THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA ad. 



1595. 

 panics with some fresh meat. From thence we coasted by 

 the Grand Canaria, & so to Tenerif, and stayed there for 

 the Lions whelpe your Lordships ship, and for Captaine 

 Amyas Preston and the rest. But when after 7. or 8. 

 dayes wee found them not, we departed and directed our 

 course for Trinidad with mine owne ship, and a small The yle of 

 barke of captaine Crosses onely (for we had before lost ^'*^^^^^^- 

 sight of a smal Galego on the coast of Spaine, which came 

 with us from Plimmouth :) we arrived at Trinidad the 22. 

 of March, casting ancker at point Curiapan, which the 

 Spaniards call punta de Gallo, which is situate in 8. 

 degrees or there abouts : we abode there 4. or 5. dayes, & 

 in all that time we came not to the speach of any Indian 

 or Spaniard : on the coast we saw a fire, as we sailed from 

 the point Caroa towards Curiapan, but for feare of the Curiapan. 

 Spaniards none durst come to speake with us. I my selfe 

 coasted it in my barge close abord the shore and landed in 

 every Cove, the better to know the yland, while the ships 

 kept the chanell. From Curiapan after a few dayes 

 we turned up Northeast to recover that place which the 

 Spaniards call Puerto de los Espannoles, and the in- 

 habitants Conquerabia, and as before (revictualing my 

 barge) I left the ships and kept by the shore, the better to 

 come to speach with some of the inhabitants, and also to 

 understand the rivers, watering places, & ports of the 

 yland, which (as it is rudely done) my purpose is to send 

 your Lordship after a few dayes. From Curiapan I came 

 to a port and seat of Indians called Parico, where we Parico. 

 found a fresh water river, but saw no people. From 

 thence I rowed to another port, called by the naturals 

 Piche, and by the Spaniards Tierra de Brea : In the way Tierra de 

 betweene both were divers little brookes of fresh water ^^^^' 

 and one salt river that had store of oisters upon 

 the branches of the trees, and were very salt and well 

 tasted. All their oisters grow upon those boughs and 

 spraies, and not on the ground : the like is commonly 

 scene in other places of the West Indies, and else where. 

 This tree is described by Andrew Thevet in his French 



349 



