rockes nor sands all which other Voyages are subject vnto Also hee saith the best time to sayle from England thither is in Iuly because the Summer in Guiana is in October Nouember December Ianuary February and March and so shipping may returne from thence in Aprill and arriue at home in England in Iune and by that means neuer be subiect to winter weather eyther comming going or staying which no doubt is an excellent comfort to all men that shall vndertake the Action And thus much touching his worthy and noble Relation who being an eye-witnesse would not for his honour and vertues sake abuse his Soueraigne with vntruths Now let vs see what the Spanyards say of this rich Kingdome First Alonso a chiefe Gouernour in the Grand Canaria saith that there was a Land newly discouered called Nueuo Dorado in which was abundance of Gold and wonderfull riches aboue imagination that the course to fall with it was fifty leagues to the winde-ward to the Marguarita Againe hee saith in another affirmation that in Nueuo Dorado lately found out there was gold in that abundance as the like hath neuer formerly beene heard of nor was any part of the world to be compared with it and the like affirmeth Domingo de Vera who was Campe Maister and Generall for Anthony Bereo in this Discouery and no lesse saith Rodrigo de Caranca Register for the Sea and many others So that to conclude your trouble and the tediousnes of my weary discourse this Empire is that rich Magazany which yet hath her Maidenhead neuer sackt turn'd nor wrought the face of the earth hath not beene turnd nor the vertue and salt of the soyle spent by manurance The graues haue not beene opened for Gold the Mines not broken with the sledge or pickaxe nor their Images puld downe out of their Temples It hath neuer beene entred by any army of strength and neuer conquered or possessed by any Christian Prince Besides by the report of all former Discouerers especially our Generall it is so defensible and easie to bee kept from the assaults of any inuaders that if two Forts bee builded in one of the Prouinces which he beheld and tooke especiall note of the flood setteth in so neere the banke where the channell also lyeth that no Ship can passe vp but within a pikes length of the artillery first of the one and afterwards of the other which two Forts he supposeth will bea sufficient guard both to the Empire of Inga and to one hundred other seuerall Kingdomes all lying within the great Riuer of Orenoque euen to the Citty of Quito in Peru. Of this Empire if it shall please God to make the King our Maister Soueraigne what honor and reward it will bring him and his Subiects may easily bee coniectured by what is before written and since it is or may bee vndertaken by his owne vassaile and one who is bound in extraordinary bonde more then euery common Subiect to spend the vttermost of his life in the same no doubt but hee will effect it with that wisedome diligence and care which shall bee sutable to the greatnes of the action and the trust reposed being thus far forth further encouraged by Anthonio Bereo the Spaniard who in great earnestnes and vpon his Soules health protested that hee had seene amongst diuers most antient Prophesies in Peru at such time as that Empire was reduced to the Spanish obedience one that affirmed that from Inglatierra which is to say England those Ingas should bee againe in time to come restored and deliuered from the seruitude of the former Conquerors and this hee auowed to haue seene in diuers or their most principall and chiefest Temples preserued with great reuerence and care and till this day beleeued of all the Indians Now an entrance in former yeares our Generall did make as you haue read with that successe that not any before or since hath euer equalled displanted the first garrisons if then now he succeed and haue fortune answerable to his rare wisedome industry and direction whether it bee in this nor any other to himselfe onely concealed there is no doubt but God assisting hee will with such honor and high thoughts passe and go thorow the same that his nation shall haue praise his friendes comfort and himselfe the true aduancement of his merits But to giue you a little tast of what hath succeeded in our present Iourney you shall vnderstand that we departed from Plimouth to Corke in Ireland where after some refreshment wee set saile out of the riuer of Corke and thence sailed more then three Moneths before we came to the Coast of Guiana which albeit generally it bee euer run in seauen or eight weekes yet were the windes so strangely crosse vnto vs a thing seldome seene in that passage that in lesse time we could not effect our purpose So that vpon the seaventh day of Nouember last past 1617. wee discouered the Coast of Guiana during which time of our being at Sea we had a great visitation of Sicknesse so that many were sicke and some are dead amongst which the most eminent persons that dyed were these Captaine Iohn Pygot our Lieftenant Generall worthy Captaine Hastings my Lord of Huntington brother a Gentleman of so much foreward hope and goodnes that he was couerd with many tears and much mourning also there died Maister Talbot Scholler which hath been long imployed by our Generall M Newhall the maister Chirurgeon of our Generalls Ship and others with which I will not trouble your eares Vpon the discouering of the Coast we came into the faire Riuer of Caltana being as it appeareth to me a branch of Oerenoque where my Lord our Generall cast Anchor and doth purpose to refresh his sick men and to take in fresh water and other necessary prouisions of which that Coast abounddeth and so to proceed in his enterprise which God in his mercy prosper for our hopes euery day grow stronger and stronger This part of Guiana in which we now are is to me a very Paradise and so excellent in all perfections and beauties that Nature seemes only here to haue her Temple we haue euen now being the Month of Nouember a much more delicate Sommer then is in England at Mid-sommer the Sun and Ayre so wholsome pleasant without offence or scorching the trees ground so brauely flourishing and euery thing in Generall so absolute and full of fruitfull promise that more cannot be by man desired for mine own part I dare assure you that in my life time I neuer saw or tasted more strange more delicate more pleasant fruits then heere we may continually gather in most infinite aboundance being besides so wondrous wholsome and vnoffensiue that I haue not heard any complaine either of surfet or other accidentall sicknes as wormes fluxes such like which commonly follow the much eating of sweet and pleasant fruit To enter into a Description of the beautifull prospect of this Country which wee now see although it be but the out-borders and skirts of the Empire so nearer a neighbour to the maine Ocean that in reason it should promise the least fertilitie yet I say againe to describe the goodlinesse thereof the brauery of the Hils and comlinesse of the vallies both shadowed and adorned with goodly tall green trees the pleasantnesse and coolnesse of the Riuers which runne and mixe themselues in the most conuenientest places plentifully stored with fish of seuerall natures the variety of rare coloured Birds which flie vp and down in euery place about vs no colour almost vnder the Sun but being reuealed in their feathers were to draw a Landskip of that excellent perfection which no Art could better hardly imitate For truely hitherto to mine eye this Country hath appeared a very earthly Paradise and therefore doubtlesse is full of strong promises that our attemptings cannot returne without much honour and reward a rent hopefully due to euery such noble action But since it yet resteth in hope I will leaue it to the will and direction of the great GOD of Heauen To whose protection I refer you with this assurance that as our successe shall happen and the action either decrease or diminish so you shall by writing more amply vnderstand thereof From the Riuer of Caliana on the Coast of Guiana this seauenteenth of Nouember 1617. R.M. FINIS Against Backbiters M. William Haukins his trauell Sr. Iohn Haukins Trauell Sr. Iohns second Voyage Sir Iohns third Voyage Sir Iohns fourth Voyage Sir Francis Drake trauell Sir Francis second Voyage Sir Francis 3. Voyage Sir Hugh Willoughbies trauells to the North. Sir Martin Forbisher to China Sir Martins Second Voyage to Cataya Gold Mynes in Cataya St. Martins third Voyage Mr. Thomas Cauendish Trauell M. Cauendish his second Voyage Sr Richard Grinuile his Discouery of Virginia Sir Walter Rauleigh Sir Robert Dudley Of Guyani and the wealth A very strange custome Martines his testimony aud first Christian that saw Guyana A curious Obiection answered Oreliano the I. attempter for Guyana Ordace the attempter Pedro de Osua the third attemptor Agiri the fourth attemptor Ieronimo Ortal de Saragosa the fift attemptor Don Pedro de Siluas the sixt attemptor Pedro Hernandez the seuenth attemptor Gonzales Cemenes the eight attemptor Anthonio Bereo the ninth attemptor Bereo taken Prisoner Sr. Walter Rauleigh first Discouerer of Guiana Of the Tiuitiuas Of the Riuer Amana Of the Arwacas The Iland Assapano and others Sir Walters conference with the King of Aromaia The great riuer Caroli Discouery of Siluer Mynes The excellencâ— of those bordering Countries The great Lake of Cassipa Of gold mines Of a Mountaine of Christall Attempts by the French for Guiana Hope of good hap Sir Walters protestation touching the welth of Guyana Ensines for Nauigation The testimony of the Spaniards for the wealth of Guina The conclusion A strange Prophesie
heard there related and indeede not farre remoued from that Continent but poore base and beggarly The glory of which famous action so inticed him that the second time he went to the Sea in the yeare of our Lord 1591. so accommodated with all necessary prouisions both of men munition and victuals that not any Gentleman euer went forth in his owne particular better or more brauely prouided But it pleased God who is the strength and guide of these actions not to marke him out for this great worke for in this Voyage hee sickned and dyed whose greatest directions liuing inclosed in his owne brest the Voyage queld and his ships returned home againe for England but the infinite profit which hath sprung his example may be beheld in our East Indian Trade the like whereof I thinke no Nation in the world can boast being of all other the wealthiest the fruitfullest and the most certaine affording vs not onely a nurcery of Merchants and Sea-men but such an inuincible strength of Shipping and other warlike acoustrements that any Nation vnder the Sunne may tremble to offend vs. To these Discoueries I could adde the Discouery of Virginia by the euer memorable and valiant Knight Sir Richard Grinuile and the Plantation there which doubtlesse promiseth and already restoreth much benefit to our Kingdome hauing continued there almost from the yeare 1585. till this hower and how euen in that Discouery hee both heard and vnderstood of the incomparable and not to be equald wealth which yet lay hidden in the South parts of America But I feare I haue troubled your eares already too much with my tedious digression which is not altogether vaine and impertinent since by it you may see how euen from the infancy of our English trauell every man hath had a noble ambition and most probable assurances of good hope to attaine a height of honour and wealth which yet rests vnattained At which questionlesse our Generall bends his ayme being diuers wayes wooed and induced thereunto more then any Englishman whatsoeuer both in respect of his former experience at this day not to be paralleld his wisdome learning and conference with the experience of places hee hath formerly held that it is impossible any thing of note should be hidden from him Therefore to reconcile those things already written with the Relation I intend to pursue you shall vnderstand that whatsoever hath beene done formerly by any of those already rehearsed or by any other whether English Spanish Dutch French or any other Nation of Christendome all their knowledges and experiences haue liberally beene brought to his remembrance Loue Dutie his place of Authoritie or the chance of Warre tendering the same vnto him as a rent due to his noble minde and actions And aboue all an English Knight Sir Robert Dudley was an especiall man that long since both from his experience at sea hauing consumed infinite wealth and much time in these Discoueries as also by meanes of certaine Letters which he had intercepted from the Spaniards and taken in his trauells gaue our Generall a strong assurance that yet there remained out of the hands of all the Kings and Princes in Christendome in the South parts of America the very Magazine of all rich Mettalls and such an Empire as whosoeuer shall haue the fortune to conquer it shall so darken all the actions either of Cortez or Pescaro that nothing but pouerty will appeare in their deeds neyther Mexico nor Peru bee worthy to be compared with it and what Prince soeuer shall possesse it shall bee Lord of more gold of a more beautifull Empire and of more Citties and people then either the King of Spaine or the great Turke At this questionlesse our hopes promise that his noble ends doe bend for being full as great and hauing beene much greater then any man whatsoeuer of our nation that hath followed the like course to what should his great hart look or what should hee dedicate to so gracious and mercifull a King as hee enioyeth but the very â—oppe and Garland of all Heroyicall actions But in as much as yet nothing is done worthy relation because we are not yet ariued at the hithermost end of our designes all our successe remayning in hope and least my too much loue might make me too saucy in prophesie I will leaue all to his holy will which gouernes all onely I will acquaint you with some particulars touching the generall gouernment of our Fleete which although other men doubtlesse in their Voyages haue in some measure obseru'd yet in all the great Volumes which haue beene written touching Voyages there is no president of so godly seuere and Martiall gouernment which not onely in it selfe is laudable and worthy imitation but also fit to bee written and ingrauen in euery mans Soule that couets to doe honor to his King and Country in these or the like attempts The true Coppy of which Lawes Articles and especiall Commandements are these which heere after follow and at this present we obserue Orders to bee obserued by the Commanders of the Fleete and land Companies vnder the charge and conduct of Sr. Walter Rauleigh Knight bound for the South parts of America or else where Giuen at Plimouth in Deuon the third of May. 1617. FIrst because no action nor Enterprise can prosper be it by Sea or Land without the fauour and assistance of Almighty God the Lord and strength of Hoasts and Armies you shall not fayle to cause Diuine Seruice to be read in your Shippe morning and euening in the morning before Dinner and at night before Supper or at least if there be interruption by soule weather once the day praysing God euery night with singing of a Psalme at the setting of the Watch. Secondly you shall take especiall care that God be not blasphemed in your Ship but that after admonition giuen if the offenders doe not refraine themselues you shall cause them of the better sort to be fined out of their aduentures by which course if no amendment bee found you shall acquaint me with all For if it be threatned in the Scriptures that The Curse shall not depart from the house of the Swearer much lesse from the Ship of the Swearer Thirdly no man shall refuse to obey his Officer in all that he is commaunded for the benefit of the Iourney no man being in health refuse to wayte his turne as he shall be directed the Saylors by the Maister and Boatswaine the Landmen by their Captaine Liefetenant and others You shall make in euery Ship two Captaines of the watch who shall make choyce of two Soldiers euery night to search betweene the Decks that no fire nor candle light be carried about the Ship after the watch set nor that any Candles be burning in any Caben without a Lanthorne and that neither but while they are to make themselues vnready for there is no danger so ineuitable as the Ships firing which may also as well
of the enemy shall labour to recouer the wind if the Admirall indeauour it and we find an enemy to leeward of vs the whole Fleet shall follow the Admirall Vice-Admirall or other leading Ships within Musquet shot of the enemy giuing so much liberty to the leading Ships after her broad side discouered she may stay and trim her sailes then is the second Ship to giue her side and the third and fourth which done they shall all take as the first Ship and giuing the enemy the other side shall keepe him vnder a perpetuall volley Thus must you doe to the windermost Ship of the enemy which you shall batter in pieces or force her to beare vp and intangle the rest falling foule one of another to their great confusion If the Admirall giue chase and bee head-most man the next Ship shall take vp his Boat if other order bee not giuen or if any other Ship bee appointed to giue chase the next Ship if the chasing Ship haue a boat at her sterne shall take her vp if any make a Ship to strike hee shall not enter her till the Admirall come vp The Musketiers deuided into certaine quarters of the Ship shall not deliuer their shot but at such distances as their Commander shall direct them you shall take a speciall care for the keeping of the Ship cleane betweene the Decks to haue your Ordnance in order and not cloyd with trunkes and chests Let those that haue prouision of victualls deliuer it to the Steward and euery man put his apparrell in canuase Clokebags except some few Chests which doe not pester the Ship Euery one that vseth any weapon of fire bee it Musket or other Piece shall keepe it cleane and if hee bee not able to amend it being out of order hee shall presently acquaint his Officer therewith who shall command the Armorer to amend it No man shall keepe any feasting or drinking betweene meales nor drinke any healths on the Ships prouision Euery Captaine by his Purser Steward or other Officer shall take a weekely account how the Victualls wast The Steward shall not deliuer any Candles to any priuate man or to any priuate vse Whosoeuer shall steale from his fellowes either apparrell or any thing else shall be punished as a thiefe or if any one steale any victualls either by breaking into the hold or otherwise hee shall receiue the punishment of a thiefe and the murtherer of his fellowes There is no man shall strike any Officer be hee Captaine Lieftenant Ensigne Sergeant Corporall of the Field a quarter Maister nor the Maister of any Ship Maisters mate Boat-swaine or quarter Maister I say no man shall offer any violence to any of these but the Supreame Officer to the inferior in time of Seruice vpon paine of death No priuate man shall strike one another vpon paine of receiuing such punishment as a Marshall Court shall thinke him worthy of No man shall play at Cards or Dice either for his Apparill or Armes vpon paine of being disarmed made a Swabber and whosoeuer shall shew himselfe a coward vpon any landing or otherwise hee shall bee disarmed and made a Labourer and carrier of victualls for the rest No man shall land any men in any forraigne parts without order from the Generall the Sergeant Mayor or other chiefe Officer vpon paine of death and wheresoeuer wee shall haue cause to land no Man shall force any Woman bee shee Christian or Heathen vpon paine of death And you shall take especiall care when God shall suffer vs to land in the Indies not to eat any fruits vnknowne such fruits as you doe not find eaten by birds on the tree or beasts vnder the tree you shall auoyd You shall not sleepe on the ground nor eat any new flesh till it bee salted two or three houres which otherwise will breed a most dangerous fluxe so will the eating of ouer fat hoggs or Turkies you shall also haue a great care that you swim not in any Riuers but where you see the Indians swin because most of the Riuers are full of Allegators you shall not take any thing from any Indian by force for from thenceforth we shall neuer be releeued but you must vse them with all courtesie And for trading or exchanging with them it must be done by one or two of euery Ship for all the rest and the price to be directed by the Cape Merchant for otherwise all our commodities will bee of small price and greatly to our hinderance For other orders on the Land we will establish them when God shall send vs thither by generall consent in the meane time I will value euery mans honor according to their degree and valor and taking care for the seruice of God and prosperity of our enterprise When the Admirall shall hang out a Flag or Ensigne on the Missen shrouds you shall know it to be a Flag of Counsaile to come aboard A Reference of the Voyage to the Directions BY these Orders and Commandedements you may see to what Coast wee are bound and namely to the South parts of America and no doubt to the onely best part thereof For as all the Springs and Riuers in the world haue but one head namely the Sea so it is thought all the wealthy Mynes in the world haue but one Soueraigne which is an Empire placed in these parts and that is the great Empire of Guiana ruled by the great Emperour Inga of the great wealth and riches whereof Francisco Lopez and others thus report That all the vessels of the Emperours house Tables and Kitchen were of Siluer and Gold and the very meanest of all of Siluer and Copper for the strength and hardnesse of the mettall That in his Wardrobe were hollow Statues of gold which seemed gyants and Figures in proportion and bignesse of all the Beasts Birds Trees and Hearbs that the earth bringeth forth in pure Gold also and of all the Fishes that the Sea and waters of that Empyre breedeth Also there was Ropes Budgets Chests and Troughs of Gold and Siluer great heaps of Billets of Gold which seemed wood marked out to burne nay that there was nothing in all that Empire the most flourishing of the whole world whereof there was not a counterfeit in pure Gold Besides there was seene in a certaine Iland neare the Emperours Court a Garden of pleasure in which was all kinde of Garden-hearbs flowers and trees of Gold and Siluer As also in other places diuers great infinits of Gold and siluer vnwrought as in one place to the value of fifty two thousand Markes of pure Siluer and one Million and three hundred twenty and sixe thousand and fiue hundred Pesoes in Gold Now it is to be vnderstood that all this wealth belonged but to one Emperour for the custome of the Country is that whosoeuer dyeth hath all his Treasure buryed with him so that euen from the first Ruler to the Emperour now liuing it is thought no lesse