THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA a.d. 



1595. 

 yeres since that Diego Ordas, a knight of the order of 



Saint lago attempted the same : and it was in the yeere 



1 542 that Orellana discovered the river of Amazones ; 



but the first that ever saw Manoa was Juan Martinez J^^^ ^^r- 



master of the munition to Ordas. At a port called ^f ^2; M^>// 

 ,, . . ^ . . ... 1-1 ^ 1 ^nat eve?- saw 



Morequito m Guiana there lieth at this day a great anker ^anoa. 



of Ordas his ship ; and this port is some 300 miles within 

 the land, upon the great river of Orenoque. 



I rested at this port foure dayes : twenty dayes after 

 I left the ships at Curiapan. The relation of this Marti- 

 nez (who was the first that discovered Manoa) his successe 

 and ende are to bee scene in the Chancery of Saint Juan 

 de Puerto rico, wherof Berreo had a copy, which 

 appeared to be the greatest incouragement aswell to 

 Berreo as to others that formerly attempted the discovery 

 and conquest. Orellana after he failed of the discovery of 

 Guiana by the sayd river of Amazones, passed into Spaine, 

 and there obteined a patent of the king for the invasion 

 and conquest, but died by sea about the Islands, and his 

 fleet severed by tempest, the action for that time pro- 

 ceeded not. Diego Ordas followed the enterprise, and ^^^S'^ ^^ 

 departed Spaine with 600 souldiers, and 30 horse, who fglj-^^^ill 

 arriving on the coast of Guiana, was slaine in a mutiny, 500 souldiers 

 with the most part of such as favoured him, as also of the 1531. 

 rebellious part, insomuch as his ships perished, and few or 

 none returned, neither was it certeinly knowen what 

 became of the sayd Orgas, untill Berreo found the anker of 

 his ship in the river of Orenoque; but it was supposed, 

 and so it is written by Lopez, that he perished on the ^f^'^- Lopez 



seas, and of other writers diversly conceived and reported. !^^\^^j' f 

 ' r • A yr • 1 ^ ^ ... las ina, cap. 



And hereof it came that Martines entred so rarre within g^^ 



the land, and arrived at that city of Inga the emperour ; 



for it chanced that while Ordas with his army rested at 



the port of Morequito (who was either the first or second 



that attempted Guiana) by some negligence, the whole 



store of powder provided for the service was set on fire ; 



and Martinez having the chiefe charge, was condemned 



by the Generall Ordas to be executed foorthwith : 



359 



