Tow'd along by Savages of the bulk and burden of a 100 Tuns with her Guns and Equipage of Men cloth'd in Curious Habit her Anchors Ropes and Sails swelling with the Wind which very luckily blew along the Street through which they drew her to the great publick place where as soon as she arriv'd she saluted the Company by the discharge of all her Canon and at the same time a Spanish Lord representing an Emperor of the East coming to Congratulate the Birth of the Prince came out of the Vessel attended with Six Gentlemen and a very fine Train of Servants that led their Horses which they mounted and so went to salute the President of Los Charcas and while they were making their Compliment to him their Horses kneel'd down and kept in that Posture having been taught this Trick before They afterwards went to salute the Corregidor and the Judges of the Field from whom when they had receiv'd permission to run at the Ring against the Defendants they acquitted themselves with great Gallantry and receiv'd very fine prizes distributed by the hands of the Ladies The Race at the Ring being finish'd the Ship and a great many other small Barks that were brought thither advanc'd to attack a great Castle wherein Cromwel the Protector who was then in War with the King of Spain was feign'd to be shut up and after a pretty long Combat of Fire-works the fire took hold of the Ship the small Barkes and the Castle and all was consum'd together After this a great many pieces of Gold and Silver were distributed and thrown among the People in the Name of his Catholick Majesty And there were some particular Persons that had the prodigality to throw away Two or Three Thousand Crowns a Man among the Mob The Day following these Rejoycings were concluded by a Procession made from the great Church to that of the Recollects in which the Holy Sacrament was carry'd attended with all the Clergy and Laiety and because the way from one of these Churches to the other had been unpav'd for the Celebration of the other Rejoycings they repair'd it for this Procession with Barrs of Silver with which all the way was entirely cover'd The Altar where the Host was to be Lodg'd in the Church of the Recollects was so furnish'd with Figures Vessels and Plates of Gold and Silver adorn'd with Pearles Diamonds and other Precious Stones that scarce ever could any thing be seen more Rich For the Citizens brought thither all the rarest Jewels they had The extraordinary Charge of this whole time of Rejoycing was reckon'd to amount to above 500000 Crowns These Divertisements being ended the rest of the time that I continued at Potosi was employ'd in compleating the Sale of the Goods the Inventories of which I had brought with me and I oblig'd my self to cause these Goods to be deliver'd in a certain time at Xuxui and to pay all the Charge of Carriage so far I took most of my Payment in Silver namely in Patagons Plate Barrs and Pignas which is Virgin-silver and the rest in Vigogne Wool and when I had quite finish'd the business for which I was sent to Potosi I left the place to return to Buenos Ayres the same way I came I loaded all my Bales upon Mules which is the ordinary way of Carriage to pass the Moutains which divide Peru from Tucuman But when I was arriv'd at Xuxui I thought meet to make use of Waggons which is much more Commodious and thus I continu'd my Travels and after a Journey of 4 Months happily arriv'd at the River of Lucan which is 5 Leagues from Buenos Ayres where I met with Ignatio Maleo who was got thither before me he came thither by the River in a little Boat which we resolv'd to make use of to convey most of the Silver I had brought with me privately to our Ship we thought meet to take this Course to avoid the risque we must have run of being Confiscated if we had brought our Vessel by Buenos Ayres because of the Prohibition of the Exportation of Gold and Silver tho' this order is not always very regularly observ'd the Governour sometimes suffering it to be carried out privately Conniving at it for some present or else not being very strict in taking notice of it I must not omit here to tell the reason why the Spaniards will not suffer the Silver of Peru and of other Neighbouring Provinces to be Transported by the River of la Plata nor all sorts of Vessels to go and Trade there without Permission It is from this Consideration that if they should give way to a free Trade on that side where the
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
that we might give him no offence because we stood in need of his Protection After I had continu'd a Fortnight with him making all the Children say their Prayers Morning and Evening and repeating my little Instrustions to the greatest part of those I was acquainted with but especially to Three Young Men who were well Marry'd confirming 'em in the Resolution they had made never to take a Second Wife of which promise they seem'd to make no difficulty I set forward the Fifteenth of March to seek Father Bechamel and to wait for the Chief of the Cottage who was to go by Water Five days after with his Canoo I had but Three Leagues to go by Land whereas it was near Fifteen by Water From that time I found those People still more teachable and when the Captain return'd among Four and twenty Persons there were not above Three but signified they took a great deal of pleasure in my Instructions During our stay here a Serpent came in the Night in the place where we lay and bit a Hound so that he died in 30 Hours after This Accident was Injurious to us because the Chief and the Owner of the Dog attributed it to the Prayers which we sang so that I durst not Sing any more but contented my self to make every body in the Cottage say their Prayers except three as I said before namely the Chief Camiati and Two other Old Men. The Ninth of April after I had much importun'd the Chief that we might set forward he told us he was not willing to make this Voyage and that all his Men should go to set us in our way and should leave us when we went ashore to go by Land to the Rivers that lead to the Acoquas whether Four of the Company should attend us We understood that their Voyage was determin'd without any regard to us however we did not scruple to pay 'em for it being willing to make use of this Opportunity because it was no easie matter to meet with another However I oppos'd the Design of having so many Men go with us because the Two Canoos they had were too small for such a Company This was a great difficulty with us and was not resolv'd till the next day when we represented to the Chief that we would leave him our little Chest that we would take very few of our 12 things out of it for our Voyage that when we return'd I would continue with him that if he was not pleas'd to assist us in our Voyage I must return to Cayenne that then he must never expect to see any of us again and would have no more of our Commodities this made him resolve to lessen the number of his Men. The Tenth of March we parted being Sixteen in Number of which the Chief would needs be one for Three days that he might bring back his Canoo In the Evening we went ashore into the Woods and on the Eleventh after we had pass'd several Falls of Waters in the way we made the Two days we Arriv'd at a Cottage of the Nouragues Ten Leagues from the former here we were well receiv'd and went forward the Third day with a Third Canoo which was very small it carry'd only Two Men a Woman and a Girl of Ten or Twelve Years Old We passed Two Falls that were difficult enough and Arriv'd at a Third which the Canoo could not pass which has oblig'd the Nouragues to make a way to draw their Canoos by Land almost half a League this fall is at Two Degrees and Forty Six Minutes of Northern Latitude The Indians drew only the little Canoo by Land for the Chief left us and return'd back with the Two others and we who were then Fifteen in Number went to Embark in a great Canoo that was above the Water-fall which the Two Persons that were sent by Camiati had borrow'd Four Leagues higher we found the Mouth of the River Tenaporibo and went to lie in a Cottage hard by which was yet upon the River Aproague where we found Five Nourague Travellers who were going to the Country of the Mercious besides whom there was a Woman who had a little Girl of Seven or Eight Months Old that was very ill Imanon of whom I have spoken was now the Chief of our Company he is the greatest Physician that is the greatest Juggler of the Country who tho' he is a great Hypocrite and very much for plurality of Wives yet did not scruple to acquaint us that this Child was very Sick when we had examin'd the matter we judged it necessary to Baptize her which Father Bechamel did at the time when these Travellers parted from us I had before Baptiz'd a little Girl in the Cottage of this Imanon immediately after it was born because the Mother of it when she brought it into the World had left it in the 13 Dirt from whence they would not take it up for a long time being told of this disorder and finding they would put nothing under the Infant to keep it from the coldness of the Mud and of the Night I baptiz'd it The Fourteenth we left this Hutt and presently enter'd into the River of Tenaporibo which is very deep and rapid tho' it winds much we were not the First French-Men that had been upon this River and we have been inform'd that Three English-Men were kill'd and Eaten there 14 some Years ago by the Nouragues 'T is very difficult to Navigate this River meerly because of its narrowness and because the great Trees upon the Banks of it when they fall often extend their Branches to the other side so that one must either pass over or under these Trees which is not done without a great deal of difficulty We lay one Night in the Woods and on the Fifteenth Arriv'd at a Hutt where we continued to the Eighteenth which was the last Day we were upon this River and in the Evening we saw the last Company of the Nouragues on this River 80 Leagues from the Mouth of it This Company consists of Four Huts at a little distance one from another wherein there are above Sixscore Persons of a good natural Disposition and very teachable There was not one in the Cottage where we lodg'd but was taught by us to pray to God every Day this Cottage was compos'd of several Men some of whom were single Persons others were married only to one Wife with whom they liv'd very well and there is great Probability of making good Christians of ' em This Cottage is at Two Degrees Forty Two Minutes of Northern Latitude and together with the Neighbouring ones and two others at Two Leagues distance might give employ to a good Missionary We left this Hut on the Twenty Seventh of April towards Evening to go and seek our Guides who were not far off with whom we advanc'd by Land and went only Five Leagues among very difficult Mountains The Twenty Ninth we travell'd about Ten Leagues in a Way a
went to Lodge at a small Island which is in the River at a pretty good distance from the Sea here we stay'd the Twenty fourth of June I observ'd that the Sea came up here Eight Foot high and concluded from thence because it covers the last Fall of the River that it declines but Eight Foot in the space of Twenty five Leagues from the Sea In the Night they heard the Cry of a Bird and said to one another in the Galibis Tongue Hark how the Devil cries I reprov'd 'em telling 'em they were mistaken and that the Devil had no Body but was a Spirit as our Souls are which they confess to be Invisible and Immortal which yet they do not say of the Devils but pretend that their Physicians or Piaies kill 'em with great Clubs The Nouragues of one Cottage made the Figure of a Man in the the way by which they thought the Devil came to their Cottage in the Night to make 'em Sick that so while he stop'd at this Fantome and took it to be a Nourague the Piaies that watch'd for him might take their opportunity when they saw him to knock him on the head We parted from this Island to go and lodge at Co from whence the next day we saw a great many Canoos of the Galibis at Sea which were going toward the River of Amazons these the Master of our Canoo and the Sapaye went to visit drawing their Canoos along over the Mud at Low-water and found in one of 'em the Two Young Men they were going to seek for at Maroui They had now nothing to do but to carry us to Cayenne and because the Sea was so rough that they could not well bear up against it we desir'd 'em to set us ashore at Mahuti the first place we could land at in the Island of Cayenne which they compass'd with a great deal of Labour As soon as I set my Foot upon the Sand I fell down upon my Knees to thank God for the Protection he had favour'd us with for a Hundred and Seventy Leagues since we came from the Country of the Acoquas for our whole Voyage was Two hundred and forty Leagues We went to lodge at the House of Mons Fontain whose Estate lies in this part of the Island and he receiv'd us with great Joy The next day being the Twenty seventh Father Bechet came to fetch us with Two Horses and we borrow'd another of 25 Monsieur Fontaine and so Arriv'd at the Fort of Cayenne where the Governor was pleas'd to treat us with all imaginable Friendship And all the People came about us to see us and to signifie the geat affection they had to us In three Months I hope by the Grace of God to Visit the Marshes of the Aracarets the Palicours the Mayes the Marones and the Coussades whose Habitations stand more thick and close one to another than those I have given an account of in this Relation Here 's a great Field open'd to the Gospel-Labourers into which I am ready to conduct those that are willing to employ themselves in it as well as to discover to 'em a great many other Nations Being fully resolv'd by the Grace of God to expose my Life for so Glorious a purpose as the Propagation of the Gospel and the Conversion of such Numbers of People NOTES UPON THE TRAVELS OF Father JOHN GRILLET AND Father FRANCIS BECHAMEL Jesuits INTO GVIANA Note 1 in the Letter A Fort which the Dutch took from the English Fourteen or Fifteen Year ago on which the English Colony depends which is pretty Numerous and was Establish'd there Eight or Ten Years before under the Command of the Lord Willoughby This Fort was built by the French in 1644 they quitted it in 1646 for the Reasons that have been reported in divers Relations Note 2 P. 3. This River discharges it self into the Sea on the East-side of the Cayenne Note 3 Ibid. Of Ovicou they make a sort of Drink of the Consistence and Colour of Milk by steeping it in Water it will keep a Month or Six Weeks in a kind of Baskets lin'd with the Leaves of Bonana-Trees which are 4 or 5 Foot long and above 2 Foot wide Note 4 Ibid. The Brother of the Marquis de la Barre who was formerly Governor and the King's Lieutenant General in the American Islands both by Sea and Land and is now a Captain of one of his Majesty's Ships Note 5 P. 4. The Mouth of this River is 14 Leagues Eastward from Cayenne Note 6 P. 5. This is one of the Nations that fled into the Country of the Galibis Note 7 Ibid. In these Huts or Cottages the Indians hang their Hamocks or Cotton-beds when the Sun sets in which they repose themselves all Night They ordinarily rise with the Sun and then their Wives take down their Beds and Hamocks and hang 'em in the Carbet which is their kind of Hall or Out-house the Props of which not only serve to support the Roof which is made of Palm-leaves but also to hang up all the Beds of the Men and Boys in the Family and those of Strangers when at any time they entertain ' em This Carbet is plac'd Ten or Twelve paces on the upper-side of the Cottage in which the Women always leave their own Beds At one end of the Cottage they commonly make Cassave and their Liquor Ovicou this part of it serves for the Kitchin and for all the Work that belongs to the subsistance of the Family Some of these Cottages have a Loft above to hang their Beds in in the Night and then the lower-part of the Hut serves for the Carbet where the Men spend the day when they are at home in making their Bows and Arrows and what other conveniencies they want for their business is different from that of the Women in these Parts as well as in most other Places But there 's one thing belonging to the other Sex which the Men have usurp'd that deserves to be treated on in a particular Article of which I shall only speak a word or two here by the by They go to bed when their Wives are deliver'd and receive the Compliments of their happy delivery as if they had endur'd the pain and accordingly answer their Visitors as the Women do on the like occasion in other places This Custom is not peculiar to the Galibis but is us'd in a great many other Nations of Brasil and in other parts of America 'T is farther to be noted that their Carbets are the places where they hold their Consultations and deliberate on their most weighty Affairs which is ordinarily done with great Solemnity those that are concern'd and invited assembling together from divers places for this purpose Note 8 Ibid. This Nation dwells near the mouth of the River of Amazons Note 9 P. 7. This is the ordinary Bread of the Country made of a sort of Root which they scrape and then press to get the Water out of
This Nation is situated towards the Source of the River Maroni the Mouth of which is about 50 Leagues from Cayenne Westward and 30 from the River Surinam where the Dutch have a Fort which the French built in the Year 1644 and were oblig'd to quit in 1646 for want of Help from France This Fort is 3 Leagues from the Mouth of the Surinam on the Right-hand as you enter into it The Lord Willoughby retir'd thither in 1648 or 1649 with a Colony of 1000 or 1200 English who endeavour'd to support the Interest of the King of England against Cromwell in the Barbadoes that is those of the Antilles or Antego Islands which the English have for the English call all those Islands the Barbadoes as the French call all the Antilles they possess St. Christopher's Islands Note 22 P. 32. There are several sorts of Tools proper for the Indians of the Value of about Half a Crown Two Shillings Twenty-pence Fifteen-pence c. as Hatchets or Axes Bills with Wooden Handles others with Iron Handles in the Socket of which they may be fix'd or taken off at Pleasure and such little Planing-Axes as Cooper's Use this Tool serves the Indians in making their Canoos particularly in hollowing the inside of the Tree they design for that use They also use Plains to smooth the outside of the Canoos as well as for other Works Note 23 Ibid. A Hamock is an Indian Bed made of Cotton tho' they all hang 'em up by the two ends when they would lie in 'em sometimes upon 2 Trees at 10 or 12 Foot distance and sometimes at two of the Posts that support their Houses or their Carbets yet they differ very much both in the Stuff and Work For Instance All the Hamocks that are made from the River of Amazons to the Orenoque are of Cotton made full and almost all without Fringe on the sides most of 'em colour'd with Rocou or red Paint quarter'd in Flourishes that are made with pretty good Proportion and exactness these are most esteem'd for Use especially in the Islands because they last a great while and are stronger than those of Brazil which are so thin one may generally see through 'em and are made of twin'd Cotton much finer than those of Guiana which are also made of twisted Cotton-thread but courser Those of Brazil have all a great Fringe on each side and have for the most part very much work about 'em the Brazilian Women are so ingenious that there is scarce two of their Cotton Beds in a hundred which are brought from the same place that are made just alike The Galibis paint most of 'em Red after they are made and while they are yet upon the Loom The Brazilian Women make scarce any but white Hamocks and if they mix either Red or Blue or Green with the White or all of 'em together as they do frequently they work 'em with Thread ready dyed and so the Men don't touch 'em whereas in Guiana these Beds are painted only by the Men the Women leaving this Work to them when they have finished the Web They weave 'em after the following Manner as well in Brezil as in Guiana All their Implements are two round Sticks about 8 or 9 Foot long and 3 or 4 Inches Diameter the two Ends of one of these round Sticks lie a-cross upon two Pieces of Wood about 8 or 9 Foot from the Ground more or less according to the Length the Work-woman is order'd or designs her self to make her Bed The other round Stick hangs directly under this and 't is to these two round Sticks that the Warp of the Hamock is fasten'd after which they have a kind of Shuttle which they put through the Threads to weave it after the Manner of our Gloth But because they put their Shuttle through Thread by Thread one above and the other below this Work is extreamly tedious and has need of no less Patience than theirs Those of Brazil having much more work about 'em require the more Time and Industry to make 'em but one sort and another are very much bought in the Islands where almost all the Europeans make use of 'em and they are very good to use in Europe especially in those Places where they have but bad and uncleanly Beds particularly Spain and Italy whither one might carry 'em without much trouble they being very light for the biggest of 'em don't weigh above 5 or 6 Pound and those of Brazil not above half so much because they are thin and fine with 2 Pegs or 2 great Nails they may be hang'd up any where The Indians place the Props of their Houses at a convenient distance one from another for this Purpose They don't go out far into the Country without these Beds and there are always enough left in their Houses for Strangers This sort of Beds is likewise us'd almost in all Southern America to carry wounded or sick People in those that are put to this use have at each end a great Ring through which they put a Pole of a sufficient length for the Bed and strong enough to bear a Man's Weight And thus two Indians one before and t'other behind carry the sick Man supported in his Hamock by the Pole which they bear upon their Shoulders The Arouagues the Araotes and most of the other Nations toward the River Orenoque make their Beds of the Thread of Pite in Net-work which they hang up after the Manner the other do their Cotton Hamocks Pite is a kind of Hemp or Flax but much longer and whiter of this they make their Cords for the Tackling of the Masts and Sails of their Canoos as for other Occasions this Pite is also much lighter and stronger than Hemp and nothing near so apt to rot in the Water they make very fine Thread of it to mend their Arrows and for other such uses Perhaps the Aloe Yuccae foliis Catal. Plantar Jamaic p. 118. Note 24 P. 40. Boucanee that is dry'd without being salted upon a kind of Grate made of Sticks plac'd about 3 Foot above the Fire they Boucanee Meat as well as Fish and the Word Boucaniers comes from this because they usually live upon Meat or Fish dress'd after this Manner This Name was given to the French in the Island of St. Domingo because before they had Houses as they now have in the Western Part of the Island they liv'd only upon Beef thus dress'd and sold the Hides of the Bulls and Cows which they kill'd to the Captains of Ships for Guns Powder and Shot Shirts and Drawers which was all their Equipage They were then Vagabonds in the Island and had no Houses but now are settled there and plant a great deal of Tobacco in spight of the Spaniards They are under the Command of the Governour of la Tortue a small Island that lies near St. Domingo on the West-side And 't is suppos'd that the Number of these Boucaniers surpasses that of all the rest of
the French in those American Islands call'd the Antilles These Boucaniers have perform'd such surprizing Exploits against the Spaniards at Porto-Velo at Panama in New Spain and elsewhere that what we are told in the Accounts of the Country concerning 'em are almost incredible but that a Spaniard has lately taken care to immortalize their Memory who has in his own Language given us the History of divers Expeditions of these Adventurers in a Volumn in 4to Printed at Cologne in the Year 1681 with Figures Note 25 P. 43. Monsieur Fontaine is Commissary or Assistant to Monsieur Fouret who has very fine Sugar-Works at Cayenne A RELATION OF GVIANA AND OF THE COMMERCE THAT May be Settled there GViana is a great Country on the Continent of Northern America which extends in Latitude from the Equinoctial Line to the Tenth Degree on the side of the Arctique Pole and in Longitude from the River of Amazons to the Orenoque which contains near Four Hundred Leagues on the Sea-Coasts with an immense Stretch into the Countries that border upon Brazil on the South-side and New Audalousia on the West Our French Seamen are wont to call Guiana by the Name of the North-Cape because that is the most remarkable Cape on that Coast and those that have Business in those Parts commonly put ashoar there to get some Knowledge of the Country This Cape is between the 2 and 3 Degrees of Northern Latitude and between the 345 and the 346 Degrees of Longitude This Part of the Continent is water'd with abundance of Rivers some of which will carry great Vessels up a considerable Way beyond the Mouths of 'em and upon the Shoars of 'em an infinite Number of Plantations might be made which would turn to a very considerable Account as well in regard of the Traffick that might be made with the Natives and the Fishing-Trade that might be carried on in these Rivers and along the Sea-Coast as of the Product of the Labour and Industry of the Planters The divers Settlements the French have made there at different Times sufficiently prove the Possibility of living in good Correspondence with the Indians provided they be treated civilly and with more Honesty and Sincerity than they have done who have hitherto had the Conduct of these kind of Enterprizes fall into their Hands The ill Treatment the Natives have receiv'd from them for which they have sometimes made themselves amends by way of Reprizal have not render'd 'em irreconcileable as we have been taught by Experience when we have made tryal of it on different Occasions They are tolerably endued with good Sense which they have opportunity to cultivate and refine by a long Train of Experiences with which the many Years they live furnish 'em For they count a Man dies young if he don't live above 100 Years They have a pretty good Judgment and have good rational Thoughts about things within the Compass of their Notice and within the Reach of the Light of Nature with which alone they are furnish'd They observe their Words with great Exactness and inviolably practise the Maxim of not doing to others what they would not have others do to them They are rather inclin'd to Peace than War which yet they engage in either when they have some just Quarrel or when Revenge or Honour prompt 'em to it They are sufficiently industrious and although they have both Patience and Skill in Fishing and Hunting yet they have the Fore-sight not to let their Subsistance depend upon Hazard and therefore willingly cultivate their Ground in proportion to their Occasions and the Bigness of their Families Before Europe had furnish'd them with Tools of Iron and Steel for this Purpose they made themselves some of hard Stones but besides that the Labour of making 'em was intolerable the Pains they took in using of 'em was also so very great that they laid aside the use of 'em as soon as they found they could do more Work in a Day with our Hatchets Bills and Knives than they could do in 6 Months with their Stone Tools which now are good for nothing but to be kept in the Closets of the Curious as so many Proofs of the wonderful Patience of those People They speak a Tongue which is not only understood by all the Nations which the Spaniards on one side and the Portugese on the other have oblig'd to retire into Guiana but is also intelligible to the Carraibes who are the Natives of the Antilles and use this Language Which I have known by the Indians of the Isles of St. Vincent St. Domingo and others where I had occasion to converse with them In short this Language is spoken for the Space of above Four Hundred Leagues on the Sea-Coasts and in many Places above Sixscore Leagues up in the Country They bring up all sorts of tame Fowl which they exchange with us for Toys as well as wild Fowl and other Game which is there in great Plenty as also abundance both of Sea and Fresh-water Fish They build us Houses after their Fashion which are commodious enough for the Country they clear our Ground and carry our Letters they serve to load and unload Merchant Ships and in a Word there 's scarce any kind of Service but may be obtain'd of 'em by a courteous Carriage and by giving 'em a few Trifles of a small Value when they have occasion for ' em They undertake even to load Ships entirely with a kind of Fish which they catch in the Rivers with a sort of Harping-Iron and this they perform upon such reasonble Terms that those who follow this Trade by their Means always find an extraordinary Profit in it because the Vent of 'em is always speedy and certain in the Islands where there is a great Consumption of 'em made so that one may say this sort of Fish and the Sea-Tortoise are the Cod-fish of the Continent and the Antego Islands And 't is the Manna upon which the Colonies between the Tropiques live as much as many of the Europeans and some others do upon Cod-fish This Fishing Trade is practis'd all the Year in most of the Rivers on this Coast except the Fishing for Tortoise which holds but 3 or 4 Months in the Year during which the Females come to lay their Eggs in the Sand beyond the Marks that are left of the highest Tides and that in so great abundance especially on the Shoars that are least frequented as can hardly be imagin'd For 10 Men can turn as many of 'em in a Night as 100 can dress in a Week In the Night which is the only time they take to lay their Eggs they wait 'till they have pass'd the Bounds which the highest Tides have mark'd and then turn 'em upon their Backs and being once in this Posture they can by no means recover themselves upon their Feet to go back into the Sea Among the Plants which the Indians cultivate in their Plantations Cotton is one of those
that principally employs 'em especially the Women who make this their particular business and thus find means to adorn themselves for they know how to spin it as fine as can be desir'd And if the disorders that have happen'd in the Colonies upon the Continent had not hinder'd the Establishing a Regular Traffick of it which might have been easily accomplish'd I say if it had not been for this all Europe might have been furnish'd with it in all manner of ways in which it could have been imploy'd without costing the French any more trouble or charge in a manner than that of receiving it because of the natural and general inclination the Indians have both for Work and for Finery esteeming a grain of Christal to hang about their Neck or at their Ears as much as we should do a Diamond of the same bigness Besides it being well known that Cotton is one of those Commodities that are consum'd the most in Europe and the Price of which is least varied the Inhabitants of the Islands would never have left off cultivating it if there had been Women enough to spin it without which it can't be Transported but with a great deal of Trouble and little Profit The Hamocks or Cotton-beds which the Indians sell us for a Bill or Hatchet are afterwards sold in the Islands with considerable Advantage every one there having one of 'em and there are none of them brought from any other Country than Guiana except from Brasil and that but rarely because of the small Commerce the French have there Their Rocou is a red Die and valuable when 't is natural such as the Indians sell us before it has been falsified by Forreigners who carry it into Europe See Vrucu in Catal. Plant. Jamaic P. 150. There are to be had among 'em likewise divers sorts of Gumms Woods and Roots proper for Physick which are good Commodities in France as well as several sorts of Wood proper for Dying and for making of Cabinets and Inlaid Works among which is the Letter-wood which the French call Bois de la Chine and which grows in no other place in the World but on this part of the Continent The Natives cut it and carry it in great burthens quite to the Ships so cheap that a 1000 weight of it comes to but a Crown whereas that quantity was a long time sold for a 100 Crowns and never for less than 150 Livres Besides those Animals that are fit for sport as Apes of divers kinds Sapajous Tamarins Sagovius Parrots Arras and Tocaus I omit a great many other things which this Country produces and one may say this large Compass of Ground has moreover this Advantage above the Islands of America that there is no fear of tiring it as we are taught by Experience the Island of St. Christopher and others have been in a little Space of Time where the Land is become almost barren meerly by being over-burden'd with continual Crops because it can never be suffer'd to rest by Reason of the small Portion of Ground that every Inhabitant possesses which yet does not hinder 'em from raising every Year a prodigious Quantity of Sugar besides Ginger Indigo Cassia and other Commodities that are cultivated and made there This Country of Guiana is diversified with Hills Plains and Meadows and there are scarce any Mountains but would turn to a good Account if they were manur'd The Land is every where so fertile that one Man may easily get with his own Hands a Livelihood for Twenty People the Cultivation of it is so very easie The Fruits of it are excellent and very plentiful and all our sorts of Corn grow there all the Year round without distinction of Seasons and that in a very little time And there being no Winter the Trees are alternately cover'd with Blossoms and Fruits and always with Leaves The Air is very good and the Climate very Temperate tho' it be between the Tropiques for the Heat is continually mitigated by a fresh East-wind which blows all the Year except in the Night when the Breezes come from the Land which are only felt one or two Leagues toward the Sea The Waters are excellent and keep good throughout the longest Voyages as has been often experienc'd in Europe where they are never found to stink at the Return of the Ships that have taken in their Provision of 'em in this Country It must not be omitted that there are on this Coast a great many Islands so proper for the Feeding of Cattle that provided some necessary Precautions be observ'd there is no doubt but there would in a short time be as great a Number of 'em produc'd if a Stock were carried thither in proportion as in the other Islands whither Ships go every Day for Hides as they do to St. Domingo and elsewhere This Account being drawn up only as a Succinct Memoir of Guiana in general and of Cayenne in particular I thought not meet to extend it further nor to give the Detail of a Country where the French have now a Colony from whence a more ample Information may be expected FINIS †Nat. Sotvelli Bibliothec. Scriptor Societ Jesu Romae 1677. Fol. * Nic. Antonii Bibioth Hispan ‖ Dissert de M. Villamont and Hist du Monde par Chevreau †Description de la Riviere Pais des Amazones per M. Le Comte de Pagan 12 o Paris 1655. * Lopez de Gomara also Hakluyt and Purchas in their Collections concerning Guiana †Herrera and John de Laet speak doubtfully of these places * Barth de las Casas obispo de las Chiapas Hist dela destrucion de los Indios Venet. 1630. Also Hist novi orbis per Hier. Benzon And the Comment Reales delos Yncas Reyes del Peru. fol. ‖ Pet. Martyr Decad. 3. cap. 10. ‖ Ant. Galvanos 's Discoveries 4 o and Fol. * Herrera D. 6. l. 3. c. 18. * A Castillan is about 5 s. 6 d. English Note This Pege Buey is very common in all the Rivers along the Coast of the Continent and is call'd by the English Manati There is a great Vend for 'em in the Antilles or Antego-Islands whither the Captains of Merchant-Ships carry 'em who buy 'em of the Indians that fish for 'em in the Rivers for Knives and Bills and make the Sea-men bone 'em and salt 'em that they may keep till they have opportunity to sell ' em * Note At the time when this Voyage was made the Dutch who were at War with the Spaniards had conquer'd and possess'd themselves of almost all Brazil the Dutch West-India Company then having Prince Maurice de Nassau for the General of all their Troops both by Sea and Land * He means the Lake of Parima which all Geographers place under the Equinoctial Line in Guiana and upon the Banks of which is that pretended City of Manoa del Dorado which the Peruvians built when they fled thither to save themselves from the Cruelty and Tyranny
LONDON Printed for Samuel Buckley 1698. A LETTER written from the Island of Cayenne in the Month of September 1674. Cayenne Sept. 2. 1674. Reverend Father THE Discovery that I and Father Bechamel have made of divers Savage Nations on the Continent of Guiana near the Island of Cayenne obliges me to draw up a brief Relation of our Voyage and to present it to your Reverence that you may know what Employment we may have here and how many Missionaries may find a fit Occasion for the Exercise of their Zeal If I had had some Companions whom I might have left with the Nouragues and the Acoquas I should have pierc'd much farther into the Country but the Nouragues who were our Guides not daring to advance farther into the Country of the Acoquas to retain the good will of 'em both we should have left a Missionary in each of these Nations that the Acoquas might have conducted us to their Friends who as far as I can conjecture reach quite to the Equinoctial Line We might also have pass'd to the West of the River Maroni and have enter'd into an Alliance with the Nations that extend to the River of Surinam upon which the Dutch have planted 1 a Colony but since we have confin'd our selves to those Countries that are from Three Degrees of Northern Latitude to the Equinoctial Line we need not be afraid that the People of any European Nation will trouble us in our Missions because there 's no gain to be made by 'em besides that we run the risque of being Massacred by the Natives 'T is from your Reverence that we expect Support and Assistance so far as you are capable and shall think convenient in sending us Missionaries of a Vigorous Constitution of great Vertue and of a Disposition ready to suffer hardships because in these parts there can little or no Accommodations be brought to relieve them in case of Sickness for the less one carries thither so much the better besides that the Ignorance and Barbarity of those People always give a Missionary just occasion to fear that they take up mischievous Resolutions against him at the very first shadow of dissatisfaction they receive I expect here a good number of Missionaries to dispose up and down this vast Country and I hope your Reverence will not refuse this Request which obliges me particularly to recommend my self to your good Prayers who am Reverend Father Your most Humble and most Obedient Servant in our Lord John Grillet of the Society of JESVS A JOURNAL OF THE TRAVELS c. THE Reverend Father Francis Mercier having been sent from France in Quality of Visitor of the Missions of our Society both in the Islands and Continent of the Southern America by the Reverend Father John Pinet Provincial of the Jesuits in France with the Reverend Father Gerard Brion Superior-General of the said Missions and Father Mace and Father Alarole he arriv'd in the Island of Cayenne the 21st of December 1673. and parted thence Ten Days after During his Stay there he regulated divers Affairs as well Temporal as Spiritual and among other Things finding we had yet no Knowledge of any other People but the Galibis and Aracarels our Neighbours who dwell near the Sea and among whom the Fathers of our Society employ'd their Talents with abundance of Zeal he resolv'd to attempt a Discovery of those Nations that lie remote from the Sea It was my Happiness to be chosen for so pious a Work and I was particularly instructed by my Orders to discover the Acoquas a very populous Nation according to the Report some Nouragues who frequent the Galibis gave us withal telling us they were a Warlike People and us'd to eat Men. One of these Nouragues being ask'd Two Months before the Arrival of the Reverend Father-Visitor If it were true that the Acoquas us'd to eat their Enemies answer'd That he came from 'em Four Months ago and then they had just made an end of boiling in their Pots and eating a Nation which they had destroy'd I desir'd the Reverend Father Francis Bechamel for my Comrade who has a great Deal of Zeal for these Missions and has an extraordinary Faculty of learning strange Languages besides that he already understood the Tongue of the Galibis which many of the Nouragues also speak some of whom we were oblig'd to take for our Guides to conduct us to the Acoquas for we yet know no other Way to come at 'em but through the Country of the Nouragues And Father Bechamel took care to provide some Galibis to conduct us to the Nouragues who dwell above the Source of the River 2 Vvia and to buy some Cassave and Paste of 3 Ovicou for his Voyage which we counted would be for about Ten Days This Father having provided all Necessaries namely Three Galibis some Cassave and Paste of Ovicou in hopes of finding by the good Providence of God either Fish or Venison with the Assistance of our Indians we left the Port of Cayenne the 25th of January taking our Leave of the Reverend Father Brion Superior-General and Father Mace and Father Bechet but particularly of the 4 Chevalier de Lezy our Governour who did us the Honour to conduct us together with the Fathers of our Society quite to the Canoo in which we embark'd in the Afternoon having our Fisherman to steer the Canoo and Three Indian Galibis to row with our Two Servants All of us were of Opinion That our Canoo was too small and indeed it would have prov'd so if we had embarked at the coming up of the Tide for at that time the Waves are very rough near the Shoar but we avoided this Danger by embarking a little before the Tide came up so that we were out of all danger when the Tide began to drive us into the River which gives its Name to this Island besides our Canoo being very light and not easie to be turn'd was very fit to get clear of several little Falls that are in the River Vvia which we were to pass almost quite through 'till we came to the Entrance of a lesser River that let us into the Country of the Nouragues the first Nation that we were willing to be acquainted with that by their Means we might find a Passage to the Acoquas Our Way was between the Island of Cayenne and the main Land and in the Evening we arriv'd at the House of one Deslauriers that had settled himself there we continued with him for a certain Reason all the next Day being the 26th of January Since God was pleas'd to protect and lead us by the Hand as it were in all this Voyage we must confess that it was he who inspir'd us with the Resolution to begin it by the River Vvia for we knew but two Ways of entering into the Country of the Nouragues one by the River Vvia and t'other by the River 5 Aproague this last is very difficult because the Falls of the Water are so
great that the Sapayes and Galibis that live at the Mouth of this River require a very large Reward to perform this Voyage and indeed are the more unwilling to undertake it because they are afraid of those Nouragues that eat Humane Flesh So that when any of 'em go into those Parts they stay there as little time as they can Therefore it is scarce possible to go this Way and if we had gone it we should have been altogether unacquainted with those Indians that dwell on the Coasts of the River Vvia and with the Nouragues that dwell above the Source of it But without knowing any thing of this before we chose to pass into the Country of the Nouragues by the Vvia and have this Way visited that whole Nation The 27th of January we left the Sieur Deslauriers somewhat late and therefore proceeded but a little way that Day Our Galibis brought us into a Hut of the 6 Maprouanes as well to shelter us from a great Shower of Rain as to lodge us 7 there that Night These Maprouanes are about Thirty in Number who retir'd from their Country near the River of Amazons to avoid the Persecution of the Portugese and of those Indians call'd the 8 Arianes who have almost extirpated that Nation We found nothing there but Cassave and Ovicou and to the 6th of February we had nothing but Cassave besides Two Fishes and a Couple of Fowls which the Galibis took which serv'd us for Four small Meals and a little Piece of Fish we met with at another Indian Cottage The 28th we arriv'd at a Mountain where a certain Galibi nam'd Maure dwells this is Twelve Leagues from the Mouth of the Vvia And Two Leagues below this Mountain the Land upon the River which is hitherto very low and almost always overflow'd is a high fine Country as far as the Dwelling of the first Nouragues The 29th we lay in a Wood and so we did on the 30th having pass'd by a Village of the Galibi's which contain'd but very few People to make the bigger Day 's Journey The 31st we lodg'd in a Galibi's Cottage whose Family consisted of about Six or Seven but Three or Four of 'em were absent The First of February we pass'd the Night in the Woods and on the Second we lay at a Galibi's Cottage again and this was the poorest and most pitiful Hut that ever I saw among the Indians of this Country there was in it only one Man and his Wife and Children who had nothing at all that Day to sup on One of their Children was much swell'd and in a languishing Condition with a continual Fever of which we thought it could never recover therefore Father Bechamel baptiz'd it and the Consolation this gave us sweeten'd all our past Hardships The Third we went ashoar in the Country of the Nouragues after having this Day and the Day before pass'd Three Falls in the River Vvia and another in the River of the Nouragues but this was nothing in comparison of the Falls of Water we were to pass on the Rivers of Aproague and Camopi And it was now time to land for our 9 Cassave would have been spent if we had had but a little farther to go in those great Desarts and vast Forests that are all along upon this River upon which there are no other Cottages but those I have been speaking of and those of some Galibis and Areacarets who live towards the Mouth of it and are in all about a Hundred or Sixscore Persons This River winds very much and runs a Course of near Fifty Leagues Our Galibis serv'd us in this Voyage with a great deal of Respect and gave us Access to the Chief of these first Nouragues to whom we presented a Hatchet to engage him to enter into an Alliance with us they did not remember that they had seen above One French Man before in their Country so that the Women and Girls who had never travell'd into the Country of the Galibis were mightily amaz'd at the Sight of us If one might judge of the whole Nation by these People one might very well say the Nouragues are a very courteous and affable People Some of 'em could speak the Language of the Galibis very well and serv'd for our Interpreters They did all they could to seek Provision to treat us well but being unsuccessful in their Hunting we had only Cassave and a little Meat at one of our Repasts but with great Demonstrations of their Kindness We bought Cassave of 'em for the Supply of the Men that belong to our Canoo and on the Sixth of February after the Galibis had been treated with a small Feast after the Fashion of the Country they parted from us at about Ten a Clock in the Morning We also left this first Cottage of the Nouragues on the Seventh of February to go a Journey of Four and Twenty Leagues by Land over very rugged Mountains but went only half a League from thence to lodge that Night being attended with Two young Nouragues each of about Sixteen or Seventeen Years of Age who were to carry our Baggage here we were to take another Man who had promis'd to carry our Provision for us which consisted of Cassave and Paste of Ovicou This Man's Wife in this Second Hut was ill of a Cancer in her Breast which so tormented her and had so exceedingly wasted her that seeing her under so terrible a Distemper without the Help of any Medicine we suppos'd she could not recover and that in Probability she would live morally the rest of her Days for these People endure their Pains and Hardships very patiently as we observ'd in all the Galibis therefore we resolv'd to baptize her In order to this Father Bechamel took care to instruct her having already made some Improvement in the Language of this People and had likewise the Assistance of one of our young Nouragues who understood the Galibis Tongue This poor sick Woman receiv'd his Instructions very well and was baptized which was an occasion of great Comfort to us The Eighth having Bread and Paste of Ovicou enough to serve us Four Days we set forward with our Three Nouragues to perform our Journey of Four and Twenty Leagues over Mountains all the way which the Nouragues sometimes perform in a Day and a half but ordinarily in Two or Three Days when they have Women in their Company One of our French Men of Cayenne that came thence on the 27th of January follow'd us closely with Seven Galibis and overtook us where we lodg'd the Second Night who gave me a Letter from the Reverend Father Brion our Superior written the day he came away which gave us no small joy for it contain'd a great deal of Good Advice that might be serviceable to us in our Expedition This French-Man was much fatigu'd with his Journey and sent his Indians before him the day following who in that one day being the Tenth of February went as much