THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA ad. 



1595. 



ships at Trinidad, at the Port called Curiapan, I 



wandred 400 miles into the said countrey by lande and 

 river : the particulars I will leave to the following 

 discourse. The countrey hath more quantity of gold 

 by manifolde, then the best partes of the Indies, or 

 Peru : All the most of the kings of the borders are 

 already become her Majesties vassals : and seeme to 

 desire nothing more then her Majesties protection and 

 the returne of the English nation. It hath another 

 ground and assurance of riches and glory, then the 

 voyages of the West Indies, an easier way to invade the 

 best parts thereof, then by the common course. The 

 king of Spaine is not so impoverished, by taking three 

 or foure Port townes in America, as wee suppose, neither 

 are the riches of Peru, or Nueva Espanna so left 

 by the sea side, as it can bee easily washt away with a 

 great flood, or springtide, or left dry upon the sandes 

 on a lowe ebbe. The Port townes are fewe and poore 

 in respect of the rest within the lande, and are of litle 

 defence, and are onely rich, when the Fleets are to receive 

 the treasure for Spaine : and we might thinke the 

 Spaniards very simple, having so many horses and slaves, 

 if they could not upon two dayes warning cary all the 

 golde they have into the land, and farre enough from the 

 reach of our foote-men, especially the Indies being (as 

 they are for the most part) so mountanous, so full of 

 woodes, rivers, and marishes. In the Port townes of the 

 Province of Venezuela, as Cumana, Coro and S. lago 

 (whereof Coro and S. lago were taken by Captaine 

 Preston, and Cumana and S. Josepho by us) we found 

 not the value of one riall of plate in either : but the 

 Cities of Barquasimeta, Valencia, S. Sebastian, Cororo, S. 

 Lucia, Laguna, Maracaiba, and Truxillo, are not so easely 

 invaded : neither doeth the burning of those on the coast 

 impoverish the king of Spaine, any one ducat : and if we 

 sacke the river of Hacha, S. Marta, and Cartagena, which 

 are the Portes of Nuevo reyno, and Popayan ; there are 

 besides within the land, which are indeed riche and 



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