A.D. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1595. 



of all their troups, there were not left above 120 

 souldiers, & neither horse nor cattell : for Berreo 

 hoped to have found Guiana by 1000 miles nerer then 

 it fel out to be in the end : by meanes whereof they 

 susteined much want and much hunger, oppressed with 

 grievous diseases, and all the miseries that could be 

 imagined. I demanded of those in Guiana that had 

 travelled Amapaia, how they lived with that tawny or 

 red water when they travelled thither : and they tolde 

 me that after the Sun was neere the middle of the 

 skie, they used to fill their pots and pitchers with that 

 water, but either before that time, or towards the 

 setting of the Sun it was dangerous to drinke of, and 

 in the night strong poison. I learned also of divers 

 other rivers of that nature among them, which were 

 also (while the Sun was in the Meridian) very safe to 

 drinke, and in the morning, evening, and night woon- 

 derfull dangerous and infective. From this province 

 Berreo hasted away assoone as the Spring and beginning 

 of Summer appeared, and sought his entrance on the 

 borders of Orenoque on the South side ; but there ran 

 a ledge of so high and impassable mountaines, as he 

 was not able by any meanes to march over them, con- 

 tinuing from the East sea into which Orenoque falleth, 

 even to Quito in Peru : neither had he meanes to 

 cary victuall or munition over those craggie, high, and 

 fast hilles, being all woody, & those so thicke and 

 spiny, & so full of prickles, thornes, and briers, as it 

 is impossible to creepe thorow them : hee had also 

 neither friendship among the people, nor any interpreter 

 to perswade or treat with them : and more, to his dis- 

 advantage, the casiques and kings of Amapaia had 

 given knowledge of his purpose to the Guianians, and 

 that he sought to sacke and conquer the empire, for 

 the hope of their so great abundance and quantities of 

 golde : he passed by the mouthes of many great rivers, 

 which fell into Orenoque both from the North and 

 South, which I forbeare to name for tediousnesse, and 



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