in the Exercise of their Weapons their Conversation is sweet and peaceable and their Inclinations very agreeable We had sufficient Opportunity of knowing this by the Commerce we had with many of them For they presently had such a good Opinion of us that they did not make the least difficulty of trusting their Lives and all they had besides in our Hands Some of them continued with us a considerable time eating and drinking with our Men without shewing the least Suspicion or Apprehension of Danger Nay they had the Civility to give us their Huts to lodg in while several of their Families crowded themselves in one or two that we might have the Accommodation of the rest The Indians we had with us offer'd 'em a thousand insolent Affronts and we could not possibly hinder 'em from insulting over 'em but they patiently bore all and without the least Resentment All this together with the slender Veneration they seem to have for their Idols give us great ground to hope that if ever the Knowledg of the true God of Heaven and Earth and the Doctrine of the Gospel should be preach'd to 'em there will be a great prospect of their becoming good Christians CHAP. XLIV The principal Mouths by which the River of Amazons empties it self into the Sea and the chief Rivers of Peru that run into the Amazone WE have hitherto treated in general of this Noble and Famous River of Amazons now 't is but reasonable we should enter upon the Detail of our Account and speak particularly of its Sources and Passages I shall therefore give a Relation of its Ports and distinctly observe all the Rivers that seed it and maintain its prodigious Greatness I shall even advance into all the Countries it waters I shall make observation of its Depths in several Parts of it and of the particular Inclinations of the many sorts of People it maintains I design to omit nothing that 's worthy of notice because I have been an Eye-witness of it and having been sent by one of the greatest Monarchs in Christendom on purpose to make accurate Observations on every thing upon this great River it may be I am more capable than another to give an account of what was given me in charge I shall say nothing of the principal Mouth of this River into the Ocean on the side of Para for it has long since been known by all that sail into America it is well known that it lies under the Line at the utmost Confines of Brazil Nor shall I say any thing of that Mouth of our River by which the Tyrant Lopez Daguyrre invaded the Island of La Trinidada because I never saw it and those that have been there have told me there is no direct Entrance into the River of Amazons by the Mouth it being the Mouth of another River that has Communication with the Amazone by several Arms which from one space to another extend themselves far from it and enter into the Sea with this other River My Intention is only to give the Inhabitants of the conquer'd Countries of Peru an account of the Passages they have to the River of Amazons or rather of the Rivers of each Province that empty themselves into it I have already said that as we came down it we saw its Banks open'd by many Rivers and Rivulets both on the South and North sides Therefore if any embark on these Rivers they must necessarily fall into the Amazone But because 't is not certainly known from what Provinces they draw their Original and upon what Towns their Sources border and because 't is yet less known in those places whence they spring whether they fall into this great River or no I shall endeavour to remove these Doubts and shall treat of eight of 'em which I have taken particular notice of and all that know these Provinces will confirm the Report I give Three of 'em pass from the side of the Amazone and go down toward the new Kingdom of Granada Four others we saw on the South-side and there 's another which runs under the Equinoctial Line and at length empties it self into this great River CHAP. XLV Of the Rivers of Caqueta Putomayo and Aguarcio which come from the new Kingdom of Granada and enter into the River Amazone on the North-side THe first Entrance that we discover'd to fall into this River which may be termed a Sea of fresh Water on that side that looks towards the new Kingdom of Granada is through the Province of Micoa in the Government of Popayan following the Current of the great River Caqueta into which all those others that descend on the side of St. Foy Bogota Jimanas and Cagnan come to render Homage as to their Lady and Mistriss This River is very famous in the Countrey for the Numbers of Indians that inhabit the Banks of it It has a great many Arms that extend themselves into very remote Provinces and return to join themselves to that Body from which they separated from a great multitude of Islands that are all inhabited by an infinite number of wild People This River continually takes its Course parallel with the Amazone always running along by it tho at a considerable distance and from one Place to another sending Arms of Water towards it big enough to be taken each of 'em for whole Rivers at last gathering it self together at the Latitude of four degrees it discharges it self into our River and 't is by that Arm of it which is nearest to the Province of the Aquas that one must directly take ones Course to go down unto the Amazone because there are some Arms that tend towards the North and they that shall be so imprudent as to embark on this Arm will certainly be expos'd to the same Danger that befel Capt. Fernand Perez de Quesada who having embarked on the Caquetta with 300 Men and suffered himself to be carried along the side of St. Foy arrived in the Province of Algodonal from whence he was forced to retire with much more haste than he came tho he was so well attended with a good number of Men. The second most remarkable Entrance we find on the North side is by the Town of Pasto which also depends on the Government of Popayan From this Town you must cross the neighbouring Mountains called the Cordeliers which is a difficult incommodious Journey because of the badness of the Ways which you must travel partly on Foot and the rest on Horse-back You 'l at length arrive at the River Putomayo on which you must embark and sailing down it it will bring into the famous River of Amazons at the Latitude of two Degrees and a half and 330 Leagues below the Port of Napo The same Way that leads to the River Putomayo leads in like manner to the River Aguarico because when you leave the Mountains 't is but turning near Succombios and near that Town you meet the River Aguarico otherwise call'd the golden
the Caquetta seems to turn its Course and running on the side of the Amazone at a considerable distance thus continues it till having at length pierced through the Province of Agnos it comes to add its Waters to that vast River But in a word Peru in general claims the Original of this great Work of Nature But the truth of this matter is that the City of St. Francis commonly call'd Quito has the sole Glory of producing this great Wonder of the World Eight Leagues from this City is found the true Source of this River beyond those vast Mountains that divide the Jurisdiction of this City from that of the Quixos at the foot of two great Rocks one of which is call'd Guamana and the other Pulca which stand at near two Leagues distance one from another Between those two Mountains is a great Lake and in the midst of this Lake is another Mountain which has been torn up by the very Roots by an Earthquake and so overturn'd in the Lake which is very deep and large 'T is from this Lake that the great River of Amazons proceeds within twenty Minutes of the Equinoctial Line Southern Latitude CHAP. XXII The Course of this River its Length its different Breadth and Depth THis River runs from West to East it continually coasts along the South side of the Equinoctial Line and is not distant from it above two three four or at most five Degrees in the greatest of its Windings From its Rise to the Place where it empties it self into the Sea it runs not above 1276 good Spanish Leagues tho Oreillane makes it 1800. It always proceeds in a winding Course and by its great Turnings which are like so many Arms draws into its Channel a great number of Rivers as well from the South as the North side of it It s breadth is different in some places 't is a League wide in others two three and more in other Places it does not widen it self any more for a long space as if it were to amass all its Waters and its whole impetuous Force together to discharge it self by a Mouth of eighty four Leagues broad into the Sea The narrowest Place of this River is a quarter of a League or a little less in two Degrees two thirds of Southern Latitude This Strait by the Providence of God is fitly situated for the building of a Citadel to stop the Course of the strongest Enemy that should enter by Sea through the Mouth of this River and if an Enemy should come down by a River that runs into the Amazon call'd Rionegro by building a Fort just where this River enters into the Amazone this Passage may be so secured that any that should attempt to get through it may be easily hindred This Strait is three hundred and seventy Leagues from the Mouth of the River from whence with Canoos and other light Vessels with Sails and Oars timely Advice might be given in eight days of the Arrival of any Vessels that the Fort at this Strait might put it self in a posture of Defence and stop the Enemy's Passage The Depth of this River is in some Places so great that no Bottom is to be found from the Mouth of it to the River Rio-negro which is near 600 Leagues there 's always at least thirty or forty Fathom of Water in its greatest Channel From thence upwards the Depth of it is uncertain sometimes twenty sometimes twelve and sometimes eight Fathom But at its Beginning it has Water enough to carry the largest Vessels For tho the Current be very swift yet every day without fail there rise certain Eastern Breezes that continue three or four Hours together and sometimes a whole day which hold back the Waters so as to retain the Stream in a degree of Motion that is not violent CHAP. XXIII The great number of Islands in this River and the means the Inhabitants use for the Preservation of their Roots at the time of its Inundations THis River is all full of Islands of all Sizes and in so great number that they are not to be counted many of them being very near one to another There are some four or five others ten and others 20 Leagues in compass That which is inhabited by the Toupinambi of whom we shall speak hereafter is above 100 Leagues about There are a great many very small Islands which the Inhabitants of the Country use only to sow their Seed in but all of these and the greatest part of the large ones are overflowed by the River every Year and these regular Inundations do so enrich them with the Slime and Mud it carries along with it that they would never become barren tho they should be every year sown with Yuca or Magnioca which are a sort of Roots which serve the Natives instead of Bread and with which the Earth furnishes them in great abundance Tho these frequent Inundations seem to be attended with great Inconveniences yet the Author of Nature has taught these Barbarians to make a good Improvement of them Before these Floods come they gather in all their Yuca of which Root they make a sort of Bread called Cassave which is ordinarily used in all the Coasts of Brazil and in many other Places both of the Continent and Islands of America They make great Caves in the Ground wherein they put these Roots and having well stopp'd them up with Earth leave 'em there as long as the Flood lasts this is an infallible way of preserving those Roots which otherwise would be subject to rot with the excessive moisture of the Ground When the Waters are run off they open these Caves and take out their Roots and eat them without finding them at all the worse for lying in the Earth Thus as Nature has taught the Ant to store up Food enough to nourish her all the Year no wonder she has taught the Indians as barbarous as they are how to preserve their Provisions seeing the Divine Providence takes a more particular Care of Men than of Beasts CHAP. XXIV The Bread and Drink made by the Inhabitants to these Islands and other Places that border on this River and the various sorts of Fruits Roots and Grain they live upon THe Roots of Yuca we have been speaking of serve these People for Bread which they eat with their other Food besides this they make a Drink of it which they all generally esteem as the most delicious and excellent Liquor in the World To make the Bread they squeeze out all the Juice of the Root and then beat and pound it till 't is become a kind of Meal of which they make great Cakes and bake them in an Oven this they call Cassave which has a very pleasant Taste when 't is new but after one day becomes very dry so that it may be kept several Months they ordinarily put it on the tops of their Huts that it may keep the more dry And when they have a mind to make their
he sailed and discover'd all the River of Amazons CHAP. XLIX Of the Town of Anose where Capt. John de Palacios dwelt with whom there were the two Lay-Friers who made their Escape down to Para spoken of before FOrty seven Leagues below the place where these Rivers join on the South-side is situated the Town of Anose which is a Plantation made by Capt. John de Palacios who as I said before was kill'd by the Inhabitants of the Country 18 Leagues below this Town on the North-side lies the River Agarico which enters into the Amazone this River is sufficiently famous not only for its Air which is none of the best but also for the quantity of Gold that is found in its Sands from whence it has had the Name of the Golden River these hundred Years At the Mouth of it on one side as well as t'other of the River of Amazons begins the great Province of the long-hair'd Indians which extends on the North-side for above 180 Leagues and continually receives great quantities of Water from the Amazone which makes divers Lakes of a great Compass and Depth The first Notices that the Inhabitants of Quito receiv'd of this Country gave 'em a very great desire to make a Conquest of it because of the great number of Indians with which this Province is peopled And indeed there have been at several times some Essays of this kind made but always in vain witness the last of 'em that had such bad Success when Capt. John de Palacios was kill'd as has been already said CHAP. L. The Place where General Texeira left his Fleet of Portuguez 'T Was in this Province of the long-hair'd Indians at the Mouth of the River which bears their Name and enters into the Amazone 20 Leagues below the River again that by the Order of General Texeira forty Portuguez of his Fleet with 200 of the Indians they brought with 'em continued constantly for the space of eleven Months At first they found nothing but good Entertainment of all sorts from the Inhabitants of the Country to whom in return they gave all Necessaries they had occasion for but this did not continue long This was too great a Familiarity for Men that knew themselves guilty of the death of the Spanish Captain for they being the Authors of this Fact knew well enough that the Blood they had shed cry'd for Vengeance against 'em and therefore being under Apprehensions of being chastis'd for their Boldness on the least occasion that should offer they mutinied and after they had kill'd three of our Indians took up Arms to defend their Lives and Lands The Portuguez on this occasion acted like themselves and presently sought to be reveng'd for it being contrary to their Humour to put up Injuries or to suffer Indians to take the liberty of acting with so much Insolence as this they betook themselves to Arms and with their wonted Courage for which they are so famous flew upon their Enemies and repuls'd them with so much Vigor that with the loss of a very few Men they killed a considerable number of Indians and took above 70 of 'em Prisoners some of whom died in the places of their Confinement and the rest made their Escape so that in a little time there was not one of them left These Portuguez did not get much by their Victory for they now found themselves reduc'd to such Extremity that they saw they must either perish for want of Food or else be oblig'd to go with their Swords in their hands to fetch Provision out of the very Mouths of their Enemies Accordingly they resolv'd to make Incursions into the Country and either by fair means or soul to get a Supply for their pinching Necessities Some of 'em went out to fight and others kept the Camp but both the one and the other in spite of all their Bravery did not fail to meet with frequent and violent Insults from their Enemies who omitted no fit occasion to give 'em all sorts of Alarms and to do 'em all the Mischief they could especially upon the River where they surpriz'd a great many of their Vessels some of which they pillaged and brake others of 'em in pieces and yet this was not the greatest Damage they did our Men for they laid Ambuscades for our Indians and cut the Throats of all that fell into their hands 'T is true for every Man they kill'd the Portuguez kill'd six of them but this Chastisement was nothing comparable to what the Portuguez used to make the Indians suffer for such kind of Revolts These People were call'd by the Spaniards who saw them first the Hairy Indians because throughout this Province the Men as well as the Women wear their Hair quite down to their Knees Their Weapons are Darts their Houses are Huts made very neatly and curiously with the Branches of Palm-Trees Their Food is like that of all the other Indians upon the Amazone They are always in War with their Neighbours at the Head of this Province of the long-hair'd Savages on the South-side on the other side of the River of Amazons they have for their Neighbours the Avixiras the Yurusnies the Zaparas and the Yquitos who are on one side enclosed by the River Curaray and on the other by the Amazone into which the former empties it self 4 Leagues below the Province of the long-hair'd Indians at near two degrees Latitude Eighty Leagues below Curaray on the same South-side the famous River Tumburagua which as I said before descends from the Province of the Maynas by the Name of Maragnon enters into the Amazone and is so impetuous and violent that it preserves its Waters entirely together while it runs with its ordinary Swiftness several Leagues forward into the Amazone without mixing with it which makes it extend above a League in Breadth at its Mouth at length it acknowledges the Superiority of the Amazone and pays it not only the ordinary Tribute which the other Rivers render it but another more considerable Advantage besides of many sorts of Fish that are not found in the River of Amazons till you come to the Mouth of this River CHAP. LI. The Province of the Aguas their Manners and Customs SIxty Leagues below the River Tumburagua begins the Province of the Aguas which is the most fertile and spacious of all the Provinces we found along this great River of Amazons the Spaniards vulgarly call it Omaguas by a corruption of its proper Name and to make it answer to the Situation of their Dwellings because the Word Aguas in their Language signifies without or abroad This Province is above 200 Leagues in length and is so well peopled that the Villages are situate very close one to another so that almost as soon as you are past one you discover another The Breadth of this Country in all appearance is but of small extent it being no greater than that of our River for the Habitations of these People are in all the
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
Generosity than the other and counted it no small Happiness to be able by these means to serve his Prince on so important an Occasion CHAP. XIX The Departure of Father D'Acugna The way the Spaniards and Portuguez took together to get to the River Amazone THE Portuguez General being prepar'd for his return to Para by the River Amazone and the Royal Audience of Quito having well consider'd that it might very much turn to account for some Jesuits to make this Voyage with him that they might take exact notice of every thing worthy of Observation on this great River and carry the Relation of it into Spain to his Catholick Majesty signified their Mind to the Provincial of the Jesuits which at that time was Father Francis de Fuentes who taking it for a great Honour that so much Confidence should be put in the Members of his Community as the discharge of so important an Affair confirm'd the Nomination that had been made of Father Christopher D'Acugna tho he was Rector of the Jesuits College at Cuence under the Jurisdiction of Quito and gave him Father Andrew Dartieda Professor of Divinity in the same College for his Companion These two Jesuits receiv'd their Orders by Patents issued from the Chancery of Quito the Purport of which was that they should go without delay with the Captain Major Peter de Texeira and that after they were arriv'd at Para they should go into Spain to give the King an Account of all they should observe in their Voyage These Fathers readily obey'd the Orders they had receiv'd and accordingly set forward on the 16th of January 1639 to begin a Voyage that lasted ten Months before they arriv'd at Para where they enter'd into Port the twelfth day of December in the same Year As they left Quito they took the way of those high Mountains on foot from which that great River of the Amazones derives its Sources a River which has nothing in its rise wherein it excels other Rivers but is so very much augmented in its Course that the Mouth of it is eighty four Leagues in breadth These Jesuits took all the care they could and labour'd with all possible Accuracy to observe every thing that was worth a Remark they took the Latitudes in every place of the River where they could do it they took an account of the Names of all the Rivers that run into it and of all the Nations that inhabit the Borders of it They took notice of the Quality of the Lands of the Goodness of the Fruits of the Temperature of the Climates and of every thing that is serviceable to the Life of Man they enter'd into Commerce with the People of the Country In a word they forgot nothing that they thought might conduce to furnish them with a perfect Knowledg of those Provinces which had never been entirely discover'd till then Therefore they that read this Relation are desir'd by one of those Fathers who undertook to expose it to the World not to disbelieve what he has written because he can prove that what he affirms for a Truth is really so by above thirty Spaniards and Portuguez that accompanied him in this Voyage and he hopes the Reader will not imagine he makes no Conscience of affirming things that are untrue in a matter of this Weight and Importance CHAP. XX. The general Idea which Father D'Acugna gives of this River and the Elogiums he gives it after he had view'd it throughout ON the famous River of Amazons is the richest most fertile and best peopled Country of Peru and without an Hyperbole 't is the largest and most eminent River in the World it passes through divers Kingdoms of a vast Extent and enriches more Provinces than the Ganges that vast River that waters part of the East Indies than the Euphrates which after it has run through Persia comes across Syria to throw it self into the Sea or than the Nile which comes out of the Mountains of Cuama and passing through Africa and the most barren Countries in the World turns them into fruitful and delicious Provinces by the overflowing of its Waters In a word the River Amazone nourishes an infinitely greater number of People and carries its fresh Water a great way further into the Sea than any of those mighty Rivers altho these have given their Names to entire Gulphs or troubled the Sea with their Waters to a considerable length A great many more Rivers fall into the Amazone than into the Ganges and if the Banks of the latter are cover'd with gilded Sand those of the former are fill'd with a Sand of pure Gold and the Waters that always wash them are continually discovering Mines of Gold and Silver in the Bowels of the Earth In short the Places it waters are an Earthly Paradise and if Men did but lend their Assistance Nature in that Country as they 〈…〉 all the Borders of that great River would be full of large Gardens perpetually fill'd with Fruits and Flowers It sometimes overflows its Banks and thereby renders all the Ground fruitful through which its Waters pass and that not only for one but for several Years After all these extraordinary Improvements the change of Seasons is not necessary to the Provinces situate near this great River They find every thing near 'em abundance of Fish in their Waters more than they can wish a thousand different kinds of Animals in the neighbouring Mountains all sorts of Birds in such plenty as can hardly be imagined The Trees always loaded with Fruit the Fields with a plentiful Crop and the Bowels of the Earth consisting of precious Mines of all sorts of Metals In fine among the vast number of People that dwell along the Banks of this River there are scarce any to be seen but what are handsome well made and very ingenious in all things they are concern'd about CHAP. XXI The Source of this River and the Emulation of all the Provinces of Peru about it TO enter into a particular History of this River I shall begin with its Original and as there have heretofore been great Contests between eminent Cities about the Birth of divers Hero's of former Ages so there is no less Emulation among the Provinces of Peru which of them should be the Mother of this great River because the true Source of it is unknown to this day The City of Lima as magnificent and as potent as it is boasts that she has the Mountains of Ganneo and the Cavaliers within her Jurisdiction and the Fountain-head of the Amazone seventy Leagues above her But this is not the Source of it but of another River that runs into the Amazone Others maintain that the Source of this great River proceeds from the Mountains of Moida in the new Kingdom of Granada and is call'd the River Caquetta but they are mistaken too and confound the matter for the Caquetta and the Amazone run separately above seven hundred Leagues and when they come near together
Drink they take these dry Cakes and temper them in Water which they boil as long as they think sufficient over a gentle Fire This Paste boil'd thus in Water makes a Drink so strong by its great Fermentation that it fuddles 'em like our Wine They use this Drink at all their Assemblies and Entertainments as when they inter their Dead when they receive any Guests when they celebrate their Feasts at their Seed-time and Harvest in a word at all times when they meet this Liquor is the Spirit that animates 'em and the Charm that holds 'em together They make besides this another sort of Drink with a great deal of wild Fruit of which they have extraordinary plenty this they peel and put in Water with which when it is well mix'd it soon by Fermentation acquires such a Savour and Strength that it often has a more agreeable Relish than Beer which is so much in use in many Nations They keep these Liquors in great Earthen Vessels as they do in Spain or in lesser ones which they make of the Trunk of a hollow Tree or else in Baskets made of Rushes which they cover within and without with a sort of Pitch so that they don't leak in the least This Bread and Drink are not the only Provisions they live upon they have many other sorts of Food in use amongst 'em besides Fruit of various kinds as Bonanes Ananas Gouyaves Amos and a sort of very pleasant Chesnuts which at Peru they call Almandras de la Sierra that is Mountain-Almonds but the Truth is they are rather of the Figure of a Chesnut than of an Almond because they grow in Hulls that are bristly like those of our Chesnuts They have Palms of various kinds Coco-Nuts and Dates that are very well tasted tho they are wild and many other sorts of Fruit that are produced only in hot Countries They have likewise divers kinds of Roots that are good Food as Batates Yuca Mensa which the Portuguez call Machachora and Cajas which are like our Saligots and others which are good both to rost and boil have a pleasant Relish and are very nourishing CHAP. XXV The great Plenty of Fish in this River and which is the best sort of them FIsh is so common with 'em that when any one offers it to 'em they proverbially say E'ne put it in your own Dish There is so great a number of 'em in the River that without any other Nets than their Hands they can take as many as they please But the Pege Buey is as it were the King of all the Fish that swim in the River Amazone from its Source till it discharges it self into the Sea 'T is not to be imagin'd what a delicious Taste this Fish has any one that eats it would think it to be most excellent Flesh well season'd This Fish is as big as a Heifer of a Year and a half old it has a Head and Ears just like those of a Heifer and the Body of it is all cover'd with Hair like the Bristles of a white Hog it swims with two little Arms and under its Belly it has Teats with which it suckles its young Ones The Skin of it is very thick and when 't is dress'd into Leather it serves to make Targets that are Proof against a Musquet Bullet This Fish feeds upon Grass on the Bank of the River like an Ox from which it receives so good Nourishment and is of so pleasant a Taste that a Man is more strengthen'd and better satisfied in eating a small quantity of it than in eating twice as much Mutton This Fish has not free Respiration in the Water and therefore often thrusts out its Snout to take Breath and is by this means discover'd to them that seek after it When the Indians get the sight of it they follow it with their Oars in little Canoos and when it appears above Water to get Breath they throw at it their sort of Harping-Irons made of Shells with which they stop its course and take it when they have kill'd it they cut it into good pieces and broil it upon Wooden Grates which they call Boucan and being thus dress'd 't will keep good above a Month They have not the way of salting and drying it to keep a great while because they have no great quantity of Salt and that which they use to season their Meat is very rare with 'em and is made only of the Ashes of a sort of Palm-Tree so that 't is more like Salt-Peter than common Salt CHAP. XXVI The Means the Indians use to preserve their Fish in those Seasons wherein they can neither fish nor hunt THO the Indians don 't know how to keep their broil'd Fish very long yet they sustain no great damage by it because Nature has given them Industry enough to get fresh Meat all their Winter which is the time of the Rains during which they can neither hunt nor fish For this purpose they make choice of some fit places where the Floods can never come and there they dig a kind of a Pond of a moderate depth to hold a good quantity of Water which they inclose round with a Palisado of Stakes they bring Water into these Ponds and keep 'em always full that they may use 'em as Reservers for their Winter Provisions At the season when the Tortoises come ashore to lay their Eggs the Indians go to lie in Ambush in the places where they know they ordinarily come and when they see a sufficient number upon the shore they go and turn 'em upon their Backs to hinder 'em from retreating and when they have thus secur'd 'em they begin at their leisure to carry 'em to their Reservers for this end when they are at any considerable distance from their Huts they string all their Tortoises together with great Cords through holes that they make on the top of their Shells and turning 'em upon their Feet lead 'em to the Water where they tie 'em to their Canoos and so make 'em follow them home when they are got home they put 'em in their Reservers and unloose 'em feeding 'em with the Leaves and Branches of Trees which they throw into them and take 'em out to spend as they want ' em One of these Tortoises is enough to feed a numerous Family some time so that 't is not to be wonder'd at that these Indians are never reduc'd to Scarcity seeing they make Provision of so great a number of Tortoises having commonly above a hundred in each Reserver so that the proportion they provide for each Person in their Families is enough to maintain several People These Tortoises are as large as those Targets Souldiers formerly us'd to defend themselves withal and their Flesh is as good as that of a Heifer At the time of their laying some Females are found with two or three hundred Eggs in their Belly bigger than those of Pullets and as good tho not of so easy Digestion
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
the Skin of the Fish Pegebuey of which I have spoken before Some of these Nations make use only of Bows and Arrows which are esteem'd among all the others for the force and swiftness of ' em There are abundance of venomous Herbs with which some of these Nations make so subtile a Poison that their Arrows being rub'd with it never draw the least Blood without taking away the Life at the same time CHAP. XXXVIII Their manner of living together Of their Commerce and of their making Boats for their Traffick ALL the Nations that live on the Banks of this great River dwell together in great Colonies and all their Commerce and Traffick is carried on by Water as it is at Venice or at Mexico in little Barks which they call Canoos these they make with Cedar-wood and the Providence of God provides these for 'em in such abundance that without their being at the trouble of cutting 'em down and of drawing 'em from the Mountains they are sent to 'em with the Current of the River which to supply the Necessities of these People tears up Cedars for 'em from the highest Mountains of Peru and brings 'em down to the foot of their Cottages where they may every one chuse which they think most fit for their purpose but the wonder is that among so great number of Indians every one of whom has need of one or two of these Trunks of Trees for the Service of his Family to make a Canoo or two for indeed they all have of 'em there 's none of 'em has any more trouble to procure 'em than that of going to the River side and tying a Cord to the first Tree that floats along and bringing it over against his Hut where he stops it till the River retires and as soon as it is dry they with the same Industry apply themselves to hollow them and make such Canoos of them as they want CHAP. XXXIX The Tools which they use to cut and cleave Wood to plain it and to make their Houshold Stuff ALL the Tools which they have either to make their Canoos to build their Huts or to do other necessary Jobs are Axes and Hatchets not such as have been forg'd by ingenious Smiths but such as have been form'd in their Fancies by Necessity which is the Mother of Invention and has taught 'em to cut the hardest part of the Tortoise-shell which is that under the Belly of it into Leaves of about a hand's-breadth and not quite so thick as ones Hand After having dry'd it in the Smoak they whet it upon a Stone then fasten it to a wooden Helve and make use of this Tool to cut every thing they fancy as well as if it were the best Ax that can be but with a little more pains They make their Hatchets of the same matter and the Handle they put to 'em is a Pegebeuy's Jaw-bone which Nature seems to have purposely fitted to this use With these Instruments they finish all their Works not only their Canoos but their Tables their Cupboards their Seats and their other Houshold Goods and that as compleatly as if they had the best Joiners Tools that are in use among us There are some among these Nations who make their Axes of Stones which they grind to an Edg with main Strength these are much stronger than those of Tortoise-shell so that they will cut down any great Tree which they have a mind to fell with the less fear of breaking 'em and with much more speed Their Chizzels Plains and Wimbles which we use for the finest Works of Joinery in which they work excellently well are made of wild Hogs Teeth and of the Horns of other Animals which they graft in to Wooden Handles and make use of 'em as well as we can do of the best that are made of Steel Almost all these Provinces produce Cotton more or less but the greater part of 'em make no use of it for Clothing but on the contrary the most of 'em go stark naked as well Men as Women and are no more asham'd of appearing so than if they were in the primitive State of Innocency CHAP. XL. The Religion of these People and what they believe concerning their Idols The Discourse of a Cacique on this Subject THE Religion of these barbarous People is much alike they all worship Idols which they make with their own Hands to one of them they ascribe the Authority of governing the Waters and put a Fish in his Hand in token of his Power they chuse others to preside over their Seed-time and others to inspire 'em with Courage in their Battels they say these Gods came down from Heaven on purpose to dwell with them and to shew them Kindness They don't signify their Adoration of these Idols by any outward Ceremonies but on the contray seem to have forgotten 'em as soon as they have made 'em and putting them in a Case let 'em lie without taking any notice of 'em so long as they imagine they have no occasion for their Help but when they are ready to march out to War they set up the Idol in which they have plac'd the hopes of their Victories at the Prow of their Canoos so when they go a fishing they take that Idol with 'em to which they attribute the Government of the Waters yet they have not so much Faith in any of 'em but that they freely acknowledg that there may possibly be a God who is greater and more powerful than these I made this Judgment upon what pass'd between us and one of these Savage People who yet shew'd nothing in his Conversation that savour'd of a barbarous Education This Indian had heard some of our Men speak of the Almighty Power of God and considering what he had seen with his own Eyes that our Army had navigated this great River throughout its whole Course and after having pass'd through so many different Warlike Nations was return'd without having receiv'd the least Damage or Prejudice from any of 'em he thought this could not be unless the Assistance and Power of God had conducted us upon this Imagination he came to meet us and with a great deal of Concern and disquiet of Mind signified to us that for all the kind Entertainment he had given us he desir'd no other Recompence but that we would leave him one of our Gods seeing they were so good and powerful that so he might take him and his Vassals into his Protection that he might make 'em live in Peace and Health and continually give 'em whatever they stood in need of for their Preservation Our Men did not fail to promise him whatever he desir'd and would fain have set up the Standard of the Cross in his Village for a certain Mark. This is a Custom the Portuguez have introduc'd throughout all places where Idols are worship'd I know not whether they do it from a true Principle of Zeal as the Action it self seems to signify for
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
made so vastly wide that one may almost thrust ones Fist through the Hole in the tips of some of their Ears this is the place at which they hang their Jewels and they commonly wear in them a handful of Leaves made up close together to keep their Ears constantly in the same Figure This passes among 'em for the greatest piece of Finery in the World On the other side of the Amazone over against this high Country which the Curazicaris possess there is a flat Country all intersected with Rivers and particularly with several Arms of the River Caqueta which run along through it so that this Country is all made up of Islands inclos'd by great Lakes that extend several Leagues in length till at last all these Waters crowd together and pour themselves into the Rionegro and so fall into the Amazone All these Islands are peopled with many different Nations but those that possess the most Land are the Zuavas CHAP. LIX Of the River Yupara and the short Cut it makes to the Golden Mountain FOurteen Leagues below the Village which the Portuguez call the Golden Town on the North-side we saw the mouth of the River Yupara which is that by which one may enter into the Golden River and this is the most direct the most sure and shortest way to come at that Golden Mountain that is so vastly rich This Mouth is at the Latitude of two degrees and a half and so is that Village which is situate four Leagues lower on the South-side on the Edg of a great Precipice at the foot of which is the Mouth of another great and fine River which the Natives call Tapi the Banks of which are inhabited by a great number of Indians call'd the Paguavos I have already said that the Nation of the Curazicaris takes up above four and twenty Leagues of the Length of this Country and I add that all their Lands are very high Ground where you may see very pleasant Fields and fine Pastures for Cattel there are also Groves of Trees that extend a great length and a great many Lakes that abound with Fish which would be a great advantage to any that should make Plantations in those parts CHAP. LX. An Account of many other Nations and of divers Rivers that descend into the Amazone and of the Golden Lake that is so famous in Peru. TWenty six Leagues below Tapi the River Catua falls into the Amazone at the Mouth of it it forms a great Lake of Water that looks green it has its Source far up in the Country on the South-side and its Banks as well as those of other Rivers are peopled with Indians Yet 't is said another River that comes on the North-side and falls into the Amazone six Leagues below Tapi and is called Agaranatuba far exceeds all the other Rivers for the multitude of different Nations that inhabit its Banks One may also have Communication with the River Yupara of which we have spoken above by the way of this River The People it maintains are called the Yacarets c. All these Nations speak two different Languages and 't is in their Country if what is talked in the new Kingdom of Granada be true that this so much desired Golden Lake is to be found which has so long made the Inhabitants of Peru very uneasy I don't affirm this as a Certainty It may be it will please God one day to put this Matter out of doubt There is another River that enters into the Amazone sixteen Leagues lower than Araganatuba and bears the same Name but it is to be observ'd that these two are indeed one and the same River divided into two different Arms and therefore both bear the same Name till they empty themselves into the Amazone Two and twenty Leagues below this last Arm of Araganatuba are the utmost Limits of this great and rich Nation of the Curazicaris who inhabit one of the best Cantons of Land we have met with in all the Extent of this great River CHAP. LXI Of the warlike People called Yorimaus TWO Leagues lower begins the Country of the most renown'd and warlike Nation of any all along the River of Amazons these People made all the Portuguez Fleet tremble when they went to land in their Countrey as they came up from Para. They are call'd the Yorimaus they dwell on the South-side of the River and not only possess all the Continent along its Banks for above sixty Leagues successively but likewise the greatest part of all those Islands the Amazone makes in that long space for tho the Extent of Land this People possess is confin'd within the Space of a little above sixty Leagues on the River Amazone yet having all the Islands besides within the same space and all the Continent a good way up in the Countrey they are as numerous as any Nation we saw wherever we set foot to land all along the River The greatest part of the Yorimaus are well made and of a better Shape than the rest of the Indians they go naked as well as others but one may well see by the Air of their Countenances that they have a greater dependance upon their Courage than the other Savages they came amongst us and went from us with the greatest Assurance that could be and there pass'd no day but above 200 Canoos full of Women and Children came aboard our Admiral bringing with them all sorts of Fruits Fishes Meal and other things which we bought of 'em in exchange for Glass-Buttons Needles and Knives This was at the first Village of the Yorimaus which is built at the Mouth of a fine River that seemed to us to be very impetuous by the great Force with which it repuls'd the Waters of the Amazone as it ran into it I don't doubt but the Banks of it are inhabited as well as those of all the others by many different Nations but we could not learn the Names of 'em because our Fleet only pass'd by the Mouth of it CHAP. LXII The Length of the Country which these People possess and the great Islands they inhabit in the River of Amazons TWo and twenty Leagues below this first Plantation of the Yorimaus we met with the greatest Village we had yet seen on this great River The Houses joined to one another and continued so to do above a League in length each of these Houses contains not only one Family as is customary in most Cities in Europe but in those that were least filld there dwelt 4 or 5 entire Families and more in the greatest part of ' em By this may be conjectur'd what an incredible multitude of people must needs live in that one Town We went to their Houses and found all there in profound Peace They waited for our coming without being at all alarm'd by it and furnished us with all necessary Provisions which our Fleet began now to want We continued five days in this Place and stor'd our selves here with a Provision of above
five hundred Measures of Meal of Magnioc so that we had more than enough of it to accomplish our Voyage which as we continued from thence we perpetually met with the Villages of this Nation one soon after another at last we arriv'd at a place thirty Leagues below this great Town which in all appearance is the chief Strength of this Nation 'T is a great Island made by one Arm of the Amazone as it goes to join it self to another River that comes to fall into it and both together run against the Banks of this last River which are inhabited by so great a Multitude of people that 't is not without reason that their Neighbours fear and respect 'em if it were only for their Numbers CHAP. LXIII The Extent of the Province of the Yorimaus and of the River of Cuchiguara Of a People so ingenious in working of Wood that they equal the best Masters in Europe TEN Leagues below this Island the Province of the Yorimaus ends and two Leagues farther we found on the South-side the Mouth of a famous River which the Indians call Cuchiguara 't is navigable tho there are Rocks in it in some Places and 't is very full of Fish and well stock'd with Tortoises its Banks are loaded with Maze and Magnioc In a word it has every thing necessary to make the Navigation of it easy and agreeable All the Banks of this River are peopled with different Nations which I shall name one after another successively beginning with those that dwell at the Mouth of it going on with those that dwell along the River upward which are the Cuchiguaras and bear the same Name with the River Cuchiguara c. and in fine all the last are call'd the Curiguiris who according to the Report that Persons who have been with them and offer'd to conduct us to them gave us are Giants of sixteen Spans height and very stout they go naked as well as the others and wear great Plates of God at their Ears and Nostrils We were informed that 't would be a Journey of two Months to go into the Province of these Giants from the Mouth of this River When we had passed some space farther we found on the South-side the People call'd the Caupunas and the Zurinas which are the most ingenious and curious handy-craft Men that we saw in all the Country Without any other Tools than such as I have spoken of before they make Chairs in the Form of Beasts with so much Curiosity and so commodious for a Man to sit at his Ease that I think the Invention of Man cannot contrive better They make Estolicas which are their ordinary Weapons of a very slender Stick with so much Art that 't is not to be wondred at that other Nations in the Country are very desirous of them and which is very strange they 'll cut a rais'd Figure so much to the Life and so exactly upon any coarse Piece of Wood that many of our Carvers might take Pattern by them 'T is not only to gratify their own Fancies and for their own Use that they make these Pieces of Work but also for the Profit it brings them for they hereby maintain a Trade with their Neighbours and truck their Work with them for any Necessaries to serve their Occasions CHAP. LXIV Of the River Basurara and the great Islands it forms Of the People that inhabit those Parts Of their Arms and the Commerce they have with the Dutch that inhabit Cayenne THirty two Leagues below the Mouth of Cuchiguara we met the Mouth of another River on the North-side call'd Basurara by the Natives This River extends it self a great way up in the Country and forms several great Lakes so that the Country is divided into divers large Islands which are all peopled with an infinite Number of Inhabitants These Lands lie very high and are never overflow'd by the Inundations let them be never so great This Country abounds with all sorts of Provision as Maze Magnioc all kinds of Fruit Venison Wild-Fowl and Fish and yields its Inhabitants a liberal Maintenance which makes it abound as much in Men as in all other things All the People that live in the large Extent of this Country are call'd by the general Name of Carabuyavas and are divided into particular Provinces some of which are call'd the Ceraguanas c. All the Indians use Bows and Arrows and among some of them I saw Iron Tools and Weapons as Hatchets Halbards Bills and Knives I asked them by our Interpreters from whence they had those Instruments of Iron they answered that they bought them of the People of that Country that dwelt nearest the Sea on that side who had their Goods in exchange for 'em that they were white Men like us and made use of the same Arms as Swords and Guns and had Houses upon the Sea-Coast that the only difference between them and us was that they had all light-colour'd Hair These Tokens were sufficient to assure us that these were the Dutch that were in possession of the Mouth of the Smooth River or the River Philippe some time before It was in the Year 1638 that they made a Descent into Guiana which depends on the Government of the New Kingdom of Granada and not only made themselves Masters of the whole Island but came upon it by such a Surprize that the Spaniards had not time to carry away the Holy Sacrament of the Altar but left it in Captivity in the Enemies hand They promised themselves a great Ransom from us to get this holy Pledg out of their hands knowing what Respect and Love the Catholicks have for the precious Body of their Saviour but our Men took another Course which was to betake themselves to their Arms and compose good Companies of Souldiers who were resolved to go with the Courage of Christians to expose their Lives to deliver their Saviour from the hands of his Enemies They were big with these just and pious Resolutions which could only be inspired from Heaven when we parted from thence to return into Spain to render an Account of our Voyage CHAP. LXV Of the great River called Rionegro or the Black River because its Waters are so clear that they look black again and of a fit Place to fortify upon this River which would be a means to obtain the Sovereignty of the Amazone by the way to it from the North-Cape through the River call'd Riogrande ON the same North-side thirty Leagues or something less from Basurara we met with the largest Mouth and the finest River of any that come to throw themselves into the Amazone It runs a Course of 1300 Leagues in length the Mouth of it is a League and a half wide which is at the Latitude of four degrees and to speak a little pleasantly one may say this mighty River is so haughty that 't is offended to meet with a greater than it self and as the incomparable Amazone stretches out
its Arms to receive it this proud River disdains to be so embrac'd as to lose it self in the other's Waters and therefore keeps separated from it and fills up half the Bed of the Amazone it self for above the length of twelve Leagues so that the Waters of the one may be easily distinguished from the other by those that sail in this Channel The Portuguez had some Reason to call this the Black River because at its Mouth and many Leagues above its Depth together with the Clearness of those Waters which are pour'd into its Channel from several great Lakes make it appear black as if it were dyed tho when it is put in a Glass it looks as clear as Crystal It takes its Course from West to East at its beginning but has such great Windings that in a very little space it changes its Course to different Points but the Course it runs for several Leagues before it empties it self into the Amazone is again from West to East The Indians that live upon the Banks of it call it Curiguarura but the Toupinambous of whom we shall speak presently give it the name of Vrama which signifies Black Water in their Language They also give another name to the Amazone which it retains in those Parts namely Pajanaquris which is as much as to say the Great River to distinguish it from another which tho it be a great River however is much less than this and named Pajanamira which enters into the Amazone on the South-side a League below the Black River We were assur'd that this River was inhabited by a great number of People of different Nations the last of which wear Clothes and Hats like ours which sufficiently convinc'd us that thâ—se People were not remote from our Cities in Peru. Those that dwell on the Banks of the Black River possess a great deal of Ground they are call'd Canicuaris and Curupatabas and the last Nation is that of the Quaravaquazanas that dwell upon one Arm of the Black River and 't is by this Arm as we were sufficiently inform'd that one may pass into the Riogrande the Mouth of which goes into the Sea at the North-Cape near which River the Dutch have established themselves All these Nations make use of Bows and Arrows the most of which they poison with the Juice of Herbs All the Lands upon this Black River are situate very high the Soil is very good and if manur'd would yield plenty of all sorts of Fruit even such as we have in Europe in some places that lie well to produce ' em There are a great many fine and pleasant Fields all cover'd with excellent Pasturage sufficient to nourish an innumerable stock of all sorts of Cattle There are likewise abundance of good Trees the Timber of which is very good for all sorts of Carpenters Work whether for Land or Water And besides this great plenty of Wood the Country yields very good Stones and that in vast Quantities fit for the noblest Buildings The Borders of it are stor'd with all sorts of Game Indeed it has but a few Fish in comparison with the River of Amazons the reason of which is from the exceeding Clearness of the Water But to make amends for this Defect the Lakes which are in the Country and pour their Waters into this River yield the Inhabitants more Fish than they need This River has at the Mouth of it the best Situation in the World for the making of a Fort and plenty of Stones to build it which would be very proper to hinder our Enemies from coming by this River to enter into the great Channel of the Amazone not that I think this to be the best place of all for a Fortification for such a purpose but rather several Leagues above this Mouth in an Arm that goes to cast it self into the River call'd Riogrande whose Mouth as I have already said is in the North Sea there we might place all our Forces with the greatest Certainty of entirely stopping the Passage of our Enemies into this new World which they so passionately desire to discover and which they will some time or other attempt if they are not prevented by securing this Passage I dare not affirm that this River call'd the Riogrande into which the Arm of the Black River enters is the Smooth River or the Philippe for both enter into the Sea toward the North Cape but by all the Observations I have made I am very inclinable to believe that it is the River Philippe because 't is the first considerable River that enters into the Sea beyond the Cape But this I know for certain that the Riogrande is not the River Orenoque because the principal Mouth of it into the Sea is over against the Island of La Trinidada which is above a hundred Leagues below the Place where the Philippe empties it self into the Sea It was by this River that the Tyrant Lopez Daguirre pass'd into the North Sea and seeing he made this Voyage very well some body else may as well succeed in the same Attempt and follow the Course which another has steer'd before him CHAP. LXVI A Mutiny happens in the Portuguez Fleet when they see themselves so near home without having got any Treasure they take up a Resolution to go and pillage the People upon the Black River and to get Slaves but are prevented by Father D' Acugna OUR Fleet lay still at Anchor in the Mouth of the Black River on the 12th day of October in the Year 1639 when the Portuguez Souldiers calling to mind that they were now almost as good as at home and had got nothing these two Years since they went out began to look upon the end of their Voyage as the greatest Misfortune that could befal them and to tell one another that since they had reap'd no other Advantage by all the Labour and Hardship they had pass'd through but the loss of two long Years and the Increase of their Miseries they ought to consider what they had to do while opportunity offer'd it self and that it would be a ridiculous thing to expect of his Catholick Majesty the Reward of those Services they had render'd him in the Discovery of so many Countries seeing a great many others before them who had been prodigal of their Blood and hazarded their Lives for the Advancement of the Grandeur of Spain had for all that died upon a Dunghil not knowing to whom to apply themselves for the Relief of their Necessities These seditious Words being received with Applause by the greatest part of the Portuguez they immediately resolv'd to speak their Minds to their General and to engage him one way or other to fall in with their Designs No sooner had they taken up this Resolution but they addressed themselves to him telling him it was needless for them to represent to him the miserable Condition they were in since he knew it as well as themselves that they had now been for two Years
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
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
and spread it upon the Ground about half a Foot thick in a square place that is very smooth prepar'd for the purpose then they cast a great deal of Water upon it after which they with a Sieve spread upon it a certain quantity of Quick-silver which is proportion'd by the Officers of the Mint and also a Liquid substance of Iron which is prepar'd by Two Millstones one of which is fix'd and the other is continuly turning between these they put an Old Anvil or some other Massy piece of Iron which is worn away and Consum'd with Water by the turning Mill-stone so that 't is reduc'd to a certain Liquid Matter The Oar being thus prepar'd they stir it about and mix it as Men do when they make Mortar for a Fortnight together every day tempering it with Water and after this they several times put it into a Tub wherein there is a little Mill which by its motion separates from it all the Earth with the Water and casts 'em off together so that nothing but the Metallick Matter remains at the bottom which is afterwards put into the Fire in Crucibles to separate the Quick-silver from it which is done by Evaporation for as for the Iron substance that does not Evaporate but remains mix'd with the Silver which is the reason that there is always in Eight Ounces for example sake Three quarters of an Ounce or thereabouts of false Alloy The Silver when thus refin'd is carried to the Mint where they make an Essay of it whether it be of the right Alloy after which it is melted into Barrs or Ingots which are weigh'd and the fifth part of 'em deducted which belongs to the King and are stamp'd with his mark the rest appertain to the Merchant who in like manner applies his mark to them and takes 'em away from thence when he pleases in Barrs or else converts 'em into Reals and other Money This fifth part is the only profit the King has from the Mines which yet are esteem'd to amount to several Millions But besides this he draws considerable Sums by the ordinary Impositions upon Goods without reckoning what he raises upon Quick-silver both that which is taken out of the Mines of Guancavelica which are Situated between Lima and Cusco and that which is brought from Spain with which Two Vessels are loaded every Year because that which is taken out of these Mines is not sufficient for all the Indies They use divers ways of Carriage to Transport all the Silver that is annually made about Potosi for Spain first they Load it upon Mules that carry it to Arica which is a Port on the South-Sea from whence they Transport it in small Vessels to the Fort of Lima or Los Reys which is a Fort upon the same Sea Two Leagues from Lima here they Embark it with all that comes from other parts of Peru in Two great Gallions that belong to his Catholick Majesty each of which carry 1000 Tuns and are Arm'd each with 50 or 60 Pieces of Canon these are commonly accompanied with a great many small Merchant Ships as Richly Loaded which have no Guns but a few Petareroes to give Salutes and take their Course towards Panama taking care always to send a little Pinnace 8 or 10 Leagues before to make discoveries They might make this way in a Fortnights time having always the help of the South-wind which reigns alone in this Sea yet they never make it less than a Months Voyage because by this delay the Commander of the Gallions makes a great advantage in furnishing those with Cards that have a mind to play on Ship-board during the Voyage which amounts to a very considerable Sum both because the Tribute he receives is Ten Patagons for every Pack of Cards and because there is a prodigious quantity of 'em consum'd they being continually at play and there being scarce any body aboard but is concern'd for very considerable Sums When the Gallions arrive at Panama on the Continent they put their Lading ashoar and wait to hear of those from Spain who commonly about the same time or a little after arrive at Portobelo which is 18 Leagues from the North-Sea in the mean time they carry thither part of the Gold Silver and other Commodities of this Fleet which are design'd for Europe upon Mules by Land and part by Water upon the River of Chiagre in Boats made of an entire piece of Wood call'd Piragouas A few days after they are unladen and after the Gallions are likewise arriv'd from Spain a very great Fair is held there for a Fortnight together in which they Sell and Barter all sorts of Goods necessary for each Country which is perform'd with so much honesty that the Sale is made only by the Inventories without opening the Bales without the least Fraud The Fair being ended they all retire to the places to which they respectively belong The Gallions that are to return into Spain go to Havana in the Island of Cuba where they wait for the Arrival of the Flota of la Vera-Crux in New Spain as soon as that has joyn'd 'em they continue their Course together passing thro' the Channel of Bahama along the Coast of Florida they touch at the Island of Bermudos where they commonly meet with Advice of the State of Affairs in Europe and with orders to direct them how to avoid any disasters and to perform their Voyage in safety As for the Gallions of Peru after they have taken in a new Cargo at Panama they return to Lima steering divers Courses because of the Contrariety of the Wind which keeps 'em Two or Three Months at Sea Being there they dispose of what they have for Peru And the rest of the Goods is taken off by the Merchants of Chili who give a great many Commodities of their Country in exchange for 'em as Goats-leather which in the Language of the Country is call'd Cordouan Cordage Hemp Pitch and Tar Oyls Olives and Almonds and above all a great quantity of Dust of Gold which is taken out of the Rivers of Capiapo Coquinbo Baldivia and others which fall into the South-Sea And now we are speaking of the Commodities of Chili some small matter must be said concerning this great Province or Kingdom At the Mouths of those Rivers of which I have just been speaking there are good Ports and Cities each of which consist of about 4 or 500 Houses and those sufficiently stock'd with People The most considerable Cities upon the Sea-Coast are Baldivia la Conception Copiapo and Coquinbo Baldivia is Fortified and has a Garrison in it usually compos'd only of Banish'd Men and Malefactors of the Indies the Three others are Cities of Trade Farther up in the Countrey is St. Jago de Chili which is the Capital of all Chili where there is likewise a strong Garrison and some regular Troops by reason of the continual War they have with the Savages call'd Aoucans Beyond it in the Mountains lies the little
Province of Chicuito of which the principal Places are St. Juan de la Frontera and Mendoca round about these Towns there grows a great deal of Corn and abundance of Vines which furnish the Country of Chili and the Province of Tucuman as far as Buenos Ayres Three Weeks after my Arrival at Potosi there were great rejoycings made for the Birth of the Prince of Spain which lasted for a Fortnight together during which time all Work ceased throughout the City in the Mines and in the Adjacent places and all the People great and small whether Spaniards Forreigners Indians or Blacks minded nothing else but to do something extraordinary for the Solemnizing of this Festival It began with a Cavalcade made by the Corregidor the Twenty four Magistrates of the City the other Officers the Principal of the Nobility and Gentry and the most eminent Merchants of the City all richly Cloth'd All the rest of the People and particularly the Ladies being at the Windows and casting down abundance of perfum'd Waters and great quantities of dry Sweet-meats The following days they had several Plays some of which they call Juegos de Toros others Juegos de Cannas several sorts of Masquerades Comedies Balls with Vocal and Instrumental Musick and other Divertisements which were carry'd on one day by the Gentlemen another day by the Citizens one while by the Gold-smiths another while by the Miners some by the People of divers Nations others by the Indians and all with great Magnificence and a prodigious Expence The Rejoycings of the Indians deserve a particular remark for besides that they were richly cloth'd and after a different manner and that Comical enough with their Bows and Arrows they in one Night and Morning in the Chief Publick place of the City prepar'd a Garden in the form of a Labyrinth the Plats of which were adorn'd with Fountains spouting out Waters furnished with all sorts of Trees and Flowers full of Birds and all sorts of Wild-beasts as Lions Tygers and other kinds in the midst of which they express'd their Joy a Thousand different ways with extraordinary Ceremonies The last day save one surpass'd all the rest and that was a Race at the Ring which was perform'd at the Charge of the City with very surpizing Machines First there appear'd a Ship Tow'd along by Savages of the bulk and burden of a 100 Tuns with her Guns and Equipage of Men cloth'd in Curious Habit her Anchors Ropes and Sails swelling with the Wind which very luckily blew along the Street through which they drew her to the great publick place where as soon as she arriv'd she saluted the Company by the discharge of all her Canon and at the same time a Spanish Lord representing an Emperor of the East coming to Congratulate the Birth of the Prince came out of the Vessel attended with Six Gentlemen and a very fine Train of Servants that led their Horses which they mounted and so went to salute the President of Los Charcas and while they were making their Compliment to him their Horses kneel'd down and kept in that Posture having been taught this Trick before They afterwards went to salute the Corregidor and the Judges of the Field from whom when they had receiv'd permission to run at the Ring against the Defendants they acquitted themselves with great Gallantry and receiv'd very fine prizes distributed by the hands of the Ladies The Race at the Ring being finish'd the Ship and a great many other small Barks that were brought thither advanc'd to attack a great Castle wherein Cromwel the Protector who was then in War with the King of Spain was feign'd to be shut up and after a pretty long Combat of Fire-works the fire took hold of the Ship the small Barkes and the Castle and all was consum'd together After this a great many pieces of Gold and Silver were distributed and thrown among the People in the Name of his Catholick Majesty And there were some particular Persons that had the prodigality to throw away Two or Three Thousand Crowns a Man among the Mob The Day following these Rejoycings were concluded by a Procession made from the great Church to that of the Recollects in which the Holy Sacrament was carry'd attended with all the Clergy and Laiety and because the way from one of these Churches to the other had been unpav'd for the Celebration of the other Rejoycings they repair'd it for this Procession with Barrs of Silver with which all the way was entirely cover'd The Altar where the Host was to be Lodg'd in the Church of the Recollects was so furnish'd with Figures Vessels and Plates of Gold and Silver adorn'd with Pearles Diamonds and other Precious Stones that scarce ever could any thing be seen more Rich For the Citizens brought thither all the rarest Jewels they had The extraordinary Charge of this whole time of Rejoycing was reckon'd to amount to above 500000 Crowns These Divertisements being ended the rest of the time that I continued at Potosi was employ'd in compleating the Sale of the Goods the Inventories of which I had brought with me and I oblig'd my self to cause these Goods to be deliver'd in a certain time at Xuxui and to pay all the Charge of Carriage so far I took most of my Payment in Silver namely in Patagons Plate Barrs and Pignas which is Virgin-silver and the rest in Vigogne Wool and when I had quite finish'd the business for which I was sent to Potosi I left the place to return to Buenos Ayres the same way I came I loaded all my Bales upon Mules which is the ordinary way of Carriage to pass the Moutains which divide Peru from Tucuman But when I was arriv'd at Xuxui I thought meet to make use of Waggons which is much more Commodious and thus I continu'd my Travels and after a Journey of 4 Months happily arriv'd at the River of Lucan which is 5 Leagues from Buenos Ayres where I met with Ignatio Maleo who was got thither before me he came thither by the River in a little Boat which we resolv'd to make use of to convey most of the Silver I had brought with me privately to our Ship we thought meet to take this Course to avoid the risque we must have run of being Confiscated if we had brought our Vessel by Buenos Ayres because of the Prohibition of the Exportation of Gold and Silver tho' this order is not always very regularly observ'd the Governour sometimes suffering it to be carried out privately Conniving at it for some present or else not being very strict in taking notice of it I must not omit here to tell the reason why the Spaniards will not suffer the Silver of Peru and of other Neighbouring Provinces to be Transported by the River of la Plata nor all sorts of Vessels to go and Trade there without Permission It is from this Consideration that if they should give way to a free Trade on that side where the
great that the Sapayes and Galibis that live at the Mouth of this River require a very large Reward to perform this Voyage and indeed are the more unwilling to undertake it because they are afraid of those Nouragues that eat Humane Flesh So that when any of 'em go into those Parts they stay there as little time as they can Therefore it is scarce possible to go this Way and if we had gone it we should have been altogether unacquainted with those Indians that dwell on the Coasts of the River Vvia and with the Nouragues that dwell above the Source of it But without knowing any thing of this before we chose to pass into the Country of the Nouragues by the Vvia and have this Way visited that whole Nation The 27th of January we left the Sieur Deslauriers somewhat late and therefore proceeded but a little way that Day Our Galibis brought us into a Hut of the 6 Maprouanes as well to shelter us from a great Shower of Rain as to lodge us 7 there that Night These Maprouanes are about Thirty in Number who retir'd from their Country near the River of Amazons to avoid the Persecution of the Portugese and of those Indians call'd the 8 Arianes who have almost extirpated that Nation We found nothing there but Cassave and Ovicou and to the 6th of February we had nothing but Cassave besides Two Fishes and a Couple of Fowls which the Galibis took which serv'd us for Four small Meals and a little Piece of Fish we met with at another Indian Cottage The 28th we arriv'd at a Mountain where a certain Galibi nam'd Maure dwells this is Twelve Leagues from the Mouth of the Vvia And Two Leagues below this Mountain the Land upon the River which is hitherto very low and almost always overflow'd is a high fine Country as far as the Dwelling of the first Nouragues The 29th we lay in a Wood and so we did on the 30th having pass'd by a Village of the Galibi's which contain'd but very few People to make the bigger Day 's Journey The 31st we lodg'd in a Galibi's Cottage whose Family consisted of about Six or Seven but Three or Four of 'em were absent The First of February we pass'd the Night in the Woods and on the Second we lay at a Galibi's Cottage again and this was the poorest and most pitiful Hut that ever I saw among the Indians of this Country there was in it only one Man and his Wife and Children who had nothing at all that Day to sup on One of their Children was much swell'd and in a languishing Condition with a continual Fever of which we thought it could never recover therefore Father Bechamel baptiz'd it and the Consolation this gave us sweeten'd all our past Hardships The Third we went ashoar in the Country of the Nouragues after having this Day and the Day before pass'd Three Falls in the River Vvia and another in the River of the Nouragues but this was nothing in comparison of the Falls of Water we were to pass on the Rivers of Aproague and Camopi And it was now time to land for our 9 Cassave would have been spent if we had had but a little farther to go in those great Desarts and vast Forests that are all along upon this River upon which there are no other Cottages but those I have been speaking of and those of some Galibis and Areacarets who live towards the Mouth of it and are in all about a Hundred or Sixscore Persons This River winds very much and runs a Course of near Fifty Leagues Our Galibis serv'd us in this Voyage with a great deal of Respect and gave us Access to the Chief of these first Nouragues to whom we presented a Hatchet to engage him to enter into an Alliance with us they did not remember that they had seen above One French Man before in their Country so that the Women and Girls who had never travell'd into the Country of the Galibis were mightily amaz'd at the Sight of us If one might judge of the whole Nation by these People one might very well say the Nouragues are a very courteous and affable People Some of 'em could speak the Language of the Galibis very well and serv'd for our Interpreters They did all they could to seek Provision to treat us well but being unsuccessful in their Hunting we had only Cassave and a little Meat at one of our Repasts but with great Demonstrations of their Kindness We bought Cassave of 'em for the Supply of the Men that belong to our Canoo and on the Sixth of February after the Galibis had been treated with a small Feast after the Fashion of the Country they parted from us at about Ten a Clock in the Morning We also left this first Cottage of the Nouragues on the Seventh of February to go a Journey of Four and Twenty Leagues by Land over very rugged Mountains but went only half a League from thence to lodge that Night being attended with Two young Nouragues each of about Sixteen or Seventeen Years of Age who were to carry our Baggage here we were to take another Man who had promis'd to carry our Provision for us which consisted of Cassave and Paste of Ovicou This Man's Wife in this Second Hut was ill of a Cancer in her Breast which so tormented her and had so exceedingly wasted her that seeing her under so terrible a Distemper without the Help of any Medicine we suppos'd she could not recover and that in Probability she would live morally the rest of her Days for these People endure their Pains and Hardships very patiently as we observ'd in all the Galibis therefore we resolv'd to baptize her In order to this Father Bechamel took care to instruct her having already made some Improvement in the Language of this People and had likewise the Assistance of one of our young Nouragues who understood the Galibis Tongue This poor sick Woman receiv'd his Instructions very well and was baptized which was an occasion of great Comfort to us The Eighth having Bread and Paste of Ovicou enough to serve us Four Days we set forward with our Three Nouragues to perform our Journey of Four and Twenty Leagues over Mountains all the way which the Nouragues sometimes perform in a Day and a half but ordinarily in Two or Three Days when they have Women in their Company One of our French Men of Cayenne that came thence on the 27th of January follow'd us closely with Seven Galibis and overtook us where we lodg'd the Second Night who gave me a Letter from the Reverend Father Brion our Superior written the day he came away which gave us no small joy for it contain'd a great deal of Good Advice that might be serviceable to us in our Expedition This French-Man was much fatigu'd with his Journey and sent his Indians before him the day following who in that one day being the Tenth of February went as much
that we might give him no offence because we stood in need of his Protection After I had continu'd a Fortnight with him making all the Children say their Prayers Morning and Evening and repeating my little Instrustions to the greatest part of those I was acquainted with but especially to Three Young Men who were well Marry'd confirming 'em in the Resolution they had made never to take a Second Wife of which promise they seem'd to make no difficulty I set forward the Fifteenth of March to seek Father Bechamel and to wait for the Chief of the Cottage who was to go by Water Five days after with his Canoo I had but Three Leagues to go by Land whereas it was near Fifteen by Water From that time I found those People still more teachable and when the Captain return'd among Four and twenty Persons there were not above Three but signified they took a great deal of pleasure in my Instructions During our stay here a Serpent came in the Night in the place where we lay and bit a Hound so that he died in 30 Hours after This Accident was Injurious to us because the Chief and the Owner of the Dog attributed it to the Prayers which we sang so that I durst not Sing any more but contented my self to make every body in the Cottage say their Prayers except three as I said before namely the Chief Camiati and Two other Old Men. The Ninth of April after I had much importun'd the Chief that we might set forward he told us he was not willing to make this Voyage and that all his Men should go to set us in our way and should leave us when we went ashore to go by Land to the Rivers that lead to the Acoquas whether Four of the Company should attend us We understood that their Voyage was determin'd without any regard to us however we did not scruple to pay 'em for it being willing to make use of this Opportunity because it was no easie matter to meet with another However I oppos'd the Design of having so many Men go with us because the Two Canoos they had were too small for such a Company This was a great difficulty with us and was not resolv'd till the next day when we represented to the Chief that we would leave him our little Chest that we would take very few of our 12 things out of it for our Voyage that when we return'd I would continue with him that if he was not pleas'd to assist us in our Voyage I must return to Cayenne that then he must never expect to see any of us again and would have no more of our Commodities this made him resolve to lessen the number of his Men. The Tenth of March we parted being Sixteen in Number of which the Chief would needs be one for Three days that he might bring back his Canoo In the Evening we went ashore into the Woods and on the Eleventh after we had pass'd several Falls of Waters in the way we made the Two days we Arriv'd at a Cottage of the Nouragues Ten Leagues from the former here we were well receiv'd and went forward the Third day with a Third Canoo which was very small it carry'd only Two Men a Woman and a Girl of Ten or Twelve Years Old We passed Two Falls that were difficult enough and Arriv'd at a Third which the Canoo could not pass which has oblig'd the Nouragues to make a way to draw their Canoos by Land almost half a League this fall is at Two Degrees and Forty Six Minutes of Northern Latitude The Indians drew only the little Canoo by Land for the Chief left us and return'd back with the Two others and we who were then Fifteen in Number went to Embark in a great Canoo that was above the Water-fall which the Two Persons that were sent by Camiati had borrow'd Four Leagues higher we found the Mouth of the River Tenaporibo and went to lie in a Cottage hard by which was yet upon the River Aproague where we found Five Nourague Travellers who were going to the Country of the Mercious besides whom there was a Woman who had a little Girl of Seven or Eight Months Old that was very ill Imanon of whom I have spoken was now the Chief of our Company he is the greatest Physician that is the greatest Juggler of the Country who tho' he is a great Hypocrite and very much for plurality of Wives yet did not scruple to acquaint us that this Child was very Sick when we had examin'd the matter we judged it necessary to Baptize her which Father Bechamel did at the time when these Travellers parted from us I had before Baptiz'd a little Girl in the Cottage of this Imanon immediately after it was born because the Mother of it when she brought it into the World had left it in the 13 Dirt from whence they would not take it up for a long time being told of this disorder and finding they would put nothing under the Infant to keep it from the coldness of the Mud and of the Night I baptiz'd it The Fourteenth we left this Hutt and presently enter'd into the River of Tenaporibo which is very deep and rapid tho' it winds much we were not the First French-Men that had been upon this River and we have been inform'd that Three English-Men were kill'd and Eaten there 14 some Years ago by the Nouragues 'T is very difficult to Navigate this River meerly because of its narrowness and because the great Trees upon the Banks of it when they fall often extend their Branches to the other side so that one must either pass over or under these Trees which is not done without a great deal of difficulty We lay one Night in the Woods and on the Fifteenth Arriv'd at a Hutt where we continued to the Eighteenth which was the last Day we were upon this River and in the Evening we saw the last Company of the Nouragues on this River 80 Leagues from the Mouth of it This Company consists of Four Huts at a little distance one from another wherein there are above Sixscore Persons of a good natural Disposition and very teachable There was not one in the Cottage where we lodg'd but was taught by us to pray to God every Day this Cottage was compos'd of several Men some of whom were single Persons others were married only to one Wife with whom they liv'd very well and there is great Probability of making good Christians of ' em This Cottage is at Two Degrees Forty Two Minutes of Northern Latitude and together with the Neighbouring ones and two others at Two Leagues distance might give employ to a good Missionary We left this Hut on the Twenty Seventh of April towards Evening to go and seek our Guides who were not far off with whom we advanc'd by Land and went only Five Leagues among very difficult Mountains The Twenty Ninth we travell'd about Ten Leagues in a Way a
have seen they are an honest affable pleasant People and are very attentive and ready to receive what is said to ' em T is true they not long since exterminated a small Nation and eat several of them but I attribute this Barbarity to the ill Custom of the Country rather than to the Disposition of the People and this seems the more probable because being inform'd Two or Three Days after our arrival that there was half a Day 's Journey from us some of the Flesh of a Magapa the Name of a People that are their Enemies whom they had newly kill'd with another while they were watching their opportunity to surprize one or other of the Acoquas alone and besides one of the People of the Cottage having set before us the Jaw of a young Man we told 'em This was not well done and that God forbids us to kill an Enemy when we take him Prisoner and to eat him afterwards At this they look'd down very much without giving one Word of a Reply Another time the Master of one of the Cottages having heard that the Galibis to hinder us from undertaking this Voyage had threaten'd us that we should be roasted by the Acoquas was fill'd with great Indignation at it and could not be pacified till I told him I took those Galibis for Lyars and Fools Having moreover told 'em I had been made Prisoner of War by the English and restor'd to the French without receiving any harm and that God would not allow us to kill those we took in War they seem'd pretty well to approve of this Law And tho' this barbarous Custom is a Point so much establish'd and receiv'd in all Times among the Acoquas and among the Nouragues too yet it seems by what I have been relating to be no difficult Matter to restrain 'em from this Savage Practice of killing and eating their Enemies Polygamy is a Second Obstacle which we found against the Christian Religion among these Two Nations of the Nouragues and Acoquas for where there 's one Man to be found that has but one Wife there are six who have each of 'em two or three The Hope that may be conceiv'd for the eradicating of this Vice is not concerning Persons that are already pre-ingag'd in this evil Custom but only those that have yet but one Wife and young Men that are not yet married who might be perswaded to be content with one Wife I confess there 's no hope of working upon the others The Way of Living among the People of these Two Nations is very agreeable and has something more courteous in it than that of the Galibis For Instance Among the Galibis those that are married dine every one apart and those that are unmarried eat all together and all the Women Maids and little Children go to another side of the Hut to eat The Nouragues and Acoquas do quite otherwise for the Husband eats with his Wife or Wives and Children with admirable Agreement and Union They don't drink 19 much but are great eaters and are always Fishing or Hunting in which they spare no Pains to get their Living They are all Lyars as well as all other Indians that we know And when they perceive their Lyes are discover'd they retire seeming to be a little asham'd but will not fail to frame a Lye again on the next Occasion The Nouragues endeavour'd to fright us with a great many Stories of their own Invention to make us alter our Resolution of going to the Acoquas that we might spend all our Stock of Goods with them sometimes telling us they had seen the Track of some strange wild Beast sometimes that the Caranes their Enemies were running up and down their Woods and that they had observ'd the Steps of Three of that Nation not far from their Hut But when they saw they could not terrifie us they did what we would have ' em This Vice induces 'em to promise much and to perform but little which also is occasion'd by the little Judgment they have to esteem any thing according to the Value and Importance of it for this makes 'em not matter what Injury they do any one in breaking their Word nor how much they dishonour themselves in so doing To have a thorough Conception how common this is in these Two Nations which is also rife among all the Indian Nations we are acquainted with one must compare 'em to little Children who esteem what they see only by Fancy They are also subject to Steal so that some times they must be narrowly watch'd or else they will be pilfering one thing or other The Nouragues make about Six or Seven Hundred Persons the Mercious who dwell on the West-side of 'em are equal to 'em in Number the Acoquas are South of 'em and conceal'd from us the Strength of their Nation however I suppose it may be three or four times stronger than that of the Nouragues for having ask'd an old Woman how many Cottages there were on one side to which we pointed she told us there were Ten then pointing toward the Quarter where their Chief dwelt she took a 20 Handful of her Hair to signifie to us the great Number of Cottages there were on that side Between the Acoquas and the Mercious they told us there was the Nation of the Pirios which the Acoquas say are equal to themselves in Strength On the East and South-East-side are the Pirionaus and on the East the Pirios and Magapas and in the midst of all these Nations the Morous who are very barbarous These Nations all speak one and the same Language and are understood by the Caranes who are the Enemies of the Nouragues They also say the Maranes who are a very great People understand the same Tongue On the South South-West of the Acoquas are the Aramisas whose Language borders on that of the Galibis having a great many of the same Words in it tho' they are unacquainted with that Nation The Acoquas say these Aramisas are a very great Nation If there be a Lake of Parima these People can't be Forty Leagues distant from it on the North-side We could get no Account of this Lake There was not one Indian who when we enquir'd of them whether they did not know of a vast Place of Water like the Sea the Sand of which is Caracoli for so they call Gold Silver and Copper could give me the least Intelligence of it These 21 Aramisas are in the same Longitude wherein the Maps place the Eastern Part of the Lake of Parima After we had been with the Acoquas Twelve or Thirteen Days the Air grew unwholsome by an excessive Heat at a time when there was very little Wind which seldom fails to blow in those Countries and indeed 't is that that renders 'em habitable Father Bechamel was taken with a Tertian Ague and the strongest of our Servants also fell very sick We therefore press'd our Guides to return since they were
not willing to conduct us any farther nor suffer the Acoquas to go and fetch their Chief who dwelt at the Distance of Three Days Journey from the Place where we were with whom we would have contracted an Alliance These Three Guides became insolent upon the Supposition that it was to honour them that the Acoquas came in such great Numbers tho' in all appearance it was the Curiosity of seeing us French Men that brought 'em together They became very troublesome especially the Morou who gave sufficient Indications of his wicked Disposition perswading the Acoquas that we ought to leave them all our Wares these so unreasonable Proposals did not much surprize us but to give 'em good Hopes of our Return we left an 22 Iron Tool of Half a Crown Price with one of 'em who had but one Wife upon Condition that I should have a great 23 Hamock when I came again promising I would then give him a Bill and a Knife to make up what this wanted of the Value of it I made choice of this Man on purpose to signifie what respect I had for lawful Marriages and he understood me very well and promis'd me he would not take a Second Wife during the Life of this he already had with whom he had liv'd at least Eight or Nine Years for they had a Daughter about Seven Years old however this Project facilitated our Return The 25th of May we embark'd on the River Camopi in Two Canoo's Father Bechamel was in the least of 'em with our principal Nourague and an Acoquas who had a Mind to go with us to Cayenne and I went in the other with our Two Servants the Morou and the young Nourague who not taking care to guide the Vessel right let it run so near the Precipice of a great Fall of Water that those in the other Canoo cry'd out believing we should be lost But these Two young Men with much ado brought our Canoo under a Rock that brake the Violence of the Stream and getting up the Rock with all their Might drew the Canoo out of this Danger 'T is abundantly more dangerous to go down these Falls than to get up 'em because they chose those places where the Water runs less violently to get the Canoo up with main Strength whereas in going down 'em they take the swiftest Part of the Stream so that one runs a greater Hazard of one's Life than can easily be express'd After having pass'd these Dangers the Second Day after we embark'd our young Nourague that had never run the like Risque before said in his own Language God is good and is not angry with us When we came to the Place where we were to go by Land betwixt the River Inipi and Tenaporibo our Guides who were well loaded with Hamocks and other things which they had bought of the Acoquas were not willing to help us which yet they would have done if that Morou had not put 'em out of Humour They walk'd very fast as the Indians are wont to do when they are loaded and at last left us at Five Leagues distance from Tenaporibo but by the Goodness of God we got thro' without losing our Way by following a Path in which these Indians had thrown little Boughs in several places where it was not easie to discern the Track to signifie which Way they went When we came within Three quarters of a League of the first Cottages we heard some Nouragues calling to us who brought us Cassave and Fish to eat and some Ovicou to drink The First Day of June our young Morou being drunk treated us very ill which made us resolve to return to Cayenne in another Canoo and in the Company of other Indians and the rather because our Distempers increas'd upon us I had a violent Fever and a great Cough and Father Bechamel was very ill as well as the lustiest of our Servants And now as we had need of the special Assistance of Providence to find a Conveniency for our Return so it pleas'd God to manifest to us how particular a Care he took of our Preservation in furnishing us with what we needed not indeed at the Time we wish'd nor after that Manner we thought best but in such a Season and in such a Way as was most convenient for us 'till at length we arriv'd at Cayenne The Second Day of June we made an Agreement with the first Nourague who had done us some Service at Caraotibo Three Leagues from Aproague who was of a very good Temper and was come thither with two other Nouragues of the same Place who had a Kindness for us and were willing to return Home as soon as they could We determin'd to set forward the next Day to prevent our Morou and our other Guides who were elsewhere from opposing our Design We were to go three Leagues by Land or Seven by Water to get to this Man 's Canoo but I was so ill I could not go by Land and our Servant was asbad as I so that we were forc'd to seek a Canoo to go by Water the Providence God provided us a little One which we hired that was sunk in the Water but was big enough to carry Four of us namely the Indian and his Wife our Servant and my self Father Bechamel tho' very weak had the Courage to undertake the Journey on Foot with our other Servant We were desirous to have gone forward the next Day from the Place where this Nourague's Canoo lay but we should not have been able to have undergone this Fatigue It pleas'd God to provide for our Welfare on this occasion in permitting the Indians to detain us Eleven Days in this Place where there were near Sixty Persons The Chief of whom who had a Son in the Neighbourhood of Cayenne plac'd us in a Cottage by our selves that we might not be disturb'd with the Noise of a great Merry-meeting they were going to have and order'd his Wife to treat us the best she could This was partly from his good Humour and partly to secure his Son from receiving any ill Treatment from the French at Cayenne God was pleas'd during our stay here to give us an Opportunity again to instruct a Woman that was almost eaten up with Cancers so that she was at length baptiz'd by Father Bechamel the Day before we left this Place This Father was so weak that he could not repeat his Breviary walking and yet the next Day he was strong enough to walk near a League from thence to embark There now remain'd but one Difficulty to encounter with since we were in the Hands of Three very honest Nouragues and that was how to get away from Camiati's Cottage with our little Chest that contain'd all our Goods and to find a convenient Passage to the Mouth of the Aproague for I had promis'd Camiati to continue with him after my return from the Acoquas and those People are not very easie when they see us carry our
Commodities out of their Cottages so that we had Reason to fear that he would detain us with him at least Two Months before he would conduct us to the Indians that dwell at the mouth of the Aproague But it pleas'd God to remove all these Obstructions for our Three Nouragues promis'd to convey us to the Sea upon condition that we would give 'em an indifferent Reward And as we went by Camiati's Cottage we found he was gone a Hunting and those we found in his Cottage were only his Two Wives and some Strangers who durst not hinder us from taking our little Chest and our Three Guides tho' they were affraid to displease Camiati their Chief yet knew not how to refuse to lead us to a Cottage that was a League lower where at that time no body dwelt and hither they were to go in order to pass by Land to Caraotibo where they dwelt and to conduct their Wives thither and then to come back again to us tho' they would fain have set us ashore at Camiati's House and left us there When we Arriv'd at the empty Cottage I found my self so ill that I thought I should have died but being somewhat recruited again and perceiving the Master of the Canoo had a mind to go and speak with Camiati and that one of our Servants desir'd to go with him to fetch a Hound he had bought that was run away thither I gave him an Iron-tool of half a Crown price to present from me to Camiati that he might order his Wives to prepare me a Hamock and bid him tell him I would pay the rest at my return which should be as soon as I had recover'd my Health this I did to prevent his offering any injury to our Servant and that he might not oppose us in our design of going back The Master of the Canoo told the Story of the Affront the Young Morou gave us and of the ill Condition of my Health so well to Camiati that when he had receiv'd the Present I sent him he would needs accompany me to the Mouth of the Aproague to the Cottage of the Chief of the Sapayes whom he had had a mind to Visit a great while being his very good Friend He came accordingly the next day with one of his Sons who was about Thirthy Years of Age and his Two Wives and sent home Two of our Guides taking their places he sent the Woman and one of our Servants one League by Land Our other Servant continued in the Canoo to row or to use the Term of the Country to Pagay with these Three stout Nouragues we also remain'd in the Canoo by reason of our Weakness which would not suffer us to go this League by Land They lighted the Canoo thus that they might the better pass a fall of the River that was so rough and difficult that the Indians could not choose but turn pale at the extreme danger we were in One time amongst others they toil'd so hard to keep the Canoo from being carry'd down a precipice of Water that when they had made shift to get under a Rock that breaks the Violence of the Stream they were forc'd to rest themselves for half a quarter of an Hour because they were so much spent that they could scarce fetch their Breath I have twice been very near being cast away in two Ships but the sight of this fall of the River was more dreadful to me than any thing I ever saw at Sea The Nineteenth of June we pass'd down Two of these Falls at the first they sent the Women away by Land and cross'd the River to know of a Galibi that was lately come thither to make a new Cottage what course they had best take to avoid being over-set because the Bed of the River declin'd so that it gave an extraordinary rapidity to the Stream and besides there were a great many Rocks under water against which we were liable to be dash'd and so cast away And observing our Men were in a great perplexity in their minds about it notwithstanding all the directions this Man gave 'em we intreated him to conduct us through this difficult passage promising him a Fishing-hook for his pains which he willingly undertook and happily perform'd At the Second which was the last we met with upon the Aproague we all went ashore and walk'd along the River-side upon very uneven Rocks and the Nouragues held the Canoo by a Line which they tied behind it and so let it go gently down this place which is very dangerous at Low-water for the Flowing of the Tide covers it tho' 't is Twenty Leagues up the River After we had pass'd these many difficulties by the mercy of God we at last had no Cassave left no Meat nor Fish nor Ovicou when we were distant a days Voyage and a half from the Cottage of the Sapayes but God of his Goodness was pleas'd to make Provision for our great necessity for as we coasted along the River we saw a Dog barking upon which the Nouragues call'd out to know if any body were a Hunting and presently to their great joy perceiv'd it was their good Friend the Chief of the Sapayes who came to us and saluted us all with demonstrations of Friendship We did what the Nouragues would not venture to do that is to ask him to sell us some Provision acquainting him that neither we nor the Nouragues had any left When he understood in what necessity we were he sent to fetch his Canoo which was a large one and very well stor'd with Cassave Ovicou Meat and Fish 24 Boucaneed which he furnish'd us and the Nouragues and we paid him for it immediately He told us his Lodging was a League off whither he would come and meet us in the Evening and that because his little half-cover'd Hut had only room enough for him and his Men we must make another for our selves He came according to his word toward Night and the next day he made Father Bechamel and me go into his Canoo because he thought the Nouragues Canoo was over-loaded On the 21st we Arriv'd at the Cottage of this Chief of the Sapayes where we were kindly entertain'd We were no sooner got thither but we began to think how we should get from thence to Cayenne and we could think of no better way than to perswade the Chief of the Sapayes to conduct us thither himself which would have taken up Three Weeks time and would have been a great charge to us but the Providence of God had made Provision for us for the next day we were inform'd that a Chief of the Galibis would come the day following to take a Sapaye with him to go to Cayenne and from thence to Maroui from whence he was to fetch his Son who had been there with the Sapayes for Two Years as well as the Son of the Chief of the Sapayes He was willing to take us in his Canoo for a small matter and we
LONDON Printed for Samuel Buckley 1698. A LETTER written from the Island of Cayenne in the Month of September 1674. Cayenne Sept. 2. 1674. Reverend Father THE Discovery that I and Father Bechamel have made of divers Savage Nations on the Continent of Guiana near the Island of Cayenne obliges me to draw up a brief Relation of our Voyage and to present it to your Reverence that you may know what Employment we may have here and how many Missionaries may find a fit Occasion for the Exercise of their Zeal If I had had some Companions whom I might have left with the Nouragues and the Acoquas I should have pierc'd much farther into the Country but the Nouragues who were our Guides not daring to advance farther into the Country of the Acoquas to retain the good will of 'em both we should have left a Missionary in each of these Nations that the Acoquas might have conducted us to their Friends who as far as I can conjecture reach quite to the Equinoctial Line We might also have pass'd to the West of the River Maroni and have enter'd into an Alliance with the Nations that extend to the River of Surinam upon which the Dutch have planted 1 a Colony but since we have confin'd our selves to those Countries that are from Three Degrees of Northern Latitude to the Equinoctial Line we need not be afraid that the People of any European Nation will trouble us in our Missions because there 's no gain to be made by 'em besides that we run the risque of being Massacred by the Natives 'T is from your Reverence that we expect Support and Assistance so far as you are capable and shall think convenient in sending us Missionaries of a Vigorous Constitution of great Vertue and of a Disposition ready to suffer hardships because in these parts there can little or no Accommodations be brought to relieve them in case of Sickness for the less one carries thither so much the better besides that the Ignorance and Barbarity of those People always give a Missionary just occasion to fear that they take up mischievous Resolutions against him at the very first shadow of dissatisfaction they receive I expect here a good number of Missionaries to dispose up and down this vast Country and I hope your Reverence will not refuse this Request which obliges me particularly to recommend my self to your good Prayers who am Reverend Father Your most Humble and most Obedient Servant in our Lord John Grillet of the Society of JESVS A JOURNAL OF THE TRAVELS c. THE Reverend Father Francis Mercier having been sent from France in Quality of Visitor of the Missions of our Society both in the Islands and Continent of the Southern America by the Reverend Father John Pinet Provincial of the Jesuits in France with the Reverend Father Gerard Brion Superior-General of the said Missions and Father Mace and Father Alarole he arriv'd in the Island of Cayenne the 21st of December 1673. and parted thence Ten Days after During his Stay there he regulated divers Affairs as well Temporal as Spiritual and among other Things finding we had yet no Knowledge of any other People but the Galibis and Aracarels our Neighbours who dwell near the Sea and among whom the Fathers of our Society employ'd their Talents with abundance of Zeal he resolv'd to attempt a Discovery of those Nations that lie remote from the Sea It was my Happiness to be chosen for so pious a Work and I was particularly instructed by my Orders to discover the Acoquas a very populous Nation according to the Report some Nouragues who frequent the Galibis gave us withal telling us they were a Warlike People and us'd to eat Men. One of these Nouragues being ask'd Two Months before the Arrival of the Reverend Father-Visitor If it were true that the Acoquas us'd to eat their Enemies answer'd That he came from 'em Four Months ago and then they had just made an end of boiling in their Pots and eating a Nation which they had destroy'd I desir'd the Reverend Father Francis Bechamel for my Comrade who has a great Deal of Zeal for these Missions and has an extraordinary Faculty of learning strange Languages besides that he already understood the Tongue of the Galibis which many of the Nouragues also speak some of whom we were oblig'd to take for our Guides to conduct us to the Acoquas for we yet know no other Way to come at 'em but through the Country of the Nouragues And Father Bechamel took care to provide some Galibis to conduct us to the Nouragues who dwell above the Source of the River 2 Vvia and to buy some Cassave and Paste of 3 Ovicou for his Voyage which we counted would be for about Ten Days This Father having provided all Necessaries namely Three Galibis some Cassave and Paste of Ovicou in hopes of finding by the good Providence of God either Fish or Venison with the Assistance of our Indians we left the Port of Cayenne the 25th of January taking our Leave of the Reverend Father Brion Superior-General and Father Mace and Father Bechet but particularly of the 4 Chevalier de Lezy our Governour who did us the Honour to conduct us together with the Fathers of our Society quite to the Canoo in which we embark'd in the Afternoon having our Fisherman to steer the Canoo and Three Indian Galibis to row with our Two Servants All of us were of Opinion That our Canoo was too small and indeed it would have prov'd so if we had embarked at the coming up of the Tide for at that time the Waves are very rough near the Shoar but we avoided this Danger by embarking a little before the Tide came up so that we were out of all danger when the Tide began to drive us into the River which gives its Name to this Island besides our Canoo being very light and not easie to be turn'd was very fit to get clear of several little Falls that are in the River Vvia which we were to pass almost quite through 'till we came to the Entrance of a lesser River that let us into the Country of the Nouragues the first Nation that we were willing to be acquainted with that by their Means we might find a Passage to the Acoquas Our Way was between the Island of Cayenne and the main Land and in the Evening we arriv'd at the House of one Deslauriers that had settled himself there we continued with him for a certain Reason all the next Day being the 26th of January Since God was pleas'd to protect and lead us by the Hand as it were in all this Voyage we must confess that it was he who inspir'd us with the Resolution to begin it by the River Vvia for we knew but two Ways of entering into the Country of the Nouragues one by the River Vvia and t'other by the River 5 Aproague this last is very difficult because the Falls of the Water are so