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
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
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
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
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
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
form that great Number of Islands that seem to float upon its Waters till it enters into the Sea These Islands are inhabited by Nations that differ one from another both in their Languages and Customs Not but that most of 'em understand the Language of Brazil very well which is the general Tongue in those Parts The Number of these Islands is so great and the People that dwell in 'em so different that 't is not possible for me to give a particular Account of what is observable amongst 'em without composing another Volume However I 'll name some of the most considerable and best known amongst 'em as the Tapuyas and the valiant Pacaxas which last dwell on the side of a River the Name of which they bear that enters into the Amazone eighty Leagues above the River Paranaiba and upon the Bank of this last River too These Islands are so well peopled that there 's no end of the number of the Inhabitants of 'em nor indeed of their Villages insomuch that some of the Portuguez assur'd me they had seen no Countries better stock'd with People through the whole Extent of the Amazone CHAP. LXXX Of the Town of Commuta FOrty Leagues below the Pacaxas lies the Town of Commuta which formerly was much noted not only for the multitude of its Inhabitants but likewise because it us'd to be the place of rendezvous where the Indians assembled their Armies when they were about to make any Incursions upon their Enemies But since Brazil has been conquer'd it is almost uninhabited the People being retir'd into other Parts so that Provision is scarce there only for lack of a little Care and Pains to manure the Ground which still retains its former Fruitfulness and that 's all that remains there unless it be a small number of the Natives Tho 't is the most lovely Situation to dwell in and has the most agreeable Prospect in the World so that it would continually furnish those that should settle in it with all the Conveniences and Pleasures of Life CHAP. LXXXI Of the River of the Tocantins and of a French Man that sail'd into this Country to fetch the Sand of it BEhind the Town of Commuta passes the River of the Tocantins to throw it self into the Amazone and has the Reputation in this Country of being very rich and that not without good reason in all appearance yet the Worth of it has not been yet known by any but only by one French Man who was wont to come ashore upon the Banks of it every Year and return'd with his Vessels loaded only with the Earth out of which by refining he got a quantity of Gold 'T is said he inrich'd himself with this Trade without ever daring to let the Natives know the Value of the Earth he carried away for fear they should become his Enemies when they came to know what Riches were in their Sands and so should take up Arms against him to hinder him from transporting this Commodity as he was wont to do Some Portuguez Souldiers going from Phernambuc some Years ago with a Priest in their Company past over all the Cordelier Mountains and arriv'd at the Source of the River of the Tocantins with a design to make some new Discovery and to seek for some Golden Mountains and having a mind to know this River and to go down quite to its Mouth were so unhappy as to fall into the hands of the Tocantins who kill'd 'em every one And 't is not long since the Chalice was found in the hands of these Indians with which the good Priest celebrated Mass during his Travels CHAP. LXXXII Of the Fort of Para which is in the hands of the Portugeze and of the Island du Soleil or of the Sun and the Commodiousness of it for Plantations THE Great Fort of Para is built Thirty Leagues below Commuta it belongs to the Portugeze and is under the command of a Governor who has the oversight of all other Officers of Garrisons belonging to this Government he has for his Garrison ordinarily Three Companies of Foot under the Command of as many Captains who are oblig'd to be always ready at hand for the preservation and defence of this Fort but the Officers as well as the Governor of the Place are under the Jurisdiction of the Governor of Maragnon and are absolutely to obey his Orders The Government of Maragnon is at above 130 Leagues distance from Para down along the River and then up towards Brezil which occasions great inconveniencies in the Conduct of Affairs in relation to the Government of Para. And if we should ever be so happy as to plant this River with our People it will be necessary to make the Governor of Para Independant and Absolute as the Person who possesses the Keys of the whole Country Not that the place where the Fort of Para is now Situated is the best that can be chosen in the Opinion of many Persons of good Judgment but if this Discovery be further Improv'd and Advanc'd it will be an easie matter to change it and I don't find any place more proper for it than the Island du Soleil which is Fourteen Leagues below the Mouth of the River This is doubtless the place to be absolutely fix'd on not only because it affords abundance of Advantages for the Accomodation of Life the Ground being extraordinarily Fertile and capable of maintaining as many People as one can desire to settle there but also for the convenient harbouring of Vessels 'T is a great Harbour shelter'd from all sorts of bad Winds in which Ships may ride with great Safety and when they have a mind to Sail they need only wait for the full of the Moon at which time the Sea is higher than ordinary and they may pass over all the Sands which renders the entrance of this River difficult which is none of the least Conveniencies This Island is above Ten Leagues in Compass there is very good Water in it and abundance of both Sea and River-Fish there is an infinite number of Crabs which are the ordinary Food of the Indians and other poor People and is now the main support of Para for there is no Isle all there about wherein they go more a Hunting for the Subsistance of the Garison and Inhabitants of it than in this CHAP. LXXXIII Of the Mouth of the River of Amazons Eighty Leagues in Breadth joyning to the North-Cape on one side and to the Coasts of Brezil on the other TWenty Six Leagues below the Island of the Sun directly under the Line this great River of Amazons is 84 Leagues wide bounded on the South-side by Zaparara and on the other side by the North-Cape and here at last discharges it self into the Ocean It may be said to be a Sea of Fresh-Water mixing it self with the Salt-Water-Sea 'T is the Noblest and Largest River in the whole known World This is the River otherwise call'd Oreillane and by some Maragnon so
kneel towards the Sun and at Night towards the Moon to supplicate those fancy'd Divinities to be propitious to them to give them fair Weather and Victory over their Foes They make no great Ceremony in their Marriages but when a Relation dies after they have rubb'd his body with a certain Earth that consumes all but the Bones they preserve them and carry as many of them as they can conveniently about with them in a sort of Chests and this they do in token of their affection to their Kindred indeed they are not wanting in good Offices to them during their Lives nor in their Sickness and Death Along the River Salladillo I took notice of a great many Parrats or Papagays as the Spaniards call them and certain Birds call'd Guacamayos which are of divers Colours and twice or thrice as big as a Parrat The River it self is full of the Fish call'd Dorado which is very good to eat There is also a Creature in it whether 't is Meat or Poyson no body knows it has Four Feet and a long Tail like a Lizard From Salladillo quite to Cordoua you go along a very fine River that abounds with Fish which is neither wide nor deep for it may be forded over On the Bank of it you meet with little Plantations every Three or Four Leagues which are like Country Houses inhabited by Spaniards Portuguese and the Natives who have all the necessary accomodations of Life they can wish and are very Civil and Charitable to Strangers their principal Wealth is in Horses and Mules in which they Trade with the Inhabitants of Peru. Cordoua is a Town Situate in a pleasant and fruitful Plain upon the side of a River bigger and broader than that I have just spoken of 'T is compos'd of about 400 Houses Built like those of Buenos Ayres It has neither Ditches nor Walls nor Fort for its defence He that Commands it is Governor of all the Provinces of Tucuman and tho' it be the place of his ordinary Residence yet he is wont now and then as he sees occasion to go and pass some time at St. Jago de l' Estro at St. Miguel de Tucuman which is the Capital City of the Province at Salta and at Xuxui In each of these Villages there is a Lieutenant who has under him an Alcalde and some Officers for the Administration of Justice The Bishop of Tucuman likewise usually resides at Cordoua where the Cathedral is the only Parish Church of the whole Town but there are divers Convents of Monks namely of Dominicans Recollects and those of the Order de la Mercy and one of Nunns The Jesuits have a College there and their Chappel is the finest and richest of all The Inhabitants are Rich in Gold and Silver which they get by the Trade they have for Mules with which they furnish Peru and other Parts which is so considerable that they sell about 28 or 30000 of 'em every Year which they breed up in their Farms They usually keep 'em till they are about Two Years old then expose 'em to Sale and have about Six Patagons a piece for ' em The Merchants that come to buy 'em carry 'em to St. Jago to Salta and Xuxui where they leave 'em for Three Years till they are well grown and become strong and afterwards bring 'em to Peru where they presently have Vent for 'em because there as well as in the rest of the Western part of America the greatest part of their Carriage is upon Mules The People of Cordoua also drive a Trade in Cows which they have from the Countrey of Buenos Ayres and carry to Peru where without this way of Subsistance 't is certain they would have much ado to live This kind of Traffick makes this Town the most considerable in the Province of Tucuman as well for its Riches and Commodities as for the Number of its Inhabitants which are counted to be at least 5 or 600 Families besides Slaves who are three times the number But the generality of 'em of all degrees have no other Arms but a Sword and Poignard and are very indifferent Souldiers the Air of the Country and the Plenty they enjoy rendring them Lazy and Cowardly From Cordoua I took the way of St. Jago de l' Estro which is 90 Leagues distant from it In my Journey I from time to time that is Seven or Eight Leagues met with single Houses of Spaniards and Portuguese who live very solitarily they are all Situate upon small Rivulets some of 'em at the Corners of Forrests which are frequently to be met with in that Country and are almost all of Algarobe-wood the Fruit of which serves to make a Drink that is sweet and sharpish and heady as Wine others of them in open Fields which are not so well stock'd with Cattle as those of Buenos Ayres but however there are enough of 'em and indeed more than needs for the subsistance of the Inhabitants who also make a Trade of Mules and Cotton and Cocheneil for dying which the Country produces St. Jago de l' Estro is a Town of about 300 Houses without Ditches or Walls Situate in a flat Country surrounded with Forrests of Algarobe it lies on an indifferently large River Navigable for Boats and pretty well stor'd with Fish The Air is very hot and sultry which makes the Inhabitants lazy and effemminate Their Faces are all very Tawny they are mightily given to their Divertisements and mind Traffick very little There are 300 Men that can bear Arms taking in as well the Savages as Slaves and they are all ill Arm'd and but very mean Souldiers The greatest part of the Women are handsome enough but have generally a kind of swelling in the Throat which they call Coto in the Language of the Country and seems to be much the same with what we call a Wen. The Country is sufficiently stor'd with Wild-Fowl Venizon Wheat Rye Barley and Fruits as Figgs Peaches Apples Pears Plumbs Heart-Cherries Grapes c. There are abundance of Tigers that are very fierce and ravenous Lions that are very gentle and Guanacos that are as big as Horses with very long Necks little Heads and very short Tails in the Stomachs of these Creatures the Bezoar-stone is found There are Four Churches in this Town namely the Parish-Church that of the Jesuits that of the Recollect Friers and one more Here the Inquisitor of the Province of Tucuman has his residence he is a Secular Priest and has Commissaries or Deputies under him whom he places in all the other Towns of the Province After I had continued Three Days at St. Jago I went from thence to Salta which is 100 Leagues from it and leaving St. Miguel of Tucuman on the left hand which is a Town under the Jurisdiction of St. Jago I took the Road of Esseco finding in my way some little Villages of Spaniards here and there and very few Savages The Country is flat and consists partly
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
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
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
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
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